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Cast Announcement: A Bunch of Amateurs

Stone Revellers next comedic offering at the Crown Wharf Theatre is A Bunch of Amateurs 📢
 
Playing Wednesday 11th – Saturday 14th June 2025 at Crown Wharf Theatre!
 
Here’s the list of who is going to be treading the boards this time! 👇
 
Jefferson – Sean Galloghly
Dorothy – Harri Capernaros
Jessica – Tamsin Brown
Nigel – Robert Davies
Mary – Charlotte Andrews
Denis – Mark Doran
Lauren – Claire Saunders
Journalists – Joe Jenkinson, Carly Smith and Neil Norman
 
Here’s them pictured working hard in rehearsals over the past couple of weeks.
 
Tickets are available NOW at crownwharftheatre.org.uk 🎉
 
…and we have another cast announcement for our SEPTEMBER play for you very soon!

Cast Announcement: THE BAND

We are proud to announce the cast for THE BAND – The New Take That Musical

Young Rachel – Kath Stanway
Young Zoe – Emily Badger
Young Claire – Bethan Stapleton
Young Heather – Charlotte Davies
Debbie – Emma Wilson
Rachel – Jen MacEachan
Zoe – Mandy Gauge
Claire – Lauren Turner
Heather – Ang Whitney
Jeff – Rob Davies
Dave – Matt Wright

The Boys
George Harratt
Matt Williams
Brett McIntyre
Joe Mellor

Guaranteed to fill you with joy, this musical will be one that you’ll Never Forget.

Tickets are on sale now!
2nd-5th April 2025 at Crown Wharf Theatre, Stone.

Do you have your tickets yet? Book now at crownwharftheatre.org.uk

February 2025 Newsletter

We hope your 2025 is going well so far. It’s certainly off to a flying start for Stone Revellers!

THE BAND – The Take That Musical (2nd-5th April) is already 60+% sold and a truly brilliant cast are working hard to produce an exceptional piece of theatre.

The rest of the year is looking pretty sweet too!

June Comedy – A Bunch Of Amateurs. A superb comedy play – “Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village”. Dawn Huxley’s Director debut for Revellers (Assistant Director Hannah Adams). This is set to be a superb comedy and auditions have been moved forward to the very beginning of March (visit the Auditions Page for more information).

September Play – How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found. Leo Capernaros returns to direct this “award-winning play that follows one man’s desperate attempts to buck the system, and asks what really makes us who we are in the 21st century”. It will be a treat. Auditions for this one are likely to be in APRIL (stay tuned) with rehearsals still June-September.

Pantomime – CINDERELLA – A popular title locally this year but we have our own Revellers spin on this pantomime classic. Tamsin Brown Director debut with Dan Stubbs on Musical Direction and Catherine Abrahams as Choreographer. Auditions will be in September. More information later this year.

We hope you can join us for as much of our season as possible.

Cast Announcement – And Then There Were None

Our cast for the next play in September 2024!
Vera Claythorne – Emma Wilson
Philip Lombard – Adam Fray
Sir Lawrence Wargrave – Neil Norman
General MacKenzie – Mike Duckworth
Doctor Armstrong – Tamsin Brown
William Blore – Simon Hills
Anthony Marston – Joe Jenkinson
Emily Brent – Charl Andrews
Rogers – Katie Elliff
Miss Rogers – Beth Nevitt
Mrs. Narracott – Simone Plant
11th-14th September 2024 at St Michael’s Hall, Stone.

Introducing the best selling crime novel of all time…

Step into a world of suspense and mystery with Agatha Christie’s masterpiece, ‘And Then There Were None.’ Ten strangers are lured to a secluded island mansion, each harbouring their own secrets. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes terribly clear.  One by one, they fall to a hidden killer, following the chilling pattern of a sinister nursery rhyme. With no one else on the island, the survivors realise the killer is among them, and the tension mounts as they try to unmask the murderer before it’s too late.

Join us for a thrilling production that will keep our audiences on the edge of their seats until the very last moment. Be part of the cunning plot twists and turns in a story that has enthralled readers and audiences alike for decades. Don’t miss the chance to experience the intrigue of ‘And Then There Were None’—The best-selling crime novel of all time – where everyone is a suspect, and no one is safe.

Up Pompeii – NODA Review

Production Up Pompeii
Venue St. Michael’s Hall
Society Stone Revellers Musical Theatre
Director Mandy Gauge
Date 19 June 2024
Script Written by Miles Tredinnick

This was my very first visit to the town Stone therefore my first visit to Stone R. There was a warm welcome from some members of the committee as well as the front of house team.

