The English Theatre Company has a growing band of actors, technical crew, stage hands, front-of-house and marketing helpers. Here are profiles of some of us:
Dave Barney
Dave trained as a classical actor in London in the late 70s and performed in one or two small shows in London.
He’s particularly interested in radio and used to present a half-hour comedy show for a London hospital radio.
He’s appeared in recent productions as Wally in Harold Pinter’s Night School, and as Jerome in
Alan Ayckbourn’s Henceforward. This year for the English Theatre Company he’s directing
Tom Stoppard's classic comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
He’s also responsible for our company’s stage lighting, which has become a new and time-consuming interest.
Dave trained as a classical actor in London in the late 70s and performed in one or two small shows in London.
He’s particularly interested in radio and used to present a half-hour comedy show for a London hospital radio.
He’s appeared in recent productions as Wally in Harold Pinter’s Night School, and as Jerome in
Alan Ayckbourn’s Henceforward. This year for the English Theatre Company he’s directing
Tom Stoppard's classic comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
He’s also responsible for our company’s stage lighting, which has become a new and time-consuming interest.
Phil Faiers
From The Beggar's Opera to The Browning Version for the BBC's staff training college,
Phil's involvement in amateur theatre has been diverse. With roles in Noises Off, Donkey's Years,
and many other classic comedies, he eventually turned to directing and even wrote a pantomime -- King Arthur and the Holey Pail. It played to packed houses in Broadway (that's the Worcestershire village, not New York). Here in France he appeared as nerdy Mervyn Bickerdycke in Henceforward, then directed and appeared in Absurd Person Singular. This year he is directing Under Milk Wood
and appearing as Guildenstern in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
From The Beggar's Opera to The Browning Version for the BBC's staff training college,
Phil's involvement in amateur theatre has been diverse. With roles in Noises Off, Donkey's Years,
and many other classic comedies, he eventually turned to directing and even wrote a pantomime -- King Arthur and the Holey Pail. It played to packed houses in Broadway (that's the Worcestershire village, not New York). Here in France he appeared as nerdy Mervyn Bickerdycke in Henceforward, then directed and appeared in Absurd Person Singular. This year he is directing Under Milk Wood
and appearing as Guildenstern in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
David Allcock
David began a life-long love affair with the theatre longer ago than his memory now permits. Over the years he has played everything from the pantomime dame to Shakespeare, by way of comedy, farce, drama and his greatest love, musicals. During later years, he earned his living as a drama teacher, enjoying the privilege of sharing his own love of the stage with young people. Since leaving behind the world of education, David now spends his time, with his wife Rowena, renovating an old property near Lectoure, aided and abetted by two cats. He played Sindey in Absurd Person Singular and this year he is Captain Cat in Under Milk Wood as well as The Player in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
David began a life-long love affair with the theatre longer ago than his memory now permits. Over the years he has played everything from the pantomime dame to Shakespeare, by way of comedy, farce, drama and his greatest love, musicals. During later years, he earned his living as a drama teacher, enjoying the privilege of sharing his own love of the stage with young people. Since leaving behind the world of education, David now spends his time, with his wife Rowena, renovating an old property near Lectoure, aided and abetted by two cats. He played Sindey in Absurd Person Singular and this year he is Captain Cat in Under Milk Wood as well as The Player in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Maggie Crane
It really started in an all-girls grammar school; as the tall one with the short hair,Maggie was always given the boys' parts. That led to an eclectic mix of rôles over theyears with perhaps a 'high' as the Colonel's wife in Conduct Unbecoming. Then, it was steadily 'downhill all the way' via Lil in Fings Aint Wot They Used To Be,Mustapha Kitkat in Aladdin, flat-chested Connie desperate for a big bustin Habeus Corpus and Mother lying on an ironing board in After Magritte. No more to be said really is there!
Since joining the English Theatre Company she has played Jane, an accident-prone wife in Absurd Person Singular and this year is playing Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
It really started in an all-girls grammar school; as the tall one with the short hair,Maggie was always given the boys' parts. That led to an eclectic mix of rôles over theyears with perhaps a 'high' as the Colonel's wife in Conduct Unbecoming. Then, it was steadily 'downhill all the way' via Lil in Fings Aint Wot They Used To Be,Mustapha Kitkat in Aladdin, flat-chested Connie desperate for a big bustin Habeus Corpus and Mother lying on an ironing board in After Magritte. No more to be said really is there!
Since joining the English Theatre Company she has played Jane, an accident-prone wife in Absurd Person Singular and this year is playing Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Nancy Shorter
Nancy has appeared in three major productions so far in amateur theatre with the last two being the Alan Ayckbourn comedies Henceforward and more recently Absurd Person Singular. As well as appearing in our Musical Revue she has also been responsible for the choreography accompanying the musical numbers drawing on her early years of ballet training. Just don’t ask her to do the splits anymore!
Recently she has taken parts in our Radio Plays and Under Milk Wood and is
Queen Gertrude in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Nancy has appeared in three major productions so far in amateur theatre with the last two being the Alan Ayckbourn comedies Henceforward and more recently Absurd Person Singular. As well as appearing in our Musical Revue she has also been responsible for the choreography accompanying the musical numbers drawing on her early years of ballet training. Just don’t ask her to do the splits anymore!
