MUSIC & LYRICS
Matthew was born in London and educated at Dartington College of Arts and Goldsmith’s College, University of London. Music for television, radio and film includes The Charm Offensive (ITV), Britain’s Brainiest (ITV); History of the Sketch Show (BBC1), The People Versus (ITV), Ben-Hur (US Radio); Winning Lines (BBC1), Car Wars (BBC2), Question Time (BBC1), The Gemini Apes (BBC Radio 4), Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Worldwide), A Kind of Hush (Feature film); Samsung World Sport Esprit (TWI), The Jasper Carrott Trial (BBC1), Carrott’s Comedy Choice (BBC Radio 2), Mind the Gap (ITV), The Ward (ITV), Nobblers (BBC Radio 2), Scratchy & Co (ITV); Diggin’ The Dancin’ Queens (BBC1), The Detectives (BBC1), The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna (ITV), Canned Carrott (BBC1), Boogie Outlaws (BBC2).
Theatre music and musical direction includes Happy Birthday Dear Alice (Orange Tree Theatre), The Lodger (Theatre Royal, Windsor), The Rink (Orange Tree Theatre), Mad Dog Killer Leper Fiend (Edinburgh Fringe), The Fly (Old Fire Station, Oxford), The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles (Orange Tree Theatre), The Good Woman of Setzuan (Orange Tree Theatre), You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me (Playhouse Theatre), Godspell (Webber Douglas Academy), Flora The Red Menace (Orange Tree Theatre).
BERNIE GAUGHAN
BOOK
Bernie is published as a novelist under the name of Bernadette Strachan and is currently writing her fifth book. Titles published by Hodder & Stoughton: The Reluctant Landlady, Handbags and Halos and Diamonds and Daises. Her fourth novel, Little White Lies, is due for release in Febrary 2008. Next Door’s Baby is her first work for stage. Bernie was born in Fulham, London into an Irish Catholic family. Before becoming an author she ran a wool shop, produced radio commercials, and was a voice-over agent representing many household names. She is currently writing another stage musical with Matthew. They have one daughter, Niamh.
PAUL PRESCOTT
DIRECTOR
Paul trained as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and appeared in many TV series of the time such as Special Branch, Manhunt, Hadleigh, etc. Theatre work took him all over the country with seasons at the Haymarket Leicester, Liverpool Playhouse, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, etc. In 1979 he and partner Carlo Lange set up La Bonne Crepe Café Theatre and over the next seventeen years produced over 140 productions at this Battersea venue, with over 80 plays and musicals being written by Paul himself. Paul has continued to act, write and direct for productions at the Riverside Studios, Jermyn Street and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2000 his musical Dusty opened at Churchill Bromley and then toured Britain with Mari Wilson in the lead. More recently he has appeared in the highly acclaimed Who’s The Daddy at the King’s Head Theatre playing David Blunkett and the lead in George Parson’s new play Being Olivia at the Croydon Warehouse. Last year he directed his musical with Rod Anderson Footsteps to the Moon at the White Bear and Cockpit Theatres. Paul has just completed fi lming the lead in two episodes in the final series of Byker Grove for the BBC and directed the recent production of She Loves Me at the Gatehouse in Highgate.
DAVID RANDALL
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
David trained at London Contemporary Dance School and London Studio Centre.
As a Musical Director/Arranger, Credits Include: World Premieres of WHEN MIDNIGHT STRIKES (Finborough Theatre), and MANORAMO CHARMS (Etcetera Theatre, Camden); European Premieres of LITTLE BY LITTLE (Arts Theatre, London), A CLASS ACT, and the revised version of DO I HEAR A WALTZ? (Landor Theatre, Clapham); MD/Arranger and Resident/Asst Director for TRACY BEAKER GETS REAL (Nottingham Playhouse/National Tour); MD/Devised A WOMAN’S PREROGATIVE – THE MUSIC OF HAROLD ARLEN, TRANSATLANTIC TALENT and LAST CHANCE SALOON (Theatre Museum, Covent Garden); WEST END STARS IN CONCERT (Irish Tour); GREASE! (North Herts); BRING ON TOMORROW (Aberdeen); “IT’S NOT ME… IT’S YOU” (Rosemary Branch Theatre); A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Secombe Centre, Sutton); THE WIZ (Belfast); Asst MD for the World Premiere of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (Cochrane Theatre, London); Keyboards for JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (Theatre Royal, Windsor); and has worked extensively in cabaret as a piano/vocalist across London and the UK.