Very often we are asked about a drink at the interval. However, this was the first time I have been asked whether I want fish ‘n’ chips! These were greatly enjoyed by the audience during the interval while the hard-working front of house staff delivered drink orders to people at their table.

Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Up Pompeii was of course a hugely popular TV comedy broadcast between 1969 and 1970. Like other comedies there are less episodes that we may think – a grand total of 13.  The series centred around the head slave, Lurcio played by Frankie Howerd.
The stage appeared well constructed. Three doors upstage,down stage a ‘stone’ bench, a step to a lower level. An image painted to the wall (more about this later) of the master (Ludicrus Sextus) and mistress of the house (Ammonia). A well down stage right and gates both stage left and right.

Matt Wright as Lurcio was unquestionably the bedrock of the play, with many of the mannerisms of Howerd. With plenty of ‘please yourself’ and talking aside to the audience as well as referring to the director and technical team, such as sound engineers, as ‘Stage Hands’ throughout. For example, miscued erruptions of Vesuvius and a ‘splash’ when dropping a key down the well. These were all very well delivered and believable. The character is continually attempting to do ‘The Prologue’ but never manages due to the interruptions as the play builds.

Ludicrus Sextus (played by Adam Fray) a senator, informs his wife Ammonia (played by Charl Andrews) he needs to travel to Rome to present his anti-vice bill on moral standardsannouncing he is ‘not having any of it’ (just the start of the double entendre we were in for!). He convinces Ammonia to go and visit her mother at Tedius in the countryside and take their daughter, Erotica (played by Hannah Adams). Erotica is enquiring how to spell words such as ‘fancy’, ‘desire’ and ‘bonking’ while ‘slating’ a friend.  Adam played the part with suitable conviction of having to do his duty as a senator (he has no intention of going to Rome at all!) while Charl plays on the double meaning well throughout the opening scenes. Hannah is wonderful in her sense of wanting fun.

Captain Treacherous played with what seemed great delight by Dan Tobias Lewis- Dayle threatens people with a journey on his slave ship described as a ‘Mediterranean cruise with no sun.’ His not so bright sidekick, Kretinus was played by Matt Giles with great fun.

Speaking of sidekicks there was Corneous, played by Rob Stanway. This time the side kick to Lurcio. Rob played the part extracting the humour of a ‘footman’ while also after Lurcio’s job (yes wanting to be head slave!).
Senna the Soothsayer (PC warning) politely referred to as ‘the old bag’ was full of woe woe and thrice woe played by Nichola Abbott who seemed to relish in the role.

Cara Fraser was wonderful as Suspenda (the well-known nymphomaniac and beauty), the real reason for sending Ammonia away to the country.

Nausius the innocent son of Ludicrus and Ammonia was played by a very smiley Joe Jenkinson. Nausius was an absolute joy in his naivety.

Voluptua a slave girl was played to the most by Claire Saunders who was so grateful to her rescuer she seemed to want to pay them back and not necessarily by looking at Nausius’s butterfly collection!

Chaos of course reins throughout with some wonderful lines. I must admit my favourite was probably at the end of act one delivered by Lurcio when Ludicrus is actively involved with Suspender ‘He can’t believe his luck! All he’s ever done are Agatha Christies.’ Chaos at the end has of course the pairings all together of Nausius and Voluptua, Corneous and Erotica and Ludicrus and Suspenda. All calling on Lurcio for his help.

I am sure there was the odd deviation from the scripted version of the play but these were well covered and rescued by the cast and always remaining in character during this true romp.

The audience loved this one and why not. The laughter was not just a ‘Titter’ but full laugh out loud. This was a truly funny show brining out the best of the comedy of the day.

I most certainly look forward to seeing Stone Revellers again in the future.

Next on the programme is the wonderfully scripted play by Agatha Christie ‘And Then There Were None’ in September 2024.
Congratulations to all involved whether on stage, back stage or on the production team.

REVIEW BY: Andy Brown – NODA

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved

Introducing our Cast for UP POMPEII

A ‘laugh-a-minute’, carry-on style farce.

Based on the original characters devised by Talbot Rothwell and Sid Colin for the Frankie Howerd BBC comedy, this hilarious romp through ancient Pompeii brings back all the television favourites in this full-length play seen on a national tour in 2011 starring Damian Williams as Lurcio, Senator Ludicrus Sextus’s slave. As Lurcio attempts to deliver his prologue and begin proceedings, he’s quickly caught up in the myriad of sexual liaisons in all quarters of his master’s house. Why does Ludicrous not leave for the Senate meeting in Rome? Why does his wife return so quickly from the country? Who will take care of the escaped slave girl, Voluptua, and will Nausius’s love poetry improve? Whilst growing chaos ensues, an increasing rumbling is heard in the distance – what could that possibly be? A riot from start to finish.

