This is a brief history of my interest and activity in theatre.
I never had much involvement in theatre as a child, perhaps surprisingly, since my parents had been active in amateur dramatics before I was born. A youth group my elder brother was in put on a pantomime in about 1970 and I ended up providing the music for it (on my own, after the rest of the band walked out), but my only stage appearance was as a scholar in the school play, Marlowe's Dr Faustus.
Even as a student I never did any theatre (I once went for an audition, but didn't get the part), and even watching theatre wasn't a particularly big part of my varied activities. I was much more involved in music than in drama.
But in my twenties I began going to the theatre a great deal more. I became an ardent follower of the Impact Theatre Cooperative and Cambridge Experimental Theatre. In around 1990 Richard Spaul and Richard Fredman (of CET) led an evening course in Improvisation: I took this course and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I had always been vaguely aware of G&S: I was taken to see The Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower of London in my teens, and I knew some of the music from The Mikado. But I acquired from those about me a dual attitude of disdain: the serious music world looked down on G&S, and the late 20th century at large regarded them as stuffy.
Then in about 1991, I saw my youngest brother in The Gondoliers with Cambridge University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and my reaction was "That looks like fun!".
In October 1991 I went back to being a student, at Bradford University, and discovered there was a Gilbert and Sullivan Society there. The rest is history, listed below.
The following tables show my appearances to date and scheduled, both on and off stage.
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1992 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS (Bradford University Gilbert & Sullivan Society) | The Mikado (G&S) | The Mikado | My first appearance on stage as an adult | |
| Feb 1993 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | Iolanthe (G&S) | Lord Mountararat | Musical Director | |
| Jun 1993 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG (Bradford University Theatre Group) | Vinegar Tom (Caryl Churchill) | Musical Director | ||
| Feb 1994 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | Ruddigore (G&S) | Sir Roderic | Musical Director | |
| Aug 1994 | The Minack Theatre, Cornwall | Cambridge University Gilbert and Sullivan Society | The Yeomen of the Guard (G&S) | Second Citizen | ||
| Feb 1995 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | The Pirates of Penzance (G&S) | Musical Director, Lighting Designer | I also accompanied the performance | |
| Mar 1995 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Everyman | Cousin and Discretion | ||
| Aug 1995 | Greyfriars Kirk House, Edinburgh | BUTG | The Hunting of the Snark (Lewis Caroll) | Director | I adapted the poem for the stage. The venue no longer exists, but is part of the Grassmarket Community Project, which was run by Paradise Green as Paradise in the Kirkhouse in 2013 | |
| Sep 1995 | Theatre in the Mill | Incite Theatre | Under My Skin | Lighting Director | Four new short plays | |
| Nov/Dec 1995 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Stags and Hens (Willy Russell) | Technical Director | This was my qualifying show, supervised by Martin Roseveare |
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1996 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | HMS Pinafore (G&S) | Dick Deadeye | ||
| May/June 1996 | Wakefield Theatre Royal and Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Perfect Circles (John Martin Blythe) | Various parts | Part of Wakefield's Walk the Plank festival | |
| June 1996 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare) | Bottom | ||
| Nov 1996 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Look Back in Anger (John Osborne) | Technical Director | ||
| Dec 1996 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Toad of Toad Hall (A A Milne) | Badger | ||
| Feb 1997 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | The Gondoliers (G&S) | Giuseppe | Assistant Director, Assistant MD | |
| June 1997 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Bone (Matthew Groom) & Searching for the Sun (Alan Kaye) | Technical Director | ||
| Nov 1997 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Tasty Morsels | Technical Director | An evening of new short plays, selected from a competition | |
