Alyssia prepares to follow the yellow brick road - The Wizard of Oz

Any young actress who plays Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz has some very big shoes to fill - or should that be ruby slippers? It’s a part that defined Judy Garland forever.

But 16-year-old Alyssia Kershaw is up for the challenge. “I absolutely loved the film when I was young. Judy Garland was amazing. You really believe in Dorothy’s personal journey.”

Alyssia Kershaw in rehearsal for the Wizard of Oz

“She starts the show yearning for a different way of life in the song Over The Rainbow. She’s then transported to this magical world but learns in the end that there’s no place like home. It really is my dream part, and I’m working hard to make it believable. It should be Dorothy on stage, not Alyssia.”

One big challenge is working with two scene-stealing dogs – Scruffy and Tia - who alternate the role of Toto. “I’m having bonding sessions with them outside rehearsals,” Alyssia explains. “I’ll have doggie treats hidden in my belt to keep them close to me on stage, but I might have to deal with some unpredictable behaviour – while staying in character!”

Anyone who saw Alyssia give a sneak preview of Over the Rainbow at the recent Mayor’s Variety Show at the Anvil will have been impressed by her lovely singing voice, and the warmth and sincerity of her performance. But even at 16 she is a stage veteran.

The Wizard of Oz is Alyssia’s fourth show with Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society, following parts in Annie, Carousel and The Music Man. She’s also currently rehearsing BAOS Limelight’s production of Grease in October, and Winchester Theatre Royal’s Christmas panto Sleeping Beauty. On Saturdays she attends JG Dance Theatre School, in Henley. All this alongside A-Levels at QMC.

“I’m very grateful to my mum and dad for their support,” says Alyssia. “I couldn’t do this without them. They are my taxi service and they support me every step of the way!”

In fact Alyssia’s dad Nick will get to enjoy her performance as Dorothy every night – from the orchestra pit. He plays the trombone for BATS. So does each give the other notes on their performance? “No!” laughs Alyssia, “We keep our areas very separate!”

Ten performances of The Wizard of Oz run from Thursday 20 - Saturday 29 November. Performances start at 7.15pm with 2.15pm matinees on Saturday 22, Sunday 23 and Saturday 29.

Jesus Christ Superstar - Promotional Trailer

Watch members of the cast in rehearsal for our production of Jesus Christ Superstar, to be performed at the Haymarket from 13 - 17 May 2014.

Click on the frame below to start the video. To watch in full screen, click the square frame icon in the bottom right-hand corner once the video is running.

Paul chats about playing another baddie - Jesus Christ Superstar

From his vantage point in the Heathrow control tower, he’s responsible for the safe movement of hundreds of aircraft as they take off and land at one of the world’s busiest airports. But the pressure of Paul Morris’s day job as an air traffic controller doesn’t compare to the challenge that awaits him on the stage of Basingstoke’s Haymarket Theatre.

“I’m wearing 3 inch gold platform shoes and a Saturday Night Fever-style purple and gold suit, while singing and dancing a big camp production number,” explains Paul. “The last time I performed on stage was in a panto back home in Liverpool when I was 10. And I’ve never had to learn a dance number before!”

Paul Morris as Herod | BATS, Jesus Christ Superstar

But 34-year-old Paul has one big advantage as he prepares for his role as King Herod in BATS’ forthcoming production of the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

“My wife Julie is the dance captain, so she’s giving me some one-on-one tuition,” he smiles. “On the way home from rehearsals she’s often telling me where I went wrong and what I need to improve!”

BATS audiences may remember Julie as the lead, Reno Sweeney, in their 2012 musical “Anything Goes”. “I was operating the lighting for that show,” says Paul. This time round the roles are reversed. Julie is pregnant with the couple’s first child so won’t be on stage for JCS. “So she’s doing the lighting instead – I’m relying on her to make me look good!”

Paul may feel trepidation about his dancing debut, but he’s no slouch when it comes to belting out a song. “On holiday I’m always the first to volunteer for the karaoke.” And what’s his party piece? “Usually an 80’s classic or ‘I Am The One and Only’ by Chesney Hawkes!”

