It's Never Alright On The Night

Sonning Eye, Oxfordshire, England

Dinner

Jazz

13 JANUARY - 20 FEBRUARY 2010

Never Alright

Devised by and starring SIMON WILLIAMS

Ah, life in the theatre. The glamour and the gossip. Backstage, on stage, in dressing rooms and casting couches. This is a collection of legendary tales of the world behind the footlights. The jokes, myths, mishaps, scandals, perks, pitfalls, the tat and glamour, the highs and the lows – and that’s before you get on stage. Simon Williams has has lovingly garnered these bits and bobs from years of sitting in stage-door pubs after closing time and in theatrical digs up and down the country. The stories range from Noel Coward to Zsa Zsa Gabor, from weekly rep in Wiggan to Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Interspersed with the best of backstage musical numbers such as DON’T PUT YOUR DAUGHTER ON THE STAGE MRS WORTHINGTON, THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS, WE OPEN IN VENICE and many more.

All that you wanted to know about show business but were afraid to ask. A delicious evening’s entertainment! By arrangement with United Agents.

PHILIP POPE As a performer Philip has starred in many radio and tv shows over the years including RADIO ACTIVE/KYTV, WHO DARES WINS and CHELMSFORD 123 and guest starred in many others: SHELLEY, BLACKADDER and most notably ONLY FOOLS & HORSES as singing dustman Tony Angelino. He has recently appeared in AFTER YOU’VE GONE (TV) and OLD HARRY’S GAME and Dirk Gently’s HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY (radio). Forthcoming appearances include OUTNUMBERED for BBC TV. As well as performing, Philip is wellknown as a composer and is responsible (if that is the right word!) for music to a number of television programmes : SPITTING IMAGE, THE FAST SHOW, CATHERINE TATE AND HARRY (ENFIELD) & PAUL (WHITEHOUSE). He has scored several films and dramas and worked in documentary (HORIZON), sitcom (GIMME GIMME GIMME, HAPPINESS) and comedy-drama (OUTNUMBERED, MARGERY & GLADYS, DOUBLE TIME) to name but a few. Philip is also a versatile singer. He was the lead singer with parody group TheHeeBeeGeeBees, and was the voice behind the rock pastiches on Spitting Image from Phil Collins & Sting to Bruce Springsteen & Elvis. He has also written and sung on numerous commercials. Philip has a band with Rory McGrath, and sings tenor with the Thame Chamber Choir. He has toured extensively and now lives in Buckinghamshire with wife Rosie, three sons, a dog and some chickens.

ISSY VAN RANDWYCK Issy is thrilled to be back at the Mill. Recent theatre work includes:- Marilyn Monroe in BECOMING MARILYN (Riverside Studios and Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh); PLAZA SUITE (Mill at Sonning), FOR SERVICES RENDERED (Watermill); DIRTY DANCING (Aldwych Theatre); ONCE IN A LIFETIME and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (National Theatre); A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA and KISS ME KATE* (Regents Park Open Air Theatre - * Olivier Award Nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical); THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, A SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS, ARCADIA and SONG OF SINGAPORE (Chichester Festival Theatre). Television and Film: SPOOKS, KINGDOM, TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION, NUMBERTIME, SPLINTER. Many Cast Recordings and Radio.

SIMON WILLIAMS For Simon The Mill is like a second home and he’s very pleased to be back again. He is very busy at the moment moonlighting – he is currently appearing at The National Theatre in the David Hare play THE POWER OF YES, earlier last year he was at The Chichester Festival Theatre opposite Diana Rigg in HAY FEVER. Other theatre credits include THE DEEP BLUE SEA (tour and West End), THE OLD COUNTRY (English Touring Theatre), THE CONSTANT WIFE (Apollo) THE WINSLOW BOY (Gielgud), THE BLACK PRINCE (Aldwych), A MARRIAGE HAS BEEN ARRANGED (National Theatre Studio), THE COMMON PURSUIT (Lyric, Hammersmith), THE LOVER (Young Vic), SEE HOW THEY RUN (Shaftesbury), HAY FEVER (Duke of Yorks), DONKEY YEARS (Sheffield Crucible); national tours of THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS, TARTUFFE, REBECCA, AN IDEAL HUSBAND, DEATHTRAP, THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG and NOBODY’S PERFECT. Television credits in the UK include, SPOOKS, MIDSOMER MURDERS, BLUE MURDER, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, CASUALTY, KINGDOM, THE COMMANDER, SENSITIVE SKIN, DIAMOND GEEZER, CUTTING IT, THE INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES, THE WALTZ KING, HEARTBEAT,THE GATHERING STORM, SWORD OF HONOUR, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, DINNERLADIES, DALZIEL AND PASCOE, A RESPECTABLE TRADE, KILLER NET, UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS, FIRST AMONG EQUALS, DON’T WAIT UP, AGONY, DOCTOR WHO, THE MYSTERIES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and in the US includes THE LEGEND OF KUNG FU, STARHUNTER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS, THE RETURN OF THE MAN FROM UNCLE, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, SAM McCLOUD IN LONDON. Before Christmas he was seen on Channel 4 series THE QUEEN, and has just been seen in the latest Lynda La Plante murder story ABOVE SUSPICION. Films include LADY GODIVA, THE FEVER, THE OPIUM WARS, THE FIENDISH PLOT OF DR FU MANCHU, THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, THE ODD JOB, NO LONGER ALONE, THE INCREDIBLE SARAH, THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW, THE BREAKING OF DUMBO, JOANNA. He has written two novels TAKING OSCARS and KILL THE LIGHTS, and seven stage plays including NOBODY’S PERFECT and DOUBLE DEATH which have all started their lives at The Mill. Happy New Year ...

