Andrew Ahern Don, PC Boot, Electrode Lee Boggess Troppo, Cossack, Slave Emma Burford Don, Aunt Prue, Manicurist, Rowena, Charmian, Lady Sophie-Louise Dann Don, Lady Raeburn, Artist, Theatregoer, Lady, Marguerite Michelle Francis Jane Sam Harrison Timothy Picture to follow... Matthew Hawksworth Don, Tramp, Bishop, Cossack, American, Tom Smith, Pressman Graham Howes Don, Tim’s Father, Butterfly Catcher, Inspector, Augustine Williams, Ambrose Claire Machin Don, Tim’s Mother, Heloise, Nanny, Asphynxia, Lady, Anthea Spencer O’Brien Don, Fosdyke, Nigel Ellie Robertson Don, Assistant, Tennis Player, Shop girl, Fiona Richard Suart Don, Sir Clamsby Williams, Theatregoer, Manager, Pressman, Uncle Zed

Performance length: Act I 75 minutes, Interval 15 minutes, Act II 75 minutes. The Company Salad Days

Chroma Tête à Tête The Original Instrument: Salad Days Bill Bankes-Jones Artistic Director Hannah Conway Piano When I was a small boy, we had very few records at home, seldom played on Steve Gibson Percussion Nell Baugh Marketing Officer a stylish, if outmoded, small radiogram. Amongst them I remember just three Elena Hull Double Bass Anna Gregg Administrative Anthony Ingle Piano Director musicals, two LPs, of The King and I and My Fair Lady, and typically quirkily, a Fergal O’Mahony Piano long playing 7” record of Salad Days. No-one took much notice of these apart Jeremy at Jaded Publicity Design from me; I remember them as a source of great joy, playing them often, Hugo Glenndinning Publicity Photos learning all the tunes and words. I can also vividly remember dressing up with Production Toby Leeming Web Design Tim Murray Music Director my cousins and dancing around to the music, which is more or less what I now Bill Bankes-Jones Director SoundUk PR do for a living. And how if one of my parents was passing, their face would Lee Boggess Dance Captain reflect this happiness, but with a mysteriously nostalgic tinge. I’m sure they Mark Doubleday Lighting Matthew Hart Deputy Chair explained the story to me, but it’s only now, working on the piece, that I’ve Factory Settings Set Builders Philip Holt Member begun to understand the full implications of this. I also remember well being Elizabeth Fielding Deputy Stage David Leeming Chair Manager Jane Plumptre Director taken to see it for a friend’s birthday party at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, when Gigi Hammond Wigs & Makeup Kenneth Richardson Director I must have been about 10, and enjoying it thoroughly. And then a seed lay Caroline Hughes Costumes Andrew Rodgers Director dormant for a handful of decades and all kinds of adventures, until increasingly, Elspeth Threadgold Costume Maker Caroline Steane Company Secretary over the last few years, a core of us at the heart of Tête à Tête kept saying to Anthony Ingle Music Director each other how much we’d like to bring our treasured memories of Salad Days Tête à Tête Tim Meacock Designer back to life in a major production. But how? Olly Platt Assistant Director 32 Lilyville Road SW6 5DW [email protected] Sarah Playfair Consultant Then, in a seismic shock early this year, the opportunity presented itself. A www.tete-a-tete.org.uk Marius Rønning Technical Director major sponsor called me in for a meeting to tell me that he was no longer able Quinny Sacks Choreographer to meet his commitment to finance entirely our major autumn production of a Claire Shovelton Welcome Thanks Neil Swain Dialect Coach new opera, and that he would have to withdraw. My reaction was pure reflex, Ruth Walker Dresser We would like to extend our warmest that we stood no chance of replacing that funding at such a late stage, nor had Bob Watts Stage Manager thanks for their help on this production: we time to bring into being a replacement new opera, but that we should have Angels Costumiers, Carol Baugh, Bristol to do Salad Days. And here we very happily are. University Archives, Palace, Adey The Derek Butler Trust Grummet, Susan Hamilton from Garsington Instinct usually springs from sound reason, and the sound reasons here are Opera, Angus Boyd Heron, Mike Henry, many. Tête à Tête itself began with a joyous production of The Flying Fox, (Die LAMDA, Louise Mott, Tim Murray, Opera Fledermaus,) a robust treatment of an equally frivolous but meaningful work Holland Park, The Orange Tree Theatre, RADA, Slade Foundation, Peter Stapleton where the audience quite literally got drunk, danced and sang, and thereafter and all at Union Chapel, Damian Thantrey, trusted and supported us to deliver more adventures in new and innovative Anthony Whitworth-Jones, opera. At a time of crisis, it seemed absolutely right to refresh our wonderful Salad Days loyal public with a huge treat. Salad Days itself seems ripe for a faithful, loving revival. Without meaning to be unkind, the first revivals of Salad Days all appeared to try and capitalise on the show’s initial huge success by regurgitating it, becoming ever more decadent, while later productions felt the need to interfere with and update what we can maybe only now understand and stage as a period classic. Salad Days’ roots, meanwhile, seem to make it very pertinent now. It’s the story of a young couple coming together and trying to map out their own path in a post-traumatic world, a paean to the spirit of fun in opposition to an out of control and over-regulating establishment, a call for optimism to lead us from adversity into a bright future, and in the simplest terms, the story of a young man trying to find a job in a world messed up by his elders. And an opera company doing Salad Days? Well, why not? I’ve no doubt that if you drew a line through Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Verdi and Puccini it would lead, via the West and Broadway through West Side Story, Les Miserables, to Spring Awakening. I’ve also no doubt that, along the way, some things have been lost: the rigour applied to the original intentions of the authors, the delivery of the work as it was intended, a really high value placed on the musical side, and most particularly, a real understanding of the huge value of the human connection between performers and audience unmitigated by the artifice of amplification. So here we are, confronting the Original Instrument Salad Days. The texts we have to work from are fascinating. Dorothy Reynolds’ book is an absolutely magnificent technical accomplishment, meticulously planned and paced, more perfectly constructed than any other play or libretto I have ever come across. And much of the joy of the piece comes from the tension between that and the uninhibited anarchy of the music, where Julian Slade has supplied a string of wonderful, unforgettable tunes, preserved in about the most poorly edited score and parts I have ever seen. Exactly as scored, the piece is unperformable, full of crazy inconsistencies, like a French horn that plays only two notes in total, and a complex and unsuccessful vibraphone part that drops out after only a couple of numbers. Salad Days