David also Devised, Directed, Musically Directed and Arranged all eight productions in the NOTES FROM NEW YORK series, the West End platform for contemporary musical theatre (Donmar Warehouse, Trafalgar Studios and Arts Theatre, London); including the British version, NOT(ES) FROM NEW YORK (Duchess Theatre); and most recently, two sell-out installments of the seasonal, CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK (Apollo Theatre and Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue), the latter including his debut as a composer.
For more information, please visit www.notesfromnewyork.com
Acting Credits Include: Man 3 in the European Premiere of MYTHS & HYMNS (Finborough Theatre); Nigel Danvers in the 50th Anniversary Production of SALAD DAYS; Tom Petty/MC/Pianist in THE ROY ORBISON STORY; The Fiddler in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF; and Schlomo Metzenbaum in FAME (all National Tours); A CRACKING CHRISTMAS (Jermyn Street); NO FRILLS (King’s Head, Islington); Man 1/MD in both JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS and ALL THOSE CHRISTMAS CLICHÉS (Landor Theatre, Clapham); Zi Dima in the UK Premiere of LA GIARA (ICA); THE CONCERT THEY NEVER GAVE (Lincoln Castle); CHILDREN OF EDEN (Bloomsbury); ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Canal Café); GET YOUR JUICES GOING (Stafford Gatehouse); Claudio in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Open Air Tour); TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES (LWT); and was a member of the theatre company aboard the M.V. Aurora for P&O World Cruises (CMC). David has also taught singing/performance at many drama schools including: LSMT (London School of Musical Theatre), Mountview Theatre School, GSA, Arts Educational, and Sylvia Young Theatre School.
For more information, please visit www.davidrandall.net
SAM DOWSON
SET DESIGNER
Sam trained in theatre design at the Slade School of Fine Art.
In 1995 she joined the Orange Tree as the resident designer, designing touring productions of ROMEO AND JULIET, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, and main house productions for children of THE WINTER’S TALE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, RUMPLESTILTSKIN and TINDERBOX. As well as assisting visiting designers, Sam designed main house productions of THE POWER OF THE DOG by Ellen Dryden, FAMILY CIRCLES by Alan Ayckbourn and INHERITORS by Susan Glaspell.
Sam returned to the Orange Tree in 2002, designing HENRY V, ME AND MY FRIEND by Gillian Plowman and A KIND OF ALASKA by Pinter. In 2003/4 Sam designed ENGAGED by WS Gilbert, THE FABULOUS FABLES OF AESOP, THE ROAD TO THE SEA, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, THE HEBREW LESSON, UNSENT LETTER, SIMPLICITY, KING CROMWELL, ME MYSELF AND I, STRANGE ORCHESTRA, TWELFTH NIGHT, HIPPOLYTUS, THE LITTLE YEARS, SUMMER AGAIN, THE MIKADO, ADAM BEDE, PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, THE TEMPEST, and the Trainee Directors showcase production of SCENES FROM A SEPERATION. In 2005/2006 she designed THE WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE, A Journey to London, Larkin with Women and Tosca’s Kiss. Sam returned this season, after having a baby, to design THE YEARS BETWEEN, CHAINS and THE WOMAN HATER.
STUART BURGESS
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Stuart trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in stage management and technical theatre. After working for the Almeida Theatre on RICHARD II and CORIOLANUS, Stuart joined the Orange Tree seven years ago as Production Technician. He has now been the resident Stage Manager at the theatre for the last five years.
Lighting design credits for the Orange Tree include ROAD TO RUIN, THE BEGGAR’S OPERA, ADAM BEDE, PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, THE TEMPEST, HENRY IV, SCENES FROM A SEPERATION, CLARA, KICK FOR TOUCH and THE SKIN GAME.