EILEEN DISS (Set Designer) Eileen Diss’s designs for the BBC include the MAIGRET and SOMERSET MAUGHAM series, UP THE JUNCTION, CIDER WITH ROSIE and many Plays of the Month. Among her many ITV productions are PYGMALION, THE POTTING SHED, HEDDA GABLER, THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE, PORTERHOUSE BLUE, BEHAVING BADLY and JEEVES AND WOOSTER. Her feature films include A DOLL’S HOUSE, SWEET WILLIAM, BETRAYAL, 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, A HANDFUL OF DUST and AUGUST (Julian Mitchell’s version of UNCLE VANYA, directed by Anthony Hopkins). She has designed most of Simon Gray’s plays for the West End, beginning with BUTLEY and going on to OTHERWISE ENGAGED, QUARTERMAINE’S TERMS, THE REAR COLUMN, CELL MATES and LIFE SUPPORT and THE OLD MASTERS. Other West End productions have been A LETTER OF RESIGNATION, TAKING SIDES and THE HOTHOUSE (both from Chichester), OLEANNA and TWELVE ANGRY MEN. For the National she has designed BLITHE SPIRIT, THE PHILANDERER, WATCH ON THE RHINE, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, THE CARETAKER and NO MAN’S LAND, ASHES TO ASHES, written and directed by Harold Pinter at the Theatre du Rond Point in Paris, THE HEIRESS and Tom Stoppard’s ARCADIA for the Gate Theatre, Dublin and the film of Dava Sobel’s LONGITUDE for Channel 4. She has designed five Harold Pinter plays taken to the Lincoln Center in New York by the Almeida Theatre and the Gate Theatre – THE ROOM, CELEBRATION, LANDSCAPE, MONOLOGUE and THE HOMECOMING. Previous designs for The Mill were TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS, SEPARATE TABLES, ALPHABETICAL ORDER and THAT OLD FEELING.

JANE KIDD (Costume designer) Jane who is our Resident Costume Designer, trained in Fashion Design at Berkshire College of Art. She freelanced in knitwear and dress design for five years before joining The Mill as Wardrobe Mistress, and enjoys making a variety of both period and modern costumes of which she has made many whilst at the Mill.

MATTHEW BISS (Lighting Designer) Matthew is currently working as Technical Manager at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead and is delighted to be invited back to The Mill to light IT’S NEVER ALL RIGHT ON THE NIGHT. A few of his numerous previous designs at The Mill, include SEPARATE TABLES, A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, DEADLY MURDER, THE BED BEFORE YESTERDAY, THE ODD COUPLE, HOLIDAY SNAP, THAT OLD FEELING and TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

SALLY HUGHES (Artistic Director) Sally spent her early years in Venezuela and Argentina and after finishing her education in England, she then trained at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. On graduating she was given her first engagement by John Fernald who directed her in COMING OF AGE. Then followed ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN at The Bush and CATCHPENNY TWIST at The King’s Head Theatre. In 1984 Sally took over the post of Artistic Director of The Mill At Sonning from Peter Egan and has directed and appeared in many of its productions, including DAMES AT SEA (an excerpt of which was included in The Royal Gala Performance in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales). Most recent appearances include A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY – THE STORY OF DORIS DAY, TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS, both directed by Alvin Rakoff, ALPHABETICAL ORDER & THE HEIRESS both directed by Anthony Valentine. A few of the plays Sally has directed at The Mill are A FOOT IN THE DOOR, STEPPING OUT, A TOUCH OF SPRING, FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS and very recently the world premiere of MURDER HUNT by Brian Clemens and LOVE’S A LUXURY. Sally enjoys a career outside of The Mill and has played leading parts in the BBC series LATE EXPECTATIONS and LAURA AND DISORDER in which she played Wendy Craig’s daughter-in-law. Other TV appearances include: DON’T WAIT UP, KEEPING UP APPEARANCES, BRUSHSTROKES, MULBERRY and KIDNAPPED ABROAD. Sally directed the National Tour of PASTIMES, starring Rosemary Leach and William Gaunt and also directed BAREFOOT IN THE PARK by Neil Simon at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End. Sally is very excited about reviving her role as Doris Day in A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY at Wilton’s Theatre in London, in March.

Production:
Production Manager -	Joan Farnese
Stage Manager -	James Neal
Chief Electrician -	Nathan Caples
Wardrobe Mistress -	Jane Kidd
Deputy Stage Managers -	Karen Brown & Lottie Cousins
Assistant Stage Manager -	Claire Baker
Technician -	Michelle Green
Scenic Artist -	Tony Eden
Technical Assistant -	Simon Graves
Wardrobe Assistant -	Evelyn Fidler
Dressers -	Ann Baker, Lynn Hinton, Catherine Bristow, Terry Bartholomew, Karen Vass & Sarah Reynolds
Theatre Production Photography -	Norman Weston
Website Production -	Chris Berry