Blow,Gabriel,Blow! Anything Goes Rehearsal Diary – Part Five!

 

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s been happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Anything Goes. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch, have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Anything Goes!

Don’t miss out! Join us on board and book your tickets now at Theatre Severn!

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Come and say hello on Facebook, Mad Cow Productions we’d love to hear from you!

What it’s all about…

Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” is one of the greatest musicals in theatre history. It’s joyful, exuberant and is a first-class musical comedy.

When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes, destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail.

Peppering this timeless classic are some of musical theatre’s most memorable standards including, I Get A Kick Out Of You, You’re the Top, and of course, Anything Goes.

This amateur performance is by arrangement with MusicScope & Stage Musicals Limited of New York.

Rehearsal Diary.

It has literally been full steam ahead with this show. It’s why I’m so behind with my diary. We did the scary bit and auditioned…then we were on a man hunt. Who would have thought it would be so difficult to get men into a sailors suit? Even with the promise of stunning women? Well, we got there eventually. Hand on heart I can say this, we have a strong talented cast and they have poured their hearts and souls into their characters. You are in for one hell of a show! As always is the case, there is so much that goes into making a show and it really is a team effort. The props and costume departments are in full swing and I can’t wait for you to see it all! If you missed any of the Anything Goes rehearsal diaries, have no fear ; Part One , Part Two , Part Three ! and Part four!

Taken from the note book today! 

There’s a wonderful point in rehearsals where everything turns into a double entendre, leaving the whole cast in fits of giggles. Here are a few of those moments!

Lisa was choreographing one of the numbers, Lisa: “Terry is going straight!”

Alex directing Chris, our Purser: Alex: “Head down…Arse up!”

Lisa during Blow,Gabriel,Blow: “Good! Now a long blow…wiggle, wiggle long, wiggle!”

Another one from the gorgeous Lisa, when choreographing a number and Josh was away with work Lisa shouted, “1,2,3,4,5,6, Josh’s big one!” 

Alex directing us in Blow, Gabriel, Blow: “I think this ship is dirty…very dirty!”

Lucie shouts out, “Yeah, Heidi is on it!” 

I do love you Lucie!

So, I decided to do something a little bit different this time. I wanted to find out about everyone’s best moments so far, so, I have asked the company to answer seven questions. Read on for their answers…if you dare!

Warning! There may be mildly inappropriate gales ahead with a strong chance of childish humour coming in from the west.

Q&A With The Anything Goes Cast and Crew!

Fiona Hankin.

Favourite Line: “You didn’t tell me you were Chinese Crocker!”

Funny moment: It’s difficult to single one out, but most of them involved Matt one or another!

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: New friends and loads of much appreciated support, especially after I hurt my hand.

What does being in Mad Cow meant to you?: Being involved with a great team of people who work together to put on the best show possible!

Why should people come and see our show?: Because it’s a chance to escape and enjoy an evening of fun-filled, feel good entertainment, that’s just to good to miss!

 

Stevan Warburton.

Favourite Line: Moonface: “What do you use now? A funnel?”…Makes me laugh!

Favourite Dance: Blow,Gabriel, Blow. (I only move within a restricted radius which is safe for me and ensemble!)

Funny moment: Forgetting and/or fudging lines.

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: A white beard.

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: I get to dance with women!

Why should people come and see our show?: It will elevate your endorphin’s to a whole new level!

 

Cerian Lancaster.

Favourite Scene: The whole last scene!

Favourite Dance: Blow,Gabriel, Blow.

Funny Moment: There have been so many I don’t think I can pin it down!

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?:  Confidence and the ability to feel slightly less guilty eating chocolate!

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you ?: Such good fun and I can honestly say it’s changed my life!

Why should people come and see our show?: So you can get that cruise experience without the sea sickness and fear of ending up like the titanic! Also because it’s going to be really good show!

Patrick Playfair.

Favourite song: I Get A kick Out Of You.

Favourite Scene: The farcical ‘suite in bedlam’ scene.

Funny moment: When I was asked if I could skip – and I then did so!

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: That age doesn’t matter!

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: Seeing young actors developing their performance skills.

Why should people come and see our show?: Sheer attention to detail that puts it way beyond your standard ‘am dram’ – how I hate that phrase!

Also, never underestimate the dedication of Alex and Lisa in getting Mad Cow started and fighting battles to get to where they are today. It’s their inspiration that has brought such a team of talented people together! 

Laura Davies.

Favourite Song: Hmm…I love them all, but it has to be Your The Top. I love Natalie and Theo’s version, very closely followed by Blow,Gabriel,Blow. (With all the dance break left in!)

Favourite Dance: Natalie and Adams ‘Gypsy In Me’, is worth the ticket price alone! Comedy gold!

Funny moment: I’ve not been to that many rehearsals as I’ve taken a step away from the stage this time round, to take on the mean feat of ‘Props Mistress’. In terms of funny moments, when you’ve got Heidi and Theo around there will always be a funny moment 🙂

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?:  A completely different perspective on the show, looking from the outside in. I knew I had talented friends but after Wednesdays run I’m so proud to be a part of such an amazing group of wonderful and supportive people.

Why should people come and see our show?: Because it’s Mad Cow and it’s going to be bloody brilliant! Also, to support family and friends after six months of hard work. You will not be disappointed and as I said earlier, to see Nat and Adam’s gypsy dance!

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices.

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

deadgoodundies 

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! As well as being our sponsors, they also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused. You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

I would also like to thank deadgoodundies for the use of their studio for our photos for Anything Goes, we had a fantastic time!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Thank you so much for taking the time to have a read and supporting us. I really hope you’ve enjoyed it! Feel free to share or even send me a message  The next instalment of Anything Goes Rehearsal Diary will be with you shortly, don’t miss it!

The only remaining questions left are…Will you join us on board the S.S. American and sail away for a fantastic night of fun, farce and laughter? I look forward to seeing you !

Don’t miss out! Book your tickets now at Theatre Severn!

A huge thank you to Natalie Watts, our company photographer, for the use of her stunning photos and to Laura Davies and Becky Stafford for the use of your photo’s. It’s very much appreciated.

De Lovely! Anything Goes Rehearsal Diary – Part Four!

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s been happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Anything Goes. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch, have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Anything Goes!

Don’t miss out! Join us on board and book your tickets now at Theatre Severn!

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Come and say hello on Facebook, Mad Cow Productions we’d love to hear from you!

What its all about…

Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” is one of the greatest musicals in theatre history. It’s joyful, exuberant and is a first-class musical comedy.

When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes, destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail.

Peppering this timeless classic are some of musical theatre’s most memorable standards including, I Get A Kick Out Of You, You’re the Top, and of course, Anything Goes.

This amateur performance is by arrangement with MusicScope & Stage Musicals Limited of New York.

Rehearsal Diary.

It has literally been full steam ahead with this show. It’s why I’m so behind with my diary. We did the scary bit and auditioned…then we were on a man hunt. Who would have thought it would be so difficult to get men into a sailors suit? Even with the promise of stunning women? Well, we got there eventually. Hand on heart I can say this, we have a strong talented cast and they have poured their hearts and souls into their characters. You are in for one hell of a show! As always is the case, there is so much that goes into making a show and it really is a team effort. The props and costume departments are in full swing and I can’t wait for you to see it all! If you missed any of the Anything Goes rehearsal diaries, have no fear ; Part One , Part Two  and Part Three !

I found a whole page in my note-book dedicated to karl J Babarczi, our Musical director. (Also known as cute stuff, but I won’t say who gave him that nickname 🙂 )

So I thought I’d share them with you.

“Let’s take a look at the boy parts.” Said Karl, rehearsal room all cracks up.

“OK ladies, let’s put you on top.” Annette chuckled next to me as I bit my lip trying not giggle. I failed and a few other immature minds joined in.