Fortunately, we have a third source to work from, the heavily edited original cast recording. And we learn that the piece was clearly delivered by a small band of two pianos, bass and percussion, with a huge amount of live improvisation, including some virtuosic playing from Julian Slade himself. The whole thing is in fact far more like a baroque score with figured bass, a matrix for fabulous musicians to improvise from rather than a precise technical rendition to be delivered with accuracy. For that reason, our Music Director Tim Murray has very generously handed over the baton for this production to the marvellous Anthony Ingle who first connected with the company through this summer’s Festival, and, whose mixed roots in opera, musical theatre and above all improvisation are already leading to music-making in the rehearsal room like I have never heard before. For the performances Anthony has formed a team with two other MD/Pianists, both also veterans of our Festival, and drum and bass from our Associate Ensemble Chroma. We’ve had fun investigating the original instrument hardware, though in the end are defeated by budget in sourcing macabre things like animal skinned drum kits. Nevertheless, we’re confident that in pursuing this we’ll arrive at the nearest one could accomplish these days to the original sound, (including, even, a brief episode of amplification 1954-style.) Of course the key to this approach is the casting. Salad Days demands a singing style that is almost completely lost, somewhere between Gilbert & Sullivan and contemporary musical theatre. Our determination to let the performers make the direct connection with the audience that you can only achieve without amplification has meant we had to look very hard to find the voices capable of pulling this off. Together with the huge demands put on the acting and choreography – it is, after all, the story of a piano that makes you dance – this led to the most enormous and rigorous audition process, where we sifted a vast number of people to arrive at the wonderfully skilled and talented company we’ve the pleasure of working with now. Instinct again kicked in to be justified later, in that I was convinced that the Salad Days central characters, fresh from university, must be played by people of the correct age. This was vindicated very fast through the audition process as we saw how a few years in the West End seem to shrink most people’s vocal skills to a strong microphone technique and can occlude some very wonderful personalities with too much technical overlay. I’m really delighted that we’ve managed to assemble a cast of young performers who have it all 100%, some making their professional début. Meanwhile, there are still a handful of over 25’s whose natural talents and skills have kept their voices as strong as their acting and dancing and let their wonderful personalities shine through, who also took a lot of finding. But what a great company they all make together. The serious approach one applies to an original instrument performance can embrace more than the music. As you’ll see, we’re delivering the show in a truly tête à tête manner, fostering a connection between audience and performer way beyond just junking the amplification, and far closer than the original production could have been, but in all other respects as lovingly faithful as we can manage. Our stages and screens have been littered now for a long while with jubilant “retro” looks at the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, like Hairspray or Grease, while operas of any period are often staged in a stylised, even generalised 1950’s kind of a way. It is absolutely fascinating to take our characters entirely seriously as real people of their own time, to pursue a more authentic kind of 1954, and then to let the absurdity come from what happens to them in this potty, magical piece. Our wonderful designer Tim Meacock and his team have been great allies in the vast amount of research this involves, to do our very best with our meagre resources to capture the mood and look of Salad Days’ 1954. The passing of time and the coronation the previous year of the young, beautiful, charismatic Queen helped everyone move their gaze from the traumas of the recent past into a more cheerful-looking future. But they were still poor, rationing was still in place, new threats were looming like the burden of over-regulation that comes from underoccupied (and hypocritical) politicians, or the danger of paranoia based on lack of understanding that was the Cold War. Both these last Salad Days Salad Days two are delivered with the lightest of touch in Salad Days, but are also both to surprise and astonish me, and suggest a really surprising degree of truth in more pertinent now than ever. this wonderful, crazy, ostensibly ridiculous piece. Of course the piece is littered with references to things of the period like So here we are, hoping enormously that the spirit we’ve so enjoyed in making Reveille, or Bill & Ben, which root it in its own time. Rather deliciously, in this show reaches right through to you through our performances. Last word researching around the piece I found that one of the biggest Hollywood has to go, of course in a huge thank you to everyone who has joined us in this blockbusters of 1954 was the rather tawdry “The Egyptian,” which must have latest adventure for Tête à Tête, and in particular our visionary funders, The Paul made the theming of Cleopatra’s nightclub at the beginning of Act II Hamlyn Foundation and Arts Council England who have just given us huge screamingly funny at the time. The establishment no longer embraces English votes of confidence in the company’s future, the PRS Foundation, the Genesis folk dance in the way it did when our Inspector first put Boot through his paces. Foundation, the Derek Butler Trust, the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation and But then the modern-day Harrods is even more absurd than any 1954 the huge horde of beloved generous individuals who support our work. And Egyptianisation, while we have all encountered and been amused by Inspector- you, of course, for coming. I hope you all thoroughly enjoy the performance. style pseudery in all kinds of fields. Bill Bankes-Jones As with any real people, Salad Days’ 1954 characters grow out of their own 25th October 2009 past. This has emerged in a fascinatingly vivid way as our marvellous choreographer Quinny Sacks brings her vast knowledge and experience of movement of all periods to the piece, and we find that the music relentlessly draws the characters backwards towards the Charlestoning of the 20’s. Any dancing we normally imagine as 1950’s seems to lie in their future rather than their present. A real lesson in how to capture an era. My own biggest discoveries through the exhilarating process of rehearsing Salad Days have been very personal, brought a truth to the proceedings I could never have imagined, and rather explain the glint in my parent’s eyes when they found me listening to the record. Just like Timothy and Jane, my parents came together as undergraduates at post-war Oxford. My grandmother strongly disapproved of my mother pursuing her academic studies rather than an eligible husband, a disapproval which of course extended for a while to their betrothal. He, meanwhile was following a kind of due process through university which then continued with the involvement of a string of influential uncles (including the odd black sheep,) and definitely a certain amount of not knowing what to do. Though they never to my knowledge operated a piano that makes people dance or went off in a flying saucer, the real parallels continue Minnie - a Magic Inspiration Minnie - a Magic Inspiration

