Drawing of the Incantation Scene in the original production of 1877. Pictured are
Alice May (Aline), George Bentham (Alexis) and George Grossmith (J.W. Wells)
About The Sorcerer
THE NEW LONDON OPERA GROUP
presents its Summer 2008 production of
The SorcererA comic opera in two acts
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert
Music by Arthur Sullivan
With Special thanks to:
All at Louth Playgoers’ Riverhead Theatre, and especially Tony Blackmore, for their warm welcome and assistance with all aspects of this production.
Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, for their kind provision of rehearsal space.
The Sorcerer
Cast
Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre (An elderly baronet) Benjamin Gray
Alexis Pointdextre (His son) Robert Felstead
Dr. Daly (Vicar of Ploverleigh) James Chadburn
John Wellington Wells (of J.W. Wells & Co, Sorcerers) Alaric Barrie
Notary Robin Avery
Lady Sangazure (a lady of ancient lineage) Nicole Oppler
Aline Sangazure (Her daughter) Rebekah Engeler
Mrs. Zorah Partlet (A widow) Eirian Walsh Atkins
Constance Partlet (Her daughter) Fay Carradine
Jack “Hercules” Twelvetrees (Alexis’ Batman) Tony Bannister
Arhimanes (A demon) Sally Avery
The Villagers of Ploverleigh
Elsie Parish (Barmaid of the Poindextre Arms) Sally Avery
Henry Mainwaring (Manager of Swallow Bank) Chris Cann
Mrs. Mildred Fox (The neighbourhood watch) Tanya Knowles
Flora Meadows (A landgirl) Iona Macdonald
Chivers (Sir Marmaduke’s housemaid) Fiona Nash
Jim Jones (The butcher) David Pim
Lydia Jesson (A respectable lady) Miriam Robertson
Harriet Smithers (President of the Townswomen’s Guild) Rachel Stack
Mrs. Ruggles (Sir Marmaduke’s cook) Fiona Steel
Dr. Alex. Hervey Ian Stirling
Manners (Sir Marmaduke’s butler) Bob Vaughan
Production Credits
Musical Director Graham Rogers
Stage Director Chris Cann
Stage Manager Ben Austin
Repetiteurs David Bignell, Paul Guinery,
Tim Roe & Anna Tetsuya
Lighting Steve Greenwood
Wardrobe Eirian Walsh Atkins, assisted by Miriam Robertson
Specialist Costume Hire Haslemere Wardrobe
Hair, Wigs & Make-up Chris Cann and Tony Bannister
Set Design Tony Bannister
Set Construction Ben Austin, Tony Bannister, Fay Carradine, Chris Cann, Steve Greenwood & Bob Vaughan
Props Bob Vaughan & Alaric Barrie
Poster Design Tony Bannister
Programme Chris Cann
Orchestra Management & Publicity Tony Blackmore
Orchestra
Violins David Bignell (leader) & Hannah Priestley
Viola Jane Priestley
’Cello Becky Smith
Double Bass Lucas Scherdel
Flute / Piccolo John Prior
Clarinets Sally McTaggart & Sally Ann Bennett
Oboe Helena Bennett
Trumpet Jonathan Adams
Trombone Lucy Waller
Percussion Max Tomlinson
Synopsis of Musical Numbers
Overture
Act I
“Ring forth, ye bells” (Company)
“Constance, my daughter” …. “When he is here” (Mrs. Partlet & Constance)
“Time was, when love and I” (Dr. Daly)
“Sir Marmaduke, my dear young friend, Alexis” (Dr. Daly, Sir Marmaduke & Alexis)
“With heart and with voice” (Ladies)
“My kindly friends” …. “O happy young heart” (Aline)
“My child, I join in these congratulations” (Lady Sangazure)
“With heart and with voice” (Men)
“Welcome joy, adieu to sadness” (Sir Marmaduke & Lady Sangazure)
“All is prepared for sealing and for signing” (Notary, Alexis, Aline & Chorus)
“Love feeds on many kinds of food” (Alexis)
“My name is John Wellington Wells” (Mr. Wells)
“Sprites of earth and air” (Mr. Wells, Alexis, Aline & Chorus)
“Now to the banquet we press” (Company)
Act II
“’Tis twelve, I think” (Aline, Alexis & Mr. Wells)
“Why, where be oi?” (Chorus)
“Dear friends, take pity on my lot” (Constance, Notary, Alexis, Aline, & Chorus)
“Thou hast the pow’r” (Alexis)
“I rejoice that it’s decided” (Alexis, Aline, Sir Marmaduke, Mrs. Partlet & Dr. Daly)
“Oh, I have wrought much evil with my spells” (Mr. Wells & Lady Sangazure)
“Alexis! Doubt me not, my loved one!” (Aline)
“Oh, my voice is sad and low” (Dr. Daly)
“Oh, joyous boon!” (Dr. Daly, Aline, Alexis & Chorus)
“Or he or I must die!” (Company)
Synopsis
Act I
The opera takes place in the grounds of Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre’s mansion in the village of Ploverleigh in the south of England. The villagers are celebrating the forthcoming marriage of Sir Marmaduke’s son, Alexis, to Aline, the daughter of Lady Annabella Sangazure. The only person not to share in this joy is Constance Partlet. Mrs. Partlet tries to discover the reason for her daughter’s sorrow and Constance reveals that she is hopelessly in love with the ageing vicar, Dr. Daly. When he enters, Mrs. Partlet endeavours to work on him, but without success.
