Carousel 2001
The principal line-up includes three new faces, namely Richard Caile, Nicola Moore, and David Phillips.
Nicola is playing the leading role of Julie Jordan. She is a member of the Scunthorpe Gilbert and Sullivan Society and has played several leading roles for them including Constance (the Sorcerer), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus) and the title role in Princess (Ida).
Before she moved into the Gainsborough area she appeared in productions with Salisbury AOS where her principal roles included Mabel in The Pirates Of Penzance, Eurydice in Orpheus In The Underworld and Angelina in Trial By Jury.
Many of her shows with Salisbury AOS were directed by Ray Jeffery, who is one of the Country’s leading professional producers and is now director of the Ripon Operatic Summer School.
Nicola’s children are also performing in Carousel. Her son Jonathan played The Artful Dodger in Oliver with GAOS last year and is playing the role of Enoch Snow Junior.
Her daughter, Charlotte, is also a member of Scunthorpe G and S and appeared in a production of Sleeping Beauty at the Salisbury Playhouse Theatre.
Richard is playing the leading male role of Billy Bigalow, the Barker for the Carousel with the travelling fair.
He played the role two years ago. Richard lives near Thorne but works in Gainsborough and has appeared in productions with Thorne AOS, Wakefield West Riding Society and The Company (Doncaster).
For Two years he was also a member of the Lamproom Company – a dramatic society – based at the new theatre in Barnsley.
His leading roles include Fred Graham in Kiss Me Kate, Emille De Becque in South Pacific, Oscar in Sweet Charity and the title role in Billy.
David lives at Barrow-On-Humber and is playing the ambitious Fisherman Enoch Snow – the role he played recently in Barton and District AOS’ production of Carousel.
Originally from Sheffield, David has performed with the Chapeltown, Penniston and High Green Operatic Societies where his leading roles included Charlie Cameron (Brigadoon), Emille De Becque (South Pacific), and the leading role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Flower Drum Song.
Vicky Toward is playing Carrie Pipperidge – Julie’s best friend and Enoch Snow’s bride-to-be. Her leading GAOS roles include Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Nancy in Oliver! And Lily in Annie.
Steve Abbott plays wily rogue Jigger Craigin, who leads Billy and tries to seduce Carrie.
His leading character roles with GAOS include Motel in Fiddler On The Roof, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes, Harry Blitstein in Blitz! And Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady.
Life member Susan Wragg is playing Julie’s cousin Nettie Fowler. She has played many roles during her time with GAOS including Evangeline Harcourt (Anything Goes), Miss Hannigan (Annie), Meg Brockie (Brigadoon), Josepha (White Horse Inn), and the title role in Calamity Jane.
Karen Elvidge is playing Mrs Mullin – the owner of the carousel – who has a soft spot for Billy. Her leading roles with GAOS include Widow Corney (Oliver!), Mrs Blitstein (Blitz!), and Frau Schmidt (The Sound Of Music).
Horace Liberty’s role as the saintly Star Keeper is far removed from Mr Sowerberry, the seedy undertaker in last year’s show Oliver!.
His other parts with GAOS include President Roosevelt in Annie, Ernie Nearmiss in Blitz!, Elisha Whitney in Anything Goes and Zoltan Karpathy in My Fair Lady.
GAOS chairman, Lesley Anyan, plays the Heavenly Friend who aids Billy in his assignment to help his troubled daughter Louise.
Lesley who is also a life member, has played many leading roles with GAOS including Mrs Sowerberry in Oliver!, Ottoline in White Horse Inn, Tuptim in The King and I, Nettie Fowler in Carousel, Minnie Fay in Hello Dolly and Winnie Tate in Annie Get Your Gun.
Youngster, Rachel Thain is playing Louise. She appeared as one of Fagin’s gang in last year’s Oliver! And was Brigitta in The Sound Of Music in 1998.
Choreographer – Beverley Spencer
Review from the Gainsborough Standard (27/04/2001)
Roll up, roll up! Don’t miss your ride on the carousel.
Members of Gainsborough Amateur Operatic Society did a wonderful job of recreating the atmosphere of a lively, vibrant fairground, with fancy costumes and merry music.
From the very second the curtain opened to the final scene, this production oozed class and certainly did the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical justice.
The story of Carousel is set in New England in the early 1900s. Julie Jordan (Nicola Moore), a naïve mill-worker, finds that her life is changed when the travelling fair comes to town.
Her heart is stolen by the swaggering, carefree barker on the carousel, Billy Bigelow (Richard Caile) and two months later they are married and living with her cousin Nettie Fowler (Susan Wragg).With the loss of his job on the carousel, Billy becomes frustrated and takes out his anger on poor Julie.
But villainous Jigger Craigin (Steve Abbott), has an idea which will make them both rich and end Billy’s money worries.
However, the scheme ends in tragedy when their plot to steal the wages from Mr Bascombe (Jim Elvidge), the local mill owner, is foiled.
Their were excellent performances by both Vicky Toward as Carrie Pipperidge and Nicola Moore as Julie Jordan.
But it was Richard Caile who stole the show with his strong, powerful voice which sometimes seemed to shake the whole Trinity Arts Centre auditorium.
His renditions of Blow High Blow Low and Soliloquy were particularly good, as were his duets with Nicola (If I loved You) and Steve Abbott.
Carousel’s most famous song, You’ll Never Walk Alone, was sung by Sue Wragg and was a humbling climax to Billy’s death.
It was repeated at the end of the show with the added oomph of the full choir.
As well as superb singing from all the lead characters and the 20-strong chorus, the production featured some neat choreography.
Rachel Thain did a memorable solo ballet while some of the more lively sequences left the audience feeling quite out of breath.
Altogether this was a very enjoyable show, produced by Vivien Morgan, which could have only been bettered by quicker scene changes.
The show was rather long, over three hours, which could prove too much for some people, although many will not notice the time as they are engulfed in this fabulous show.
(Written by Martin Neville)
Gainsborough Musical Theatre Society 