| Dec 1997 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Lend Me Your Ears (Minton & Whyte) | Co-director, Musical Director, Accompanist | This musical spoof on Reservoir Dogs and other Tarantino movies had had only one previous production, in Oxford and Edinburgh. | |
| 1997 ? | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Chelsea are Shit (Michael O'Brien) | Technical Supervisor | ||
| Feb 1998 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | The Mikado (G&S) | Director | ||
| Nov 1998 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Illusions of Truth (devised by BUTG) | Technical Director | ||
| Feb 1999 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | (Space) Pirates of Penzance (G&S) | The Pirate King | ||
| Mar 1999 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Consequences | Technical Director | An evening of short new pieces | |
| Apr 1999 | Reconvene (the 1999 National Science Fiction Convention), at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool | The Reconvene Rubber Tree Company | Captain Tartan Saves the World - Again! (David Wake) | Jeff Tracy, Footnote 1 | Lighting Director | A one-off extravaganza based on Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds, Pinocchio, X Files ... |
| Nov 1999 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | Princess Ida (G&S) | Guron | ||
| Nov 1999 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Oh What a Lovely War (Littlewood) | Musical Director | ||
| Nov 1999 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | The Woman (Edward Bond) | Technical supervisor | ||
| Mar 2000 | Theatre in the Mill | BUGSS | Ruddigore (G&S) | Old Adam | ||
| Mar 2000 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Andrew Crowther) | George | World premiere | |
| May 2000 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Foolish Lives, Foolish Loves | Actor, Singer | A compilation of scenes from Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, with music by Purcell and Bernstein | |
| Nov 2000 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Yeomen of the Guard (G&S) | Lieutenant of the Tower | ||
| Dec 2000 | Theatre in the Mill | BUTG | Wyrd Sisters (Pratchett, ad. Briggs) | Co-director |
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2001 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | BUGSS | The Mikado (G&S) | Accompanist | I arranged the score for two pianos, and played it with my brother Philip | |
| Apr 2001 | Paragon (the 2001 National Science Fiction Convention), at the Hanover International Hotel, Hinkley | The Reconvene Rubber Tree Company | 20:01, a Sunday Odyssey (David Wake) | Footnote 1 | Lighting Director | More of David Wake's genius. Based on 2001 and 2010, with liberal doses of Captain Tartan, Red Dwarf etc. etc. One performance only |
| Aug 2001 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Present Laughter (Noel Coward) | Assistant Stage Manager | ||
| Nov 2001 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | HMS Pinafore (G&S) | Dick Deadeye | ||
| Dec 2001 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Comfort and Joy (Mike Harding) | Lighting Director | ||
| Mar 2002 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | BUSOM (Bradford University Society for Operettas and Musicals) | Chess (Andersson, Ulvaeus & Rice) | Musical Director | The first time I ever waved a stick! BUSOM is BUGSS under a new name | |
| Jun 2002 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Skylight (David Hare) | Lighting Director | ||
| Nov 2002 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | Ruddigore (G&S) | Old Adam | ||
| Dec 2002 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Silly Cow (Ben Elton) | Stage Manager | ||
| Mar 2003 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Sondheim) | Band Leader | ||
| Jun 2003 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Relative Values (Noel Coward) | Lighting Director | ||
| Jun 2003 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | ACT | Welcome to Paradise (Andrew Crowther) | Lighting Designer | World Premiere. Unfortunately I was sick, and was unable to get to the performances | |
| Oct 2003 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | ACT | Twelfth Night (Shakespeare) | Sir Toby Belch | Enthusiastic review by the BBC archived here. | |
| Nov 2003 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Mikado (G&S) | The Mikado | ||
| Nov 2003 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | ACT | Nativity (Jonathan Hall) | Lighting Director | ||