Sir Marmaduke himself now arrives with Alexis and they are regaled with an excerpt from Dr. Daly’s marriage sermon. When alone, father and son discuss the union with Aline, whose mother is an old flame of Sir Marmaduke. They leave to prepare for her arrival, heralded by the ladies of the village. Sir Marmaduke and Lady Sangazure manage, with a superhuman effort, to suppress the passion that they evidently still feel for one another. The villagers gather for the formalities and Alexis and Aline both sign the contract. Everyone departs to prepare for the feast that will shortly follow, leaving the happy couple alone. Alexis is convinced that the whole world should be equally happy by pairing off in matrimony. To this end, he has engaged the firm of J.W. Wells & Co. to administer their patent oxy-hydrogen love-at-first-sight philtre to the entire village. Mr. Wells himself arrives and lists his wares, before discussing the arrangements with Alexis: The philtre sends all who drink it to sleep for twelve hours. Upon waking, they fall in love with the first person they see who has also tasted it, and this affection is at once returned. Aline is horrified, but Alexis is adamant and Mr. Wells brews the love potion in the large teapot to be used for the feast. The villagers now return for the bun fight, during which they drink the doctored tea. The potion has its effect as one-by-one the villagers succumb to the potion and fall into a deep sleep.
INTERVAL – 20 MINUTES
Act II
It is now midnight and Aline and Alexis join Mr. Wells to see the effects of the potion. The villagers awake and pair off happily, all except Constance, who is now hopelessly in love with the decrepit Notary. Alexis is delighted by the success of his plan and now resolves that he and Aline should drink the philtre to ensure that their love will last forever. Aline is horrified at the thought and refuses, driving Alexis into a display of temper. Alexis’ mood is not improved by the appearance of his love-struck father …. arm-in-arm with the blousy Mrs. Partlet, whom Alexis is reluctantly forced to greet as his future step-mother.
Mr. Wells realises that the growing romantic chaos is all his doing. At this moment, Lady Sangazure enters in the last stages of romantic despair. Seeing the sorcerer, she falls passionately in love with him, despite all his attempts to put her off. Wells flees, pursued by her Ladyship. On giving her the slip, Wells summons the demonic Ahrimanes to try and discover how to break the spell, but to his horror, Ahrimanes reveals that either he or Alexis must die to do so.
Aline enters, having resolved to drink the philtre after all. She swallows the potion and falls into a deep sleep. Dr. Daly wanders in, distraught at being the only person in the village not to have found romance. His anguish is interrupted by the awakening of Aline. On catching each others eye, they fall instantly in love, just as Alexis walks in. He is horrified and summons the villagers to witness what he sees as Aline’s infidelity. The villagers now press Mr. Wells who reveals that either he or Alexis must die to release the spell. The sorcerer suggests putting the matter to a popular vote. The villagers turn against Wells and condemn him. After a poignant farewell, Wells is dragged into the Underworld by Ahrimanes and the spell is broken. The villagers return to their original partners and all look forward to another banquet.