“Who is rolling their arse?” Is what we heard Karl say, though he was actually referring to sound of the letter R. 

We were all trying not to laugh, until…

“Who of the boys are rolling their arse (R’s)?” Cue all bottled up laughter being released and the room descends to chaos.

On a serious note though, we have worked bloody hard on our harmonies and they are sounding fantastic, so thank you Karl! Hopefully all R’s will be correct 😉

So, I decided to do something a little bit different this time. I wanted to find out about everyone’s best moments so far, so, I have asked the company to answer seven questions. Read on for their answers…if you dare!

Warning! There may be mildly inappropriate gales ahead with a strong chance of childish humour coming in from the west.

Q&A With The Anything Goes Cast and Crew!

Becky Stafford.

Favourite song: All Through The Night.

Favourite scene: Scene five, where Moon and Billy are convincing Mrs Harcourt that Evelyn is mental. “She doesn’t know the signs. What signs? Have you ever heard him say…”

Favourite dance: Gypsy In Me.

Funny moment: When the boys were trying to do the rumba at the theatre.

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: I have gained confidence, to believe in myself and more skills, particularly in dance.

Why should people come and see out show? : There is something for everyone. It’s a singing, romantic comedy, how could you not want to watch it!

Ryan Maddocks Wycherley.

Favourite song: Buddie Beware.

Favourite Line: Patrick saying: “Like hell you will!” (skips across stage.)

Favourite dance: De Lovely.

Funny moment: Matt demonstrating how to stare at boobs. 🙂

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: Great friends and a chance to play alongside a fantastic cast!

Why should people come and see our show?: Come for a night of laughter, fun and a chance to see such a talented group of people putting on a top quality show!

 

Elly Clark.

Favourite Song: I Get a Kick Out Of You.

Favourite Line: “Crocker! You never told me you were Chinese!” That whole scene is gold!

Funny moment: The first time I was surprised by Adam’s “romp in the rice!”

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: My confidence in performing has come a long way. I’ve gained an appreciation of how far hard work can get you. Oh, and some (basic) tap steps!

Why should people come and see our show?: Because its fabulous! It’s been so much fun rehearsing and I can’t wait for our audience to share in this adventure!

 

Chris Tyford.

 

Favourite dance: Buddie Beware.

Favourite Line: Lord Evelyn calling Billy, “snake ears.” Don’t know why, but it makes me giggle.

Funny moment: When Lisa told the boys to make noises when the Angels took their clothes off and someone started barking.

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: Hard work, but in the nicest environment and enjoying it while working to the highest standard.

Why should people come and see our show?: Because it will be two hours where I won’t touch my hair or chew gum! But seriously, we have all worked so hard and it’s going to be such a fun and enjoyable show for everyone to be a part of !  

 

Lisa Lowarch – Choreographer and much more!

 

Favourite song: Buddie Beware.

Favourite Line: “You need a sailor suit? No problem.”

Favourite dance: Anything Goes.

Funny moment: Roberts debate about when he was in/out of his trunk in the first early stages of rehearsal.

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?:  Grey hair and bad knees! I’m joking!

Why should people come and see our show?:  To escape into a world of glamour and, glitz, romance and fun!

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices.

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

deadgoodundies 

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! As well as being our sponsors, they also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused. You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

I would also like to thank deadgoodundies for the use of their studio for our photos for Anything Goes, we had a fantastic time!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Thank you so much for taking the time to have a read and supporting us. I really hope you’ve enjoyed it! Feel free to share or even send me a message  The next instalment of Anything Goes Rehearsal Diary will be with you shortly, don’t miss it!

The only remaining questions left are…Will you join us on board the S.S. American and sail away for a fantastic night of fun, farce and laughter? I look forward to seeing you !

Don’t miss out! Book your tickets now at Theatre Severn!

A huge thank you to Natalie Watts, our company photographer, for the use of her stunning photos and to Laura Davies and Becky Stafford for the use of your photo’s. It’s very much appreciated.

Buddie Beware! Anything Goes Rehearsal Diary- Part Two!

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

 

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s been happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Anything Goes. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch, have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Anything Goes!

Don’t miss out! Join us on board and book your tickets now at Theatre Severn!

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Come and say hello on Facebook, Mad Cow Productions we’d love to hear from you!

 

What its all about…

Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” is one of the greatest musicals in theatre history. It’s joyful, exuberant and is a first-class musical comedy.

When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes, destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail.

Peppering this timeless classic are some of musical theatre’s most memorable standards including, I Get A Kick Out Of You, You’re the Top, and of course, Anything Goes.

This amateur performance is by arrangement with MusicScope & Stage Musicals Limited of New York.

Rehearsal Diary.

It has literally been full steam ahead with this show. It’s why I’m so behind with my diary. We did the scary bit and auditioned…then we were on a man hunt. Who would have thought it would be so difficult to get men into a sailors suit? Even with the promise of stunning women? Well, we got there eventually. Hand on heart I can say this, we have a strong talented cast and they have poured their hearts and souls into their characters. You are in for one hell of a show! As always is the case, there is so much that goes into making a show and it really is a team effort. The props and costume departments are in full swing and I can’t wait for you to see it all! If you missed part one of the Anything Goes rehearsal diary, have no fear and click here!

I had a read of my notebook and found, what I shall call a classic, ‘Annette’ moment. This was from right at the beginning of our rehearsals as we were learning the songs. 

We have a song called Bon Voyage and some of the lyrics are in french. Lucie and I were stood next to Annette when we were singing. As it came to, “I’m yours for life…You mean Pour la Vie…” We heard Annette sing something… very different.

We asked her what she sang.

This was her answer: Potpourri a…. As in potpourri. We had a good chuckle and Lucie wrote it in my book. We may or may not have sung potpourri a… a couple of times with her as we went over the song!

Have no fear though, all lyrics are appropriate now and not all linked to scented, dried out flowers. 🙂

I love you Annette! You have made rehearsals a blast and I’m so glad I have had you by my side!

So, I decided to do something a little bit different this time. I wanted to find out about everyone’s best moments so far, so, I have asked the company to answer seven questions. Read on for their answers…if you dare!

Warning! There may be mildly inappropriate gales ahead with a strong chance of childish humour coming in from the west.

Q&A With The Anything Goes Cast and Crew!

Rachel Wakefield.

Favourite song: Blow,Gabriel, Blow.

Favourite line/scene: When the China men, played by Tom Beddows and Ben Anderson say, “Oh my God!”

Favourite Dance: Blow, Gabriel, Blow – Although I do love Natalie and Adam in their Gypsy in Me dance!

Funny moment: “How many fingers do you use?” Said by Chris Tyford. ( All will be explained soon.)

What does being in Mad cow mean to you? : Learning new things, skills and friendships.

Why should people come and see our show?: There is a lot of boob wiggling 😉

 

Joshua Croft

Favourite line/scene: Robert and Theo’s English gent scene, culminating in Adams “What ho!” entrance.

Favourite dance:  To watch – Blow, Gabriel, Blow. To dance – De-Lovely.

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: A few friends and some enjoyable hours of rehearsal through the long winter nights – mainly watching the boob wiggling, as mentioned above 😉

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?:  Makes me very proud to be a part of an extremely talented company, who put on such a high standard of shows.

Matt Robinson – Choreographer

Favourite Song: Blow, Gabriel, Blow.

Favourite Line/Scene: Anything with Patrick Playfair in it.

Favourite moment: Kissing Theo Millward…again.

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: Sharing experience, gaining experience, making and cementing friendships.

Why should people come and see our show?: Just see a show…you won’t be disappointed!

Terry Edge.

Favourite Song: Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye.

Favourite Line/Scene: “Like hell you will!” Said by Patrick Playfair playing Elisha Whitney.

Favourite Dance: Buddie Beware.

