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OUR DAY OUT 

Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

 

Willy Russell's Our Day Out was a massive hit when the original TV play was screened in 1977 – and Russell transformed it into a hilarious, heart-warming musical, first in 1983 and then in a reworked version in 2009.

 

Pick Me Up brought the updated version, which features new songs co-written with director Bob Eaton, to York in a production that was anything but "boring" – the catchphrase of two of the pupils in Mrs Kay's unruly Progress Class, who are unleashed from the classroom for a school coach trip.

 

The class are bound for a fun day at Alton Towers ... until killjoy Mr Briggs gets on board and the destination is changed to North Wales. The show is packed full of catchy songs, lively dance numbers and instantly recognisable characters.

 

Robert Readman's production featured film projections by Adam Moore Tech 247 that constantly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

changed as the action moved from school, to a zoo, a service station, a castle, a beach and back home again.

 

The York Press said "As ever, Readman has assembled a terrific cast, Jeanette Hunter's kindly Mrs Kay battling with Craig Kirby's grouchy, oppressive Mr Briggs, backed up by Martyn Hunter's seen-it-all-before bus driver and Adam Sowter and Katie Glover's young teachers. Emily Belcher excels as the quiet loner, Amy; Kiera Leaper's flirtatious Carly is a hoot, and Emma Moodie and Ruby Johnson's Bored Girls steal the show as always. Barbara Chan's musical direction is a joy too."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Craig Kirby (who was the Narrator in Pick Me Up's Into The Woods and Hospital Ghost/Lionel Furgeson in Ghost The Musical) it was a welcome return to a role he first played at the age of 15 when he played Mr Briggs in a youth theatre production in Newport 30 years ago.

 

Emily Belcher (who appeared in Pick Me Up's Into The Woods and as Tinker Bell in Peter Pan The Musical) told the York Press: "I love performing in this play; it's really funny and it's fun to play because you're performing with all your friends and it's such a funny and clever script."

 

Willy Russell, the multi award-winning author of Educating Rita and Blood Brothers, loves it too – he says staging Our Day Out The Musical was "one of the very very best theatrical experiences of my life – I can’t wait to do it again”. 

 

February 20-28 2015

CREATIVES

Book by 

Willy Russell

 

Music and lyrics by

Willy Russell and Bob Eaton

 

Directed by 

Robert Readman

 

Musical arrangements by

Barbara Chan

 

Choreography by

Stefani Lyons

 

 

 

 

Mrs Kay

Jeanette Hunter

 

Mr Briggs

Craig Kirby

 

Les/Ronnie/Zoo Keeper

Martyn Hunter

 

Mark

Adam Sowter

 

Katie

Katie Glover

 

Amy

Emily Belcher

 

Stack

Rhys Evans

 

Gonzo

Ben Backhouse

 

Moler

Lewis Douglas

 

Eunice

Katie Western

 

Kelly

Katy Metheringham

 

Chloe

Emma Moodie

 

Zoe

Ruby Johnson

 

Reilly

Kieran Robson

 

Carly

Kiera Leaper

 

Digga

Jack Armstrong

 

Jackie

Sophie Cox

 

Sean

Frankie Bounds

 

Caitlin

Caitlan Barnard

 

Sophie

Holly Inch

 

Maurice

Billy Ibbotson

 

Georgia

Natalia Leaper

 

Abi

Molly Metheringham

 

Milton

Sam Roberts

 

Kevin

Lucas Wells

 

Kath

Freya Leaf

 

Britney

Ellen McCloskey

 

 

 

 

Assistant director

Gilly Adam

 

Sound

Joel Slater

 

Projections

Adam Moore Tech 247

 

Stage managers

Nick Lay

Nathan Bargate

Ollie Nash

 

 

 

 

Keyboard

Barbara Chan

 

Keyboard 2

Gill Boler

 

Guitar

Damien Sweeting

 

Guitar

Joe Heald

 

Drums

Ben Croombs

 

CAST

PRODUCTION

BAND

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