31/10/2023 Don’t be a drag, just be a queen!From Andover to the OutbacK!Musical phenomenon Priscilla Queen of The Desert comes to The Lights, Andover this November, brought to you by Andover Musical Theatre Company.
Quite the contrast from our last production we are back with a bang this winter, with our next show: Priscilla Queen of The Desert. This is one of the biggest productions we have ever undertaken, you will not want to miss this one. With a host of your favourite musical numbers, this show will have you grooving in the aisles. Based on the popular 1994 movie, Priscilla Queen of The Desert tells the story of two drag queens, Tick (Paul Marsh) and Adam (Sebastian Blake) and a transgender woman, Bernadette (Ed Nias), as they travel across Australia in their rather unreliable bus, Priscilla. The flamboyant Australian trio encounter many hurdles, including people who don’t welcome them with open arms. However, in an attempt to put on the greatest show on earth (on top of Ayers Rock, no less) they overcome adversities and demonstrate how love conquers all. Their story is soundtracked by three soulful Divas played by Rachel Fitzgerald, Lou Ellison and Laura Bean. The Divas belt familiar chart-toppers such as ‘It’s Raining Men’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, making the audience feel as if they’ve known the story all along. This is a show full of celebration of differences, similarities, love, family and living life to the fullest. With three loveable leads, heart-wrenching moments and some surprising events, this is a spectacle for the eyes and ears! Grab your heels, your feather boa and shake your groove thing! Don’t miss out on the theatrical event of the year! Grab your tickets here! Please note there is an age guidance on this show of 15+ but this is at the discretion of the parents/guardians. If you are an adult aged 18+and would like to join us to perform in our upcoming production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, here is the information you need about auditions...
Intro evening Date: 7.30pm on Tuesday 13th June Venue: The Lights, Andover Please join us for a talk with the Director, Carol Robinson, and Musical Director, Colin Gray, along with the production team, introducing our vision for Priscilla Queen of the Desert. This is an opportunity to meet our members and find out all about the roles, expectations and audition cuts for the show. Pre-audition rehearsals Anyone is welcome to come along on audition days, but you will benefit from attending the pre-audition rehearsals, which will take place at The Lights theatre, Andover, on Thursday 15th, Tuesday 20th, Thursday 22nd, Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th June. If you would like to attend, please get in touch with our membership officer by email membership@andovermusicaltheatre.co.uk or message us via our Facebook page. Audition day Date: Sunday 2nd July 10am onwards (exact timings will be published on our Facebook page once we know who is auditioning) Venue: Rookwood School, Weyhill Road, Andover If you would like to audition, please complete the audition form, prior to attending, this must be submitted before 10am on Saturday 1st July 2023. Audition fee for non-members If you are not yet a member of AMTC, an non-refundable audition fee of £10 is payable on the day. Should you choose to become a member, this fee is credited towards your first month of membership. Membership fees To join Andover Musical Theatre Company you must pay an annual membership of £120 - this can be paid monthly in instalments by standing order. Performance fee If you are successfully cast in this production, there will be a performance fee payable of £50. This can be paid in installments if necessary - just speak to our Treasurer. Outline rehearsal schedule The cast are generally called for rehearsal every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 7.30pm-10pm, Studio 1 at The Lights, Andover. Please arrive promptly. A full rehearsal schedule will be published in due course. If you have any existing commitments, holidays booked etc, please let the Director know in advance. 28/11/2022 The Starlights are now the Stars!Both 17, William and Bethany are perfectly cast to star in the hit musical 'Footloose', which is set to rock The Lights from 30th November - 3rd December 2022.
"As soon as it was announced I knew I wanted to be involved. Although the dancing has been tricky!" says Will. "I've really enjoyed the process of learning to dance and put in a lot of effort to make it look as natural as possible!" So it's no surprise that Will, who will be going on to study Vocal Musical Performance at the Royal Conservatoire, was cast as Ren McCormick, the teenager from Chicago who finds himself at odds with most of the town of Bomont, including the Reverend Shaw-Moore, who is the father of his love interest, Ariel. The break out stars of the show, in their first lead roles are appearing in their first adult production together and after the unexpected break for COVID...it has been a long wait. "I've been involved with Starlights since their first production and so I always wanted to be involved" Bethany mentions. I love to dance and thought Ariel was a really cool character. It's been an intense character to play, plus she's very confident." Both William and Bethany agree that their favourite scenes are some of the most emotional points of the show. "The show deals with some serious topics and Ariel's character goes through a lot of emotive issues, especially the scenes with my Dad." Will agrees "Some of the most poignant parts of the show are some of the more simple scenes between the characters and we've worked really hard on making these as powerful as possible." However, despite some of the more emotional parts of the show, there is lots of fun to be had with classic 80's hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose. "It is such a fun show, everyone is loving the songs and the dancing. It's a really fun and emotional show". mentions Bethany. "There are songs everyone will know and will be tapping their foot to for sure" says Will. Tickets are still available for the show, performing between Wednesday 30th November - Saturday 3rd December (7:30pm) with a matinee on Saturday 3rd December (2:30pm). To book your tickets now, go to The Lights Box Office at www.thelights.org.uk or call 01264 368368. 27/11/2022 From Headmaster to Reverend!"I've been in the society 10 years and this is my second time playing a vicar...I've been told this role is particularly suited to me as he's a very serious and grumpy man, I just don't want to become typecast!" Martin exclaims with a smile and his tongue very much in his cheek.