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: Got in better shape! Made new friends.

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: Having fun with friends and producing high standards.

 

 

 

Annette Edge

Favourite Song: Public Enemy Number One – I love the tune:)

Favourite Scene: Buddie Beware.

Favourite Dance: Anything Goes.

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: Fitness levels have increased and I have lost weight!

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: Friendships and fun.

Why should people come and see our show?: Because everyone gives up a lot of time and energy to perform to their best and provide Shrewsbury with a top class show!

 

Keith Clements- Stage Manager

Favourite Song:  The Gypsy In Me, for pure comedy value!

What have you gained from being in Anything Goes?: Even more to do!

What does being in Mad Cow mean to you?: Fun, challenge, excitement, pride and  happiness.

Why should people come and see our show?:  See a professional quality live production on your doorstep, for a fraction of the cost and have a smile put on your face (included).

But be warned! Once you’ve seen one, you’ll want to keep coming back!

 

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices.

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

deadgoodundies 

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! As well as being our sponsors, they also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused. You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

I would also like to thank deadgoodundies for the use of their studio for our photos for Anything Goes, we had a fantastic time!

Thank you so much for taking the time to have a read and supporting us. I really hope you’ve enjoyed it! Feel free to share or even send me a message  The next instalment of Anything Goes Rehearsal Diary will be with you shortly, don’t miss it!

The only remaining questions left are…Will you join us on board the S.S. American and sail away for a fantastic night of fun, farce and laughter? I look forward to seeing you !

Don’t miss out! Book your tickets now at Theatre Severn!

A huge thank you to Natalie Watts, our company photographer, for the use of her stunning photos and to Laura Davies and Becky Stafford for the use of your photo’s. It’s very much appreciated.

Mad Cow Seeks New Cows To Join Herd!

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

Mad Cow Productions is hosting an open night for new members!

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Date: Wednesday 9th November.

Time: 7:30 pm

Venue: Darwin Community Centre, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

(In between the Chip Shop & Hair Salon through the black gates.)

Google Map view of Darwin Community Centre

(I’ve provided a picture because…well…to be honest, I got lost on my first time going there and walked straight past,not once but twice:) )

Why should you join Mad Cow’s?

“I’m not a performer, I’m terrified of people looking at me. I danced a bit when I was younger, I was in some school shows but that’s it. I miss being on stage, I’m not confident enough to do it,I’m looking for something…I like a challenge, I don’t sing, I can’t dance… I want to meet new people…”

Do these thoughts sound familiar? You’re not alone. We have all had these, or very similar thoughts before we joined Mad Cow Productions.

Yet those very thoughts are also the reason why you should come along!

You have the chance to be a part of something amazing!

 

Spamalot-cast and crew

Being a member of Mad Cow Productions means that you get a chance to have a go at everything, not just being on stage! I thought I’d share my favourite moments so far.

Back stage it is all hands on deck and is a lot of fun!

We build our own sets…

And put up sets….( We didn’t make this one below…it’s Spamalot, but we did build it!)

There is literally loads for you to get involved with!

Rehearsals are hard work, but a lot of fun…

And often some sitting is involved…patience is a must…

But one thing that I have found beyond all of the above…is friendship!

Broadway Jewish Babes!

A Little Bit About Me.

If I may, I’d like to tell you a story about me and my journey with Mad Cow’s…no don’t run away just yet!

It’s not a long boring essay of my hope and dreams…ok some of it might be, don’t judge!

I’m married with three gorgeous daughters and I’m a carer and a writer. I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome along with my three daughters about five years ago. Since having my children, I hadn’t been involved in theatre  and my dancing and singing days were more along the lines of row,row your boat and then came the dreaded High School Musical years. I felt that something was missing. My husband, Ryan Brown joined Mad Cow productions about four years ago. I watched as his confidence grew and I got to meet most of the Herd. A little voice in my head said “why don’t you join to?” An then I laughed and thought, I don’t have time. I couldn’t possibly sing, dance or act anymore. Hell, I had a million negative reasons that I gave myself as to why I shouldn’t.

But with each show I watched and the more Mad Cow’s I met, the more I got pulled in. I started to think, why couldn’t I do it? What’s the worse that could happen?

I did it, I auditioned. I got in. I’m not going to lie, it was nerve-wracking but I was supported all the way by Mad Cow’s. In the last year since I joined, I have been the DSM for The Games Afoot, I was in the ensemble for Spamalot, (my youngest daughter was delighted to tell her friends I was a fish Schlapper…only she missed off the fish bit. I do believe a few parents were told by their children that I was a slapper…Oh well) I played Gerda in ‘The Hollow’ which has just finished and is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. We have just done our first Murder Mystery with Mad Cow on the Mooove and had a fantastic time doing it! (My own mother didn’t recognise me! I’m the one in the red wig.) I’m looking forward to being a part of Anything Goes, it’s a fab musical!

We have the best support from our Herd Leaders Alex and Lisa and also a fantastic team of talented people backing them all the way; singing coaches, music director, choreographers, photographers, artists and musician’s. We even get to have masterclasses with professionals such as Graham Newell…what more could you ask for?

My confidence has grown in all areas of my life, I’m fitter than I thought I could get and Oh my…I have a social life.

I have watched as this fab group became my friends, my family and ultimately like my very own little village.

Essentially,what I’d like to say is… don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Whether theatre is something you’ve done before in the past or always had an urge to try. Hell even if it’s something brand new to you then come along and see us on Wednesday.

We look forward to seeing you! 🙂

Hopefully you’ll get on board for Anything Goes 😉

 

 

 

 

Find Your Grail….Spamalot Diary-One Day To Go!

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Spamalot. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Spamalot!

Don’t miss out, book your tickets at Theatre Severn !

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Mad Cow Productions present our trailer for SPAMALOT! – Thank you Tom Marshall, who runs PhotograFix, click here to pop over and have a look at his work!  The company sounds amazing! Even if I do say so myself

 

 Rehearsal Diary: The Final One!

Well…this is it! The last Rehearsal Diary entry, as tomorrow night we will be on stage performing.

If you missed any posts and want to catch up, here is;Week One/Part Two, Week One/Part One,Week Two/Part One , Week Three , Week Four ,  Week Five and Week Six!

I’ve been thinking…I know it will be a shock to most of you 🙂 But I’ve been asked a few questions since I started doing this: Why I want to do shows?  Why join Mad Cow’s? Why am I writing a Rehearsal Diary?

The answer is simple…because I wanted to. (Chuckle) But it’s more than that, I don’t think people realize how exhilarating it is to be up on stage. Yes, you’re nervous, yes you feel sick and get the shakes as you wait in the wings for you entrance. But the second you’re feet hit the stage and you’re under the lights, it evaporates.

Each person on and off that stage has worked hard for months, their hearts and souls are bared for you, the audience to see. It would blow your mind if you knew all the hours and planning Alex, Lisa, Chris and the rest of the Herd have done in order for this show to go ahead! They are committed to bring you the best show you’ve ever seen!

Mad Cows aren’t just a theatre group to me. They are friends and family, we learn together and support each other no matter what. I have had the joy of watching members confidence grow, my own included. Of seeing how they work together and rally round anyone struggling and the beaming smiles when they get it right! It was exactly what I was looking for, a caring and passionate group who are willing to push themselves in order to put on a show that they can be proud of.

It is for that reason that I wanted to write the Spamalot Rehearsal Diary. To show all the hard work and fun we have and how fantastic the company is, on and off the stage! I would like to thank all of the Herd for getting on board with the Diary and letting me write about all of you! It will be fantastic to be able to look back through the Spamalot memories we have made.

One last thing…I need to thank my blog stars, Bec’s and Annette…without you two writing in the note-book and doing very funny things, this wouldn’t have worked!

Blog Stars! Becs and Annette.

