BROS Centenary Gala
It certainly was a night to remember – or indeed eight short weeks to put together such an audacious festival of musical theatre. Featuring a cast of over 60 people (nearly double a typical Richmond Theatre show) and a production team of 20, it was quite an achievement to bring it to such a successful conclusion.
Ably hosted by our Patron, Alan Titchmarsh (who was even cajoled into a rendition of ‘Razzle-Dazzle’) the show featured songs and dance routines from over 30 different shows from the last 100 years. Many of these numbers hadn’t been performed at Richmond Theatre for decades, but they proved themselves an excellent education in BROS Theatre Company’s history.
Cast & Creative
Cast List
| Character | Actor |
| He's Gone and Married Yum‐Yum The Mikado | Ensemble |
| Three Little Maids Hot Mikado | Clair Jardella |
| Three Little Maids Hot Mikado | Kerry Sampson |
| Three Little Maids Hot Mikado | Lisa Rose |
| I am a Pirate King / With Cat‐like Tread The Pirates of Penzance / Broadway Pirates | John Pyle |
| I am a Pirate King / With Cat‐like Tread The Pirates of Penzance / Broadway Pirates | Male Chorus |
| Beauty in the Bellow Hot Mikado | Carl Smith |
| Beauty in the Bellow Hot Mikado | Robbin Pierce |
| Let the Throng Our Joy Advance Hot Mikado | Andy Clarke |
| Let the Throng Our Joy Advance Hot Mikado | Clair Jardella |
| Let the Throng Our Joy Advance Hot Mikado | Edz Barrett |
| Let the Throng Our Joy Advance Hot Mikado | Kerry Sampson |
| Let the Throng Our Joy Advance Hot Mikado | Lisa Rose |
| The Yeomen of England Merrie England | Male Chorus |
| To All and Each The Arcadians | Carl Smith |
| To All and Each The Arcadians | Mandy Stenhouse |
| To All and Each The Arcadians | Sheila Fitzgerald |
| To All and Each The Arcadians | Will Brooks |
| To All and Each The Arcadians | Ensemble |
| Dance a Cachucha The Gondoliers | Ensemble |
| Youth's the Season Beggar's Opera | Female Chorus |
| If I Loved You - Carousel | Claire Smith |
| If I Loved You - Carousel | Andy Clarke |
| There is Nothing Like a Dame - South Pacific | Male Chorus |
| "a snatch" - Jorrocks | Ensemble |
| Hello Dolly! - Hello Dolly! | Lizzie Brignall |
| Hello Dolly! - Hello Dolly! | Male Chorus |
| Great Workers of the Cause - Anne of Green Gables | Anne Campbell |
| Great Workers of the Cause - Anne of Green Gables | Claire Smith |
| Great Workers of the Cause - Anne of Green Gables | Julie Thomas |
| Great Workers of the Cause - Anne of Green Gables | Mandy Stenhouse |
| Great Workers of the Cause - Anne of Green Gables | Sarah Storer |
| All 'Er Nothing - Oklahoma! | Chris Morris |
| All 'Er Nothing - Oklahoma! | Louise Turnbull |
| I Have Confidence - The Sound of Music | Kerry Sampson |
| On the Street Where You Live - My Fair Lady | Bryan Cardus |
| Wouldn't it be Luverly - My Fair Lady | Janet Simpson |
| Do You Love Me? - Fiddler on the Roof | Clare Henderson-Roe |
| Do You Love Me? - Fiddler on the Roof | John Pyle |
| Too Darn Hot - Kiss Me Kate | Edz Barrett |
| Too Darn Hot - Kiss Me Kate | Company |
| Forget About the Boy - Thoroughly Modern Millie | Kerry Magee |
| Forget About the Boy - Thoroughly Modern Millie | Veronica Maidment |
| Forget About the Boy - Thoroughly Modern Millie | Troupe |
| It's Never Too Late - The Boy Friend | Camilla Titchmarsh |
| It's Never Too Late - The Boy Friend | Steve Alais |
| Impossible Dream - Man of La Mancha | Bryan Cardus |
| Impossible Dream - Man of La Mancha | Ensemble |
| Flash Bang Wallop - Half a Sixpence | Paul Turnbull |
| Flash Bang Wallop - Half a Sixpence | Ensemble |
| Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors | Annie Deasy |
| Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors | Clair Jardella |
| Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors | Eryn Goben |
| Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors | Fiona Hedger‐Gourlay |
| Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors | Lisa Rose |
| Little Shop of Horrors - Little Shop of Horrors | Sarah Storer |
| Company - Company | Andy Clarke |
| Company - Company | Carl Smith |
| Company - Company | Chris Morris |
| Company - Company | Claire Smith |
| Company - Company | Deb McDowell |
| Company - Company | Karen Swift |
| Company - Company | Sarah Storer |
| Back on Bass - Closer Than Ever | Robbin Pierce |
| Good Times Are Here to Stay - Dames at Sea | Ensemble |
| Me and My Girl - Me and My Girl | Bryan Cardus |
| Me and My Girl - Me and My Girl | Kerry Magee |
| Make 'em Laugh - Singin' in the Rain | Ensemble |
| As Long as He Needs Me - Oliver! | Claire Smith |
| Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat - Guys & Dolls | Carl Smith |
| Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat - Guys & Dolls | Ensemble |
| Hot Mikado Finale - Hot Mikado | Company |
| Female Chorus | Claire Atkins |
| Female Chorus | Anna Colton |
| Female Chorus | Jenny Corbin |
| Female Chorus | Jan Croxson |
| Female Chorus | Eryn Goben |
| Female Chorus | Vicki Harding |
| Female Chorus | Ellen Harvey‐ Smart |
| Female Chorus | Rachel Haydon |
| Female Chorus | Caroline Hayes |
| Female Chorus | Fiona Hedger‐Gourlay |
| Female Chorus | Helen Lowe |
| Female Chorus | Juliet Manners |
| Female Chorus | Marion Mclaren |
| Female Chorus | Gemma Melhuish |
| Female Chorus | Helen Shore |
| Female Chorus | Gita Singham |
| Female Chorus | Angela Sturgeon |
| Female Chorus | Karen Swift |
| Female Chorus | Louise Vinter |
| Female Chorus | Charlotte Walker |
| Female Chorus | Sian Walters |
| Male Chorus | Steve Alais |
| Male Chorus | Ian Bennett |
| Male Chorus | Michael D'Ambrosio |
| Male Chorus | Marc Evans |
| Male Chorus | Hamilton Faber |
| Male Chorus | John Powter |
| Male Chorus | Paul Turnbull |
| Male Chorus | Stuart Turnbull |
| Male Chorus | Peter Vaughan |
| Male Chorus | Simon Willis |
| Male Chorus | Andrew Yeates |
| Troupe | Claire Atkins |
| Troupe | Rachel Haydon |
| Troupe | Helen Lowe |
| Troupe | Kerry Magee |
| Troupe | Veronica Maidment |
| Troupe | Juliet Manners |
| Troupe | Gemma Melhuish |
| Troupe | Helen Shore |
| Troupe | Gita Singham |
| Troupe | Karen Swift |
| Troupe | Louise Vinter |
Creative Team
| Role | Name |
| Artistic Director | Bob Salter |
| Producer | Roger Fairhead |
| Musical Director‐in‐Chief, Conductor & Arranger | Shaun Critten |
| Lighting Director | Ed Pagett |
| Design | Wendy Godwin |
| Design | Zoe Harvey Lee |
| Sound Director | Stuart Vaughan |
| Stage Management | Eric Williams |
| Stage Management | Claire Williams |
| Stage Management | Jane Bean |
| Production Manager | Chris Morris |
| Production Manager | Ian Bennett |
| Director/Choreographer - Then & Now, Minack Theatre | Wesley Henderson Roe |
| Director/Choreographer - Then & Now, BROS Centenary, Finale and others | Melanie Edwards |
| Director/Choreographer - Theatre Early History (1908 ‐ 1930) | Bob Salter |
| Director/Choreographer - Post War Years, Studio Productions, Finale | Andy Locke |
| Director/Choreographer - Early Richmond Years | Lizzy Ross |
| Director/Choreographer - Return to Richmond Theatre, Youth's the Season | Jessica Joyce |
| Director/Choreographer - Little Shop of Horrors | Lisa M Rose |
| Technical Manager | Wesley Henderson Roe |
Reviews & Awards
We were not quite sure what to expect as from the various missives you wrote in the BROS Newsletter we rather thought it was going to be endless excerpts from the various shows suggested. Instead, we got a very well constructed panorama of the sort of shows BROS produced over the years, presented as a series of musical numbers by a superb group of artists and dancers. We were very impressed with the verve and dash which the chorus put into it. I noticed for instance that every one of your male chorus acted their socks off in the Dames Number from South Pacific which had as much punch as the original show at Drury Lane! My goodness, what an amazing bunch of male and female singers you have in the Company.
To be honest, I am not sure what they would have sounded like without the mikes, but nearly all shows now have this facility, so why not use it to the full, and how well they did just that. I think the one word which describes the production is”slick”. It was obviously well rehearsed and as far as we could see, went entirely without a hitch. Finally, I must say what a fantastic contribution Alan made to the proceedings. Since I knew him, he has obviously blossomed out to the one of TV’s most polished presenters and his talents certainly made the evening go with such a swing. I must say, I did not realise just how much BROS meant to him and I was personally very proud to have been associated with him when he first joined the company. I was also very impressed with the amount Alison has put in. I must confess, I did not know she had produced so many shows and had been President for so long. Now, she has a talented daughter in the show as well. I am sure that if Geoffrey and Daphne Needs were watching from above, they would have been very proud parents. David & Anne Armstrong.
Click below to read all reviews.
Show Date: October 2008
Venue: Richmond Theatre
Rehearsal & Show Highlights