| Feb 2004 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | ACT | The Love Act | Singer | Assistant MD, Accompanist | An evening of short pieces and songs, on the theme of Love. |
| Feb 2004 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Curtain Up On Murder (Bettina Manktelow) | Lighting Director | ||
| Mar 2004 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | The Boyfriend (Sandy Wilson) | Lord Brockhurst | I also played an accordian on stage to accompany Fancy Forgetting | |
| Apr 2004 | Concourse (the 2004 National Science Fiction Convention), in the Pavilion Theatre at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool | The Reconvene Rubber Tree Company | Tartan Restrung (David Wake) | Footnote 1 | Lighting Director | This time, the Matrix series, |
| May 2004 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Murderer (Anthony Shaffer) | Lighting Director | ||
| ? 2004 | Halifax Playhouse bar | Halifax Thespians | A Night on the Tiles (Frank Vickery) - rehearsed reading | Director | ||
| Nov 2004 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | Iolanthe (G&S) | The Lord Chancellor | ||
| Mar 2005 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Salad Days (Slade & Reynolds) | Uncle Zed and a dancing bishop | ||
| Apr 2005 | Civic Theatre, Leeds | West Riding Opera | Faust (Gounod) | Stage Manager | ||
| Apr 2005 | Paragon2 (the 2005 National Science Fiction Convention), at the Hanover International Hotel, Hinkley | Paragon2 | World Premiere Audience Participation Richard III (David Wake, with some assistance from Shakespeare) | Clarence | From an idea by Jasper Fforde (see The Eyre Affair), realised by David Wake | |
| ? 2005 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | The Imaginary Invalid (Molière) - rehearsed reading | Gerald (Beralde) | ||
| Aug 2005 | Augustine's, Edinburgh | Paradise Green Promotions | Trial by Jury (G&S) | Usher | ||
| Nov 2005 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Grand Duke (G&S) | Chorus member | ||
| Dec 2005 | Theatre in the Mill | Theatre in the Mill | Whose Shoes? (Mike Kenny) | Lighting Designer |
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2006 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Loot (Joe Orton) | McLeavy | ||
| Feb 2006 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Hans, The Witch and the Gobbin (Alan Cullen) | Sound | ||
| Mar 2006 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Kiss Me Kate (Cole Porter) | Harry/Baptista | ||
| Apr 2006 | The Carriageworks, Leeds | West Riding Opera | The Magic Flute (Mozart) | Stage Manager | ||
| Apr 2006 | Bingley Arts Centre | Bingley Gilbert and Sullivan Society | The Mikado (G&S) | Chorus member | ||
| Jul 2006 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Art (Yasmina Reza) | Serge | ||
| Nov 2006 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | ACT | The Visit (Dürrenmatt) | Doctor | Incidental music (played live on accordian) | |
| Jan 2007 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | The Lion in Winter (James Goldman) | Lighting and sound | ||
| Feb 2007 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce) | Uncle Alan, Abel | ||
| Mar 2007 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | BUSOM | Fiddler on the Roof (Bock and Harnick) | Tevye | ||
| Apr 2007 | Contemplation (the 2007 National Science Fiction Convention), at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chester | He's Spartacus | Inveigle (David Wake) | Father Luke | This world premiere was a straight play, unlike David's previous work | |
| Apr 2007 | The Carriageworks, Leeds | West Riding Opera | The Impresario (Mozart)
The Conspirators (Schubert) Abu Hassan (Weber) |
Stage Manager | ||
| Nov 2007 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Pirates of Penzance (G&S) | Sergeant of Police | ||
| Nov 2007 | The Priestley (now The Bradford Playhouse) | BUSOM | I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (DiPietro & Roberts) | Ensemble member | ||
| Feb 2008 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl) | Grandpa Joe | Lighting designer | |
| Mar 2008 | Orbital (the 2008 National Science Fiction Convention), at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow | The Terminal Zone (Andrew J Wilson) | Lighting director | |||
| Aug-Sep 2008 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | The Lady in the Van (Alan Bennett) | Underwood | ||
| Nov 2008 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Sorcerer | Chorus | ||
| Dec 2008 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Company (Stephen Sondheim) | 2nd keyboard | ||
| Jan 2009 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Laying the Ghost (Simon Williams) | Lighting director | ||