As Julian showed me around, I remember looking at it all rather solemnly, as you do when you’re a young person trying to make up your mind, and thinking this is what I am going to do when I grow up. It was to be the defining moment of my life. Within a few months I’d worked out that the job I wanted to do was called a producer. I thought, yes, I can do this. My uncle, Bill Button, who was a great theatre aficionado in America, kept sending the family the cast albums of the great musicals such as My Fair Lady and the Sound of Music long before you could buy them in this country. Bill the brother of my beloved grandmother who along with my aunt, my parents and I lived with straight after the war. My grandmother was a marvellous piano player and her name was Minnie – what else! Bill was a wonderful artist and he drew pictures of me as “Cameron Mackintosh: impresario” which I was only 10! My whole family were happily resigned to my theatrical ambitions. I kept in very close contact with Julian all through my school days and after. I used to get permission from the school or pretend that some relative was dying so that I could go off and attend first nights of Julian’s shows in Bristol and The first time I saw “Salad Days” I wasn’t quite eight and I was dragged by my Bath. I always remember my housemaster saying “I hear your grandmother is Photographer Desmond Tripp, image courtesy of the University of Bristol Theatre Collection. image courtesy of the University Bristol Tripp, Photographer Desmond aunt Jean to see what was my first musical. I thought it would be very cissy terminally ill…. again. What’s opening?” and I didn’t want to go but of course fell in love with it immediately, and promptly demanded that three weeks later, on my eighth birthday, we go and I have often wondered if any other show less magical than SALAD DAYS would see it again. And dressed in my wee kilt, I marched down the aisle to meet its have inspired me to produce musicals in the way that this one did. composer Julian Slade, who I had discovered by then was playing the piano in the pit. He was very nice and took me backstage and showed me around, “The music took me by surprise, showing me how the flying saucer worked, how the scenery came in and out, I hadn’t time to realise, how, indeed, Minnie the magic piano was a dummy piano – a very lovely one, What’s happening? while he played a real one in the pit. It had a special sound to it. He could press What’s happening? a pedal and it then made that “ting ting ting” sound that made everyone dance What’s happening to me?” in “Look At Me, I’m Dancing”. Thanks to Julian, Dorothy and of course Minnie, I have never looked back. Who knows what triggers a person’s imagination? I‘d been to the theatre before so my only other memory was of Frankie Howerd doing “Charley’s Aunt”, a pretty Sir Cameron Mackintosh camp way to start going to see shows. But I’d never seen a musical before and the idea of a magic piano making people sing and dance completely inspired me. Dorothy Reynolds & Julian Slade Biographies

