Inner - WLOS

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Madeleine Middleton
Set/Prop/Giant Spider Builder: Al Clogston
Production Manager: Al Clogston
Props: Marilyn McPherson, Georgina
Christmas, Keren Pullinger
Music Director: David Harvey
Graphic Design: Alison King at www.dreamfly.
co.uk
with help from Holly Stout
Choreographer: Mithu Lucraft
Stage Management Team: Sarah Wood, Andy
Robson, Jo Epps
Stage Crew: George Martin, Laura Staplehurst,
Polly Padley, Lottie Millar, George Moore,
Richard Pike, Adrian Kidwell, Stu Epps, Robin
Seabrook
Costume Mistresses: Janet Huckle, Frances
Thomas, Sue Clark
Toy Soldier costumes: Mickey Wolff
Spider and Bear costume: Al Clogston
Box Office: John Huckle, Susan Mills
Front of House: Geoff Greensmith
(coordinator), Susan Mills, Eve Manghani,
Marion Hayter, Ann Delaney, Des Muller, Gill
Rossiter, Hamish and Dominique Norbrook,
Elspeth Greensmith, Peter de Winton, Doreen
Offredi, Susan Sworn, Jenny Bardwell
Chaperones: Marion Stewart (who has
also chaperoned the children throughout
rehearsals), Kristen Callaway, Helen von
Preyss, Yolanda Sanchez
Lighting Designers: Paul Flook, David Godwin
Sound Engineer: David Godwin
WLOS Committee
Assistant Sound Engineer: Laura Hutchinson
Chairman - Dianne Norton
Set Designed & painted by: Rebecca Channon
Deputy Chairman - Linda Pullinger
Treasurer - Paul Sadler
Music by Victor Herbert
Secretary - Spencer Mitchell
Orchestral arrangements by Paul Sadler
Business Manager - Hazel Channon
Lyrics by Glen MacDonaugh
This script has been adapted specifically
for the Wimbledon Light Opera Society.
All adaptations and additions to the
original script are the intellectual property
of Al Clogston and may not be performed
without his written permission.
WLOS is affiliated
to the National
Operatic and Dramatic
Association (NODA)
which was founded
in 1899 and has a
membership of 2,500
amateur theatre groups
and 3,000 individual
enthusiasts throughout the UK.
Headquarters: NODA House, 58-60
Lincoln Road, Peterborough PE1 2RZ.
0870 770 2480 Email: everyone@noda.
org.uk www.noda.org.uk
Social Secretary - Greg Shaw
Publicity Officer - vacant
Committee Members: Al Clogston, Margaret
Etches, Seumas Grey
For Sutton Theatres
Victoria Nunn
Theatre & Arts Service Manager
Elina Harlas
Theatre & Arts Service Support Officer
Kate Puleston Marketing & Business Development Manager
Lyn Robinson Venues Administrator and Box Office Manager
Jason Brown Box Office Supervisor
Shirley Rees Theatre & Front of House Operations Officer
Graham Weymouth Technical Manager
Stuart Caswell
Technical Operations Assistant
Alex Hesquar
Technical Operations Assistant
Joseph Wheable
Technical Operations Assistant
Julie Sarbutt
Café Bar
With special thanks to the Box Office Staff, Front of House
Staff and volunteers.
