Jack And The Beanstalk and
Christmas panto season is here and I am heading back to Derby Live’s huge Assembly Rooms for Jack and the Beanstalk. Starring Marcus Collins of X-Factor fame and Cheryl Fergison from Eastenders it should be a great show. Produced by …
City Of Angels at BSA
Birmingham School of Acting has a strong tradition of students performing musicals as part of their general acting training, and this year they will be presenting Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s City Of Angels at the Crescent Theatre.
…
The Mikado in a (Gilbert and Sulli)van
With the summer approaching, Illyria is once again preparing to tour a Gilbert and Sullivan with just seven actors, one MD, one car and one transit van.
Following productions of Pirates and Pinafore, this year’s Savoy-flavoured treat is …
Wizard Of Oz National Tour
Far from content with MDing one panto a year, I have signed up for another: a pantomime version of The Wizard of Oz.
This Easter pantomime from Enchanted Entertainment stars Dani Harmer, Bobby Davro and Sarah Jane Honeywell, and will be touring the UK from 27 March to 14 April 2013.
Lia's Guide to Winning The Lottery
With Peter Pan out of the way, I find myself in Carlisle, working on a workshop of a new musical – Lia’s Guide To Winning The Lottery – in association with Perfect Pitch and the University of Cumbria.
Lia’s Guide is a new pop/rock musical by Paul Herbert and Keren David, adapted from Keren’s young adult novel. …
Peter Pan breaks box office records; music leaves reviewers speechless
As we approach 2013 and the end of the Peter Pan run, it is good to know that the show has been a roaring success.
With a week to go, our pantomime has smashed box office records with 42,000 tickets sold, reports thisisderbyshire.co.uk…
Peter Pan at Derby Live
I am delighted to have been asked to be Musical Director for Paul Holman Associates and Derby Live’s production of The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan this Christmas.
Starring Britain’s Got Talent winner George Sampson as Peter and veteran TV actor Larry Lamb as Hook, and featuring auditorium flights, video projection and a fully professional ensemble, this pantomime looks set to be a spectacular.
…
The Threepenny Opera at BSA
Today I start work on a new production of Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera at the Birmingham School of Acting.
The last time I MD’d Threepenny was when I was at university sixteen years ago. It was quite a challenge then, and I expect it to still be challenging now!
…
HMS Pinafore Reviews
Well, HMS Pinafore is done and dusted, and here are a few extracts from the reviews:
“A cast of seven is directed by Oliver Gray, with live, and highly effective keyboard from Musical Director Ben Wiles.”
— Nottingham Post
“This well-loved light opera by Gilbert and Sullivan is known for its sparkling word play and infectious tunes, both of which were delivered perfectly in this production.”
— Mansfield and Ashfield Chad
“The ability of the cast to play a variety of instruments adds much to the immediacy of the show and musical director Ben Wiles’ top-class work on keyboards is at the heart of a tuneful performance.”
— Blackpool Gazette
More reviews can be found here.
Illyria's HMS Pinafore
After the success of last year's The Pirates of Penzance, this year Illyria Theatre will present a tour of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore. We're just about to start rehearsals now, with the tour kicking off in a few weeks' time. …