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Keswick Amateur Operatic Society
Artistic Director
Chris Briggs
Musical Director
David Sutton
Production Co-ordinator & Wardrobe
Edna Sharman
Set Design and Construction
Neil Airey
The Cast
Gondolieri
Marco Palmieri
Keith Martin
Giuseppe Palmieri
Jonathan Denny
Anibale
Richard Hartzig
Antonio
Ted Holt
Francesco
Simon Noble
Giorgio
Peter Van Dyke
Boatmen
Brian Grosse, Roy Hindley
Contadine
Gianetta
Jenni Thornton
Tessa
Esther Potts
Fiametta
Alison Pond
Giulia
Stephanie Bolger
Vittoria
Jackie Warner
Barbara Carter, Pippa Davis, Lynne Denny, Naomi Fielden, Betty Forsyth, Najma Fraser, Gill Greenhalgh,
Rachel Hapgood, Edna Sharman, Sarah Warner
The Ducal Party
The Duke of Plaza Toro
Stephen Thompson
The Duchess of Plaza Toro
Mary Gillespie
Casilda
Lexie Ward
Luiz
Neil Airey
The Page
Harry Binns
Of the Inquisition
Don Alhambra Del Bolero
Ian Hartland
Inez
Edna Sharman
The Stage Hands
The Gaffer
Stan Hinde
The Worker
Keith Taylor
BIOGRAPHIES
Chris Briggs - Artistic Director This is Chris’ 11th year with KAOS. He has
played many roles including Emile de Becque (South Pacifi c), Chief Sitting
Bull (Annie Get Your Gun), Parchester the Solicitor (Me and My Girl), Nathan
Detroit (Guys and Dolls), Tevye the Milkman (Fiddler on the Roof) and Professor
Higgins (My Fair Lady). Chris has also produced and directed many of our
recent shows including Pirates of Penzance (2002), Me and My Girl (2003),
The Mikado (2006) and Oklahoma! (2008).
David Sutton - Musical Director. David was educated at Winchester College
Choir School and Churcher’s College followed by Gonville & Caius College,
Cambridge. After some years with the Welsh National Opera David worked
for 20 years as repetiteur for the English National Opera, moving on to the
Scottish Opera and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Since
moving to Carlisle he has been the soloist in two piano concertos with the City
of Carlisle Symphony Orchestra and was repetiteur for Lakeland Opera’s La
Traviata and Carmen.
Keith Martin - Marco Palmieri. I started doing amateur operatics/dramatics
in 1982 while at Aberystwyth University, my fi rst G&S being The Gondoliers.
Since then I have played parts in Murder on the Nile, Shut your eyes and think
of England, The Monkey’s Paw, various pantomimes, Bacchus and Orpheus
(Orpheus in the Underworld), Leonard Meryl (Yeoman of the Guard), Sir Bailey
Barre (Utopia Ltd), Frederic (Pirates of Penzance), Nanki-Poo (The Mikado), Lord
Earl Tolloller (Iolanthe), Edwin (Trial by Jury) and Motel Kamzoil (Fiddler on the Roof). This is my
seventh show with KAOS and I’m really looking forward to playing Marco for the first time.
Jonathan Denny - Giuseppe Palmieri. Born in 1963 but have never sung on
stage before. Fond of flower arranging, campanology and lepidoptery.
Ed. When not doing all this Johnny runs his own successful gardening business.
Jenni Thornton - Gianetta. After graduating from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts
with a BA Hons in Performing Arts Music in 2008 Jenni went straight into her fi rst
professional musical “Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi” written and directed by Phil
Wilmott, which ran for 3 months at The Liverpool Playhouse in aid of the Capital of
Culture and was a great success. Jenni continued to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe
with a production of “A...My Name Is Alice”. She has now returned to the Lakes and
currently works in Adventure Travel but likes to keep up her singing as much as
possible. Her proudest moment was performing “Ticket to Ride” with her 8 part acapella
group, to the song’s original performer - Sir Paul McCartney.