LIFE MEMBERS
Peter and Carol Bagwell~Neil
Catton~Anne Crockford ~Margaret
Etches ~ Peter Evans ~ Barbara Fleming
~John and Janet Huckle~Marilyn
MacPherson~Jill Nuthall~Vena
Reed~Marion Stewart~Penny Stone
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Victor and Mildred Badgery~Sadie
Beesley~Christopher Boa~Eileen
Bowden~Jean Branscombe~Karen
Burman~Jane Catton~Vera Catton~Sue
Clark~Harry Cowd~Amanda Cowking~Noel
Crockford~Peter and Roubina de
Winton~Michael Denton~Regina GriesshaberDenton~Janet Donin~Denzil Edwards~Don
Elson~Alun Evans~Sue Fairman~George
and Jean Ferrier~Roy Foulsham~Tony
Geater~Martin Gibbs and Elizabeth Al
Qadhi~James Grayston~Elspeth and Sarah
Greensmith~Eleanor Hall ~Patrick and
Ann Harty~Joan Henley~Michael and Ruth
Howard~Nigel and Myra Keen~Brian and
D’reen Legg~Oscar and Margaret Lewisohn
~Anita Lewisohn~Ray Little~Jamie
Lonsdale~Eve Manghani~Kelly Mannah~John
and Fiona Mays~Malcolm and Leonore
Mendoza~Roger Newman~Ben Norman~John
Norton~Doreen Offredi~Mary O’Keeffe~Eddie
and Nora Page~David Putnam and Sheila
Nettleton~Lawrie Reed~Diane Reeve~Ken
Royce~Keturah Sadler~Richard Sheaf~Peter
Stevens and Christine Douse~Geoffrey and
Nancy Stevenson~Linda Sutch~Margaret
Sweeney~Barbara Taylor~Frances
Thomas~John Thompson~Gordon
and Sue Thorburn~Mary Tighe~Cathy
Vandersteen~Jane Walker~Patricia
Williams~Colin and Jacqui Worley
Associate Members are friends of WLOS
who support the society with a donation of
a minimum of £10 a year. In return they
receive a copy of our newsletter, Spotlight
and are entertained at our annual Associates
Evening Concert & Supper. We would be
delighted to have many more Associates and
greatly appreciate this form of support. If you
would like to become an Associate Member
please send your cheque made out to WLOS
to Marion Stewart, 11 Rosebery Avenue, New
Malden KT3 4JR. For more information about
WLOS please visit our wonderful website at:
www.wlos.org.uk
80
Chairman’s Message
years since WLOS was formed and we are
all very excited about Babes in Toyland – which,
as a good old fashioned operetta, takes us back to
our roots but adds a quirky script to give it a new
twist. Rehearsals have been greatly enhanced by
the enthusiastic participation of ten delightful and
very talented children. Babes is unlike anything we
have ever done before and we have Al Clogston’s
determination to thank for that. As a huge festive
seasonal favourite for over 100 years in the USA we
are honoured to be introducing it for the first time
(as far as we know) to the UK stage.
And as if there wasn’t enough to do getting
Babes on stage we are already well advanced for
our production of My Fair Lady at Wimbledon
Theatre in June 2010. This is also part of our
80th Anniversary celebrations as WLOS’s first
ever performance (Gondoliers) took place in 1930.
With a budget several times bigger than usual we
will be looking for wholehearted and generous
support from all our many admirers and have
every confidence that the show will be a winner.
We already know that there is lot of interest in
the show from performers past and present and
others who have heard about it on the grapevine or,
probably, from our website, so we anticipate a very
large and top-notch cast.
Anticipating that we may need to top up our
coffers after our trip to New Wimbledon Theatre
we are planning one of our acclaimed and utterly
enjoyable ‘fish and chip revues’ for November
2010. We are particularly thrilled that Marilyn
McPherson, director, choreographer and more
latterly WLOS props person, is coming out of
‘retirement’ to devise and direct another in a series
of successful shows. This one – still without a
name (suggestions on a post card, please) is based
on a trio of amusing and endearing ‘Dad’s Army’
sketches and will give us an opportunity to perform
many wonderful and enduring classics from the
40s.
So here’s to our
glorious past, our
dynamic present and
our exciting future . . .
and all the enthusiastic
performers and
devoted supporters
that make it possible.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Act 1
Act 2
Prologue
Lemonade
Orchestra
Chorus
Never Mind, Bo Peep Chorus, Bo Peep, Hilda, Jack Jane
Floretta
& Jill, Sallie, Boy Blue
Tom & female chorus
Alan & female chorus
He Won’t be Happy Roderigo & Gonzorgo
Jane & children
Go to Sleep
Jane, Alan, Fairy Queen & The Spider’s Den
Orchestra
Hand in Hand
Just a Toy
Jill, chorus of dolls & toys
Toyland
Master Toymaker & chorus
Just a Whisper Away (reprise) Mary & Alan
Melodrama
Orchestra
March of the Toys
Orchestra
Hail to Toyland
I Can’t Do the Sum
Chorus
Our Castle in Spain Jane & Tom
Just a Whisper Away Mary & Alan
Melodrama
Hail to Toyland
Toyland
Orchestra
Company
Company
(offstage) chorus
Jane and Alan
CAST LIST
Uncle Barnaby - Al Clogston
Gonzorgo - Robin Clifford
His wards:
Roderigo - Paul Sadler
Jane - Friesia Schuil
Master Toymaker - Michael Howard
Alan - Jaco Norval
Widow Piper - Linda Pullinger
His assistant, Grumio - Greg Shaw
Fairy Queen - Margaret Etches
Her children:
Hilda - Rebecca Channon
Contrary Mary - Alison King
Judge - Spencer Mitchell
Tom Tom - Jason Thomas
Sallie Walters - Molly Maple
Jack - Ali Ghiassi and . . .