Martin is a stalwart of AMTC and has previously played a vicar in Witches of Eastwick, alongside a variety of other characters from Mr Bumble in Oliver, Mr Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors and most recently, King Arthur in Spamalot. After taking a break due to lockdown and helping as Stage Manager in subsequent shows, Martin was eager to get back on stage in 'Footloose', which see's both the adult and their youth company 'Starlights' come together to bring this production to life. This time though, Martin is transforming from his day job as a headmaster to play Reverend Shaw Moore, the central figure of Bomont and a key character to the story. "Reverend Moore is a very serious character who has tried to bury his sons grief. It requires him to be very serious throughout the show, and you see him go on a real journey. I have some really great scenes with many of the characters such as Becky Rungen who is playing my wife Vi and some really nice dialogue with Ariel, my daughter played by Bethany Griffiths, and then Ren, played by William Swinnerton, too. I usually play roles with a bit more singing and a bit less dialogue, so remembering all of my lines has been the biggest challenge this time around!" With not long left to go until opening night and the final rehearsals under way, Martin comments "It's going really well and everything is coming together now. It is going to be a brilliant show, you need to make sure you don't miss this one!" Tickets are now on sale for Footloose at The Lights, on between Wednesday 30th November - Saturday 3rd December (7:30pm) with a matinee on Saturday 3rd December (2:30pm). To book your tickets now, go to The Lights Box Office at www.thelights.org.uk or call 01264 368368. 27/10/2022 Ellie is holding out for a heroEllie Woodman has had quite a past 12 months after getting married and now preparing for her third show with AMTC, as she takes on the role of Rusty.
"I auditioned as I love both versions of the film! Rusty has some great songs and 'Let's Hear It For The Boy' is without doubt my favourite." Of course, the show is packed with classic 80's hits such as 'Holding Out for a Hero', 'Somebody's Eyes' and of course, the title and most famous song of them all 'Footloose'. Ellie most recently featured in AMTC's The Wedding Singer and she mentions a big contrast between the two shows. "The last show was impacted by COVID - so we had a two year period between auditions and when we were finally able to perform. We started rehearsing this show in September, so to only have a few months in rehearsals makes it seem like this is going really quickly! There is a real buzz in rehearsals, I love show week and the vibes as we get closer to the show and I know that this will be great!" Having such a broad range of ages has created a unique challenge for this show, with the adult company AMTC linking up with the younger Starlights to bring this musical to the stage. "Some of the youngest members are only 12 - it has been brilliant to see them grow and develop over the last few months" explains Ellie. "We've made some changes to the script and added in some extra characters to make sure as many people as possible get their chance to shine!" Whatever happens Ellie is confident that this will be one of AMTC's best shows ever. "I love the style of this show and with the songs, the costume and the mix of cast I really think that this will be one of our best shows ever. There are so many fantastic songs that people will recognise and it is sure to have you clapping along and dancing in the aisles...and getting Footloose!" Tickets are now on sale for Footloose at The Lights, on between Wednesday 30th November - Saturday 3rd December (7:30pm) with a matinee on Saturday 3rd December (2:30pm). To book your tickets now, go to The Lights Box Office at www.thelights.org.uk or call 01264 368368. 26/10/2022 Let's hear it for the (new) boy John!Let's hear it for the new boy John Clay! John joined AMTC after coming to see the recent production of The Wedding Singer and enjoyed it so much, he just wanted to get in on the action himself and decided to audition.