| Feb 2009 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians Total Theatre | Look Back in Anger (John Osborne) | Colonel Redfern | Moved to the 1980's. Further performances in July in Halifax and Bridlington | |
| Mar 2009 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Merrily We Roll Along (Stephen Sondheim) | Joe Josephson | ||
| Apr 2009 | LX (the 2009 National Science Fiction Convention), at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford | He's Spartacus | Invidious (David Wake) | Father Luke | Sequel to Inveigle. I was in hospital for most of the convention, so in the end Peter Wareham played my part and I watched! | |
| Jun 2009 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Cider with Rosie (Simon Roose-Evans, after Laurie Lee) | Laurie | Very complimentary review in Halifax Courier | |
| Aug 2009 | The Vault, Edinburgh (now Paradise in the Vault) | Flying Yak Theatre Company | Look Back in Anger (John Osborne) | Colonel Redfern | The Halifax production from February, further shortened, at the Edinburgh Fringe | |
| Nov 2009 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Gondoliers (G&S) | Don Alhambra del Bolero | ||
| Dec 2009 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Twelfth Night (Shakespeare) | Lighting director |
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | Halifax Playhouse bar | Halifax Thespians | Man from the Sea (Geoff Daniels) | Frank | One of an evening of short new plays. | |
| Mar 2010 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | The Pirates of Penzance (G&S) | Major General Stanley | ||
| July 2010 | Bradford Cathedral | ACT | As You Like It (Shakespeare) | Composed music for the songs | ||
| Nov 2010 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Yeomen of the Guard (G&S) | Lieutenant of the Tower | ||
| Dec 2010 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Great Expectations (Ormerod & Donnellan, after Dickens) | Wemmick | Lighting designer | |
| Mar 2011 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Calamity Jane (Sammy Fain) | Musical Director | ||
| May 2011 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Beata Beatrix (Gillian Plowman) | Frank | One of an evening of short plays. | |
| June-July 2011 | Korks, Otley | Otley Community Players | Macbeth (Shakespeare) | Macbeth | This production was cancelled three weeks before the performance | |
| Nov 2011 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | HMS Pinafore (G&S) | Dick Deadeye | ||
| Jan 2012 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | Nightmare (Norman Robbins) | Lighting designer | ||
| Mar 2012 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Iolanthe (G & S) | Musical Director | ||
| July 2012 | Bradford Cathedral | ACT | The Winter's Tale (Shakespeare) | Antigonus | ||
| Sep 2012 | Undercliffe Cemetery | Undercliffe Devising Theatre | Revelling in Secret Spaces | Charles Dickens, Titus Salt | This open day at Undercliffe Cemetery was originally scheduled for July. I wrote the pieces I performed, after Dickens and Balgarnie | |
| Oct 2012 | Halifax Playhouse bar | Halifax Thespians | The Trojan Women (Euripides, tr. Gilbert Murray) | Menelaus | Script in hand | |
| Nov 2012 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | Princess Ida (G&S) | King Gama | ||
| Jan 2013 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | The Woman in White (Constance Cox, after Wilkie Collins) | Count Fosco | ||
| Mar 2013 | Theatre in the Mill | BUSOM | Pride and Prejudice (musical, by Bernard J Taylor) | Musical Director | There was heavy snow after the first night, so on the last performance the theatre was closed, and we moved to a room in Student Central. | |
| June 2013 | The Bradford Playhouse | The New Community Arts Academy (TNCAA) | Up Front and Personal | Keyboards | ||
| July 2013 | Undercliffe Cemetery | Undercliffe Devising Theatre | A Walk in History | Titus Salt,Isaac Holden | ||
| October 2013 | Huddersfield Town Hall | Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra | The Flying Dutchman (Wagner) | Chorus member | Part of the singing chorus (in the balcony of the auditorium) as opposed to the silent on-stage acting chorus | |
| Nov 2013 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Mikado (G&S) | Pish Tush | ||
| Dec 2013 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax Thespians | The 39 Steps (Patrick Barlow, after John Buchan) | Clown | ||
| March 2014 | The Bradford Playhouse | The New Community Arts Academy (TNCAA) | Oliver! | Mr Sowerberry | ||
