www.Facebook.com/nightprojecttheatrewww.Twitter.com/nightproject_MTE:nightprojecttheatre@gmail.com Blue Orange Arts

Book by

Melvyn BraggMusic & Lyrics by

Howard Goodall

A little bit about

Night Project Theatre was established to bring together performers, directors and industry creatives to present musical theatre in intimate venues from either new portfolio or those undiscovered gems that deserve a

larger audience.

We work with both professional and amateur artists to produce small but beautifully formed theatre in a

collaborative environment.

Previous productions include:I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now ChangeThe Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)

Songs For A New WorldSweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The Last Five YearsDracula

We also produce showcase evenings for new works, and provide entertainment for functions and charity

events.

Future projects include a brand new musical in development with Chris Davis, called ‘The Waiting’.

As an independent enterprise we rely on our audience to keep the ‘Project’ going, so thank you for your support. Please keep in touch by following us on Facebook or Twitter and we look forward to seeing you

again soon.

“Bringing together creatives to perform musical theatre”.

ON 22ND OCTOBER 2017 OVER 100 SINGERS ASSEMBLED TO PERFORM A CONCERT FROM SCRATCH, IN AID OF SAVE THE CHILDREN SYRIA APPEAL.

FEATURING WEST END STAR IAN HALLARD, AND WITH AN ANTHEM COMPOSED ESPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION, THIS NIGHT PROJECT THEATRE EVENT RAISED OVER

£18,000 FOR CHARITY. WE EXTEND A HUGE

THANKYOU TO OUR SPONSORS, THE

CONCERTEERS AND AUDIENCE FOR

MAKING THE EVENT A SUCCESS.

A little bit about

Set in Cumbria and covering the period from 1898 to the early twenties, Melvyn Bragg’s The Hired Man is the first book in a powerful saga of John Tallentire, farm labourer, then coal miner, and his wife Emily. John’s struggle to break free from the humiliating status of a ‘hired man’ is the theme of a novel which has been hailed as a classic of its kind - as meticulously detailed as a social document, as evocative as the writings of Hardy and

Lawrence.

The story of the Tallentires is loosely based on the experiences of Bragg and his memories of his Grandfather, however the musical distils the novel into a story that is at once as romantic as it is political, and as filled with

pathos and struggle as it is history and gritty realism.

Howard Goodall’s 1984, award winning musical opens at the Hiring Fair in Cockermouth, however we join John and Emily, in the prologue on the morning before, when John rises from his bed early to make the long walk

across the hills, just as he does in the original text.

We follow the Tallentires’ story as he chooses between farm work and pit-life and then as War breaks out and families across the country are torn apart. John is the every man and his life reflects the difficulties faced by so many in rural England at the beginning of the last century. However the themes of change and learning to deal with hard life choices are timeless, and serve to project our own experience through the rugged life of a man

who lived in different times.

Kirsteen Stafford’s vision for what is written as a large choral work has allowed the Howard Goodall’s musical to be reduced to a cast of just 12 performers, in the intimate setting of the Blue Orange studio theatre. Ever present on the stage our ensemble keep the players under close scrutiny throughout the piece, lending the sweeping setting of the Cumbrian landscapes an intensity which reflects the intimate communities in which

people of the time lead their lives.Please sit back and enjoy one of the most beautiful English

musical scores of the modern era.Welcome to the Hiring!

Blue Orange Arts.

Stage Fight. SMASH. Peter Lewis.

Thanks to...

Programme of ScenesACT 1....

Cockermouth, The HiringWorkThe Cottage, CrossbridgeLater at the CottageThe HuntCrossbridge againThe Pub and the Fight

ACT 2....

May and HarryWhitehavenThe Union MeetingBefore the WarCrossbridge Club WalkThe PitCockermouth, The Re-Hiring

A little bit about the team

ChoreographerProduction Stage managerSet/LightingFight DirectorMake Up

Corinne KeeberKatie Lawley

Chris LambThom Stafford

Sinaed Franklin

Kirsteen Stafford- Director

Kirsteen is delighted to be directing The Hired Man, after being Assistant Director for Night Project’s Sweeney Todd in 2015. Kirsteen started directing aged 17; going on to train at National Youth Theatre and complete a Degree and MA in Drama. Kirsteen has directed extensively for both amateur groups and semi-professionally, including Guys and Dolls, Seussical, Just So, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Children of Eden, Musical of Musicals (the Musical!), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and was Assistant Director for Wallop Mrs Cox (Birmingham Hippodrome) with BMOS. Kirsteen is currently enjoying directing Jesus Christ Superstar. As an actress Kirsteen’s favourite roles include Anybodys (West Side Story, Birmingham Hippodrome), Alice (The Addams Family), Lambchops (Fame), Gilmer (Godspell), Kolokolo Bird (Just So) and with Night Project Theatre the Beggar Women in Sweeney Todd.