 

Meet The Cast:

Corneous – Rob Stanway

Ammonia – Charl Andrews

Ludicrus Sextus – Adam Fray

Erotica – Hannah Adams

Lurcio – Matt Wright

Senna the Soothsayer – Nichola Abbott

Voluptua – Claire Saunders

Captain Treacherous – Dan Tobias Lewis-Dayle

Kretinus – Matt Giles

Nausius – Joe Jenkinson

Suspenda – Cara Fraser

Production Team

Director: Mandy Gauge

Assistant Director: Sean Galloghly

Producers: Rob Stanway & George Harratt

You can buy your tickets by clicking here…

Announcing our Award Winners for last season

We had a superb 2023 and our society goes from strength to strength. This was the first year that we got back to 4 shows since 2020 – and what a superb 4 shows we presented.

Our House, The Canterbury Tales, The 39 Steps & Sleeping Beauty.

Here’s the results of our members vote for this year’s awards:

 

Best Actor

Nominations: Dan Stubbs (Our House), Sean Galloghly (39 Steps), Alex MacIvor (The Canterbury Tales), Leo Capernaros (Our House)

Winners: Joint winners for this award were Sean Galloghly (The 39 Steps) and Dan Stubbs (Our House)

Best Actress

Nominations: Dawn Huxley (The Canterbury Tales), Emma Wilson (Our House), Jen MacEachan (The 39 Steps)

Winner: Emma Wilson (Our House)

Best Supporting Actor

Nominations: Charlotte Andrews (The Canterbury Tales), Dan Stubbs (Sleeping Beauty), Dawn Huxley (The Canterbury Tales), Emma Wilson (Sleeping Beauty), George Harratt  (Our House & Sleeping Beauty), Hannah Patrick (Our House), Jen MacEachan (The 39 Steps), Joe Jenkinson (Our House), Leo Capernaros (Our House), Maddie Hall (Sleeping Beauty), Matt Wright (The 39 Steps), Rob Mincher (Sleeping Beauty), Rob Stanway (The 39 Steps) and Sean Galloghly (Our House).

Winners: Dawn Huxley (The Canterbury Tales), Maddie Hall (Sleeping Beauty) & Matt Wright (The 39 Steps)

Best Musical Performance

Nominations: Dan Stubbs (Our House & Sleeping Beauty), Davey P (Our House), Emma Wilson (Our House & Sleeping Beauty), Immy Patrick (Sleeping Beauty), Maddie Hall (Sleeping Beauty), Sean Galloghly (Our House). 

Winner: Emma Wilson (Our House & Sleeping Beauty).

Best Comedy Performance

Nominations: Matt Wright (The 39 Steps), Nichola Abbott (The Canterbury Tales), Rob Mincher (Sleeping Beauty), Rob Stanway (The 39 Steps), Sean Galloghly (The 39 Steps), Tamsin Brown (Sleeping Beauty)

Winner: Rob Mincher (Sleeping Beauty)

Best Producer/Director

Alec Voss (Sleeping Beauty), Davey P (Our House), Hannah Adams (Our House), Kath Stanway (The 39 Steps), Rob Stanway (The 39 Steps & Sleeping Beauty).

Winner: Alec Voss (Sleeping Beauty)

Best Backstage Contribution

Barry Anstey (All 4 Shows), Dylan Galloghly (The 39 Steps), Emma Wilson (The 39 Steps), George Harratt (All 4 Shows), Jack Johnson (All 4 Shows), Mark Doran (All 4 Shows), Simone Plant (Sleeping Beauty).

Winner: George Harratt 

Best Company Member

Nominations: Aimee Hull (Our House & Sleeping Beauty), Beth Nevitt (Sleeping Beauty), Catherine Abrahams (Sleeping Beauty & Our House), Claire Saunders (Sleeping Beauty & Our House), Dan Tobias Lewis Dale (Our House), Emma Wilson (Sleeping Beauty), George Harratt (Our House & Sleeping Beauty), Hannah Patrick (Our House), Joe Jenkinson (Our House), Maddie Hall (Sleeping Beauty), Mandy Gauge (Our House & Sleeping Beauty), Rob Stanway (The 39 Steps), Sean Galloghly (Our House), Simone Plant (Sleeping Beauty).

Winner: Aimee Hull (Our House & Sleeping Beauty)

Chair’s (The Mike Cullen) Award

Given annually for outstanding contribution to the society.