| Nov 2014 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | The Pirates of Penzance (G&S) | Major-General Stanley | ||
| Dec 2014 | Kala Sangam | tncaa | The Addams Family Musical (G&S) | Conductor | ||
| April 2015 | The Bradford Playhouse | The Bradford Playhouse | Our Country's Good (Timberlake Wertenbaker) | Governor Philip | ||
| May 2015 | Seckford Theatre, Woodbridge | Halifax Thespians | Happy Jack (John Godber) | Lighting | I was only a little involved in the lighting when this was at the Halifax Playhouse the previous week, but when we went to the Woodbridge Drama Festival, I set and operated the lights. We won the Runner-up prize. | |
| May 2015 | Seckford Theatre, Woodbridge | Talking Stock | Le Grand Return (Alan Stockdill) | Lighting | As I was at the Woodbridge Drama Festival, I offered to help Talking Stock with their lights, and ended up programming and operating the lights. We won the Festival, Audience, and Acting Team prizes. We were then invited to the British All Winners Festival in Woking in July, but we didn't win. |
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2016 | Halifax Thespians | Halifax Playhouse | Stepping Out (Richard Harris) | Sound | ||
| April 2017 | Harrogate Theatre | Ripon Amateur Operatic Society | Nine To Five (Dolly Parton) | Chorus member | ||
| October 2017 | Ripon Operatic Hall | Ripon Amateur Operatic Society | Step in Time (staged concert) | Ensemble member | ||
| November 2018 | The Bradford Playhouse | The Bradford Playhouse | Rent (Jonathan Larson) | Chorus member; Paul; Pastor | ||
| April 2018 | Harrogate Theatre | Ripon Amateur Operatic Society | Guys and Dolls (Frank Loesser) | Chorus member | ||
| June 2018 | The Bradford Playhouse | The Bradford Playhouse | Pride new writing festival | Actor | Delivered monologue For Queen and Country by Paul Stone, script-in-hand | |
| July 2018 | Cleckheaton Town Hall | SAYS - Spenborough Amateur Youth Society | Phantom of the Opera Junior version (Andrew Lloyd Webber) | Accompanist and band member | ||
| Nov 2018 | Halifax Playhouse | Halifax G&S Society | Utopia Limited (G&S) | Stage manager | ||
| March 2019 | The Frazer Theatre | Woodlands Drama Group | Our Man (Daniel Clucas) | Sir | An entry in the Nidderdale & District Drama Festival. Performed at the St Roberts Club in Harrogate a few days earlier | |
| November 2019 | The Bradford Playhouse | The Bradford Playhouse | Little Shop of Horrors(Alan Menken, Howard Ashman) | Chorus member | ||
| March 2020 | Masham Town Hall | Masham Players | The Unexpected Guest (Agatha Christie) | Light & sound | This production was postponsed or cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic |
| Date | Location | Group | Production | Role(s) | Job(s) | Notes |
|---|
I was technical manager of Theatre in the Mill from 1996 to 1998.
After BUTG ran Greyfriars Kirk House at the the Edinburgh Fringe in 1995, Thomas Sandford invited me and Richard Chapman to join him in running it the following year. We formed a partnership called Venue 28 Promotions, to do so. In 1997 we formed a company, now called Paradise Green, which continued to run the Kirk House every summer, and added a second venue, Augustine's in 1998, with two performance spaces. In 2007, The Kirk House was no longer available to us, and we built a new venue The Vault in the basement of Augustine's, which we make available for hire year-round. Since 2008 we have run a fourth space, The Annexe, built as a temporary theatre each year in another basement of the church.
In 2011 we rebranded the venues as Paradise in Augustine's (we later dropped the apostrophe) and Paradise in the Vault. In 2013 we ran a third venue, Paradise in the Kirkhouse, in the Grassmarket Community Centre, a brand-new building which incorporates the old Greyfriars Kirk House as part of its fabric; but in 2014 we reverted to our two venues.
I was on the board until 2006, and then again from 2009 to 2015. I continued to be active, and generally spent the whole of the Fringe (weeks 1-3) in Edinburgh, up to 2018.
I was on the committee for several years, and maintained the society's website beyond that
In July 2014 I bought the Bradford Playhouse, in order to preserve it as a theatre and as a piece of Bradford heritage. I own the building, but I have no intention of trying to run the place. Jono and Clare Gadsby were running it when I bought it; but they stepped down in August 2016. Since then, Megan Wilson has been running it admirably with assistance from Carl Murray, Paul West, Andy Roberts, and others, without interference from me.
Page created by Colin Fine . Last updated: 2018/07/06