Esther Potts - Tessa. This is Esther’s third show with the society but her fi rst
major role. Last year she took the role of Pitti-Sing in the ‘Hot Mikado’ with
Kendal Amateurs and also performed with Staveley Amateurs in ‘Ruddigore’.
Recently, she sang the cameo role of the milk maid in ‘Oliver’ with Lancaster
Red Rose Amateurs. Esther enjoys singing in both musicals and operettas.
Stephen Thompson - The Duke of Plaza Toro. Stephen joined KAOS last year
to play Colonel Pickering in ‘My Fair Lady’, and was delighted when ‘The
Gondoliers’ was chosen for this year’s production. For the last 25 years he has
frequently been seen with Penrith Savoyards and the Kendal and Staveley G
& S Societies. He has also played other roles - usually comedy - with Penrith
Players. In the sixties he trained for the stage in Birmingham, but then became
a teacher, fi rst of foreign languages, then of driving, from which he has just
retired. He has a keen interest in the International Language, Esperanto, and
enjoys fell-walking, having recently completed the 214 ‘Wainwrights’.
Mary Gillespie - The Duchess of Plaza Toro. My previous acting roles have included
Elvira in “Blythe Spirit”, Dr. Scott in “Whose Life Is It Anyway?”, and I’ve tapped my way
through “Stepping Out” as Vera, all in New Zealand. For seven years I was involved with
Playback, a type of improvisational theatre, designed to help strengthen communities.
This is my first time on stage with KAOS, and my first ever foray into the world of
musical theatre. I’ve acted, danced and sung before, but not all at the same time!
Lexie Ward - Casilda. This is Lexie’s 2nd year with KAOS, last year playing Eliza in
their production of “My Fair Lady”. Previous roles include Polly in Crazy For You, Luisa
in Nine, and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She performed in her first professional
production in 2007, touring with Lakeland Opera Company’s productions of I Pagliacci
and Cavelleria Rusticana, and joined the company again in 2009 to play Sylvianne in
their production of The Merry Widow. After graduating with a first class degree in
Performing Arts, she cocreated the company Half Ambidextrous Productions, and in
January they brought the regional premiere of the Broadway musical The Last 5 Years
to Carlisle, to critical acclaim.
Neil Airey – Luiz. Neil has been with the Society for many years, not only
building some creative sets, but acting and singing in such roles as Strephen
(Iolanthe), Mordcha (Fiddler on the Roof), Benny Southstreet (Guys and Dolls)
and Judd Fry (Oklahoma!).
Ian Hartland - Don Alhambra Del Bolero. A native of south Lancashire I
moved to Cumbria where I settled in St Johns in the Vale and purchased
the Threlkeld Granite Quarries where together with some colleagues I have
established a museum of Lakeland Mines and Quarries. I have been involved
with KAOS for about 13 years participating in a variety of shows and concerts
which have been very enjoyable. In my spare time I keep a small herd of Beef
Shorthorn suckler cows.
Edna Sharman - Inez. KAOS was introduced into my life in 1991, the production that
year was Ruddigore, I must have enjoyed it because I’m still here 19 years later. I
have participated in most shows and concerts over the years in a variety of venues
from village halls to the Theatre-by-the-Lake, each show and concert bringing its own
challenges and successes. I have enjoyed roles in The White Horse Inn, The Merry
Widow, Gondoliers, South Pacific, Me and my Girl, The Mikado, My Fair Lady and I
am looking forward to this year’s production of The Gondoliers. Edna is the current Chairman of the
Society.
And introducing:
Harry Binns - Page to the Duke of Plaza-Toro. This is Harry’s first year as a member of
KAOS and he is having a great deal of enjoyment getting to know everyone in the
company. Harry got the taste for acting after playing Tiny Tim at the Theatre by the Lake
in their production of A Christmas Carol in 2009/10. He attends a local drama club and is
very interested in music. Looking forward to spending more time with KAOS.
Tuesday 4th May to Saturday 8th May 2010