Drawing of the Incantation Scene in the original production of 1877. Pictured are
Alice May (Aline), George Bentham (Alexis) and George Grossmith (J.W. Wells)
About The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer, first performed at the Opéra Comique in 1877, is an important work in the history of the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership. Their third collaboration, it was also their first full-length success, enjoying a respectable first run. This encouraged them to produce a further work that was to catapult them to international celebrity: HMS Pinafore. Moreover, it is the first work in which the defining characteristics of the Savoy Operas are present, including the stock seven characters, often known by the names of the principals who played them in the 1880s (Braham, Bond, Brandram, Lely, Grossmith, Barrington and Temple). It was for The Sorcerer that a number of these singers (Grossmith, Barrington and Temple) joined the D’Oyly Carte Company, and when the opera was revived in 1884, all seven performers were in the cast.
The opera is based on a short story that Gilbert had contributed to The Graphic in 1876 entitled The Sorcerer or The Elixir of Love. This was a whimsical piece about the chaos that ensues when a village unwittingly consumes a love potion procured from Messrs. Baylis & Culpepper Ltd. of St. Martin’s Lane. The idea of a magic potion was one of W.S. Gilbert’s most cherished plot devices and features in several of his works, apart from The Sorcerer, most notably The Mountebanks, which is the final operatic realisation of the “lozenge plot”, so frequently rejected by Sullivan, but eventually composed by Alfred Cellier in 1892. Gilbert set to work re-fashioning the story for the stage and the embryonic opera company. One of the first performers to be recruited was the Lady Sangazure, Mrs. Howard Paul. She was a well-known singing actress whose appearances had included Lady Macbeth at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She brought with her a young protégé, whom she persuaded Gilbert to engage for the role of the lovelorn vicar, Dr. Daly. This was Rutland Barrington, who went on to create roles in all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas apart from The Yeomen of the Guard. The thirty-year-old Richard Temple was engaged to play Sir Marmaduke, the first in a long line of principal roles which included Dick Deadeye, the Pirate King and the Mikado. Most of the other roles were given to established singers: George Bentham as Alexis; Alice May as Aline and Giulia Warwick as Constance (she later took over the role of Aline). However, the central role of the sorcerer himself remained unfilled. Mrs. Howard Paul now suggested another of her protégés, one George Grossmith, who at this time was making a living performing piano sketches in small theatres and in private homes. It is quite possible that Sullivan saw one of these performances, because he wrote to Grossmith in October 1877 to ask if he might be interested in taking the part in the new opera. According to legend, when auditioning for the role of J.W. Wells, Grossmith suggested to Gilbert that, for the part of a sorcerer, he would have wanted a man of formidable appearance and commanding voice. Apparently, Gilbert retorted that this was exactly what he did not want!
Gilbert’s plot is full of his characteristic topsy-turvydom, particularly in the mismatches produced by the love potion. The denouement, in which Mr. Wells is dragged down into Hell by Ahrimanes is a rare moment of true pathos in the opera, but it does appear from nowhere: Ahrimanes is not mentioned until the dialogue immediately preceding the finale. Originally, the opera was to include a scene earlier in Act II in which Wells summons Ahrimanes, to be told that only by yielding up his, or Alexis’ life, may the spell be removed. Apparently, the mercurial Mrs. Howard Paul was a famed devil impersonator and was to have doubled Ahrimanes with her principal role of Lady Sangazure. However, the structure of the act did not give her a chance to change costume and make-up and the idea was dropped. However, the text of the scene still exists (without music), and an abridged version is included in this production
The Sorcerer is one of the most charming scores that Sullivan composed for the Savoy. Whilst lacking the weight of some of the later operas, it is filled with a lightness and youthful joie de vivre. The numerous folksy dances and songs indicate an awareness of traditional English music thirty years before Vaughan-Williams made this his field of study. The opera is also filled with deft parodies of the standard grand operatic repertoire of the time, most notably in the Incantation scene in which Mr. Wells brews the love potion. This scene is a witty send up of the Wolf’s Glen scene in Weber’s opera Der Freischütz, in which the huntsman Caspar conjures up the forces of darkness to forge seven magic bullets.