"This is my first show!" says John. "I've done a lot of singing and some dancing - but I've never done musical theatre, so this is my first ever performance where I will hopefully be putting both together!" John auditioned for Willard Hewitt, a simple country bumpkin with a warm heart, a big smile and a high voice! Not traditionally a tenor, John explains "I actually have quite a low singing voice and Mamma Says is quite nerve racking as a result". John has been loving every minute of the rehearsal process and has been fully welcomed by the company. "Rehearsals have been really good, everyone has been lovely. I've throughly enjoyed working with Ellie who is playing Rusty, we're having a lot of fun with that. The characters are so awkward with each other, which is a lot of fun to portray with plenty of silly moments where Willard spends lots of time falling over!" It's not all been straight forward however as John explains, "I've had to adapt to the challenging rehearsals and getting into the acting, and being way more emotive than I would usually be. Willard has a really strong country accent, so that has been a big challenge too!" With five weeks to go until the curtain goes up, the cast have been cracking down and are now in the final stages of rehearsals, although John states "We've been having so much fun, I've not quite twigged that there is a show at the end of it until recently! It's such a challenging musical, but I know that the cast will smash it!" AMTC are always looking for new members and will soon be starting their next show. Click here to find out more if you would like to get involved...maybe you will be on stage in the next show, like John! Tickets are now on sale for Footloose at The Lights, on between Wednesday 30th November - Saturday 3rd December (7:30pm) with a matinee on Saturday 3rd December (2:30pm). To book your tickets now, go to The Lights Box Office at www.thelights.org.uk or call 01264 368368. 13/9/2022 AMTC Attends andover carnival day 2022Andover Carnival returned for 2022 after a three year break and was held on Sunday 17th July at Vigo Recreation Grounds. Including a funfair and various stalls, local businesses and talented local performances came together for this fantastic event. The much-anticipated return of the community procession had a brilliant display of floats, all travelling to Vigo Park. AMTC were delighted to be awarded 2nd prize in the community and charity float category! The 'Footloose' themed float turned lots of heads and helped promote the next show which is scheduled to take place in November at The Lights. As well as having an amazing float and taking part in the procession, AMTC also performed a number of items later in the day for the many people attending the celebration. You can see a selection of images below. Thanks to Richard Shepard for the photographs.
11/7/2022 Cast of footloose announced We are delighted to announce the cast of our next show, Footloose!
Due to take place later in 2022, Footloose The Musical is based on the 1980s screen sensation which took the world by storm. Footloose sizzles with spirit, fun and some brilliant music and some amazing chorography. With classic 80's hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose, you won't want to miss this amazing show! Rev Shaw - Martin Lambert Vi Shaw - Becky Rungen Ariel Shaw - Bethany Griffiths Rusty - Ellie Bridgeman Ren - Will Swinnerton Ethel - Michelle Smith Willard - John Clay Ariel's Friends - Immy Paterson, Jaysha Crankshaw, Willow Turner, Flora Chuck - Ryan Boath Betty - Laura Bean Cowgirl - Liz Hood More cast to be announced soon! 1/6/2022 The Wedding SInger hits the stage!After two years of waiting, Andover Musical Theatre Company have been back in the rehearsal room for their latest production, The Wedding Singer.
Running at The Lights Theatre, Andover from May 25 to 28, this show was most definately a wild ride. As soon as Evita closed in November 2019, it was straight back into auditions and rehearsals for Andover Musical Theatre Company's next show. However, when Covid hit in March 2020, all rehearsals ground to a halt and their performance of the original Broadway musical, The Wedding Singer was put on hold. After two years of rehearsals, the cast returned back to put on the show of a lifetime. The Musical, which is an adaptation of the 2000 film, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, follows the trials and tribulations of Robbie Hart (Glyn Juliff) in his pursuit of true love, heartbreak and rock n’ roll. Robbie is left at the alter by his fiancé Linda (Ellie Bridgman) and is left heartbroken. The show follows his encounter with “girl next door” Julia Sullivan (Laura Budd) who is engaged to yuppie stock-broker Glen Gulgia (Jon Baron). Along with her cousin Holly (Anna Neary), Julia is on a road to discovery, questioning everything she ever thought she knew about love. Experienced Choreographer and Director Claire Nias, said “With a fabulous cast and crew, this show has been an absolute blast to direct and was a fantastic evening's entertainment.” Musical Director Alun Grace is no stranger to conducting and is completely immersed in the beautiful score for this show and added: “Rehearsals were hard work but the show and its music has given everybody much enjoyment. I believe the feeling of joy was felt by the audience in the theatre and they were transported back to the 80s with their toes tapping and a smile on their faces.” The show was a massive success, so well done to cast and crew for putting on such an amazing production! You can see a video featuring some of the reviews here. Rehearsals are already underway for AMTC's next show Footloose, due to take place later in 2022. Report by Jemma Cullum (@Jemma_Cullum) |
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