Andrew Ahern Lee Boggess Andrew has recently finished Graduated Ballet Rambert his training at Phil Winstons School 1988. Soloist Ballet Theatre works in . Rambert Dance Company Salad Days marks Andrews 88-95. Original cast of debut! He would like to thank his Mum, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. Worked Dad & his friends for their continued with numerous esteemed choreographers support. Enjoy the show! and companies including , ENO, ARC Dance Company and Bill Bankes-Jones Jeremy James. Perform with the Royal After a Philosophy degree at Shakespeare Company for two seasons St Andrews, joined the ITV (Beauty and the Beast). The lead in the Regional Theatre Young production of Pinocchio with Royal Ballet. Director’s Scheme and has Most recently appeared in English since directed theatre and opera on all National Opera production of Punch & scales. He has directed all Tête à Tête’s Judy at the Young Vic. productions, and is Chair of the Opera and Music Theatre Forum, the UK’s Emma Burford Umbrella body for opera companies. Emma trained at Rose Dorothy Reynolds, Denis Carey and Julian Slade in 1954 Bruford College, having also Nell Baugh studied dance at Rochester Nell has an inherent interest School of Ballet. Her credits Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade first worked together in 1952 after Denis in the Arts. Many days at include Follies (SFA Auditorium, Texas, Carey, Artistic Director of the Bristol Old Vic, asked them to write a Christmas dress rehearsals watching USA), Sacrificial Viscera (Cock Tavern) show. Dorothy was a classical actress. Julian, a decade younger, had recently photo-shoots as a child with and A Chorus Line (Brook Theatre, written two popular musicals at Cambridge University. Their first musical was her mother and helping set ups and Chatham). She also is a backing singer Christmas in King St, followed in 1953 by The Merry Gentleman, and in 1954 strikes for Mecklenburgh Opera Co with for a London soul band Soul Inhabitant. by a ‘summer show’, which they called Salad Days. her father. It comes as no surprise to find herself working in the Arts, Marketing a The Bristol audiences loved them all, particularly their ‘summer show’, but second time for Tête à Tête Opera nobody ever dreamed that, when Salad Days transferred to the Vaudeville Company, the first being the Opera Theatre in London, it would run for six record-breaking years. Julian and Dorothy Festival 2009. wrote four other musicals staged in London - Free as Air, Hooray for Daisy (another Bristol Christmas show), Follow that Girl and Wildest Dreams. In 1963 Dorothy then decided to resume her serious acting career. Julian continued to write and compose successful shows, with or without new collaborators. For details of all these and other Julian Slade shows visit www.julianslade.com. Biographies Biographies