The Sorcerer enjoyed a successful first night and successfully ran for 175 performances, considerably more than the average for the time. The Illustrated London News, despite the improbabilities of the plot, believed that “they may be accepted on account of the large amount of fun evolved from them; indeed, the piece is provocative of hearty laughter throughout; and abounds in pungent and good-humoured satire”. It was the first Gilbert and Sullivan opera to be revived, in 1884, after the premature closure of Princess Ida, when it was also significantly revised. Amongst the changes was a complete re-writing of the opening of Act II to include the opening trio of conspirators and show the awakening of the villagers and the immediate effects of the potion. (Originally, the second act was set in the village marketplace and the villagers entered, having already paired off). The other significant change in 1884 was the transposing down of Constance’s Act II aria “Dear Friends, take pity on my lot” to accommodate the mezzo Jessie Bond.
The Sorcerer remained in the D’Oyly Carte repertoire until the Second World War, when the sets and costumes were destroyed by German bombing. It was not then performed by the company until 1971, when a new production was created and regularly performed until the demise of the company in 1982. It was recorded complete by the D’Oyly Carte twice in 1953 and 1966 and in an abridged form in 1933. In 1982, the BBC broadcast a television film of the opera, which is also now available on DVD. The BBC has twice made complete sound recordings of the opera as part of G&S cycles in 1966 and 1989.
Cast Biographies
Robin Avery (Notary)
Robin has waited years for a bit part to come along - finally his moment of glory has arrived! He hopes last year’s training as a heavy dragoon will put him in good stead for even lower notes and moral standards this year. He would like to assure the audience that he is not a method actor, old or really that deaf. He is a man though! Robin fully expects to make a triumphal return to the Orchestra Pit next year after suffering withdrawal symptoms this year. Worse still, The Sorcerer contains no onstage fanfare to convince him that he’s still a musician after all.
Sally Avery (Ahrimanes / Chorus)
Sally Avery really likes Louth – otherwise she wouldn’t be back here for the sixth summer in a row. She has a vast wealth of experience when it comes to G&S, needing just Yeomen of the Guard and Utopia Limited to complete the set. She is also not a method actor – she is just that evil.
Tony Bannister (Hercules / Set Design)
The Sorcerer is Tony’s second newLOG production as set designer, and his ninth on-stage appearance with the company. In 2007, he designed and appeared in Patience here in Louth and sang the Foreman of the Jury in Trial by Jury in London. Other appearances with newLOG include Pish-Tush (The Mikado),Sir Jasper Murgatroyd (Ruddigore), Gypsy in Michael Balfe’s (The Bohemian Girl), Angel in Rutland Boughton’s (Bethlehem), and in the choruses of The Pirates of Penzance and Iolanthe. With newLOG’s parent company, ULOG, Tony appeared as Scynthius in Princess Ida, Marcel in Divorce Me, Darling!, The Emcee in Movie Star! and Bert the Cockney Landlord in Cinderella.
Elsewhere, he has appeared as the Capuchin (Cyrano de Bergerac) and as Innocent in the British premiere of Ivona, Princess of Burgundy, both at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth; as Malvolio (Twelfth Night)with Frenzic Theatre at the House of St-Barnabas-in-Soho; Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls at the George Wood Theatre, London; as Jonas Fogg (Sweeney Todd) with Crimson House Productions at the Electric Theatre, Guildford; and in the ensemble for Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Shaw Theatre, London. TV includes Human Rights, Human Wrongs (Channel 4).
Alaric Barrie (John Wellington Wells)
Alaric has been involved in productions of all the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, in which he has played many of the tenor and patter-baritone roles, including Bunthorne (Patience); Nanki-Poo (The Mikado); Ko-Ko (in a different production of The Mikado!); Dick Dauntless (Ruddigore); Marco (The Gondoliers); and even John Wellington Wells (about ten years ago!). He is also a composer and lyricist whose passion for Gilbert and Sullivan was carried over into his affectionate but wicked parody show Sin with Sullivan, which has played around the U.K., winning great acclaim both in London and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Alaric is a great supporter of modern musical theatre, and has served as a judge for the Laurence Olivier Awards; played various lead roles in musicals (most notably as Billy Flynn in Chicago); and won prizes for writing musicals in several international competitions, including the ‘Vivian Ellis Prize’ and Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s ‘Highland Quest’. His musical version of Cold Comfort Farm even played for one sell-out night in London’s West End!