Chris Davis - Musical Director www.christopherdavis.org.uk @cdavismusicChris is a musical director, composer and musician, educated at the Royal Northern College of Music. As a musical director, he has worked with STC (Witches of Eastwick), KMS (Carousel, A Tale of Two Cities & My Fair Lady), The Phoenix Players (Somethin’ Swingin’), Solihull Gang Show and Solihull Society of Arts (The Sleeping Beauty). As a musician (drums, percussion, keyboards) and session musician he has worked extensively with artists as diverse as S Club 7 to the Welsh National Opera. Composition credits include stage musicals (Extra, Rose and Cinderella - The Musical), Feature Films (Bonobo (nominated for Best Original Score, Maverick Movie Awards), Conspiracy, Jaguar, Spy College), Short Films (many award winners), works for advertising and television. He is currently collaborating with Night Project Theatre on a new original musical The Waiting alongside other projects, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to MD The Hired Man and bring this beautifully written piece to the stage.

Musicians Chris DavisMaddy Evans

and Julian Bissell on the spoons!

Julian Bissell - Pennington, Chairman, Alec, Dan, Ensemblejulesbissell@gmail.com

Alicia Burke - Miner, Alf, Ensemble

Iona Cameron - Sally, Ensemble

Corinne Keeber - Landlady, Farmer, Ensemble

Corinne has been involved in all aspects of theatre for as long as she can remember, starting out tap dancing at the age of 4 and performing in musicals by age 10.

Going on to study a Drama and Dance degree, she now teaches primary Performing Arts. Corinne has been a member of several amateur groups now spends most of her time choreographing with SMASH. She previously choreographed Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) with Night Project Theatre and is delighted to return and join the cast on stage this time for The Hired Man.

Julian has been involved with operatic companies in the Midlands for some years and has played many principal roles including Joe in Showboat, Escamillio in Carmen and most of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire. He has also sung in France and Germany as a soloist with the Geminii Choir and has performed at Galas and festivals. He also recently appeared on TV in an advert for Expedia.

Alicia is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform with The Night Project Theatre in their performance of The Hired Man. Alicia has a Grade 5 distinction in Musical Theatre and a range of theatrical experience, including: Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Bugsy Malone (Tallulah), The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe (Susan Pevensie) and Peter Pan (Wendy). Alicia also looks forward to playing the role of Belle in Beauty and The Beast in February next year. In addition to performances in musical theatre, Alicia has taken part in the notable competitions Open Mic UK and Teen Star UK and her performances are available to watch on YouTube. Alicia has been in a music video for the song “Freewill” by musician Dave Conway who is also in the band The DC Experiment.

Iona is thrilled to be in her first production with the Night Project Theatre in The Hired Man and would like to thank all the cast and crew, especially Will for letting her have the front seat on the way home! Iona is in her 2nd year of study of English and Theatre at Warwick University.

Having been performing since she was 6 years old, she has been in many shows, her favourite roles include Ellen; The Vackees, Wendy; Peter Pan and Yona; Children of Eden (SMASH company). Her favourite credits while studying include Frauline Schneider; Cabaret, Queen Margret; Richard III, Freda; Brink (student written), Prospero; The Tempest and Antonia; Twelfth Night. Most recently she played Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and is currently in rehearsals for the University of Warwick’s 2017 Pantomine of Beauty and the Beast.

Anya McCutcheon Wells - May Tallentire, Joe Sharp

Will Page - Harry Tallentire, Bob

Ian Page - John Tallentire

Jenne Rhys-Williams - Emily Tallentire

This is Anya’s first time performing with Night Project and she is thrilled to be joining the cast this year for The Hired Man. She attends Sixth Form with a Scholarship for Drama and, there, has enjoyed roles such as Mrs Johnstone (Blood Brothers) and Captain Hook (Peter Pan). Anya was a member of the ensemble in Grease with Stage Experience UK, which was performed at the New

Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Last year, she joined the cast of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with SMASH to play the White Witch and is excited to be joining them again

this year to be playing Mary Magdalene in one of her favourite musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar.

