Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society

YAOS Past Productions > The Pirates of Penzance - 2007

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• Gilbert & Sullivan's
  
  Pirates of Penzance (Broadway Version)
  
  October 2007

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  Director / Choreographer - Alan Spencer
• Musical Director - Pete Harrison

Shown here is the feature page from the Western Gazette for the 20 September 2007 promoting YAOS's production of Pirates of Penzance.

In their review of the show, the Western Gazette said " .. taking on .. the Pirates of Penzance  would be a daunting task for many amateur groups, but not, seemingly, for YAOS.  Paul Brolly .. was able to deliver with ease the character of the Pirate King.  With strong and clear singing Paul worked well with Rob Reid playing Frederic, and both kept the pace going throughout.  This was Rob's debut for YAOS, but by no means is it his first time on stage.  He kept Frederic believable and gave a strong singing performance.  The well-polished operatic voice of Marie Brolly as Mabel was angelic, and Ernie Thomas was a highlight of the show as Major General Stanley.  Frederic's nanny Ruth was played by Ros Broad, who managed to bring spot-on comic timing to her well rounded and convincing performance." 

PRINCIPALS

PAUL BROLLY - PIRATE KING.  Paul has been an active member of several local societies since the early 90's, and has had the privilege to perform many lead roles. His credits include;The King (The King and I 2001 Rose Bowl award for best actor musical), Jigger Craigin (Carousel Somerset Fellowship of Drama best supporting actor nomination), Bobby Childs (Crazy For You), Billy Crocker (Anything Goes), Curly (Oklahoma), Daddy Warbucks (Annie), Nanki Poo & Pooh Bah (The Hot Mikado), Douglas Moore (Meet Me In St Louis), Ben Stone (Follies), Tony (The Boyfriend), Billy (No No Nanette), Pat Denning & Andy Lee (42nd Street) and the parts of Harry (My Fair Lady) and Drake (Annie) with a professional company performing at the Octagon.

MARIE BROLLY - MABEL.  Marie has enjoyed a variety of roles in local societies. Particular favourites are Polly Baker (Crazy for You), Laurey (Oklahoma) and Grace Farrell (Annie). She is very proud to have received nominations from the Somerset Fellowship of Drama for these roles and recently, a Highly Commended award for her portrayal of Carrie (Carousel). Another enjoyable role has been Anna (The King and I) which earned her a Rose Bowl nomination for best actress (Musical). Marie's other credits include; Yum Yum (Hot Mikado), Sally Durrant Plummer (Follies), lrene Malloy (Hello Dolly), Lucille (No No Nanette), Polly Browne (The Boyfriend), Rose (Meet Me In St Louis), Hope Harcourt (Anything Goes) & Anytime Annie (42nd Street).

ROB REID - FREDERIC.  The Pirates of Penzance is officially Robert's YAOS Debut, and therefore he is extremely excited to be involved with this production. He has been rehearsing and performing almost non stop since his stage debut in 2001, performing roles from shows including Grease, Fame and with Kassmatt A Slice of Saturday Night, Guys and Dolls and Disco Inferno. He also has his first directing credit under his belt, taking the helm for the Kassmatt production of "Tick Tick, BOOM! earlier this year. He is delighted to reprise the role of Frederic after playing the part way back in 2002 with Yeovil College!

ROS BROAD - RUTH.  Ros studied singing for four years at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and then went on tour as a soloist with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. She then settled with husband John and their two sons in Leicestershire where she became Director of Vocal Studies at Loughborough University. Now living in Somerset she continues to pursue her professional career as a singer and also her involvement with the training of young singers in many schools and in the Performing Arts. She is also Director of two choirs The St. Michael Singers and The South Somerset Youth Choir both of which regularly perform to raise funds for charity.  Ros is delighted to be playing the part of Ruth because she gets to dress up as a pirate! Also to be working with the show's Director, the lovely Alan Spencer, who once had the dubious honour of being her 'Beefeater' partner in D'Oyly Carte's production of Yeoman of the Guard.

ERNIE THOMAS - MAJOR GENERAL STANLEY.  Ernie has been involved with amateur theatre for more than 47 years and has stage-managed and/or performed in well over 150 productions, many with the Croydon Operatic & Dramatic Association and Chinnor Musical Theatre.  This is his third appearance as a principal for YAOS, having played Starkeeper in Carousel and Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly.  His many other singing roles include Pish-Tush and Pooh-Bar in The Mikado, Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore, the Usher in Trial By Jury, Sir Richard Cholmondeley in The Yeoman of the Guard, Orestes in La Belle Helene, Mars in  Orpheus in the Underworld and Cascada in Merry Widow.

BACKSTAGE CREW

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