He is delighted to come to Louth for the first time, where he hopes to cast his spell on you all, and to leave you with some ‘superior blessings’.
Chris Cann (Stage Director / Chorus)
Born in Devon, Chris first came to London as a student, throwing himself into the activities of the University of London Opera Group (ULOG), both on stage and as a Director. He has directed productions for ULOG, the Centenary Opera Company and the New London Opera Group, of which he is the Artistic Director. Previous productions include The Sorcerer (twice), HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe (thrice), Princess Ida, The Mikado and Ruddigore (twice),together with semi-staged concerts of Gilbert and Sullivan (2004 and 2008), Viennese (2005) and French (2007) operetta. In December 2005, he produced an acclaimed concert performance of Rutland Boughton’s beautiful Christmas opera, Bethlehem, in which he also sang the roles of Jem the Shepherd and Zarathustra the Wise Man. This was followed in 2006 by a concert performance of Balfe’s opera The Bohemian Girl.
As a performer, Chris has appeared in all the extant Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Roles to date include the Judge and Defendant (Trial by Jury), Alexis (The Sorcerer), Major-General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance), Bunthorne (Patience), The Lord Chancellor, Lord Mountararat, Strephon and Private Willis (Iolanthe), Cyril (Princess Ida), Pooh-Bah (The Mikado), Dick Dauntless (Ruddigore), The Duke of Plaza-Toro and Don Alhambra del Bolero (The Gondoliers), King Paramount (Utopia Limited) and Ludwig (The Grand Duke).
Fay Carradine (Constance Partlet)
This is Fay’s fourth year visiting Louth and she is delighted to be returning to performing on stage after being Stage Manager for Ruddigore (2006) and Patience (2007) along with this year’s spring concert Never Mind the Why or Wherefore! Fay is particularly pleased to be playing the role of Constance – a part she has had her eye on since first performing in The Sorcerer in 2000.
Fay is taking part in the Edinburgh Fringe this year as Deputy Stage Manager/understudy for a new show Plague! The Musical. When not rehearsing for shows Fay works for the Ministry of Justice and can be found wielding a sword once a week in a passable attempt at fencing.
James Chadburn (Dr. Daly)
Jim first joined newLOG as a chorister in the 2005 production of The Pirates of Penzance here in Louth. Since then he has appeared at the Riverhead Theatre as Sir Gilbert Murgatroyd in Ruddigore in 2006 and as Major Murgatroyd (no relation) in last year’s Patience. He also appeared in last December’s newLOG G&S concert, singing the Usher (Trial by Jury), Colonel Calverley (Patience), and Antonio in (The Gondoliers). Other roles include the Sergeant of Police (The Pirates of Penzance) and Bunthorne (Patience). He is delighted to be back in Louth performing the role of Dr. Daly for the company. Shortly after leaving Louth, he will be auditioning for the 10-week opera singing course at Morley College—wish him luck!
Rebekah Engeler (Aline Sangazure)
Australian born soprano Rebekah Engeler began singing at the age of eight and has recently completed her first year in a Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the Royal College of Music. Rebekah has performed a variety of roles the most recent including Yum-Yumin The Mikado for Armidale and District Music Society;Lieschen in Bach’s Coffee Cantata at the New England Bach Festival and Nellie Forbushin South Pacific, also for The Armidale and District Music Society. Before leaving Australia Rebekah was a Finalist in the MacDonald’s Performing Arts Challenge and subsequently has performed at the National Portrait Gallery and has most recently returned from Jerusalem performing in Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem in association with the Jerusalem Academy of Music. Rebekah loves good coffee, dark chocolate and any and all things musical. Rebekah is currently under the tuition of Jeffery Stewart.
Rob Felstead (Alexis Pointdextre)
This being his third trip to Louth, Robert he is very excited to be making his "romantic" debut having played Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance (2005) and Dick Dauntless in Ruddigore (2006). Other G&S roles include Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore) and Marco (The Gondoliers) and for King’s College G&S Society. As well as G&S, he has enjoyed playing various roles in a number of musical theatre productions including Tony(West Side Story), Freddie in (Chess) and Seymour (The Little Shop of Horrors) to name a few. Robert is also a fan of choral music and has recently enjoyed solo parts in Handel’s Messiah, Walton’s Belshazaar’s Feast and a performance of Finzi’s Dies Natalis in Southwark Cathedral. When not singing or acting, he works as a postgraduate researcher at Imperial College, working in the field of Chemical Biology where he will be for the next three and a half years, or whenever his PhD is completed. Robert enjoys life in London but also relishes the chance to escape to the country each June so you’ll be sure to be seeing more of him in the years to come.
