Not One, but Three Narrators for Joseph!

“Strange as it seems, there’s been a lot of crazy dreams…” Tingles run down the spine as three female singers harmonise beautifully in a lovely moment from Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat. The voices belong to Kirsty Kingham, Laura Newborough and Eronwy Selwyn, who play the three Narrators in BATS’ production.

Wait a minute - three? Wasn’t there just one in the original show?

“There aren’t that many female roles in Joseph,” says Laura, “so this casting choice gives more opportunities. Our director Louise Travis made us all sing together in the audition. We had to harmonise on the line “letting out a mighty roar!” and when she heard that she gave us all the part!”

Sharing the role doesn’t mean it’s one-third of the work for each of them though!

“We’re all on stage, all the time, interacting with the other characters and of course we’ve been working out new harmonies,” says Laura.

“Plus trying to remember which lines I DON’T sing,” adds Eronwy, “which is quite difficult when you’re used to singing along to the single narrator on the soundtrack recording!”

Kirsty’s bugbear has been learning the correct order of the 29 colours in the song about Joseph’s titular coat.

“Laura and I made up a story behind the colours and drew pictures so I could visualise it. It starts with the sun which is red and yellow - then comes down to earth, which is green and brown, and so on. It seems to be working!”

Kirsty Kingham

Laura Newborough

Eronwy Selwyn

How would each of the narrators describe the others?

“We’re definitely very different personalities!” says Eronwy.

“Eronwy is the powerhouse belter!” offers Laura. “Kirsty is more of a drama queen who can’t help hogging centre stage!”

“Except when it’s a dance number when I make sure Eronwy’s in the middle!” laughs Kirsty. “And for me, Laura is the Hermione Grainger of the narrators, trying to keep me in check! I’m in awe of them both!”

Being in Joseph is a “crazy dream” for all three performers.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to says “I love Joseph” because it reminds them of their childhood,” says Laura. “A lot of them saw Jason Donovan, or Donny Osmond in the film, or more recently Lee Mead or Jac Yarrow.”

“It’s the first show I was taken to see when I was six months old - it was my sister’s school production,” says Eronwy. “And I have very fond memories of seeing it with my Dad - I remember him dancing in the aisles during the Joseph Megamix!”

“It’s just so colourful! The music is really catchy, in lots of different styles, it’s funny, it’s loved by all generations and certainly for me, it’s a show that brings families together.”

See Kirsty, Laura and Eronwy in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 14-19 November 2023. Book tickets online.

Tom Boncey knew he was the right fit for Angel

“I just saw this character and thought, ‘that’s the fit, that’s me – it’s like I was looking at myself!”

Unusually, the first time Tom Boncey encountered the vulnerable but fabulous Angel, the character he plays in our production of Rent, was while playing that same character’s lover in a college version of the musical!

Tom Boncey

“I was Tom Collins in that show, but when I heard BATS were doing Rent, I knew I had to be Angel. I really focussed on bringing the right kind of energy to the audition. But I was also thinking, “out of the way, that part is mine!”

Angel is a performance artist and street musician who becomes the pillar of a community of fellow creatives in New York’s East Village. Rent follows a year in their lives. It’s a powerful and uplifting story of friendship, love, survival and living for today – with heartbreak along the way.

Once he got the part, Tom began to realise the scale of the challenge ahead.

Tom in rehearsal with James Young (Collins)

“It’s full-on. Angel is one of the most iconic LGBTQ+ characters in musical theatre and goes through a huge emotional journey. I’ve really had to access those feelings inside myself. In the song I’ll Cover You, there’s a very vulnerable moment where they first have physical contact with Tom.”

“I’ve also been building up my stamina for the dancing which is really challenging. But I’ve really been encouraged to explore the depths to this character by the director Louise and her assistant Ian, and I like the version of Angel that we’ve created together.”

“The show is very relatable. These characters are struggling and a lot of people are facing similar issues today with the cost of living crisis.”

“On a personal level, I’m an openly gay person, playing an openly gender-neutral person, and I love the fact that Rent celebrates diversity in all its forms.”

See Tom in Rent at the Haymarket from 16th-20th May 2023. Book tickets online.

Jack Baldwin's Grabbing a Cinecam for his Role in Rent

It’s been a busy few weeks for Jack Baldwin. The secondary school science teacher has been spending his evenings immersed in worlds far away from his day job in Camberley. He’s been to a fairytale kingdom, as Prince Eric in BAOS’s production of The Little Mermaid, and now to 1990s New York, for his role as Mark Cohen in our production of Rent.

“It’s all about organising things as far ahead as possible!” says 25-year-old Jack. “I always try to get everything up to date in my life so I can put my all into teaching AND my all into the shows!”

Performing in Rent was an opportunity he didn’t want to miss.

Jack Baldwin

“I produced the musical at university,” he explains, “But I wasn’t actually in it. I was managing everything – the costumes, the sets, the marketing. It’s only when I saw it on stage that I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s one of my all-time favourite shows.”

Why? “Because it’s about real life. It’s full of real characters dealing with real issues in the 1990s, explored through some incredible songs. Everyone can relate to at least one character in the show.”

For Jack, that character was Mark Cohen, an aspiring filmmaker who records the daily dramas of a community of struggling artists and musicians.

