Too Marvelous
for Words

A sparkling musical based on the life & works of songwriter
JOHNNY MERCER
BOOK AND DIRECTION BY ALVIN RAKOFF.

Johnny Mercer wrote more than 1,000 popular songs including BLUES IN THE NIGHT, MOON RIVER, JEEPERS CREEPERS, AUTUMN LEAVES, COME RAIN COME SHINE, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY, THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC, DAY IN DAY OUT, I REMEMBER YOU, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, I WANNA BE AROUND, ONE FOR MY BABY, GOODY GOODY, LAURA....and many, many, many more.

The Mill is delighted to welcome back Alan Rakoff the award winning writer-director of this glittering entertainment which depicts a songwriter's journey through 'the sunshine and shadows' of life. We guarantee you will leave the theatre humming Mr Mercer's 'Too Marvelous' songs.

By arrangement with the Johnny Mercer Foundation.
Margaret Whiting, President.

ANDREW HALLIDAY (Johnny Mercer) Andrew graduated in 1990 from The Guildford School of Acting. One of England's most successful young performers, his most recent theatre credit was in DOROTHY FIELDS FOREVER at Jermyn Street Theatre. Previous to this Andrew appeared as Sonnie Hale in a sell-out production of OVER MY SHOULDER. Andrew also received rave reviews for his portrayal of Buddy Delany in the Covent Garden festival production of ZIP GOES A MILLION. Andrew appeared as Tony Brockhurst in Chichester Festival Theatre's award winning revival of DIVORCE ME DARLING and then went on to play Dimitri Romanov in the Bridewell Theatre's run of KILLING RASPUTIN. Andrew was invited to play Raoul in Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in a new production at The Edinburgh Playhouse, after having been the youngest Raoul to star in the show at her Majesty's Theatre in the West End. Other West End credits include Munkustrap in CATS, Peter Kingsley and Stine in the award winning CITY OF ANGELS at the Prince of Wales Theatre. He has also played The Arbiter in the UK tour of CHESS, Billy Bigelow in CAROUSEL and Brad Majors in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. Andrew has been a guest soloist in some 150 concerts in 23 countries all over the world. He recently played Jesus in Arena concert performances of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Oslo and Helsinki. Film and television include THE FADING PICTURE and Film Four's A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME.

SALLY HUGHES (Ginger, Subway Lady, etc/Artistic Director) Sally spent her early years in Venezuela and Argentina and after finishing her education in England, she then trained for the stage as an actress 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, namely: LET'S FACE THE MUSIC with Irving Berlin, Ruby in DAMES AT SEA (an excerpt of which was included in The Royal Gala Performance in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales), Sadie in THE FLIPSIDE, the musical HAPPY AS A SANDBAG, and as Penelope Toop in SEE HOW THEY RUN! as Julia in DEAD GUILTY and most recently as Joanna Markham in MOVE OVER MRS MARKHAM. The most recent plays Sally has directed at The Mill are TEN TIMES TABLE, SYLVIA'S WEDDING, WIFE BEGINS AT FORTY, MAKE ME MATCH , ALL FOR MARY.. and WHO KILLED SANTA CLAUS. 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. Sally directed the National Tour of PASTIMES, starring Rosemary Leach and William Gaunt and has most recently directed BAREFOOT IN THE PARK by Neil Simon at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End. She has recently started singing with the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra at the Savoy.

DANIEL GILLINGWATER (Joe, Charlton, Producer etc) Daniel Gilllngwater was born in Chingford, Essex and educated at St. Ignatius College, Enfield and University College, Cardiff. His professional performing career began at the Café Royal in London's Regent Street with the late, great Michael Thorpe-Jackson. Since then he has been in Chess (National Tour), Sweeney Todd (Oldham), West Side Story (European Tour), The King and I and Merrily we Roll Along (Leicester), Side by Side by Sondheim (Far East Tour), three lost musicals: Knickerboker Holiday and Something for the Boys (Barbican) and One Touch of Venus (Royal Opera House), Midsummer Nights Dream, As you like it and Lady be Good (Open Air Theatre Regents Park), he wrote and performed in Marriage on Hold (Southwold Summer Theatre), and will be returning with the soon to be written sequal Otherwise Engaged this July. His last composing commission was for SNAP Theatre's national tour of D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers. Daniel is the singer and front man for The Hot House Orchestra, The Sloane Square Syncopators, and his own band Thirty Something, and he is the much abused other half of the cabaret double act Red & Ginger with Sarah Redmond. Daniel continues to pursue a career as a portrait painter, sculptor and etcher. An etching of his was recently seen among the works exhibited in the National Print Exhibition at the London, Mall Gallery.

LOTTIE MAYOR (Tilly, Sadie etc) Most recently Lottie played Amy in WHERE'S CHARLEY? and Katherine in LOVE'S LABOUR LOST at the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park. She began her professional career at sixteen understudying and playing the title role in the musical BERNADETTE at the DominionTheatre in the West End. Three national tours followed; THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Liesel), ASPECTS OF LOVE (Jenny Dillingham) and FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY (Pauline Marsden). Lottie was lucky enough to create the lead role of Swallow in Andrew Lloyd Webber's WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND at the Aldwych Theatre. Other West End credits include OLIVER!, ASPECTS OF LOVE, ELVIS and MARTIN GUERRE. TV credits include THE BILL and ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS at the Royal Albert Hall.