Benjamin Gray (Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre)
Benjamin has been involved in a variety of shows and concerts but is relatively new to Gilbert & Sullivan, and this is his first tour with newLOG. He has played leading roles in performances of both Oliver! and Fiddler on the Roof. Benjamin is currently doing a War Studies degree at King’s College, London.
Steve Greenwood (Tour Manager / Lighting design)
As well as being one of the founding directors of newLOG, Steve has also worked with the University of London Opera Group and Imperial Opera. He enjoys having his finger in as many theatrical pies as possible, having produced, designed or stage managed (sometimes all three) a variety of shows with the three companies including The Pirates of Penzance; Patience; Princess Ida; The Mikado; Ruddigore; Cheryomushki; Cinderella; Divorce Me, Darling!; Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Nine; Something’s Afoot; Here’s a How-de-do!; The Shakespeare Revue; A Viennese Soirée; La vie Parisiènne; Never mind the why or wherefore!; Bethlehem and The Bohemian Girl. Steve has never been tempted to actually appear in a show, though…he just doesn’t have the time!
Tanya Knowles (Chorus)
This is Tanya’s third tour to Louth with newLOG, having appeared in The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance in 2004 and 2005. She is very pleased to be returning to take part in such an enjoyable show, especially in her role as Mrs. Fox, the village gossip. By day, Tanya is writing up her PhD in Palaeoclimatology, so rehearsals are a welcome break from the writers block and last minute lab work. It is this PhD that stopped her performing in Patience last year, so hopefully from this year onwards Tanya will become a more familiar face in the newLOG company. With other London-based societies, Tanya has performed in a number of musicals including Anything Goes (Erma), Babes in Arms (Bunny Byron), How to succeed in business without really trying (Miss Jones), plus chorus in The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, The Grand Duke and Kiss Me, Kate.
Iona Macdonald (Chorus)
On December 7th 1982 Charles Brooks became the first person in the United States to be executed by lethal injection. This is also the date on which Iona Macdonald was born. Iona has been an enthusiastic shower singer for years; with the exception of a few lessons from an opera singing nun, warbling whilst washing makes up the bulk of Iona's musical training. Iona works in publishing. Her father would prefer stock-broking; he has yet to accept that Goldman Sachs et al have no need of a number crunching architectural historian. She studied at Edinburgh University. Whilst there, she performed in three shows: The Sorcerer, HMS Pinafore and Strike up the Band. A tap routine in the latter ended Iona's dancerly ambitions: she was issued shoes with felt silencers rather than actual tap shoes. Iona hopes that – on this occasion – her dancing will pass muster.
Fiona Nash (Chorus)
Fiona is delighted to return to Louth for her second newLOG production. She was previously a member of the Kings College London Gilbert and Sullivan Society, performing in six productions including HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Mikado Ruddigore. She is also a member of the Southwark Cathedral Merbecke Choir and the choir of St Michael’s church, Wimbeldon. In her spare time Fiona is an overworked junior doctor, treating the sick, injured and generally drunk of South London.
Nicole Oppler (Lady Sangazure)
Nicole studied English Literature at Durham University and opera at Birkbeck College, where she graduated from the Diploma course in 2006. Previous roles include Second Witch (Dido and Aeneas) for Minotaur Music Theatre, Annio (La Clemenza di Tito), Prince Orlovsky (Die Fledermaus) andThird Lady (Die Zauberflöte) for Opera Express and Dorabella (Così fan Tutti), Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Olga (Eugene Onegin), Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel) and Lucretia (The Rape of Lucretia)while atBirkbeck College. She has since sung both Cherubino and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro),Tisbe (La Cenerentola) and Nicklaus (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) with Ad Hoc Opera, as well as Ruth (The Pirates of Penzance), Lady Angela (Patience), Katisha (The Mikado) and Tessa and the Duchess of Plaza-Toro (The Gondoliers). Nicole is currently studying with Paula Anglin.