But for now…let’s take one last look at more of the ‘special moments’ we’ve had together!

 

I have a few Chris moment’s to share with you. He really is a star for putting up with all of us!

Chris: Are you ready for your Ah So’s?  (Yes, some of us(me) are that immature, but it was hilarious when he said it!)

Chris:No…L ( we were singing grail and kept lingering on the note at the end.)

We sang it again…and got it wrong.

Chris:Noel…It’s not christmas!  Cue cast laughing, but on the next go we got it perfect!

The next Chris moment occurred on a Friday rehearsal…I blame end of the week tiredness of the cast.

Chris:I don’t know how you can do anything passionate with your arms folded! Cue a case of the giggles as our minds wander into naughty territory and then stop when we see Chris’s face…we made him sad…sorry Chris, we didn’t mean to, I promise.

 

This time from the note-book, I have a few fab moments of Matt…Mwa ha ha!

Matt was rehearsing ‘His name is Lancelot’ with the boys.

Matt:Those girls over there, are standing in puddles at your hips! (Lauughed my head off…haven’t been called a girl in years…but wow those hips do move well…you’re in for a treat!)

Matt: For the Navy- I’ll even join the tooth Fairy! It’s a good line…unfortunatley it’s the wrong way round and the whole room burst into laughter along with Matt.

Bec’s coment on Matt had me in stitches when I found it…

Bec:Oh! Two weeks till show week and Matt brings out the low cut T-shirt! Cue girly squeal!

You are fab Bec’s!

A wonderful moment with Robert!

Robert: I should have gone upstairs.

Alex:Upstairs? Really?

Robert: I meant upstage!

Whole room errupted into laughter!

Becs was listening to Annette singing and heard…”You may even have some shit stirs making stew.”

It would seem that Annette hasn’t mastered ‘Jewish’ yet!

Annette: Is it you may even have some schnitzel making stew?

The answer is no…it’s not…not even close Annette 🙂 I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

For the Vocal Booth massive…just a reminder. What happens in the Vocal Booth…stays in the Vocal Booth! You get me! 😉

 

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Meet the Cast and Crew!

Up first this week is the…Glamorous Natalie Watts! 

I am Natalie and I am playing the lady of the lake. This is my third production with the Mad Cows and instead of talking about me and what I have done or achieved, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the amazing company that I am part of.

Like most people my life has taken a series of ups and down since I joined the herd, who I consider to be some of my closest friends. The three hours of rehearsal not only improve my cognitive functions, (remembering those bloody harmonies – big up to Chris for his patience with us all!) but the humour and love in that room is enough to brighten anyone’s mood and that comes from the top in the form of the very lovely Alex and Lisa.

You rarely come across a bunch of people that are as genuine, friendly, loving and accepting and I feel very blessed that me and my lovely daughter are part of that family.

So, I won’t bore you with mundane facts about my quite uneventful life.Instead, I want to let you know that you should definitely come and see Spamalot – so you can see that all that loveliness has made this, a show worth watching!

 

 

The Handsome and Very Talented Choreographer…Matt Robinson! 

Hello! My name is Matt…. I am 37 and I’m an alco…Oops sorry, wrong BIO…

I was born in Wolverhampton and from a very young age my parents decided to channel my ‘showing off’ in a positive direction…

I trained in dance, singing & drama at Telfords – Gaston Payne.  Whilst there I performed in numerous pantos / shows.  I danced in 3 shows for Heather Games ‘Game Productions’.

At seventeen, I successfully auditioned for a three-year Musical theatre course at Laine Theatre Arts.  During my time there I was fortunate to dance in 3 professional pantomimes.  On completion of my three years, I went straight into a full UK tour of Pirates of Penzance w/ Paul Nicholas (ask your mums kids) From there I continued touring the UK & Europe with Anything Goes, 42nd St and Jesus Christ Superstar.

In 2000/01 the bright lights of London’s West End came calling…. For a year I was in Bill Kenwrights ‘Blood Brothers’. After that I went onto, what can be only described, as my hardest job…EVER.  I did a six month stint singing in hotels in Ibiza…I tip my hat to ANYONE who does this! In theatre, people pay to watch a show.  They want to go and watch that show…In hotels, it’s just family’s w/ kids running about and drunken idiots trying to grab the mic off you and duet to ‘Angels’….

In 2006 I started what would be a two-year world tour with ‘Mamma Mia’.  This was brilliant for many reasons, I got paid to see the world (China, Israel, Sweden, Holland, Dubai, Doha…the list goes on.) Perform in Arena’s with audiences up to 7000…and I met my wife, Kellie.

Good times.

I’m really babbling now…. Damn you Heidi!… So to cut a long (boring) story short… We finished, got married and decided to start a family…  Cue the arrivals of George (6), Thomas (3) and Oliver (2). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now… My best ever part?  Being a Dad!

Unfortunately, my ‘pro’ career came to an end after I was part of the ‘Ghost the musical’ workshops, when I tore all my ligaments & tendons in my right ankle (having previously broke it 5 times) I promised myself to walk away completely from the industry.  So I came back to the sunny midlands to start a new chapter…or so I thought…

Cue the Cows…So as legend has it, Lisa Lowarch trawled Facebook & phonebooks looking for ‘Matt Robinson’.  Someone had dropped out of their upcoming production of ‘Drowsy Chaperone’… and Lisa STALKED me to ask if I would replace… I politely declined.  I came to watch a couple of rehearsals and was blown away by the level of professionalism.  I loved what Alex (Hinton) and Lisa were doing and asked them if I could come in from time to time to ‘clean’ or choreograph…. Drowsy, Kiss Me Kate, Crazy for You and Hairspray later…. I’m still here (just)

Alex and Lisa have always sat back and watched me work and they couldn’t help but notice I had a slight itch to get back on stage…with each show I helped with…it was turning into a rash…a BIG rash.

And so, a few confidence boosting chats with the Cows and 2 auditions later…Here I am… The wig wearing, Sir Galahad.  Not as light on my feet, carrying a FEW extra pounds but I’m about to go on stage for the first time in 6 years……

And the best thing about it?  My eldest son, George, will get to see what his Daddy used to do……

Moral of this long winded story?  ‘Never say never’….

The Stunning…Poppy Dhansingani! 

Hey! I’m Poppy and I have been cast as one of the Laker Girls! This is my second show with Mad Cow before I hopefully set off for university in September.

Being a Laker girl has been challenging with the everyday limbering as Alex chants, “limber, limber, limber!!” But the hard work is proving to be worth it, as it always is. Especially for this hilarious show Spamalot. The whole cast has been so supportive of each other and the company gels really well together, making everyone feel at ease.

I love all the dances within the show, my favourite being the Laker cheer when we transition from an elegant ballet number, to an American style cheer with pom- poms!

The leader cows; Alex and Lisa deserve a massive thank you because, as usual, they’ve managed to coordinate a whole herd to produce such a high quality show.

I have enjoyed the experience a lot and it’s my last bit of fun before swapping the showgirl, Laker attitude for pens, paper and endless revision for my exams!

 The Gorgeous…Lauren Newland-Nell! 

Being born and raised in sunny South Africa, I am the International Herd Member. As a little girl I did what all little girls do and danced ballet until the age of 9. I was lucky enough to be cast in our National production of ‘The Nutcracker’ at the age of 7 and continued to perform in Local productions, along with playing the piano to concert level and singing in our children’s choir, until I had to choose between ballet and horse riding lessons. Thus began a life-long obsession with all things horses!!

Having competed nationally in Working Hunter Competitions in South Africa and after studying my Bachelor of Science degree, I decided to immigrate to the UK in 2003 after I spent 2 years here training and competing prior to studying. For years I satisfied my musical interests by doing ‘Dressage to Music’ with my 2 dressage horses, which keep be extremely busy outside of Mad Cows and work. I also work as a Medical Sales representative selling a dermal skin template for the regeneration of skin for major burn victims and reconstruction surgery. I also volunteer for Shrewsbury’s local riding club and am on their Committee to organise their dressage teams, dressage clinics and manage their Facebook account.