Giant Spider - Anna-Jane Niznikowska
Jill - Emma Pearson
Bear - Caroline Hanson
Little Bo Peep - Naomi Fieldus
Bobby Shaftoe - Jamie Firth
Little Miss Muffet - Louisa Clogston
Boy Blue - Theodore von Preyss
Toy Soldiers: Estelle Allen, Caspian Clifford,
Louisa Clogston, Jamie Firth, Isabella Gates,
Zoe Grainger, Molly Maple, Anna von Preyss,
Theodore von Preyss, Tyger Wall
Little Red Riding Hood - Estelle Allen
Curly Locks - Zoe Grainger
Simple Simon - Caspian Clifford
Tommy Tucker - Anna von Preyss
Peter, Peter - Isabella Gates
Jack Spratt - Tyger Wall
Inspector Marmaduke - Robert Owen
Dancers: Esther Arlidge-Lyon, Hazel Channon,
Catherine Croft, Anna-Jane Niznikowska
Town and countryfolk/toys/dolls: Esther
Arlidge-Lyon, Hazel Channon, Catherine
Croft, Margaret Etches, Shamira Fernando,
Caroline Hanson, Spencer Mitchell, Anna-Jane
Niznikowska, Dianne Norton, Greg Shaw, Penny
Stone
Once upon a time . . .
. . . there were two families both bullied by
the nasty Uncle Barnaby. The first was Uncle
Barnaby’s own family which consisted of his
niece Jane and nephew Alan who were his
wards. Barnaby is your typical panto villain
– a rich, miserly, universally hated landlord
who has just thrown Old Mother Hubbard out
of her home for failing to pay her rent. Jane
and Alan are due a big inheritance which
Barnaby is holding for them until they come of
age. Barnaby, of course, wants the money for
himself and will stoop to any means to keep it.
The other family is the poor Piper family,
which consists of the Widow Piper and her
14 children. They are also about to lose their
house to Barnaby as they too are unable to
pay their rent. One of the Piper daughters,
Contrary Mary, has caught the eye and piqued
the interest of Barnaby,
who wants her to be his
wife. Mary, however,
has pledged herself to
Barnaby’s nephew,
Alan. Mary’s brother,
Tom (the piper’s son)
is coincidentally in
love with Barnaby’s
niece Jane, who
loves him in return. (Are you still with me?)
Barnaby figures that the best way for him to
keep both the inheritance and Contrary Mary
for himself is to get rid of Jane and Alan, so
he hires two not-too-bright thugs, Gonzorgo
and Roderigo, to do the job. The two thugs
take Jane and Alan out to sea into a raging
storm and scuttle the ship before making
their escape in a life-boat. Unfortunately for
them, Jane and Alan cling onto a large piece
of flotsam and are washed up onto the shore
alive. Gonzorgo and Roderigo are unaware of
the pair’s survival, so they return to town and
inform Barnaby that Jane and Alan are both
dead. No-one in town except Barnaby and the
thugs actually believes that Jane and Alan are
dead. Tom thinks that if Jane and Alan were
in trouble they would seek the help of their
poor departed father’s good friend, the Master
Toymaker in Toyland, so he sets off to find
them.
Meanwhile Alan
and Jane return
home disguised
as gypsies.
After hearing
of Barnaby’s
treachery they
reveal themselves
to him and demand their inheritance.