CHROMA Sophie Louise Dann Michelle Francis Anna Gregg Founded in 1997 by artistic Sophie’s extensive career Michelle trained at the Has worked with The director Stuart King, the has encompassed the worlds London Studio Centre, Farnham Maltings, Adonais critically acclaimed chamber of opera, musicals, theatre winning the Sheila O’Neill Ballet Company, Pimlico ensemble CHROMA is known and film. Most recently Award for Best Musical Opera, Grange Park Opera, for the passion it brings to contemporary Sophie starred in Forbidden Broadway! Theatre Performer. Theatre includes: The Covent Garden Festival, The Big works, its vivid renderings of classic (Chocolate Factory) and made her BBC Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre) Picture Company and Early Opera pieces and its diverse programme of Proms debut as Lady Saphir in Patience. directed by John Doyle, Francine in the Company. education work. It is associate ensemble Future engagements include a series of original London cast of Jersey Boys for Tête à Tête with whom more recent Christmas Concerts at (Prince Edward Theatre) directed by Des Maija Handover (sounduk) premieres include Julian Grant’s and 125th Anniversary production of the McAnuff, Libby Drake in Babes in Arms Sounduk is committed to Odysseus Unwound, the six opera shorts Mikado at (Chichester Festival Theatre), Jack and promoting the very best new Blind Date and Philip Cashian’s The the Beanstalk directed by Giles Havergal music through PR, live Cumnor Affair (libretto Iain Pears). Mark Doubleday CBE (Barbican Theatre), Polly in Treasure events, consultancy and Mark has designed the Girl directed by Rob Fisher (Cardiff artist representation. For more Hannah Conway lighting for all of Tête à Tête’s International Festival of Musical Theatre), information visit www.sounduk.net Hannah is sought as a productions except for one played Frenchy and understudied and composer and animateur to (when he was pre-booked played Sandy in the National Tour of Sam Harrison lead creative education for New City Opera!) Otherwise he Grease and Lois in the National Tour of Since graduating this year projects for orchestras and just works and works and works. What Kiss Me Kate, directed by Michael from the Royal Academy of opera houses in the UK and worldwide. else is new! Blakemore. Music, Sam has appeared in She has been guest artist with the Too Marvellous for Words Danish National and Swedish Royal Elizabeth Fielding Steve Gibson (Landor), sung with Elton John at the Operas, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Royal Graduated from the Technical Fifty words, fifty words, fifty Royal Albert Hall, and has just played Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Theatre & Stage words, fifty words, fifty Bobby in Crazy For You in this year’s Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Her Management course at RADA words, fifty words, fifty Showtime Challenge (London Palladium). music has been commissioned by the with Distinction specialising words, fifty words, fifty He is delighted to be treading the grass London Symphony Orchestra and in Stage Management. Professionally Liz words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, with Tête-à-Tête. Southbank Centre. has worked as ASM on Grease The fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Summer Schools Musical; BYO’s Il Signor words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, Bruschino & La Scala di Seta; The Lord fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Mayors Show 2008; Bakewell Youth words, fifty words, fifty words. Theatre, and Bakewell Arts Festival: SM/On Book for The Lemon Tree of Kensington by MEDAF, and This is a That by Peut-être Theatre Company Biographies Biographies