I joined the Mad Cows 3 years ago and was DSM for ‘Lend me a Tenor’. My first on stage production was for ‘Crazy for you’ and I have been involved in every production since then in some form or another, from helping with sound to props and learning some interesting DIY skills building and painting sets. I really do consider the Herd as my family away from home, you couldn’t hope to find a nicer and more supportive bunch of people if you tried. I however did have my doubts about joining the cast for Spamalot as being from South Africa I didn’t really ‘get’ the Monty Python sense of humour!

The cast has absolutely made this show for me and they are hysterical! My biggest challenge in this show is keeping a straight face as the cast are all so brilliant in their performances that I just keep laughing – 6 months in and it’s still not old! I am extremely grateful to the dynamic duo (Alex & Lisa) for keeping me in the Herd – I really don’t know what I would do without this crazy lot of fantastically talented people! If you have your tickets already – enjoy the show – you are in for a real treat – if you don’t – WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

One of our gorgeous Herd members,  Emily Ireson – is raising money for two charities, The Little Princess Trust and Macmillan. On Saturday the 7th  of May she will be cutting eleven inches of her very long hair off and donating it to help create wigs for children, who have lost theirs and to help raise money so that the charity can continue their fantastic work! She is also collecting for Macmillan who helped so much with her Nana!

If you would like to support and sponsor Emily, Click here to visit her Just Giving page!

It is such a good cause and I know Emily will really appreciate anything you are able to donate! Thank you

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices.

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! They also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused, so here are two wonderful pics of their latest products.

bruno-banani-craving-short-front

body-art-skyros-mini-pant-multicolour-front

You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

Thank you so much for taking the time to have a read and supporting us.I really hope you’ve enjoyed it! Feel free to share or even send me a message But for now this is me, Heidi Brown, signing off from the Spamalot Rehearsal Diary…But who knows, I may get to do an after show post just for you! One day to go!

The only remaining questions left are…Who will find the Grail ? Who will be our Sir not appearing in this show? Come and watch our fantsatic show Spamalot and find out for yourselves! I look forward to seeing you !

 

What Happened To My Part?…Spamalot Diary-Week One/Part Two

 

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Spamalot. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Spamalot!

Don’t miss out, book your tickets at Theatre Severn !

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Mad Cow Productions present our trailer for SPAMALOT! – Thank you Tom Marshall, who runs PhotograFix, click here to pop over and have a look at his work!  The company sounds amazing! Even if I do say so myself

 

 Rehearsal Diary: Week One – Part Two!

There is so much that goes into making a show and it really is a team effort. If you missed any posts and want to catch up, here is;Week One/Part One,Week two/Part Two ,Week Two/Part One , Week Three , Week Four ,  Week Five and Week Six!

It’s all happening, right now as I write this blog, the Herd are building what will be a fantastic set. Costumes have been tried on and I’m so excited I’m struggling to contain it! Everyone looks fab and it’s going to be amazing to see everyone together! I’ve had another ‘last moment,’ I will no longer be the stand in for the giant wooden rabbit, as it has arrived at the theatre. This is one of the things I love about Mad Cows, the way everyone get’s stuck in. Currently the whole Herd is gearing up to bring everything together. But for now…let’s take a look at more of the ‘special moments’ we’ve had together!

At one point in the show…I won’t say where…there is a moment where a person is greeted by the knights. In each rehearsal we have practised with different names, and let me say this, they have been interesting! However when Ryan pulled Lisa up, he named her Tallulah Sharnackal! Lisa had me in hysterics as she played the part of Tallulah and then it came to sing the name…I don’t know if anyone actually got it right as we were all laughing to much at the Knights trying to keep straight faces and at Lisa giggling!

A quote straight from my book, written by Becs…

Alex /Lisa: Girls… just stand there and look gorgeous!

Bec’s: Lord this acting lark is hard…

It wouldn’t be the Spamalot diary if this dynamic duo didn’t appear together! Love seeing what they get up to when they have the notebook!

Annette: You ended up on the wrong side of me!

Bec: I know. I’m sorry! I don’t know how it happened!

Annette:Well I can only act on your left, I can’t act on your right!

I spilled my tea when I read this exchange! 🙂 I love you two!

A few photo’s of the ‘get In’!

 

Meet the Cast and Crew!

Up first this week is…Asha Parker !

 

Asha is twelve years old and is the youngest member of Mad Cow Productions. This is her second show with the company, as she was in ‘Hairspray’ last year. However, this isn’t the only time she has performed. Asha was also in the 2015/16 pantomime of ‘Dick Whittington’ at Theatre Severn. She has also been in many other shows at the Theatre Severn which include; Carmen, the Perfect season, Night at the Musicals and now will be performing in Spamalot!

As well as being a performer, Asha is a British street dance champion and competes in competitions around the country. Her main aspiration is to be a performer and she will be attending the West End summer school in August. Then hopefully, when she is older she will be able to attend a performing arts school.

Asha loves being part of Mad Cow Productions and will definitely be in more shows in the future!

The Talented… Patrick Playfair!

 

For Patrick, sixty years of performing have culminated in this fabulous Mad Cow production of Spamalot. In addition to his stage roles he has appeared in film [for the BYFA and a long defunct schools film unit] and on radio.

Having originally left school intent on pursuing a professional career in the theatre and as a member of the newly created NYT, he trained as a teacher and combined this with working with companies at The Palace Theatre Watford, The Swan Theatre Worcester and The Grand in Wolverhampton.  As well as the traditional repertoire of musical theatre, Patrick was fortunate to take leading roles in The Alchemist; London Assurance, Roots, A View from the Bridge, Oh What a Lovely War, Lock Up Your Daughters, and Boeing Boeing.  However, rising through the teaching profession his ‘double life’ had to be curtailed. He didn’t tread the boards for some fourteen years before he returned to the stage as Fagin in a production of Oliver sixteen years ago.

Patrick met Alex and Lisa when he joined Shrewsbury Operatic Society.  He is probably the only member of the cast of Spamalot to have chased Alex through an auditorium [High Society] and ‘playfully’ smacked Lisa’s bottom [My Fair Lady]. He has great admiration for what the Mad Cows have achieved.  As an original member of this ‘benign dictatorship’ Patrick has seen first-hand how The Cows have raised the bar in both production values and in extending the repertoire of shows being performed in Shrewsbury. In roles as diverse as Lloyd in ‘Noises Off’, The Colonel in ‘Allo Allo’, Roger Debris in The ‘Producers’, Patrick began to think he could only be cast if the part demanded the wearing of a wig or a ‘wiglet’ or teetering down a staircase in sequined high heels and evening gown!

Asked about amusing incidents, Patrick recalled a headline and photograph in a local paper ‘Actors caught in backstage touch up’ [perfectly innocent]; free-standing ballroom pillars in a production of Half a Sixpence collapsing like dominoes onto the stage; too much dry ice completely enveloping the stage in a production of Brigadoon; standing on a counter as it careered towards the orchestra pit in a production of ‘Hello Dolly’ at The Malvern Festival Theatre [at the same performance – a Thursday matinée – the ASM put too much charge to simulate the exploding cans of tomatoes and nearly deafened himself] – and many more, which of course simply add to the enjoyment of the stage.

So, no longer needing to live a ‘double life’ Patrick can act disgracefully in the full knowledge that at his age people can do just that!

Taunt well mon brave.

The Gorgeous…Cerian Lancaster! 

 

I have always been a musical’s enthusiast ever since the tender age of four, when my brave parents took me to see the ’94 revival of ‘Oliver’ in London. Four-year-old me enjoyed it so much that my parents had to constantly quieten me. My (exceptional) vocals were drawing too much attention away from the professionals.