Barnaby says they can have it, but it’s in his
new house which is beyond the Spider Forest.
He hires Gonzorgo and Roderigo once again to
guide the overly trusting and somewhat naïve
pair through the Spider Forest. The thugs real
instructions are to strand the two in the forest
where they would certainly be killed by the
wild beasts.
While stranded in the forest, Jane and Alan
rescue a moth that is trapped in the spider’s
web. Unbeknownst to them, the moth is in
reality the Fairy Queen, who takes it upon
herself to protect them. When Jane and Alan
fall asleep in the forest a giant spider creeps
up and begins to wrap them in his web. Seeing
this, the Fairy Queen sends a bear to fight her
arch enemy the spider. The bear defeats the
spider and the young couple escape from the
woods to Toyland.
Meanwhile, Barnaby has proposed to
Contrary Mary, who in no uncertain terms
turns him down! To escape from his clutches
she too runs away to Toyland. Barnaby and
the Widow Piper travel to Toyland to find
Mary. The widow wants Contrary Mary to
marry Barnaby as he has promised not to kick
her and her many children out of their house
if the wedding comes to pass. As this is getting
rather long I will shorten the ending a bit.
Suffice it to say that they all end up in Toyland
where after many twists and turns there is a
great battle between Barnaby suppported by a
bunch of evil, possessed toys, against the four
youngsters and citizens of Toyland backed up
by a troop of life sized toy soldiers. Barnaby
poisons himself rather than suffer defeat . . .
and dies a horrible death! Everyone who is
supposed to get married does, and they all live
happily ever after in classic operetta fashion.
Al Clogston
Alison King
Jason Thomas
Friesia Schuil
Jaco Norval
Mary (Mary Quite Contrary)
Tom (Tom the piper’s son)
Jane
Alan
Alison has been treading the
boards with WLOS for three
years and counting. Roles with
the society include Polly (Jack
the Ripper), Hattie (Kiss Me,
Kate) and Margie (Follies), and
she’s been a featured dancer
in Follies, Kiss Me, Kate and
Anything Goes. Other roles
include Leila (Iolanthe) and
Minnie Fay (Hello, Dolly!) with
other societies.
Wandering in from the glamorous
world of international tax
planning, Jason Thomas is laying
down his calculator and pulling on
his tights for a first appearance
on stage in over two decades.
Having last performed in village
pantomime as a teenager, Jason
is still recovering from the shock
of being asked to play one (Tom,
the Piper’s son) in this production.
Tom, the eldest of fourteen Piper
children, might well have to show
a certain brotherly maturity visa-vis his younger siblings, but
Jason is still counting on some
pretty subtle stage lighting and
an imaginative audience here at
the Secombe.
This is Friesia’s third production
with WLOS after Die Fledermaus
(Rosalinda) and Kiss Me Kate
(dancer).
Originally
from
America, Friesia has performed
in
various
professional
productions
throughout
the
US and Asia. Favourite credits
include Gondoliers (Casilda),
Anything Goes (Virtue), Crazy
for You (Tess), West Side Story
(Maria), the title role in Princess
Ida, A Funny Thing Happened on
the way to the Forum (Philia),
Desert Song (Margot), the Asian
tour of The Sound of Music (Elsa),
and the London Philharmonic
Choir. Arriving in London three
years ago Friesia works with SEN
students at a boys' school.
Jaco Norval worked in the South
African entertainment industry
from 1998. Favourite projects
include Evita (Che), FNB Vita
nomination, Jesu, an African
Portrait (Gabriel), Honk! (Cat),
Grease (Doody), Our Town, Best
of the Boys, Elvis-One Night,
Joseph and Into the Woods.
Favourite tours include the
international tour of Jesus Christ
Superstar to Greece and Korea.
Jaco has made appearances in
the South African soap opera
Isidingo, and has worked as
director and producer on various
productions, including Library
for Artscape, Come Fly with Me
for the On Broadway theatre
and By George! The Glory of
Gershwin. Kiss Me, Kate, was
Jaco’s first production for WLOS,
and Babes is the second, more
flamboyant one!
