6th - 10th November 2018 Evenings 7.30pm Saturday/Wednesday matinees 2.00pm St Albans Musical Theatre Company would like to welcome you to this performance of Fantasmagorical!!Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which is probably the most ambitious and technically demanding show the company has produced. There is an adage in the theatre that you never work with children and animals, well this time we’ve added a flying car as well! We are delighted to welcome back Julia Rufey as Director, who directed our very successful production of ‘Annie’ in 2014. Peter Allanson joins us for the first time as our Musical Director and the directorial team is completed by our talented Andrea Campusano, who as choreographer has certainly put the cast through their paces. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a fantastic musical adventure with an out- of-this-world magical car crossing lands and seas and has been a ‘Truly audio Scrumptious’ show to work on with our very talented cast of children Sound & Lighting for Theatre, Music & Corporate Events and adults. So, get ready to fly away for some amazing stage spectacle and unforgettable songs as we welcome Chitty to the Alban Arena. Seventh Wave Audio is pleased to supply Joyce Smith the sound and lighting for St Albans Chairman Musical Theatre Company's production The flying Chitty car holds the Guinness World Record of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” Didas the mostyou expensive know...? stage prop costing £750,000. In the movie, the musical number ‘Toot Sweets’ took three weeks to film and involved RECENT WORK INCLUDES: 38 dancers, 40 singers, 85 musicians and 100 dogs. The famous Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song was used as a wake up call for Commander • The Kite Runner – UK tour Pamela Ann Melroy and the Space Shuttle Discovery crew on November 7, 2007. • West Side Story Carrie Hope Fletcher played Jemima Potts when the show opened at the Palladium • The Wizard of Oz – UK Tour in 2002, and then Truly Scrumptious on the 2015 UK Tour. • Blood Brothers – London The original book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was written by the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming. It is the only children’s book he ever wrote. • Jesus Christ Superstar Richard O’Brian, Martin Kemp, Wayne Sleep, Paul O’Grady and H from Steps have • Lee Mead all played The Childcatcher. • Jimmy Carr The part of Truly Scrumptious in the film was originally offered to Julie Andrews which would have reunited her with Dick Van Dyke after their success in Mary Poppins. • Derren Brown For everyone’s enjoyment 01305 753848 / 07545 088186 We want you to enjoy the performance to the full so, as a courtesy to both www.seventhwaveaudio.com audience and cast, please switch off all mobile phones and electronic devices. Video or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. facebook.com/seventhwaveaudio Please note: This performance includesthe use of haze, smoke gunshots, Including lighting and sound effects. Thank you for your co-operation. mobile phones Julia Rufey trained at the Guildhall Director School of Music and Drama and went Juliaon to work inRufey TV, Rep, on tour – and in the West End. Performing credits Andrea Campusano – include: Hermia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Lucy, the Rivals; Sonya, ChoreographerCredits: Little Shop of Horrors (Vivo D’Arte and ATG partnership Uncle Vanya; Maureen, Madam Blavatski Lives; Sheila, A Chorus Line; production at The Milton Keynes Theatre), Rent (Immersive Sally, Follies; The Baker’s Wife, Into The Woods; Woman 1, Putting it production at Frogmore Paper Mill) – 5* reviewed Professional Together; Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes; Lily Vanessi, Kiss Me Kate; and Production, Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Alban Arena) – Henrietta, Robert and Elizabeth. Julia has also toured extensively with the female comedy sketch Assistant Director Carrie, The Musical (Frogmore Paper Mill), Oliver! (Sandpit group Mutton and has appeared in various comedy radio programmes. Theatre), West Side Story (Curzon Centre), Parade (Immersive production at Frogmore Paper Mill) – 5* reviewed Professional Production), Oliver! (Vivo D’Arte and ATG partnership production at Directing credits include: The Norman Conquests Trilogy, Hayfever, Blithe Spirit, Henry V, Macbeth, The Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury), West Side Story (Frogmore Paper Mill), Made In Dagenham Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, King and I, Sound of Music, Crazy for You, Anything Goes, (Curzon Centre), Oklahoma! (Sandpit Theatre), Rent (Immersive production at Frogmore Paper Broadway Pirates, The Mikado, Iolanthe, Annie and Tell Me On A Sunday. Julia also directed the Mill), The Wiz (Watford Palace Theatre) – additional choreography, Our House (Rudolf Steiner World Premier of Fast Food the Musical and the UK Premier of Cole Porter’s lost musical Jubilee in Theatre), Seussical The Musical (Sandpit Theatre), Oliver! (Watford Palace Theatre), Hairspray London. (Rudolf Steiner Theatre), Guys And Dolls (Court Theatre) – additional choreography, Annie (Sandpit Theatre), Noah The Musical (Rudolf Steiner Theatre,) Joseph (Court Theatre), Hairspray (Sandpit Theatre), Beauty and The Beast (Court Theatre), West Side Story (Court Theatre), Once On The Island (Sandpit Theatre), Annie (Court Theatre), Disco Inferno (Court Theatre), Seussical The Musical (The Elgiva), Spring Awakening (Sandpit Theatre), Seussical The Musical (Abbey Peter Allanson comes from Bolton. He studied singing with Nicholas Musical Director Theatre), Songs for A New World (St Stephens Church, St Albans), Bugsy Malone (Abbey Theatre), Powell,Peter John CarolAllanson Case and Erich Vietheer – and appeared in Little Shop Of Horrors (Sandpit Theatre), The Wiz (The Elgiva), Just So (Abbey Theatre), masterclasses with Peter Pears and Gerhardt Husch and on the South Oklahoma! (The Elgiva), Pippin (Abbey Theatre), Godspell (Beck Theatre) Bank with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. He sang in opera and oratorio and gave recitals including performances of Schubert with a piano made in Andrea has loved being back with SAMTC working on this very special production. 1796. He sang professionally in opera, oratorio and recital, recording She wishes the cast and crew every flying success. They truly deserve it! for Symposium records including a private recording of Winterreise in English. Subsequently he has sung with a number of local operatic and music theatre groups but is now better known as a musical director in which capacity he has conducted performances of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, musicals by Sondheim, including an award winning production of Follies, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter and Lionel Bart. He is delighted to be working on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He runs Chambermade Opera which exists to help charities to raise funds. Over the years they have helped to raise over £50,000. By day, Peter is Trust Secretary at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and lives in Chorleywood. Gareth Edwards – Nate Finestone – CaractacusA proud northerner, PottsGareth is originally from Derbyshire and JeremyNate is 12 years (Lollipop old and lives in Bushey, Cast) Hertfordshire with his family. trained professionally in music and drama in Manchester, before He trains at The Academy Watford, run by West End performer moving ‘down south’ to become a teacher. He was last seen with Sara Bispham. Nate’s TV appearances include Carter’s Get Rich, SAMTC as Patsy in their award-winning production of Spamalot. Endeavour and The Good Karma Hospital. He played Young He has been lucky to perform some of his favourite parts with Cosmo Brown in Singin’ In The Rain, alongside Gareth Edwards many local companies, and counts his favourite roles to date as (Caratacus Potts). Nate’s hobbies include football and basketball Seymour, Little shop of Horrors, George, The Wedding Singer, Evelyn, Anything Goes, and he is a massive fan of Watford FC. Malcolm, Full Monty, Jesus, Godspell, Cat in the Hat, Seussical and Cosmo, Singing in the Rain. He has had a great time rehearsing this fantasmagorical show and hopes you enjoy the show. Gareth dedicates his performance to his dad. Elise is delighted Betts to be returning – Truly to the Alban Scrumptious Arena stage as Truly Maddie Evans – Scrumptious. She last performed with SAMTC as Tracy Turnblad in Maddie is Jemima12 years old and (Gingerbread lives in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire. Cast) Hairspray. Maddie attends a full time Performing Arts School and trains with Most recently, she played Mother and The Witch in Hansel and Stagebox Elite and West End MT. Maddie is also part of DMA Arts Gretel (Image Musical Theatre Tour). She made her professional for Elite Acting. Her Musical Theatre appearances include A Little debut as Mrs Phagan in a promenade revival of Parade performed in Princess, Wind in the Willows, Oliver!, and High School Musical. She the world’s oldest working papermill. Previous shows also include Rosalia in West Side has appeared in EastEnders and recently finished shooting a feature film. Maddie also has Story, Dancer in You Me Bum Bum Train, Kate Monster in Avenue Q and Rizzo in Grease. She has experience in animation and voice over. Maddie’s hobbies, aside from all things singing, also recently performed in three sold out performances of What Would Julie Do? a musical theatre dancing and acting, include horse riding, swimming, cooking, walking her dog and chilling cabaret show at The Pheasantry Pizza Express. with her friends. Elise is a member of two vocal trios The Polka Dots (1940s trio) and The Estrellas (1960s trio) and performs with them across the country. However, the best part Elise has got this year is becoming Mrs Betts, Michael’s wife! Ben Pulford – Darcey Jones - JeremyBen loves being (Gingerbread on stage with SAMTC, where Cast) his first role was in JemimaDarcey is in year (Lollipop 6. She has been a chorister Cast) at St Albans Cathedral Oliver! in 2014, and, more recently, as Benji in Priscilla Queen of the since 2016 and has sung at services and in concerts at a variety of Desert in April this year where he won the NODA award for best venues with the choir.