Recently she has taken parts in our Radio Plays and Under Milk Wood and is
Queen Gertrude in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Maurice Shorter
Coming from a scientific background, with several years of French house renovation
behind him, Maurice was easy meat for a new theatre company putting
on its first production. That's how he came to work behind the scenes for Night School,
and his reward, to become one of the sound engineers for their later more challenging
production of Henceforward. He made his acting debut as the
impractical bank manager in Absurd Person Singular and has since taken on the mantle of sound engineer as well as taking parts in our Radio Plays and Under Milk Wood and is
Claudius in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Coming from a scientific background, with several years of French house renovation
behind him, Maurice was easy meat for a new theatre company putting
on its first production. That's how he came to work behind the scenes for Night School,
and his reward, to become one of the sound engineers for their later more challenging
production of Henceforward. He made his acting debut as the
impractical bank manager in Absurd Person Singular and has since taken on the mantle of sound engineer as well as taking parts in our Radio Plays and Under Milk Wood and is
Claudius in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Sandy Notman
Sandy is a retired Army Officer. The Army had more than 40 drama groups which were, annually,
professionally, adjudicated. Sandy's group came second with Coriolanus and won with The Entertainer. Moving to Brussels, he returned to acting, playing amongst others, Bottom, Sir Toby, Antony, and Henry Higgins. As a Director he staged, amongst others,Ten Times Table, Waiting for Godot, House of Bernada Alba, The Tempest, The Crucible, Richard III, Macbeth and Hamlet, the last two in the round. He had a successful Voice-Over business in Brussels and has run Shakespeare readings and performances for charity since 2005.
He has taken on several reading rôles for the English Theatre Company.
Sandy is a retired Army Officer. The Army had more than 40 drama groups which were, annually,
professionally, adjudicated. Sandy's group came second with Coriolanus and won with The Entertainer. Moving to Brussels, he returned to acting, playing amongst others, Bottom, Sir Toby, Antony, and Henry Higgins. As a Director he staged, amongst others,Ten Times Table, Waiting for Godot, House of Bernada Alba, The Tempest, The Crucible, Richard III, Macbeth and Hamlet, the last two in the round. He had a successful Voice-Over business in Brussels and has run Shakespeare readings and performances for charity since 2005.
He has taken on several reading rôles for the English Theatre Company.
Ian Warwick
Ian spent 35 years with a local Amateur Drama group in Warwick (his name is purely a coincidence)
as Chairman and Treasurer. During that time he appeared in more than 40 productions,
taking leads in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, Blithe Spirit (twice) along with major roles in The Heiress
and She Stoops to Conquer. He played the Dame in 11 Pantomimes and directed 28 productions
including Charley's Aunt and Lord Arthur Savile's Crime.
He is now enjoying working with the English Theatre Company and is playing
Hamlet in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Ian spent 35 years with a local Amateur Drama group in Warwick (his name is purely a coincidence)
as Chairman and Treasurer. During that time he appeared in more than 40 productions,
taking leads in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, Blithe Spirit (twice) along with major roles in The Heiress
and She Stoops to Conquer. He played the Dame in 11 Pantomimes and directed 28 productions
including Charley's Aunt and Lord Arthur Savile's Crime.
He is now enjoying working with the English Theatre Company and is playing
Hamlet in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
Brian Edward
Many years ago Brian was an architectural model-maker in Leeds, working with large
architectural practices and property development corporations. Consequently he was involved
in the design and build of many 1970s eyesores. Then the Yorkshire Television circus rolled into
town and began throwing cheque books at anyone who could help them put on a show.
Brian caught one of these cheque books and set to work. This involved the building of
props for shows and intro titles plus special effects (this was before special effects
were created on computers — actually, this was before computers!).
Many years ago Brian was an architectural model-maker in Leeds, working with large
architectural practices and property development corporations. Consequently he was involved
in the design and build of many 1970s eyesores. Then the Yorkshire Television circus rolled into
town and began throwing cheque books at anyone who could help them put on a show.
Brian caught one of these cheque books and set to work. This involved the building of
props for shows and intro titles plus special effects (this was before special effects
were created on computers — actually, this was before computers!).
Ruth Faiers
Ruth is our Box Office Manager.
For many years she was the Reservations Manager for VFB Holidays based in Cheltenham — the pioneers of gîte holidays in France. Her experiences managing a staff of 25 and handling thousands of holiday bookings each year made her the obvious choice for our Box Office Manager, although she has been heard to say "I thought I had retired from all this!"
Ruth is our Box Office Manager.
For many years she was the Reservations Manager for VFB Holidays based in Cheltenham — the pioneers of gîte holidays in France. Her experiences managing a staff of 25 and handling thousands of holiday bookings each year made her the obvious choice for our Box Office Manager, although she has been heard to say "I thought I had retired from all this!"
Other members are Nick Ashman (sound and lighting), Sarah Bache (actor), Ben Brotherton (actor), Jeff Davis (sound effects advisor), Anne Dickens (actor), Christine Hearne (actor), Allan Henderson (actor), Bill Kimber (actor), Paula Latuske (marketing), Melodie Minty (actor), John Morell (actor), Judy Notman (lighting), Steve Paterson (stage crew), Tania Paterson (actor), Jacqueline Rochelle-Cawte (actor), Sue Seth (actor), Brian Slater (actor), Jon Wainwright (actor).