Ian is a regular producer, performer and director of musical theatre.wIn addition to producing for Night Project Theatre Ian also collaborated on the QU Live project in 2014 showcasing new musical theatre, and was on the team coordinating D-Concert and the amazing This Enchanted Evening raising money for charity.

On stage Ian has taken title roles in Sweeney Todd, Jekyll and Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (As the Beast!) and Count of Luxembourg.

Will hasn’t been on stage with his Dad since he played the role of Chip in the KMS production of Beauty and The Beast, but he is thrilled to come out of the serving trolley to play Harry in this show.Will’s last performance was as a member of the cast of One Good Soul, a new musical that show cased at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Will enjoys directing as well as performing, and with Blue Coat School has assisted in the production of several concerts and theatrical pieces. He has also performed with SMASH and Solihull and Coventry Gang Shows.

Jenne trained at London School of Musical Theatre and gained a 1st class Honours in Performing Arts from the University of Winchester prior to training..She returns to NPT having performed in Dracula and as Cathy in the Last Five Years. She also recently played Florence in KMS’ production of Chess.Jenne’s professional performance experience includes The Emperor Jones (Olivier Theatre, National Theatre), Polymele Jason and the Argonauts (Cochrane Theatre London), West Side Story (Grange Park Opera), Cecily The Importance of Being Earnest (Borough Studios), Hero Much Ado About Nothing (Borough studios). Musicals include; West side story, Crazy for You, The Sound of Music, 42nd Street, and My Fair Lady. Jenne is a vocal coach and teaches drama and singing at schools, colleges and privately.

Jack Scott-Walker - Jackson Pennington, Farmer, Miner

Thom Stafford - Isaac Tallentire, Farmer, Ted Blacklock

Ralph Toppin-McKenzie - Man 1, Recruitment Officer, Vicar, Tom

Gavin Whichello - Seth Tallentire, Farmer, Josh

Gavin is thrilled to be taking to the stage with Night Project Theatre for the first time in The Hired Man, a musical which captured him at the tender age of just 17.

Gavin is no stranger to these intimate venues being a regular performer with Old Joint Stock Musical Theatre Company where he has been part of the company for RENT and Urinetown and was honoured to play the lead part of Jonny in American Idiot. Other theatre credits include Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer, Riff in West Side Story, Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me Kate and Robin in Robin Hood Prince of Sherwood.

“The Hired Man” is Ralph’s first venture with Night Project Theatre and he is delighted to be playing multiple roles in this wonderful musical. Ralph is no stranger to the theatre though having taken leading roles in Anything Goes and Flames; the Musical and more recently starring in a short film Death at Christmas which is due for imminent release. Ralph will soon be touring the West Midlands in a professional production of The Jungle Book; the musical in the role of Bagheera. Ralph would like to thank everyone involved for making his journey on The Hired Man such an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Jack studied Music at the University of Nottingham. Previous theatre credits include Nemorino in Donizetti’s Elixir of Love (Winterbourne Opera), Adam in Children of Eden (Swan Theatre, Worcester), Jonathan Harker in Dracula (Night Project Theatre, Birmingham), Otto in Spring Awakening (Imaginary Friend Theatre Co.), and Zack in The Guide To Being Single (Old Joint Stock, Birmingham, and The Tabard, London). He has worked with Tread The Boards in Stratford, starring in new play Casting, Alice in Wonderland, and Wuthering Heights.Most recently Jack played Darren in Next Thing You Know with Starbuck Theatre Company. In December, Jack will be joining Tread The Boards again for their pantomime production of Cinderella as Prince Charming.

Thom is delighted to be returning to the stage with Night Project Theatre after playing Sweeney in their 2015 production of Sweeney Todd and Van Helsing in Dracula last year. Thom has a wide range of theatrical experience, including Voice of Audrey 2; Little Shop of Horrors, Jesus; Godspell, Horton; Seussical, Sky; Guys and Dolls, Cain; Children of Eden and Captain Hook; Peter Pan. Thom is a member of Crescendo Musical Theatre group and appeared on BBC One’s Pitch Battle with them in July. In 2016 Thom appeared in King Lear at the RSC as a Knight; enjoying sharing the stage with Anthony Sher. Thom is currently in rehearsal for Peterbrook Players’ Spamalot, playing Sir Galahad and Jesus Christ Superstar, playing Judas with SMASH; he is looing forward to both immensely. Thom has an Advanced Level Three stage fighting qualification and is trained in firearms for stage and screen.

Music by Chris Davis Lyrics by Ian Page

“IN DREAMS,YOU’LL ALWAYS BE THERE”