Matthew Hawksworth Caroline Hughes Anthony Ingle Tim Murray Training: Mountview Caroline has enjoyed Anthony has composed Fifty words, fifty words, fifty Academy of Theatre Arts (Sir working with Bill and Tim on music for six musicals and words, fifty words, fifty Scholarship) and Die Fledermaus (ETO) and thirty-seven plays, and words, fifty words, fifty National Youth Music Nitro The Revival (Royal directed music for seventy- words, fifty words, fifty Theatre. Theatre credits include: Sam in Opera House) for Tête à Tête Push, six others and much traditional and words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, Crazy For You (Kilworth House Theatre), Odysseus Unwound, Blind Date and the contemporary opera. His particular fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Macbeth (Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Cumnor Affair. Recent projects include pleasure now is to bring skills developed words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, Royal Albert Hall, National Tour & Sadler’s Alcina and Xerxes OTC Dublin, As You in Impropera, the world’s only and fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Wells). Choreography and teaching Like It Shakespeare’s Globe. Caroline is arguably best improvising opera words, fifty words, fifty words. credits include: Lord of the Flies currently designing costumes for company, to bear on the classic score of (Broadway Theatre, Catford), The Walpole Whalesavers W11 opera. Recipient Best Salad Days. Spencer O’Brien Orange (Robert Atkins Studio, Regent’s Costume Irish Time Theatre Awards 2007 Spencer recently graduated Park Open Air Theatre) and Cabaret Othello (Second Age Dublin). Claire Machin from Arts Educational, (Bloomsbury Theatre). Claire was born in Stoke-On- London, with a BA hon Elena Hull Trent and trained at the Degree in Musical Theatre. Graham Howes Elena Hull was educated at Sylvia Young Theatre School. His college performances include Extensive work includes; the Yehudi Menuhin School Theatre credits include High ‘Vinnie’ in ‘Lucky Stiff’ and the leading Senator Robert E. Lyons in Of where she learned many School Musical ( Ms. Darbus) , Mary role of ‘Perks’ in ‘The Railway Children’. thee I Sing and Let ‘em Eat important things including Poppins ( Miss Lark), My Fair Lady (Clara Other theatre credits include ‘paparazzi’ Cake (), how to play the double bass. She then Eynsford-Hill), Oliver (Charlotte) , Les in ‘BETWIXT!’ Ambassador’s theatre: Scheinkopf in FAME (Aldwych), Sunset went on to the Royal College of Music as Misérables ( Madame Thenadier). and ‘Joey’ in ‘Soul Traders’ Edinburgh Boulevard (West End International), a Foundation Scholar. She is now a fairly Television includes Eastenders , Vanity Festival. Arcadia (Manchester Library), The Miser successful freelancer specialising in Fair, Miss Marple, The Ritz. (Salisbury Playhouse), Godwin in contemporary solo and chamber works. Wesker’s Blood Libel, Daddy Warbucks in As bass teacher at the RCM Junior Tim Meacock Annie (Colchester Mercury), Promises, Department she is a champion of the Has much experience Promises (Crucible) as Eichelberger, Rabbath playing method and has a of intimate theatre in Hamlet for ESC. TV / Film thriving class of 13. working at the Orange Tree. include; Kingdom (2 series) The Bill (ITV), Current design work Beauty Peter Greenway’s Draughtsman’s and the Beast for Nottingham Playhouse, Contract, John in No Ordinary Trifle (Trifle The Making of Moo and The Lady or the Films Ltd), Clumsy Roger (regular) in Tiger both for the Orange Tree. Model Millie, Bugs, Swallows and Amazons Forever, (all for the BBC). Biographies Biographies

Fergal O’Mahony Sarah Playfair Marius Rønning Richard Suart Fergal is a pianist-composer Sarah Playfair is a freelance Fifty words, fifty words, fifty Richard is known as the living in London. His playing opera casting director who words, fifty words, fifty leading career has taken him has also worked in theatre words, fifty words, fifty “patterman” of his throughout Europe, the US and dance. Recent words, fifty words, fifty generation, maybe most and as far as Kazakhstan. He has successes include Street Scene (The words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, notably as Ko-Ko and the Lord appeared as concerto soloist with Opera Group/The Young Vic) which won fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Chancellor, which distinction has seen several orchestras including the Royal the Evening Standard Ned Sherrin Award words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, him perform in most of the major cities of Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and for best musical of 2008. For further fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty the world. He is also particularly Manchester Camerata. He has also information see www.sarahplayfair.com words, fifty words, fifty words. associated with contemporary opera, toured with European Youth Orchestra again, an international appreciation. under Vladimir Ashkenasy. Fergal is also Ellie Robertson Quinny Sacks a keen composer and his latest project Ellie trained at The Arts Since finishing dancing with Neil Swain 'Gutter Press the Opera' was premiered Educational School London. Rambert and Bejart, Quinny Fifty words, fifty words, fifty at this years tete a tete opera festival. Theatre: After graduating in has choreographed for film, words, fifty words, fifty The show was a sell out and was well 2008 she joined the national theatre, opera and television. words, fifty words, fifty received by critics. tour of Our House and following Salad Screen work includes Shakespeare in words, fifty words, fifty Days will be playing the lead role in Love, Roger Rabbit and The Singing words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, Oliver Platt Snow White at The Kenneth More Detective. Many Opera productions, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Oliver is delighted to be Theatre. Other theatre includes Young including The Fairy Queen and Lady words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, working with Tete a Tete Alice/Jo in Once Upon a Time at the Macbeth for ENO. Theatre includes fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty again after enjoying last Adelphi (Workshop), Ensemble in both movement for RNT, RSC, Donmar and words, fifty words, fifty words. year’s production of The Barbara Cook and Friends (Coliseum) and Royal Court. Cumnor Affair so much. He has in Good Thing Going (Cadogan Hall) and Bob Watts experience working with WNYO, ETO, The has understudied the lead in Sleeping Claire Shovelton Fifty words, fifty words, fifty Armonico Consort and WNO and this Beauty (Sheffield’s Lyceum). Claire’s past includes words, fifty words, fifty summer directed a new opera entitled Riverside Studios, the Young words, fifty words, fifty The Star Beast which was performed at Vic, the West End and words, fifty words, fifty the Tete a Tete Summer Festival. Operafactory. In addition to words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, managing CHROMA and the Early Opera fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Company (Christian Curnyn) her present words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, also includes Tête à Tête, the Opera fifty words, fifty words, fifty words, fifty Festival and commercial composers words, fifty words, fifty words. Lounge Productions. PICTURE TO BE TREATED...

