The Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park

6th - 10th November 2018 at 7.45pm

Saturday matinée at 2.30pm

Don Lockwood is a silent film star. He barely tolerates his vapid leading lady, Lina Lamont, who is convinced that their screen romance is real. After the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, proves to be a smash hit, the head of the studio, R. F. Simpson, decides he has no choice but to convert the new Lockwood and Lamont film, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie. The production is beset with difficulties, by far the worst being Lina's comically grating voice.

After a disastrous test screening, Don's best friend, Cosmo Brown, comes up with the idea to overdub Lina's voice and they convince Simpson to turn The Dueling Cavalier into The Dancing Cavalier, a musical comedy film. Meanwhile, Don falls in love with an aspiring actress, Kathy Selden, who is providing the voice for Lina. When Lina finds out, she is furious and does everything possible to sabotage the romance. She maliciously demands that Kathy continue to provide her voice in all future films, but remain uncredited. An irate, but desperate Simpson is forced to agree; Kathy has no choice because she is under contract.

The premiere is a tremendous success. When the audience clamors for Lina to sing live, Don and Cosmo improvise and get Lina to lip-synch while Kathy sings into a second microphone while hidden behind the curtain. Unbeknownst to Lina, as she starts "singing", Don, Cosmo and Simpson gleefully raise the curtain behind her, revealing the deception. Kathy becomes a star, and Lina is finished.

  • Preview/Read-Through
    22 May 2018 at 19:30 (Pinewood)
  • Dance Workshop
    23 May 2018 at 19:30 (Pinewood)
  • Music Rehearsals
    29 May 2018 at 19:30 (Pinewood)
  • Music Rehearsals and Early Auditions
    5 June 2018 at 19:30 (Pinewood)
  • Dance Workshop and Dance Auditions
    6 June 2018 at 19:30 (Pinewood)
  • Auditions
    10 June 2018 at 10:00 (Pinewood)
  • Don Lockwood
    Gordon Cowell
  • Kathy Seldon
    Emma Carver
  • Cosmo Brown
    Matt Thompson
  • Lina Lamont
    Megan West
  • RF Simpson
    Andrew Few
  • Dexter
    Duncan Hamilton
  • Rod
    Robert Parton
  • Policeman
    Rutendo Mushambi
  • Dora Bailey
    Hannah Pike
  • Zelda
    Mette Isaksen
  • Female Vocal Coach
    Kate Noviss
  • Male Vocal Coach
    Thomas Harris
  • Production Singer
    Rutendo Mushambi
  • Girl at the Party
    Denise Pike
  • Butler and Assistant
    Gary Blackmore
  • Young Don and Young Cosmo
    Adam Cox and Timothy Brennan
  • All I Do - Dancers
    Lindsay Alexander, Holly Heron, Sam Holding, Mette Isaksen, Amy Williams, Shani Woodley
  • Beautiful Girl - Dancers
    Andrea Adamson, Lindsay Alexander, Abi Burrows, Francesca Hems, Holly Heron, Sam Holding, Mette Isaksen, Amy Williams, Shani Woodley
  • Tango Dancers at Party
    Andrea Adamson, Thomas Harris, Francesca Hems, Sam Holding, Rutendo Mushambi, Robert Parton
  • Chorus
    Sophie Bone, Liz Cenci, Charlotte Dye, Kate Noviss, Denise Pike, Chloe Shepherd, Stuart Woods, Carol Van Zyl

Screenplay by BETTY COMDEN and ADOLPH GREEN

Songs by NACIO HERB BROWN and ARTHUR FREED

Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Inc.

Music Published by EMI, all rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC (Original Movie Choreography by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen)

Produced by Arrangement With Maurice Rosenfield, Lois F. Rosenfield and Cindy Pritzker, Inc.

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe)

All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI Europe www.mtishows.co.uk

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Director: Lucy Seymour
  • Musical Director: Bridget Biggar
  • Choreographer: Melinda Bennett
  • Stage Manager: Andrew Cooper
  • Lighting Designer: Michael Brenkley
  • Sound Designer: Tom Horrox

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

Tickets £19.00 - £21.00

Concessions and Group Rates apply
Price includes a £1.50 ticket levy and a £0.50

  01344 484123

Book Online