‘King Herod’s Song’ is a very different kind of showstopper – and one Paul can’t wait to perform. “The rest of the songs in the show are pretty intense. With my song, the whole cast can let rip and really go for it. It’s going to be fantastic with a full live orchestra!”

Six peformances of Jesus Christ Superstar run from Tues 13th - Sat 17th May 2014 at the Haymarket, Basingstoke.

In rehearsal with Jamie Trick for Jesus Christ Superstar

As ‘Jamie Sinatra’ he’s a familiar face in the pubs, clubs and casinos of the Thames Valley, entertaining audiences with his Rat Pack tribute act. But now Jamie Trick, the real man behind the microphone, is preparing to take on a very different persona – that of Jesus Christ in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

“When I heard Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society was going to stage JCS I knew I had to be in it,” says Jamie. “I’ve been absolutely obsessed with the show since I saw the DVD of the West End production when I was 14. It’s such an honour to finally play my dream role.”

Jamie Trick in rehearsal | BATS, Jesus Christ Superstar

In fact you could say Jamie’s life has been building up to this performance. The actor who played Jesus in that London production was the brother of Jamie’s friend Michael. Jamie also worked backstage on the touring version of the musical when he was at university.

“But a big moment for me was performing Jesus’s song 'Gethsemane' at a charity night at the Grand Theatre in my home city, Swansea,” says Jamie. “It’s such a powerful song. It demands so much vocally and emotionally.” Indeed, Basingstoke audiences are in for a treat - his performance of the song creates goosebumps.

Jamie juggles singing with running his own recruitment company for social workers. He’s also a dad to two-year-old daughter Eva with wife Charis. But his biggest challenge hasn’t been managing his time, or even losing a bit more weight before appearing topless on stage.

“Put simply, how do you portray the Son of God?” asks Jamie, himself a Christian. “He isn’t just any other character. I’ve been reading Biblical texts and studying other productions. Our director Ray Jeffery has very clear ideas too. It’s been a fantastic experience. The entire cast are so committed to making this a truly stunning show.”

Six peformances of Jesus Christ Superstar run from Tues 13th - Sat 17th May 2014 at the Haymarket, Basingstoke.

Peter Francis talks about his role as Captain Von Trapp

Peter Francis has a lot of sympathy with Captain Von Trapp, the character he plays in The Sound of Music. While the Captain has to deal with seven unruly children, Peter has a menagerie of ducks, geese, goats and 40 alpacas at his farm in Up Nately.

"They keep me busy," laughs the father-of-two, whose own two children are at university. "But there's no way I wanted to miss the chance to be in The Sound of Music."

Peter Francis in rehearsal | BATS, The Sound of Music

In fact, it was the first musical Peter ever saw: "My parents took me to the film when I was about five years old, and I was completely entranced. I remember wanting to be Rolf, the post boy, who sings 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen.'"

That was in 1966, and Peter admits he's rather long-in-the-tooth to be Rolf now. Instead, he takes on the role of the stern patriarch played by Christopher Plummer in the film, who falls in love with Maria, the children's governess. In the BATS production, Laura Newborough has the Julie Andrews role.

"I'm six foot three and Laura is...slightly shorter!" smiles Peter. "But love triumphs, despite the height difference!"

Working with two teams of seven children is challenging. "Usually I get the gist of my lines first, paraphrase a fair bit in rehearsal and gradually work towards getting the words right. You can't do that with children. They're waiting for their exact cue! It's keeping me on my toes!"

'The Sound of Music' is the BATS debut for Peter and his real-life partner Joy, who plays one of the nuns. They met through amateur dramatics.

"I'm most looking toward to hearing the reaction of the audience to those wonderful songs," says Peter. "'Edelweiss', 'Climb Every Mountain', 'My Favourite Things' - they mean so much to people. It's going to be a great show."

The Sound of Music run from Wed 13th – Sat 23rd November at The Haymarket.