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the many private donors who have kept Tête à Tête thriving and made “Salad Days” possible; we really couldn’t have done it without you:

Damaris Albarran William & Fouki Heller Christopher & Primrose Arnander Liz Heritage Stephen Baister Tim Jackson Roger & Molly Bankes-Jones Edward Kemp-Luck Geoffrey & Fiona Barnett Mark & Lucy Le Fanu Elizabeth Bawdon David & Gill Leeming Peter Bazalgette Tony Payne & Jane Manning Sharon & Graham Beckett Christopher & Clare McCann Sir David & Lady Bell Desmond & Clare McCann Simon Callow Hugh & Victoria Merrill Anne Cameron Ian & Frances Murray Gill & Tony Cash Sir Bryan & Lady Nicholson Evelyn Caulcott George & Jane Nissen Phil & Sue Chandler Terry & Valerie Osborne Peter & Joan Chapman Iain Pears Deborah & Peter Clarke Sarah Playfair Sir Anthony & Lady Cleaver Jane Plumptre Richard & Biz Collett Katie Price Jane & Mike Cook Michael & Tamara Rabin John & Tanya Cooke Julie Record Hunter & Brucie Crawford Andy Rogers Mr & Mrs Peter Cunard Clive & Gill Rowe Jim Peers & Victoria Dickie Charlotte Scott-Barrett Elizabeth Dobson Odette Seipmann Peter & Fiona Espenhahn Jenny Slack Mr & Mrs Howard Flight Richard & Caroline Smerdon Phil Fortey Peter & Jill Steward Peter Goff Caroline Steane Patrick & Louise Grattan David Taylor Father Kevin Scully & Adey Grummet The Taylor Family Penny Gummer Anthony & Carolyn Townsend Bruno & Celia Handel Mark & Nicola Turvey Matthew Hart Peter Verstage Carolyn Hayman Nicholas & Sarah Walker Patricia Healey Alan Warner Drew Heinz Judith Weir Your chance to buy into the future...

We aren’t a commercial operation. Our focus is 100% on the quality, on artists, art and audiences, doing our very best to explore and build the future of opera with a wide-ranging public where all feel welcome. So we can’t offer picnics in grand parks and oceans of champagne; but we can offer the chance to join our many treasured supporters as a true patron of the arts, a 21st century Medici, Esterhazy or Saatchi, with the vision to repay your own good fortune with an investment in the human spirit and the future of opera.

We utterly depend on such support, have done from the start, and do our very best at all our performances to welcome you and your friends into our family of fellow opera-lovers, dreamers, makers and shakers, and to show you our appreciation of your involvement.

Please contact: Caroline Steane, Secretary to the Friends, Picture to follow... Tête à Tête, 32 Lilyville Road London SW6 5DW 020 7736 3564 [email protected]

To send a cheque directly, please make it payable to “Tête à Tête Productions Limited.” As we are a Registered Charity, if you send a cheque drawn from your taxable income, with your consent we can claim we can claim the tax back at the basic rate of 28%, so a donation costing you £1,000 is worth £1,280 to us.

Tête à Tête Productions Ltd registered in England no.3513138. Charity No 1069055. VAT No 777 9837 44

www.tete-a-tete.org.uk