David Pim (Chorus)
Dave’s performing career in operetta started at the age of 14 as a chorus member in Trial by Jury. Since then, he has played many leading G&S roles, including Bunthorne and Major Murgatroyd (Patience), Ko-Ko (Mikado), Robin Oakapple (Ruddigore) and Luiz (Gondoliers). Away from G&S, Dave has also performed the title role in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Bobinet (La Vie Parisienne), Freddie (My Fair Lady), Charlie Cameron (Brigadoon) and Marcus Lycus (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum). Dave is also a keen choral singer, and is a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. He is also a member of Chantage, a London-based choir with whom he won the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition in 2006. Dave has just graduated with a music degree from King’s College, London and is delighted to be joining newLOG for the first time.
Miriam Robertson (Chorus)
Miriam is delighted to be returning to Louth once more to sing in the Chorus of The Sorcerer. She has previously played several Gilbert and Sullivan roles for newLOG and King’s College G&S Society, including Cousin Hebe in HMS Pinafore, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance and Ruth in Ruddigore. Miriam has enjoyed working with newLOG so much that she has helped make costumes for this production. She hopes this year’s Sorcerer will be your cup of tea (complete with rollicking buns and strawberry jam.
Graham Rogers (Musical Director)
Graham is always delighted to return to Louth: this is his eleventh production at the Riverhead Theatre. Most recently he performed in the Gilbert & Sullivan evening Never Mind the Why or Wherefore! in March, and played Archibald Grosvenor in last year’s Patience. Other concert appearances include A Viennese Soirée (2005), A Night at the Savoy (2006) and La Vie Parisiènne (2007). Graham has played the roles here of Mr Cox (Cox and Box), Strephon (Iolanthe) and the eponymous Mikado of Japan. As Musical Director of newLOG Graham has conducted productions in Louth of The Pirates of Penzance (2005) and Ruddigore (2006). Graham works for BBC Radio 3, and also writes on music: he contributed to the recently published book 1001 Classical Recordings to Hear Before You Die, and regularly reviews concerts and CDs for the website ClassicalSource.com. Graham also sings with London-based chamber choir Pegasus, who are currently appearing on BBC1 television as participants in the Saturday-night series Last Choir Standing.
Rachel Stack (Chorus)
Rachel is delighted to be returning to the chorus of newLOG this year and is looking forward to being part of another great show! She performed in her first Gilbert and Sullivan operetta at the age of 13 and has been addicted to them ever since - performing in Patience, Iolanthe, The Mikado and The Gondoliers. Her goal is to perform in every operetta written by Gilbert and Sullivan, so she could become a regular face in Louth each year .… watch this space!
Fiona Steel (Chorus)
Although this is Fiona’s first production with newLOG, it is, in fact, her third G&S production in six months. I suppose you could say she’s a bit of a fan. When not treading the boards, Fiona can be found the other side of the curtain wearing her directorial hat and bossing around the good people of Surrey. Fiona is looking forward to exploring Louth during her stay here.
Ian Stirling (Chorus)
This is Ian’s third appearance in Louth with newLOG following highly enjoyable tours of The Pirates of Penzance and Ruddigore. He hopes that you will spot the cinematic subtleties in his impersonation of Trevor Howard, even without the railway trains.
Bob Vaughan (Chorus)
Bob Vaughan is delighted to return to Louth once again. Having been responsible for directing last year’s production of Patience, this time round he resumes his regular stage role as the Butler. In real life Bob is a Radar systems engineer and for relaxation vanishes into the Chiltern Hills were he is a volunteer station master on the award winning Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
Eirian Walsh Atkins (Mrs. Zorah Partlet)
Eirian is very pleased to be returning to Louth and reprising the role of Mrs. Partlet, which she first played at Budleigh Salterton in Devon back in 2000. Her portrayal of the kind-hearted but rather silly domestic was so enchanting, that she received a proposal of marriage following one of the performances. She rather hopes that the Louth audience will be similarly moved, but would like to remind you that she has been married for some years now. When not making costumes and prancing about on stage, Eirian works for the Ministry of Justice and tends her flock of chickens.