Margaret Etches
Emma Pearson
Naomi Fieldus
Robert Owen
Fairy Queen
Jill
(not so)
Inspector Marmaduke
Previous to joining WLOS
Margaret had sung in church
choirs and choral societies and
was a member of the Variety
Artists Association in Yorkshire.
She first joined WLOS in 1978
for Die Fledermaus and WLOS’s
2008 Die Fledermaus was her
third. She has sung various
solos in revues, Music Halls and
Associate Members’ Evenings
but her performance as Heidi
in Follies (2008) was a very high
point in a long career. Margaret
feels fortunate and proud to
have performed with WLOS for
so many years and to have had
years of fun and laughter with
the society.
This is Emma’s second show with
WLOS and she is very excited to
have a small solo part in this
production of Babes in Toyland.
She has always been interested
in music and has played various
different instruments throughout
her life including piano, violin
and the tuba. She trained as
an Occupational Therapist at
Oxford Brookes University and
during her time there Emma
sang in a band at various venues
in and around Oxford.
Little Bo Peep)
Robert first performed with
Todmorden Children’s Theatre in
roles such as Toto the Dog, and
Tiny Tim. After seeing his Little
Willie in East Lynne there wasn’t
a dry eye in the house!
When Alison isn’t singing and
dancing on stage, she designs
posters and flyers for WLOS and
is looking forward to seeing her
designs at the New Wimbledon
Theatre for My Fair Lady next
year. See her work at www.
dreamfly.co.uk.
Babes is Naomi's second show
with WLOS, following her debut
in an ensemble role in this year's
production of Kiss Me, Kate.
Her height of 5 ft 11 inches (in
socks) made her the obvious
choice here for the role of Little
Bo Peep.
She is a lifelong devotee
of musical theatre and, in
particular, would challenge
anyone who may claim to have
seen Les Mis more times than
her...!
A student production led to the
Sunday Times Drama Festival
final, the Oval House, tours with
Jam Jar Children’s Theatre,
and the role of Dame Lynda
Blackboard at the Donmar.
Ensemble singing in Paradise
Now and Then followed,
and active membership of the
Paradise Choir, and Wimbledon
Choral Society. This is Robert’s 2nd show with
WLOS after Kiss Me, Kate.
Al Clogston
Linda Pullinger
Uncle Barnaby
Widow Piper
Al first joined WLOS in 2002
when he performed the role of
Joey Biltmore in Guys and Dolls.
Since then he has appeared as
Pish Tush in The Mikado, Lord
Tolloller in Iolanthe, Horace
Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!
Major General Stanley in The
Pirates of Penzance, Eli Whitney
in Anything Goes, the Chairman
in Jack the Ripper, Dimitri
Weissman in Follies, Frosch in Die
Fledermaus and Harrison Howell
in Kiss Me,ww Kate. In addition,
Al has written and musically
directed two revues for WLOS,
Across the Pond, Rock to Rock
and Mouse in the House, and
organised and played piano for
the Torch Song Cabaret. A native
New Yorker, Al is presently living
in Wimbledon, playing ‘cocktail’
piano and teaching jazz piano
from home. He is pleased to
have his daughter Louisa in the
cast. This is their first show
together.
Linda joined WLOS in 1999 for
Crazy For You. Since then she
has enjoyed appearing in various
chorus and principal roles
including Iolanthe (Iolanthe),
Pitti-Sing (The Mikado), Lizzie
Stride/Queen Victoria (Jack The
Ripper), her most favourite Mrs
Molloy (Hello, Dolly!) and, most
recently, Sally Durant (Follies).
Linda’s love of the stage started
at a very early age and she has
trod the boards consistently
since her school years. She
finds it brings a very welcome
distraction from her rather
demanding real-life role of
Community Midwife.
She is delighted to be playing
The Widow Piper in Babes...
though finds she doesn’t quite
have the patience required for
14, yes 14, children!
Paul Sadler
Robin Clifford
Roderigo
Gonzorgo
As well as performing numerous
principal roles with WLOS for
over more than two decades,
– including Dr Blind (Die
Fledermaus), Rudolph (Hello
Dolly!) Sergeants of Police in
Jack the Ripper and The Pirates
of Penzance - the latter being one
of many G & S characters he’s
performed – Paul has also made
countless vocal arrangements,
some of which have been heard
in WLOS revues and Associate
Evening Concerts which he has
compiled and directed for the
last few years. Having retired
from the computer industry
eight years ago, Paul now plays
the piano for various types of
shows and singing courses and is
also a church organist.