Jack in rehearsal with his camera!

“On the one hand he feels like an outsider, but he’s also the glue that keeps everyone together. He’s observing his close friends dealing with challenges like HIV/AIDS and is trying to process that. Mark’s always there, and he gets taken for granted a bit by the others. That leads to his eventual breakdown in act two.”

The darker moments are balanced by the joy and exuberance of musical numbers like La Vie Boheme which Jack leads.

“To anyone who’s not sure if Rent is for them, I’d say, give it a go. Come with an open mind. You won’t regret it. It’s a really powerful and poignant musical and the talent in this show is fantastic. I can’t wait to be performing it for an audience!”

See Jack in Rent at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 16th-20th May. Buy tickets online.

Our All-Female Trio Bringing Shrek to the Stage

They’re the trio tasked with bringing the fairytale world of Shrek to the stage. And it’s a relief for Sally Manning, Jules Dance and Luannsa Goodman to finally see the fabulous family musical take shape.

Director and Co-choreographer, Sally Manning

“Shrek was originally planned for November 2020, but the pandemic put paid to that,” explains director and co-choreographer Sally. “So it’s been taking up a lot of space in my head for a long time! But as rehearsals have progressed, all those thoughts and ideas have been transferred to the cast, so I’m enjoying it a lot more now as my head feels a lot lighter!”

Based on the hugely popular animated film, Shrek is the tale of a green ogre who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside wisecracking Donkey, feisty Princess Fiona and evil Lord Farquaad – to discover that fairy tales aren’t always what they seem.

Choreographer, Luannsa Goodman

“The most important thing for us is to make the show pure magic,” says choreographer Luannsa. “My generation grew up loving the film, and I’ve watched the Broadway production on YouTube about 1000 times! But I’ve put my own spin on the dancing. It’s full of character, farcical, funny and slapstick, as well as technically challenging. We’re now drilling the little details and the cast are doing brilliantly.”

Musical director Jules agrees. “This is an exceptionally strong cast and I’m thrilled about that! We’ve got a live band for this show too. The music is fantastic and very clever, with nods to other shows which musical theatre fans will love.”

Children especially will enjoy seeing familiar characters pop up like Pinocchio, Peter Pan, the Gingerbread Man and the Three Little Pigs. But with a twist.

Musical Director, Jules Dance

“Shrek is very much NOT a pantomime,” says Sally. “It’s a story of acceptance. It’s told in a fun, humorous way, but definitely has a deeper meaning. All our lead actors understand that – and they’re phenomenal, they’re absolutely smashing it!””

“There are belly laughs and great physical comedy,” says Jules, “But there’s also passion and pathos. The show tugs at your soul!”

Sally, Luannsa and Jules are clearly delighted with how the cast and crew have responded to the challenge of fulfilling their vision for Shrek the Musical.

“There are lots of surprises in store for the audience,” teases Sally. “And we can’t wait for you to see it!”

Shrek the Musical runs from 10 - 19 November at the Haymarket. Buy tickets online.

Meet Shrek and Lord Farquaad - Aka Reece Fitzgerald and Ben Kennedy

Newsflash! The farting green ogre who lives in a swamp in the Land of Duloc is actually a primary school teacher from Surrey! But then, as Shrek the Musical shows us, “Fairytales aren’t always what they seem.”

Reece Fitzgerald

And challenging expectations is something Reece Fitzgerald absolutely loves about playing the unlikely hero of BATS’ latest show, based on the hugely popular animated film.

“Shrek shows us that being you - being unique - is OK and can be celebrated, rather than always conforming to society’s expectations” says Reece.

“Lots of children I teach have got tickets to come and see Shrek. Hopefully it will inspire them. If their teacher can go off and do something completely different, they can too!”

“Knowing what their teacher does in his spare time also means I’m spared an awkward explanation, if I neglect to remove any green makeup before coming to class the next morning!”

Ben Kennedy

Shrek’s arch rival is the thoroughly evil Lord Farquaad, played by software engineer Ben Kennedy, for whom the role marks a radical departure from the string of pantomime dames he’s played recently in the Alton area.

“I’ve always wanted to be a baddie!” says Ben. “I think Farquaad has been festering underneath my personality for a long time! If I get booed by the audience at the end of the show that would be wonderful!”

Farquaad’s physical shortcomings provide much of the comedy - but it’s no laughing matter for Ben’s knees!

“I spend the whole show on them! Fortunately I had a vast array of knee pads in my garage from when I did extreme sports as a teenager. During rehearsals I’ve been wearing them out, pair by pair! It’s taking a lot of endurance!”

Both Reece and Ben are newcomers to BATS, something Reece found “nerve racking but exciting.” It was the chance to perform in Shrek that enticed them.

“It’s a show that captured my heart years ago,” says Reece. “I love the music and I saw the most recent tour of the show twice.”

“It’s a musical that’s works on different levels,” adds Ben. “The kids will love all the jokes and fairy tale characters. There’s adult humour too. Plus it gets pretty deep in places. But above all it’s a great feelgood family show!”

You can see Reece and Ben in Shrek the Musical from 10 - 19 November at the Haymarket. Buy tickets online.