I continued this habit throughout my childhood and went on to perform in school plays. I embraced these roles with the same amount of enthusiasm as I did for ‘Oliver’, as well as a great deal of professionalism and artistic licence. For one year only Mrs Cratchit became very northern. Later on I expanded my musical talents and played in the Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra and eventually joined my university show choir, where my life became an episode of ‘Glee’ for a brief moment in time.

I joined Mad Cow in 2013 to satisfy my innate need to sporadically belt out musical numbers, (sometimes with accompanying choreography.) So far I have been in three shows; Crazy for you, Hairspray and Spamalot. I’ve also had the opportunity to be DSM for ‘Noises off’ and work in props for ‘The Game’s Afoot’. Mad Cow has really helped me come out my shell and has introduced me to a really great group of people, who I have learnt a lot from. Spamalot is the third show I’ve performed in but hopefully not the last!!

The Handosme…Tom Beddows! 

 

I have lived in Shrewsbury all my life. But I have only just begun exploring the world of theatre. I have always enjoyed plays, which all my schools used to put on every so often. But I only watched them, I never performed in them. One day an opportunity at my school came up for me to be in the play. It was ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. I never really did much for my secondary school until Year nine, where I took the role as an ugly step sister, believe it or not!

I then went on to study AS Performance at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College. At the same time, I knew I wanted to do more performing outside of College. Then I heard about Mad Cow Productions through a family member, who had met Alex Hinton previously in the theatre. It was just what I was looking for and I joined the company.

My first show with Mad Cow was 2014’s ‘Crazy For You’, I worked back stage for ‘Noises Off’ and returned to the stage for 2015’s ‘Hairspray’, I was once again backstage crew for ‘The Games Afoot’. My most recent show with Mad Cow is ‘Spamalot’ and I’m loving the rehearsals! For the three shows I have been an ensemble cast, but I have had just as much fun being an ensemble as the main cast have had as the principle characters. As everyone says, ALL the cast are important!

One of our gorgeous Herd members,  Emily Ireson – is raising money for two charities, The Little Princess Trust and Macmillan. On Saturday the 7th  of May she will be cutting eleven inches of her very long hair off and donating it to help create wigs for children, who have lost theirs and to help raise money so that the charity can continue their fantastic work! She is also collecting for Macmillan who helped so much with her Nana!

If you would like to support and sponsor Emily, Click here to visit her Just Giving page!

It is such a good cause and I know Emily will really appreciate anything you are able to donate! Thank you

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A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

SOLICITORS

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices.

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! They also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused, so here are two wonderful pics of their latest products.

bruno-banani-craving-short-front

body-art-skyros-mini-pant-multicolour-front

You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

Thank you for taking the time to have a read and supporting us.I really hope you’ve enjoyed it! Feel free to share or even send me a message The next installment of Spamalot Rehearsal Diary will be with you shortly, don’t miss it!. Not long to go now!

I can Dance and I can Sing…Spamalot Diary- Week Two-Part Two!

 

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Spamalot. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Spamalot!

Don’t miss out, book your tickets at Theatre Severn !

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Mad Cow Productions present our trailer for SPAMALOT! – Thank you Tom Marshall, who runs PhotograFix, click here to pop over and have a look at his work!  The company sounds amazing! Even if I do say so myself

 

 Rehearsal Diary: Week Two – Part Two!

There is so much that goes into making a show and it really is a team effort. The props and costume departments are in full swing and I can’t wait for you to see it all ! If you missed any posts and want to catch up, here is;Week Two/Part One , Week Three , Week Four ,  Week Five and Week Six!

 It’s super busy now in rehearsals! We are giving it everything we’ve got and then some.

Warning! Be careful when and where you use mime!

We were watching our stunning Laker girls get into their positions for the next number, when Lisa frowned. There were a few gaps in the line-up and Lisa mimed to Sian asking where they are.

Unfortunately, I missed Sian’s full response.

However, from Lisa’s mime,( large hand gestures aimed at the stomach) we can only conclude that Asha was not at rehearsal because… she has been stabbed in the abdomen by Excalibur!

Now, we (I) may have let our imaginations get the better of us at this point… Is King Arthur on the rampage? Was it a case of wrong time, wrong place? Where is Excalibur now?

Or is it the beginning of a really good murder mystery?

I should probably stop there.

We were very wrong… I can report that Asha is absolutely fine…no run ins with Excalibur at all!

Turns out, she had tonsilitis!

I almost cried with laughter at Bec’s and Ryan’s brief conversation!

Every now and then small changes occur, as to where you are set, or you realise you’ve been standing in the wrong place the whole time! (I had one of those moments, lol) Lisa was going through the routine, watching every move. She called a stop to the music and approached Bec’s and Ryan.

Bec: So am I going to be behind coconut boy here?

Bec’s points at Ryan.

Lisa: Yes you are.

Ryan turns round and grins at Bec.

Ryan: Alright arm pit girl!

Now that’s what I call a term of endearment! 🙂 Also, I have to say, Lisa and Alex have the patience of a saint!

 

 

Meet the Cast and Crew!

 First up this week is…Leanne Kinsella our Gorgeous Stage Manager!

Leanne Kinsella currently works as a full-time residential care worker for children and young people. Being involved with the Mad Cows brings a delightful relief to Leanne’s general working week.
Leanne has always loved the theatre and everything around it. Being involved from the age of five with her mother, Leanne spent many of her ‘younger’ years being involved in local armature dramatic companies, performing at least once a year within the community. Believe it or not Leanne even used to spend more time on the stage rather than behind it!
Leanne attended the Brit School for her college years, studying Drama, Media Studies and Film Studies.

Leanne then spent a summer working at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts School, working in all areas involved in putting on a big show. Graciously Leanne then chose to save others from her mesmerising performances and concentrated on the excitements behind the scenes, as It was here that Leanne found her love for the backstage, learning different areas required until moving away to attend university.

Spamalot will now be the fourth show that Leanne has stage-managed for the Mad Cows and looks forward to remaining within the backstage team for many more shows to come. It truly is fantastically Mad sometimes!

 The Handsome…Keith Clements!

“Come in and just see what you think…” She said.

“You don’t have to do anything, there’s no pressure,” she said. It was 1979 and this turned out to be one of those ‘Sliding Doors’ moments. If I hadn’t succumbed to my girlfriends entreating, I might never have trod the boards at all!

That pivotal moment was for a rehearsal/audition for a part in a student production of ‘West Side Story’ and at nineteen years old, I was one of the oldest!

Anyway, having started my thespian activities, they promptly halted whilst I undertook a Mechanical Engineering degree. (Rough, tough, manly engineering students at Salford don’t do that kind of thing you know!) But I found myself in a handful of musical productions with a local amateur company in as many years following.

Several drama free, wholesome years followed, in which I played squash every hour God sent, playing competitively for a club in Manchester where I lived. Then I got married…

The wedding was in Glasgow – hell of a party! Anyway, eventually in 1989, a need to get off night shifts at the plastics factory in which I was working, led me to a job in Shropshire.

Still I was blissfully carrying on my life without thespian interference, producing two children.

Apparently I can only make boys. Ben is now 23, living in Brighton and trying to make a living as a professional musician, having got his degree. He’s obviously got the performance gene, although his vision is to compose and orchestrate film scores. To this end he’s hoping to start a Master’s degree later this year. His younger brother, Jack is the sporty one. He’s about to return from Japan having qualified and worked as a ski instructor since November. He’s off to Worcester University later this year to do a Sport Therapy degree. Then who knows?

So one day, about six years ago a friend said to me, “you should try joining Mad Cow,” she said.

