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"A
Palace of Varieties"
5,6,7 July, 2007
Welcome to the Canterbury Players 'Palace of Varieties' at The
Environment Centre, Palace Street, Canterbury (Click HERE for map) on 5th,
6th and 7th July 2007.
An all-singing, all-dancing, all-hamming extravaganza in the Edwardian style.
A positive plethora of Artistes in assorted shapes and sizes bringing you songs,
monologues and drama from yesteryear.
A kaleidoscope of sounds and colour for your edification and delight.
Come and join in the fun.
Tickets from Ian Burroughs: Tel: 01227 760295
Director:
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Jill Akhurst
Director – "Palace of Varieties".
Singer of saucy songs; Director's Assistant (The
Accrington Pals)
Actor - Jill will be appearing as Saunders in "Fallen
Angels" by Noel Coward.
Jill is no stranger to amateur theatre, being quite well known in the
London Boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest for her performances in
many plays. A retired drama teacher, she has acted in and directed more
plays than she cares to remember. In 2006 she acquired some notoriety
playing the pub landlady in Promised Land at the Marlowe Theatre for the
Canterbury Festival. She lives in Whitstable with husband Jim.
"Palace of Varieties"
will be her second production with the Canterbury Players in which she
is battling (against all odds) to get a non-musical group to
In at the deep end comes to mind – good job she can swim! |
A small selection of the cast for "Palace of Varieties":
Narrator for the melodrama:
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Ian Burroughs.
Honorary Secretary.
Performance director (Seasons
Greetings; The Birthday
Party; Gosforth's Fete;
Play It Again, Sam)
Ian is one of the major stalwarts of the Canterbury Players, working
hard behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly: organising
sponsorship; publicity; ticket sales; venues; taking part in the choice
of performances and a great deal more besides.
His first production, as a director with the Players, was Alan Ayckbourn's
"Seasons Greetings".
This was a joint production between Playcraft and Canterbury Dramatics
Society, before their merger into The Canterbury Players. Since then,
he since been involved in one way or another with virtually every - if
not all - productions. This includes directing "When we are
Married" in November 2004; Harold Pinter's "The
Birthday Party" and later, Alan Ayckbourn's "Gosforth's
Fete", here giving a few of the newer members the opportunity
to take their first tentative steps on stage - after which they have never
looked back. |
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Louise Gibbins
Actor: Play It Again Sam;
Gosforth’s Fete;
The Accrington Pals;
La Ronde
Louise joined the Players in 2006 & has been involved in 4 productions.
The first was Harold Pinter’s ‘The
Birthday Party’ where she was the official teapot bearer between
Acts II & III. Following the success of teapot placement, she was
cast as Councillor Mrs Pearce in Alan Ayckborne’s ‘Gosforth’s
Fete’. Louise proved herself to be a massive hit when Charlie
Jubber (Gosforth) omitted to catch her as she fell off the podium backwards.
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In Schnitzler's ‘La
Ronde’, she played a prostitute which was lucky as Louise was
concerned about being typecast! Louise also appeared in the production,
"The Accrington
Pals" by Peter Whelan. Here, she played Sarah, a hardworking
but fun loving mother in her late twenties.This is very far removed from
her own existence as a single, grumpy trainee mortgage advisor in Canterbury!!
Louise is seeking film extra work, her public profiles on casting websites
can be found HERE
and HERE.
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More about Dee... |
Danielle (Dee) Neligan
Actor: La Ronde; Play
It Again Sam; The
Accrington Pals
Recently informed by her mother that she has been usurped in her role
as Drama Queen of the family, Danielle begs to differ. Starting out in
school nativity plays (though never cast as Mary), she moved on to a spot
of TV and drama at Uni. Initially drawn to her first role with Canterbury
Players, as the presenter in "La
Ronde" - because she dreamed of being a dominatrix with a whip
- she is now utterly content flowing around in a corset and a pretty dress.
April 2007 saw Dee acting the part of Eva Mason, in Peter Whelan's "The
Accrington Pals". |
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Jim Akhurst
Actor, singer of comedy songs, mime artist etc. etc
Jim and his wife, Jill, moved from London to Whitstable three years ago.
Before joining the Canterbury Players, Jim was a member of several amateur
drama groups in East London. He joined the Lindley Players in Whitstable
and played the part of Ronald in their production of Absurd Person Singular
in 2005 and he also had several parts in the Canterbury Festival community
opera Promised Land in 2006.
He has played some major roles in comedies, but has also done his share
of spear carrying in Shakespearean history plays. Jim was pleased to be
given several parts in the Canterbury Festival community opera Promised
Land last year (2006).
In contrast to the righteous, religious character Arthur Boggis which
he played in "The
Accrington Pals", his first performance with the Canterbury Players,
Jim decided to turn his hand to a few comic songs for the performance,
"Palace of Varieties"
and will be appearing in "Fallen
Angels" by Noel Coward.
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Hayley Rose
Actor
Hayley has had a long association with theatre first as an actor both
at school and as part of the Harlequin Youth theatre, Redhill.
She has also worked with lighting and sound on several productions, as
well as stage-managing the Redhill Carnival this year. She had a brief
association with the Surrey County Youth Theatre when she was Deputy Stage
Manager on their production of Animal Farm in 2005.
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She recently became involved with the Canterbury Players
and has acted and sung as part of the Palace of Varieties. Hayley is currently
studying Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Kent and is entering
her third year. She hopes to have more involvement with the Canterbury
Players especially with the lighting and sound. She also hopes to become
a director in the future.
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Richard Smith
Actor
Richard has been involved in the backstage side of theatre since school
and has built sets for Grease and Bugsy Malone. More recently he acted
in and helped build the set for the Canterbury Players Palace of Varietes
and operated the sound, rigged lights and built set for Gosforth's Village
Fete. He has also worked as an assistant stage manager for the Redhill
Carnival at the Harlequin Theatre. In the past he has worked backstage
and shifted set for two theatre companies.
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He is currently studying history at the university of
Kent and is entering his third year. He is actively involved in the student
union and sits as a member of the Societies Federation Committee and Union
Council. He hopes to continue his association with the Canterbury Players
and would possibly seek to produce/direct one of his own plays in the
future.
Richard is also an accomplished close-up magician and has entertained
the likes of Lord Carey as well as the audiences of Gosforth's Village
Fete and The Palace of Varieties.
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Tony Innes
Sound Engineer, Actor
Member of several village troupes before getting a bit serious with Tokyo
International Players as soundman. Joined Canterbury Dramatic Society,
as it then was, in 1998. Soundman again for several Gulbenkian productions,
including Death of a Salesman, Dr. Faustus, Desire under the Elms, and
Roleplay.
Played Sir Percy Shorter in Habeas Corpus, Dr. Emerson in Whose Life
Is It Anyway, and a forgetful newspaper reporter in When We Were Married.
Back to soundman again for La Ronde, and recently played the fool in
Palace of Varieties.
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