Winners: Rob Stanway & Kath Stanway

 

 

The Abbott Award will be given out at a future date

NODA Review: Sleeping Beauty

DATE 8th December 2023
SOCIETY Stone Revellers Musical Theatre
VENUE St. Michael’s Hall, Stone
TYPE OF PRODUCTION Pantomime
DIRECTOR Alec Voss
MUSICAL DIRECTOR Dan Stubbs
CHOREOGRAPHER Angela Whitney
WRITTEN BY Alan Frayn

Report

Author: Alan Bruce

STONE REVELLERS MUSICAL THEATRE

Present

SLEEPING BEAUTY

The announcement of a new Royal birth cause much excitement, with the opening guitar strains to Welcome To The Panto.  We’re there, a great opening full cast number. The first of many.

Set in a Steampunk styled village of designated pantomime denomination, Director Alec Voss weaved his spell with the talented cast bringing Alan Frayn’s Sleeping Beauty to St Michael’s Church Hall possibly it’s last panto hosting with the Crown Wharf Theatre’s looming opening next year.

Good Fairy Lilac – Maddie Hall, opened proceedings in fine rhyme, beating Bad Witch Hazel – Emma Wilson to it just in time. These two were an inspired pairing, well matched foes throughout proceedings more to follow down the readings.

As the fun fanfares vied with the King for the last note, did I mentioned Royal birth, much trepidation from King Cactus – Simon Hills and Queen Marigold – Charlotte Andrews, especially of a pending Hazel curse, changing nappies me thinks they’d best employ a nurse.

Dame/Nurse by Royal Appointment, Hettie Harpic a completely round the bend character, played by  Rob Mincher, who brought a unique brand of mayhem. She was aided and abetted but mainly hampered by Muddles – beautifully timed, a very thoughtful performance with fabulous facial expressions courtesy of Tamsin Brown, she played the audience to perfection.

The King’s Point and Needle Inspection Experts – P.A.N.T.I.Es  originally the mailroom operatives Fetch and Carrie – Hannah Adams and Aimee Hull respectively easily fulfilled their comic duo roles, with an impressively paced postal patter skit.

We have a lovely bit of choreography from Angela Whitney, with young Rose growing through to sixteen during the course of the apt age related show number. Hettie’s Marilyn Monroe inspired rendition of Happy Birthday Mr President was hilarious.

Act II opened with Muddles doing a great rendition of What’s Goin’ On? The songs just kept getting better and better as the show went on, Rose and her Suitor Prince Alex – George Harratt, belting out Dead Ringer For Love. This leads Rose to discover a spinning wheel in a forgotten locked tower.

This was probably my favourite scene from the show. Hazel pleads with Rose to Stay, this was sung in a beautiful yet evil fashion, Hazel and Lilac trading vocal chops to seduce/steer Rose to make the right decision for the rest of her life, she dances torn between the two.

The scene culminating in a powerful passion filled Wrecking Ball. Rose succumbed, time to sleep. A lovely instrumental teasing hint of When September Comes leads us back to the Royal court and the villagers all fall under Hazel’s spell. We also had Trouble and Bring Me To Life, If Carlsberg did Pantomime music, via my favourites, this would probably be the best collection of panto music ever.

Whilst the King had his PANTIE’s, Hazel had Egor – Dan Stubbs, characterful  fun filled portrayal.

Great well-lit Steampunk inspired set, costumes likewise, supporting cast looked very on trend, my only pick-up would be the Kings footwear, and the Queen‘s pink trousers under a sumptuously full frontless wraparound long skirt, tights or leggings would have set it off. Very minor points I know.

Doff of the cap to Musical Director Dan Stubbs. A great thoughtfully selected set of classic rock music right up my Strasse. The band were excellent, great sound mix, you could pick out every part.

Very impressive singing from the leads particularly Hazel, Lilac, Muddles and Rose.

Sleeping Beauty was a joy to behold. Oh Yes it Was!

Meet The Crew – Almost Anything Goes

Stone Revellers are presenting something a little different this April, as we invite you to “Almost Anything Goes” in place of our usual Musical.

Open auditions were held for Revellers Old and New to bring an act to perform as part of a cabaret-style evening of entertainment at St Michael’s Hall.

Who’s performing?

Dan Stubbs
Emily Badger
Emma Wilson
George Harratt
Hannah Adams
Joe Jenkinson
Maddie Hall
Tamsin Brown

Hosted by Sean Galloghly

Performances will be Thursday 11th until Saturday 13th April at St Michael’s Hall.

Production Team:

Director – Tamsin Brown
Musical Director – Dan Stubbs
Choreographer – Catherine Abrahams
Producer – George Harratt

Tickets are now on sale (click here)…