Robin joined the WLOS chorus
as a sailor in HMS Pinafore and
with a lot of help from other
members went on to play Lockit
in The Beggar’s Opera, Moonface
Martin in Anything Goes (1994)
and Mercury in Orpheus. Robin
directed the WLOS productions
of Carousel, Me and My Girl
and Crazy for You. In Anything
Goes (2007) he played half
of a double act of miscreants
with John Huckle, with whom
he teamed up again as Dimitri
in Kiss Me, Kate. With his new
partner in crime, Paul Sadler,
he hones his thuggish skills as
hapless abductor of ‘Babes’.
(see also Orchestral Arranger page 8)
(See also Production Manager page 8)
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Caroline
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The Bea
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Rebecca Channon
Michael Howard
Hilda
The Master Toymaker
Rebecca has been a member
of WLOS since 2004, when
she played a silver-wigged fairy
in Iolanthe. Since that time
she has featured as a dancer in
many WLOS shows, and is quite
devastated to have missed out
on the chance of playing a TapDancing Sheep in this one! Through the 1990’s, Michael
performed with many of the
leading amateur musical societies
in SW London and also with the
Red Krystals, a successful trio of
musical entertainers. Michael’s
favourite roles include Snoopy,
The Pirate King, Jack Point
(Yeomen of the Guard) and
Lord Evelyn (Anything Goes).
In recent years Michael has
moved away from singing to
concentrate on developing his
career as a Dance Teacher and
now teaches National Dance to
degree level in several dance
schools around London.
Previous vitally
important
featured roles with the society
include ‘Tooth-pulling Victim/
Mini-Death’ in Sweeney Todd, and
‘Buddy’s Blues Sally Showgirl’ in
Follies. She is very excited to be
taking on the role of Hilda and is
expecting her Oscar to arrive in
the post any day now.
(See also Set Designer - page 8)
PRODUCTION TEAM
Rebecca Channon
Set Designer
Rebecca Channon has designed two
shows for WLOS in the past: Jack
the Ripper and Follies, and has had
a great time working on the Babes
in Toyland design too. She works
as a professional set designer
for Theatre, TV and Film, and is
based in London. Her website is
www.beckychannon.com
David Harvey
Mithu Lucraft
Director
Music Director
Choreographer
Born in Bedford, Madeleine
Middleton studied for a degree in
Music and for a Masters degree in
Drama and Theatre Studies at the
University of Birmingham, which
culminated in a thesis exploring
directorial
approaches
to
Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.
David Harvey grew up near
Guildford in Surrey and moved to
London to study piano at the Royal
College of Music and later the
Royal Academy of Music. He is a
pianist for the Opera Department
at the RCM and has worked on
a variety of projects including
Carousel (Tour/West End), Shall
We Dance (Sadler’s Wells), The
Magic Flute (RCM), Christmas
Spectacular (Thursford), and
The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan
Festival, Buxton). David began
playing for WLOS in 2002 and is
delighted to be Musical Director
for this show.
Mithu trained in Ballet and Modern
for fourteen years, and has
performed in many productions
over the years, including largescale charity events at the Palace
Theatre, Manchester, Sadler’s
Wells, and the Royal Albert Hall.
Mithu has taught dance and drama
for more than twelve years and
has choreographed for several
variety performances, as well
as productions of Noyes Fludde,
Measure For Measure, Crazy for
You, Iolanthe, Kiss Me, Kate, and
West Side Story. Since moving
to London, Mithu has worked on
two productions with WLOS: most
recently choreographing and
performing in Die Fledermaus;
and appearing as Young Vanessa
in Follies.
Madeleine Middleton
Whilst
studying,
Madeleine
directed several productions for
the university’s annual Summer
Festival Opera including Mozart’s
Don Giovanni, Shostakovich’s
Moscow,
Cheryomushki
and
Handel’s Imeneo.