ALVIN RAKOFF (Director/Playwright) Alvin Rakoff has earned an enviable reputation worldwide since leaving his native Canada. He has directed more than 100 TV dramas and a dozen feature films. Among many awards and nominations he has twice won the coveted International Emmy Award for A VOYAGE ROUND MY FATHER (Olivier) and CALL ME DADDY (Donald Pleasance). Actors he has directed include: Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Rex Harrison, Donald Wolfit, Sean Connery, Michael Gambon, Jeremy Irons, Alan Rickman, Michael Crawford, Richard Briers, Michael Caine, Roger Moore, Peter Sellers, Richard Harris, Kenneth More, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, etc. And Edith Evans, Wendy Hiller, Judi Dench, Celia Johnson, Jean Simmons, Ava Gardner, Shelley Winters, Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, Wendy Craig, Claire Bloom, Jane Asher, Zoe Wanamaker and many, many more. His writing, as a journalist, enabled him to graduate from University of Toronto. He has written TV plays, adaptations and screenplays. His first novel & GILLIAN was translated into ten languages. His second novel on genetic cloning, SEVEN EINSTEINS has been optioned for a film. His third book BALDWIN STREET will be published in Germany this month. His theatre work ranges from Simon Gray's STAGE STRUCK here at The Mill starring Nicholas Jones, to a charity performance at Royal Albert Hall before H M Queen. Currently he is writing his fourth novel and a commissioned screenplay. Website: http://www.alvinrakoff.com/

JO STEWART (Musical Director) Jo trained at the Royal College of Music, London and enjoys equally working with concert singers and musicians, and in the musical theatre - London productions include: CALL ME MADAM, KINGS & CLOWNS, MARCH OF THE FALSETTOS, HELLO DOLLY!, THE MIKADO, 70 GIRLS 70, CABARET, WHAT A PERFORMANCE, and for the Royal National Theatre, Stephen Sondhiem's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Other Sondheim work includes: FOLLIES, SWEENEY TODD and SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM. Most recently, two productions of BOSTON MARRIAGE for the Donmar Theatre. This will be Jo's first musical for The Mill having become acquainted through three or four one-off concert.

JOSEPH PITCHER (Choreographer) Joseph trained on the Gillian Lynne scholarship at Millennium. Theatre credits include the West End production of CHICAGO (Adelphi Theatre), he understudied and played the leading role of Bill Snibson in ME AND MY GIRL (Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham), the roles of Cardsharp and Chaplain in EDMUND (Millfield Theatre, London), the original cast of the Olivier Award winning production of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (The Royal National Theatre and The West Yorkshire Playhouse), Charlie Brown in SNOOPY (The Rosemary Branch Theatre), OF THEE I SING (The Bridewell Theatre, A CHORUS LINE (London Palladium) and the roles of Billy and Dwight in ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS (The Globe Centre). Recent television credits include the BBC production SHOWTIME AT THE STADIUM and CRIMEWATCH UK. Choreographic credits include THE DIANE AND ROSS RETROSPECTIVE (The Etcetera Theatre), a charity gala for SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE at The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, GODSPELL for UCLU Musical Society at The Bloomsbury Theatre and two pieces for THE CELEBRATION OF BRITAIN DAY at The Millennium Dome. Joseph has taught for Guildford School of Acting, Arts Educational Schools, The London School of Musical Theatre and Millennium Dance 2000. Joseph is also co-director of Zoop Zoop Productions, who first venture, SNOOPY THE MUSICAL opened in February of his year at The Rosemary Branch Theatre.

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, 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. 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 now running at the Lyttleton, 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. Most recently 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

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 a variety of making both period and modern costumes of which she has made many whilst at The Mill. Some of Jane's favourite costume designs include: STEPPING OUT, THE RAINMAKER, NOEL & GERTIE, BORN YESTERDAY, LEND ME A TENOR, TWO DOZEN RED ROSES, THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY, TEN TIMES TABLE, A PARTY TO MURDER, WIFE BEGINS AT FORTY, MAKE ME A MATCH, A SLIGHT HANGOVER, KINDLY KEEP IT COVERED, ALL FOR MARY, WHO KILLED SANTA CLAUS?, MOVE OVER MRS MARKHAM, TAKING STEPS and UNDER THE YUM-YUM TREE.

ROSLYN NASH (Lighting Designer) Roslyn trained at Mountview Theatre School and has worked at The Mill for over ten years. She started as Technical Assistant and now has the pleasure of being the Production Manager. Over the years she has been given the opportunity to light many of the productions - a few of which include: STEPPING OUT, KISS MY AUNT, BORN YESTERDAY, LEND ME A TENOR, THE WAITING GAME, DON'T ROCK THE BOAT, LAURA, GRAPES & RAISINS , SAY WHO YOU ARE, THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY, TEN TIMES TABLE, KISS OF DEATH, A PARTY TO MURDER, DON'T JUST LIE THERE, SAY SOMETHING!, MAKE ME A MATCH, A SLIGHT HANGOVER, KINDLY KEEP IT COVERED, WHO KILLED SANTA CLAUS? and TAKING STEPS.

2nd Left - Alvin Rakoff (Director)
with Stage Crew