“Just go along and see what you think – there’s no pressure.” I know…I know…déjà vu. Except I didn’t realise and before I knew it, I was Henry in, ‘Move over Mrs Markham’. Having still not learned my lesson, I returned to musicals after that in the part of Franz Leibkind in MCP’s ‘The Producers’.

Now…I’m usually a baritone. Comfortably at home singing the swing classics in the key of C. But the lederhosen I had to wear as the pigeon-fancying Nazi playwright, easily turned me into a tenor!

By now I’d been made redundant from my job and become the self-employed plumber I am today. Not exactly your typical thespian, but there’s something about Mad Cow’s that keeps tempting me back. Usually the plays, until now.

Well…you just can’t not go for Spamalot can you?

The Stunning…Rachael Holbrook!

Hi!

I’m Rachael, but you can call me loopy Laker! I play a Laker girl in the hilarious Spamalot!
I have been performing from a very young age, whether that be village pantomimes; school productions, shows with various performance groups, or just generally being a drama queen. However, being cast as a dancer is somewhat new to me!

I have been ‘dancing’ for just over a year now and I love it!! I have spent my gap year teaching dance to children and adults with additional needs, as well as performing with Arcadian Youth Dance Company amongst other things.

With the guidance of the Cows and my fellow Laker’s, I have been limbering every night for the past few months in preparation for Spamalot…it has definitely been worth the pain!

 

Being part of ‘The Herd’ has been such an amazing experience, they’re like a second family to everyone!

I feel I must give a massive thank you to our leaders Alex and Lisa, and our fabulous choreographers, Matt and Sian for taking a risk on me as a non-dancer, I won’t let you down!

Now let’s get Spamming!

The Fantastic…Andrew Murray!

Andrew enjoys anything to do with the entertainment industry, when you don’t see him; he is probably working in the dark with the rest of the stage crew or controlling the sound, lighting or everything as stage director; either professionally or for fun, a lot of which he has done for Mad Cow.

He also takes great pleasure in singing with the Shrewsbury Light Orchestra, in their charity concerts all over the county.

Some of his favourite & more recent roles include: –

Bela Zangler (Crazy for You), Darcy (Pride & Prejudice), Sir John (Me & My Girl), Pooh Bah (Mikado), Emile Dubeck (South Pacific),  Charles Condomine (Blythe Spirit), Sir and Lord Evelyn (Anything Goes), Herod (Jesus Christ Superstar), Madame Lucy (Irene), Pirate King & Major General (Pirates of Penzance), Judd Fry & Curly (Oklahoma), Pluto & Orpheus (Orpheus in the Underworld) Tevye (Fiddler on the roof ) Etches and John Thayer (Titanic) Danilo, Pritschitsch and St Brioche (The Merry Widow) Eddie Fredricks (In the Club) Mr Sprizter, Mr Pinky, Principal and News Reader (Hairspray)

Andrew enjoys working with the “Mad Cows” he’s known them longer than his ’39 years’ cares to remember!!

The Glamorous…Yvonne Morris!

Hi there!

I’m Yvonne Morris and Spamalot is my second show with MCP. I have been with them since 2015 after being approached in my hairdressers to take part in the Mad Cow Production of ‘Hairspray’ in which I played Motormouth Maybelle. I had not sung or performed for many years, so was a bit rusty.

Since joining MCP I have enjoyed and become a part of this brilliant group of actors. I do not have a theatrical background and have never had tuition in this field, but I now feel that I am gaining valuable experience. Alex and Lisa have given me the added confidence to realise my dream of performing, dancing and singing. I do give it my best always.

 

Performing can be challenging and hard work, but I have managed to fit in and feel part of the Mad Cow family. As well as being in the singing ensemble, I have several small roles in the production of Spamalot. I have made new friends and enjoy the camaraderie and I’m very proud to be a part of such a professional group. Overall I relish the whole process and am with a great group of fun-loving and hard-working people.

 

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

 

 

SOLICITORS

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices
.

 

 

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! They also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused, so here are two wonderful pics of their latest products.

bruno-banani-craving-short-front

body-art-skyros-mini-pant-multicolour-front

You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

Thank you for taking the time to have a read and supporting us.I really hope you’ve enjoyed it! Feel free to share or even send me a message 🙂 The next installment of Spamalot Rehearsal Diary will be with you shortly, don’t miss it!. Not long to go now!

 

I Am Not Dead Yet…Spamalot Diary Week Two- Part One!

Hello, you gorgeous lot you!

I aim to bring you a sneaky peek of what’s happening in rehearsals and introduce the cast and crew of Spamalot. Our fearless Herd Leaders, Alex Hinton and Lisa Lowarch have high expectations and we intend to meet them, in what will be an amazing production of Spamalot!

Don’t miss out, book your tickets at Theatre Severn !

Click here to visit Mad Cow Productions.

Mad Cow Productions present our trailer for SPAMALOT! – Thank you Tom Marshall, who runs PhotograFix, click here to pop over and have a look at his work!  The company sounds amazing! Even if I do say so myself

 

 Rehearsal Diary: Week Two – Part One!

There is so much that goes into making a show and it really is a team effort. The props and costume departments are in full swing and I can’t wait for you to see it all ! If you missed any posts and want to catch up, here is; Week Three , Week Four ,  Week Five and Week Six!

Not long to go! Oh my…it’s getting close and we are working really hard. In every rehearsal we are now running through the entire show. Reading through my notebook, I almost choked on my cup of tea…I’d forgotten about this conversation. We were watching Theo, there was something different about him at this rehearsal. We couldn’t work out what it was at first. Then…

Bec:”It’s Theo’s shoes; actually it’s his trousers tucked into his socks!”

What made me chuckle is that Theo has read this observation and drawn a little arrow away from it and written…

Theo: Mock me all you want, it turns everyone on!

One week later…Bec’s has no clue as to what Theo has written and we are again discussing his fashion sense.

Bec :”I’ve no idea what look Theo is going for…but ballet pumps, teamed with jogging bottoms tucked into sports socks… is kinda doing it for me, lol.” We all giggled (quietly) as we watched Theo finish his routine.

I think our Theo looks great!…To tuck or not to tuck? What do you reckon?

 

The knee pads have arrived for,’You won’t succeed on Broadway’. They were all lined up and kneeling on the floor to test the pads out.They went through the routine twice (and looked very good doing it!) when Lisa stopped them. Hands on hips, she stood in front looking down at them.

Lisa chuckled before saying: “I feel like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Cue cast laughing.

I feel happy…I feel happy!

They are not dead yet!

Lancelot giving it his all!

Dancing nun and our Lady of the Lake!

Laker Girls!

 

Meet the Cast and Crew!

 

 First up for this week is…The Amazing Robert Hinton!

I joined MCP in 2003, for the first production (intended at the time to be a one-off charity event). I have been involved in every MCP show, nearly always on stage but always helping with the productions in several ways.

By day I am a Financial Controller with a food manufacturing company, which I guess made me a candidate for Treasurer of MCP. Staging Spamalot properly, with the production values of MCP, will cost close to £50,000, so we have to budget carefully. Whether we cover the cost essentially depends on attracting an audience: we always know we have to put on a really good show or it will be our last!

MCP is a “not for profit” organisation, so if we make a surplus on one show, it goes back into the next one. I think that our audiences get great value for money.

For musicals we normally hire the scenery. For our plays and one of our musicals, our sets have been designed by Alex, the Director, and built by “the herd”.  We have been very fortunate that when there have been major engineering challenges or we needed the eye of a true visual artist, we have been helped by friends with skills to turn the Cows’ vision into reality. At a more modest level we all muck in. I have developed some handy construction skills and dredged my memory of school mathematics for trigonometry. I’ve also had a lot of fun with fellow herd members: scenery building and painting can be a very sociable event.