More recently, Madeleine directed
Strauss’s Die Fledermaus for WLOS
and a semi-staged production of
Così fan tutte for the Orchestra
of St. Paul’s at the Actors’ Church
in Covent Garden. Future projects
include directing Britten’s church
opera, Noye’s Fludde.
Madeleine currently works for
the music and theatre promoter,
Raymond
Gubbay,
producing
classical concerts, ballet and
opera in venues across the UK.
Paul Sadler
Orchestral Arranger
Paul provides invaluable service to
WLOS by slaving over his computer
(loaded with Sibelious software)
making orchestral reductions for
Carmen (2001) and Pirates of
Penzance (2006) and arranging
and orchestrating Beggar’s Opera
(1993), Die Fledermaus (2008) and
now Babes in Toyland.
ORCHESTRA
Violin - Joanna Lee
Cello - Holly Stout
Double Bass - Edward Babar
Flute - Rachel Kamm
Clarinet - Andy Harper
Al Clogston
Production Manager,
Inspiration, Script
Adaptor, Set Builder,
Props Creator, Giant
Spider Builder, Sorter-Out
of kids chaperones etc etc
etc . . .
Al’s involvement with productions
of Babes in the USA convinced him
that this was a show that British
‘AmDram’ companies & audiences
would love. So he’s thrown his
heart, soul, back (literally) and
myriad talents into getting this
WLOS production onto the stage.
Out of the mouths of Babes . . .
Estelle Allen (Little Red Riding Hood) - Wimbledon High School
acting with adults and made lots of new friends.
Caspian Clifford (Simple Simon) - London Oratory School
I've really enjoyed singing and
It’s cool working with the big people.
Louisa Clogston (Miss Muffet) - Wimbledon High School I have really enjoyed being in Babes in
Toyland and it’s got me to be more confident in working with older people.
Jamie Firth (Bobby Shaftoe) - Wimbledon High School I have seen some of the previous shows
and I am now really enjoying being part of it. It is interesting to see how the show develops from
the script to the stage.
Isabella Gates - (Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater) Wimbledon High School. I have loved making new
friends. I really enjoy singing all the songs and being part of such a professional production at
such a young age.
Zoe Grainger (Curly Locks) - Wimbledon High School I’ve really enjoyed Babes in Toyland
because it’s been fun to work with the grown-ups and I have made lots of new friends.
Molly Maple (Sallie Walters) - Teddington School It’s been great meeting new people and learning
about what is involved in a theatre production.
Anna von Preyss
(Tommy Tucker) - Wimbledon High School
because I love singing!
I have enjoyed being in Babes
Theodore von Preyss (Boy Blue) - Kings College Junior School
and just singing and acting because they’re lots of fun.
I’ve enjoyed going to rehearsals
And Madeleine (Director): responds: I have had a lot of fun working with the children in Babes
in Toyland. They have provided so much energy, enthusiasm and imagination to the rehearsal
process and to the production itself, and have really grown in confidence and character through
the rehearsal period. It has been great that people of all ages have worked so well together on
this production
Trumpet - Stuart Jenkins
Horn - Gillian Jenkins
Piano - Jenny Kent
And David (MD): The children are only a small group but their confidence has grown through the
rehearsals, so I’m sure their performances will be a wonderful contribution to this show. They
have also halved the average age of the society!
VICTOR HERBERT
February 1st, 2009, marked the 150th birthday of
the renowned composer, cellist and conductor Victor
Herbert. Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1859, Herbert
went to live with his grandparents in England at the
age of three and a half after the death of his father.
He received his early musical training in Stuttgart
where he became an outstanding cellist. He met and
married the Viennese soprano Therese Förster, and
travelled with her to New York when she was
hired by the Metropolitan Opera Company,
where he was also engaged as the principal
cellist.
Herbert has been called America’s first
superstar, largely due to the success of
his 43 operettas. Naughty Marietta,
Babes in Toyland, Mlle. Modiste
and The Red Mill are just four of
his better known operettas which
contributed to his popularity.
In 1976 WLOS performed Herbert’s Naughty
Marietta, which features the classic songs, Ah, Sweet
Mystery of Life at Last I’ve Found You, and Tramp,
Tramp, Tramp Along the Highway, at the Wimbledon
Theatre.
Babes in Toyland is a holiday classic in America,
but is not as well know here in England. ‘Babes’
was first performed in New York in 1903 in an
attempt to capitalise on the huge success enjoyed by
the musical extravaganza The Wizard of Oz which
opened earlier in the year, just as the current crop of
sword and sorcery movies out in the cinema today
are cashing in on the success of the Lord of the Rings
trilogy. Babes in Toyland was a spectacle in itself
with a cast of over 100, extravagant sets, effects
and costumes.
The Oxford Companion to the
American Musical cites Babes in
Toyland as an example of a perennial
favourite that ‘moves across genres from
stage, to film, to television’. If audiences
in this country have come across ‘Babes’
it is most likely to be the highly comical
film version starring Laurel and Hardy or the
Disney version featuring Ray Bolger as the
wicked Barnaby or even the television version
with Drew Barrymore.
We are delighted to have the opportunity of bringing
Herbert’s holiday classic to a new audience and
keeping the memory of this great composer alive.
How we got where we are today . . .
Starting in a drafty church hall (now demolished) WLOS originally came together in 1929 to
present Gilbert and Sullivan shows with a sprinkling of light operettas thrown in for variety.
With a break during the War (when members entertained the troops, ARP and in hospitals)
we carried on from 1946 to 1984 with exactly the same pre-war musical diet – which obviously
continued to draw good crowds.
From 1957 to 1967 every WLOS show was staged at Wimbledon Theatre. We were the first
and, to date, the last, amateur company to perform in this illustrious venue – so we do feel we
have played a big part in the 100 year history of the theatre.
It wasn’t until 1984 that WLOS took the plunge into American musicals – with Oklahoma!
– its first performance at the Secombe Theatre. Since then, we’ve performed eight shows at
Wimbledon Theatre but, sadly, times have changed and it has become prohibitively expensive
to mount a show at such a large venue and increasingly difficult to attract the crowds to an
amateur production (no matter how excellent) needed to cover the costs. However, we felt we
could not let the opportunity of our 80th Anniversary and the Theatre’s 100th, pass without
performing once more on the big stage, hopefully to a big audience.
So please – put 9 - 12 June 2010 in your diaries. We are going all out to put on a sensational
production. There will be a lot of very talented and enthusiastic people working very hard for
the next six months. They will deserve your support and you won’t want to miss our first ever
My Fair Lady.
80 years of WLOS
My ten years’ active membership of WLOS was
my best move socially while living in England.
The warm welcome, the real friendships, the
hard but rewarding work of the rehearsals,
the excitement in the dressing rooms, the thrill
of being on stage... unforgettable! Thanks and
best wishes for the future. Margaret Sweeney
Long live WLOS! Peter and Roubina de
Winton
Wishing you every success in your anniversary
year – and many great shows to come!
Christine and Peter Stevens
Congratulations to WLOS on its 80th
Anniversary. John and Lesley Bowcott
Congratulations to WLOS on their 80th
Anniversary. I have enjoyed being
involved with the Society since 1984 – it
is like being part of a family. WLOS have
always put on amazing productions of
the highest standard. That’s why they
are still going strong today. All good
wishes for the future and many more
wonderful shows. Eve Manghani
All the best for a great show. Ian and Tina
Taylor
All good wishes for the next 80 years.
Bridget and Alun Evans
Remembering Cindy Elson ~ whose
membership of WLOS gave her great
pleasure and enriched her life. Being an
Well done Wimbledon Light Opera Society for
Associate Member, enjoying the shows,
all the shows you have presented over the years and appreciating your sympathy and
and may there be many more to come. Enjoy
friendship, has been a great help to
yourselves and keep singing and dancing. With me since Cindy’s untimely death. With
many memories and best wishes for the future. congratulations on the society’s 80th
Anniversary. Vera Catton (Cindy’s Mum)
Sue Fairman and Chloe Miller
Thanks for so many excellent shows – Happy
80th! Geoffrey and Nancy Stevenson
Congratulations on 80 fantastic years! Now
for 100. Gordon and Sue Thorburn
WLOS productions of Die Fledermaus
1964
1978
2008
ROBERT HOLMES AD