What I enjoy most about Mad Cow is, of course, performing on stage and the rehearsals that come before. The Cows demand a high standard. We need plenty of energy and determination. But, as you may have gathered from Heidi’s blog, we laugh a lot too. Best of all for me is the joy of seeing people blossom, be fulfilled and delight an audience, especially those who have a lot of hard stuff to deal with in other parts of their life.

If that sounds a bit solemn, I’m sorry. MCP is great fun and I love it!

Our Mad Cow Company Artist… the extremely talented Niki Holmes!

I’m not so much behind the scenes, as Painting them!
And sometimes – yes sometimes, I’m to be found on stage performing rather than lurking at Theatre Severn with a paint brush in hand.

I moved up to Shrewsbury from London back in 2005, a soon to be first time Mum and first got involved with Mad Cow back in 2010, making a few props for ‘A funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.’
One thing led to another and many production poster designs, sets and props later I’m still the ‘Go to Gal’ for anything that needs painting and Photoshopping.

(I’m also pretty good at making Owls from hats and religious relics from Coke Bottles; ) See if you can spot them in Spamalot!)

Alex and Lisa had heard through a Herd member, my then neighbour – that I was a bit Arty.

Well actually – I’m a LOT Arty!

I studied Fine Art at University of the West of England and Université de Marseilles, before graduating as a painter from the Royal Academy Schools in 1996. I then studied Multimedia and Digital Imaging at Westminster College, London.

From that moment on, I’ve always worked in the Arts and Design – I’ve had the pleasure of working on Arts projects with scientists; health care professionals, technologists, engineers, architects, and other artists. In the UK, Europe and Africa.

I have taught at the Royal College of Art, the City of Guild School and Architecture Association, through Charities in community and recently at the Shrewsbury School.

I also, (when I can find a room/time/ studio) continued to make my own Art, exhibit and even SELL it!

Way back, in my School and College days I used to design sets, paint scenery, make props and pop up in the odd character role in a play or musical.
Being able to do all that again with all the wonderful of Mad Cow Herd has been, is now (and always will be) a brilliant chance to use my talents to work with others. To create something together that is fun, fabulous at high quality ‘professional’ standard, with all the heart and dedication that comes from the ‘Amateur’.
It’s also lead to me working on designing sets, working on scenic painting and interior finishes elsewhere, too.

And it’s given a public outlet for my shower room Diva singing voice and my collection of regional and national accents. It was brilliant beyond measure to have the opportunity to be in the chorus of classic musicals and to play fiery Italian Maria in ‘Lend me a Tenor’ – I was quite literally transformative. Many of my family and friends didn’t recognise me. It’s truly amazing what a good director and 1950’s underwear can achieve!

We work hard and laugh hard in the Herd.

I feel privileged to hang out with a wonderful diverse bunch of genuine fun, talented, kind and supportive people. It’s great that together we put on Stellar productions again and again!

If you’d like to see some more of what I do, please have a look at my website: www.nikiholmes.co.uk and my Facebook page: Niki Holmes æ Art Emphasis

If you’d like me to create, teach or organise something Arty for you – get in touch!

The Wonderful…Joe Phillips!

I’ve been a member of mad cow since late 2014 when I joined for ‘Hairspray!’ I was fortunate enough to be cast as Link Larkin. I was then lucky to be cast as Simon Bright in last year’s play ‘The Games Afoot’. And now, I think this is one of the best roles I have played, the Homicidally Brave Sir Lancelot!

I began acting at 13 when I joined Stage 2 Performing Arts Academy, (quite a shy rugby player, it really was the last thing my friends expected) and I haven’t looked back!

I have performed in a variety of shows at the Theatre Severn, including the title role in ‘Sweeney Tod’, Willard Hewitt in ‘Footloose’ and Prince Charming in ‘Into the Woods’.

I hope to pursue a career in acting, my dream is to act on-screen in TV or film.

But for now I’m teaching at Stage 2 Performing Arts Academy and serving up cocktails at The Libertine Cocktail Bar on Butcher Row!

I love being a member of Mad Cow! I have learnt so much and I really feel like it was the best decision I’ve made by auditioning.

Hope you enjoy the show as much as I have loved rehearsing and performing it!

The Stunning and Comical…Rebecca Gwynne!

Hi I’m Bec!  My nonsense seems to be featuring every week, in Heidi’s excellent blog!
I was born and grew up in Bradninch, a village in beautiful Devon (no I can’t surf, yes I can body board. )
I attended St. Margarets school in Exeter, which I loved. I was an active member of the local Young Farmers and a member of my village am-dram group.

After attending university in Birmingham, I qualified as a Diagnostic Radiographer and I work at the RSH. I have a special interests and a post graduate in paediatric and forensic radiography.I love singing and this will be my 4th Mad Cow musical! It’s a lot of hard work but I absolutely love it!

 

Being in Mad Cow has given me a chance to sing and perform on stage in a professional environment; knowing that what we are acheiving is of the highest possible standard, something I thought I would never do!

There is no better feeling than show week!

Heidi: (I’m just going to put it out there…this fantastic lady is single and looking for a leading man to sweep her off her feet…I’m just saying …you know, in case your interested…and single! )  😉

The Beautiful…Emily Ireson!

Hi everyone, I’m Emily and I’m new to Mad Cow.

You may have read in a previous blog, that my other half is Tom. Although, there are some that call him TIM…or Night of Ni! It’s been lovely to work together on Spamalot. Not only because we are both Monty Python fans, but the fact that we haven’t been on stage together for a number of years. In fact this is my first show in two years!

Born in England, but raised in Northern Ireland my love of theatre started when I was young. A lot of my family have been on stage so I guess it developed naturally. I took part in many amateur shows in my youth such as ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘South Pacific’ and volunteered at my local theatre. It was my first ever job! During this time, I was also lucky enough to gain a short-term position singing with Jacqui Dankworth within an arts academy scheme, which was an amazing experience.

I then decided to continue in acting and singing completing a B.A (Hons) in Drama at the University of Exeter.

During this I decided that although I loved to tread the boards, it was not going to be my full-time career, more a hobby. So instead I began to focus on my interest in backstage crafts, namely Costume, Hair and Makeup.

I then became a Freelance and retail makeup artist and outside of this began to focus on my love of costume and history. This has now developed itself into my career as a curator and fashion historian and I completed my Master’s degree in the subject last year.

Saying this, theatre has always been, and still is my hobby and I have performed in a variety of musicals and plays over the years. I even try to develop acting into my work when I can, in the form of living history and costumed interpretation!
However, talking of my career, it was a contract museum job here in Shropshire which brought me and Tom to the area, and subsequently Mad Cow!!

What a pleasure it has been, and I hope that once my contract finishes in June I can find another job in the local area to allow me and Tom to stay and take part in more shows with the company!

We love Shropshire and the Herd!!”

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sponsors!

 

SOLICITORS

Wace Morgan Solicitors are long-established providers of legal services to clients in Shropshire and Mid Wales from our Shrewsbury and Newtown offices.

 

 

 “We are proud of our involvement with the Shropshire community, our support for regional events and efforts to raise money for charity.”

They have generously supported Mad Cow Productions for almost a decade!

Click here for all your legal needs and advice.

I am a huge fan of deadgoodundies! They also supply our shows with underwear when needed and my hubby was lucky enough to receive a pair of fire engine red briefs and Wow! They are truly amazing. I tried to get him to model a pair for me but …sigh…he refused, so here are two wonderful pics of their latest products.

bruno-banani-craving-short-front

body-art-skyros-mini-pant-multicolour-front

You won’t find a better place to buy a wide range of men’s underwear, swimwear, thermal wear, T-shirts and lounge wear. They sell worldwide so click  here and have a gander!

Thank you for taking the time to have a read and supporting us. If you’ve enjoyed it feel free to share or send me a message. Part Two will be with you shortly, don’t miss it!. One week to go!