11 - 14 March 2020

Proudly performed by the pupils of

THE NELSON THOMLINSON SCHOOL

Synopsis

Act I

Act I opens with the auction of some old items at the Paris Opera House. Time is retraced to

tell the mysterious tale of ‘The Phantom’. It begins with the rehearsal of the opera ‘Hannibal’.

Hannibal, played by the famous, Ubaldi Piangi, returns victorious from battle to meet his wife,

played by Carlotta, the theatre’s resident soprano. The owner of the theatre, Lefevre, interrupts

and announces the sale of the theatre to Messrs Firmin and Andre, who are supported by a

young nobleman, Raoul. Only after Lefevre leaves do they realise that the theatre has a

resident ‘Phantom’ who controls the theatre and demands a large and regular fee.

During the rehearsal, a piece of scenery inexplicably falls, narrowly missing Carlotta who

storms out and refuses to sing. The young Christine Daaé, a member of the chorus, is recruited

to sing in her place, with the encouragement of her friend Meg Giry and Meg’s mother

Madame Giry, the dance mistress, who knows more about the Phantom than she lets on.

When Raoul hears Christine sing, he is delighted to realise that she is his long lost childhood

sweetheart. Christine explains that she is unable to rekindle their friendship because of a

mysterious music teacher that she has never actually seen. Raoul chooses to ignore this. The

mysterious music teacher is, of course, the masked Phantom, who whisks Christine away to his

underground lair where the full extent of his lonely existence is revealed. After discovering his

hideously deformed face, Christine is moved to pity by his misery and a new relationship

begins to be forged between them.

However, when she returns to the opera house, The Phantom demands that Christine is given

the lead in the next production, ‘Il Muto’ and that Carlotta should be given the role of a mute

pageboy. The new owners foolishly decide to ignore The Phantom and instead cast Carlotta in

the lead role – which leads to disaster!

Meanwhile, Raoul and Christine cannot help falling in love – she takes him to the top of the

opera house where they swear their undying love for each other. Unfortunately, the jealous

Phantom overhears their conversation and Act I ends with a violent act of revenge.

Act II

Act II opens, six months on, with a joyous masquerade ball celebrating Christine and Raoul’s

engagement. All is going well until the arrival of The Phantom. He has written his own opera,

‘Don Juan’, and demands that it is performed with Christine as the lead.

Raoul has a plan to outwit The Phantom; a marksman and others lay in wait while the new

(and awful) opera is performed. It begins and, as expected, The Phantom is drawn to Christine

who he drags down to his lair. She is in danger and Raoul must save her from her damaged and

sad mentor. Madame Giry gives Raoul a stark warning as he descends into The Phantom’s lair.

It is advice that he does not heed…

Co–Directors (in no particular order)

Mrs R Carroll, Mrs R Le Breton, Mrs L Lynn, Miss F Hardy

Chorus

Alisa Hogg

Evie Sproat

Florence Prior

Nicole Greenway

Ffion Jenkins

Millie-Mae Thompson

Veronika Koscusko

Alex Harbach

Katie Ewin

Jessica Pietersen

Jessica Williams

Belle Hastings

Victoria Boothman

Also all available principals

Choreography and Dance

Principal Choreographer

Miss F Hardy

Choreographers

Eva Smith

Kerry Greenway

Dancers

Eva Smith

Kerry Greenway

Georgina Huntington

Meaghan Lloyd

Ffion Jenkins

Victoria Boothman

Matthew Whitehead

Adam Swainson

Orchestra

Conductor Mrs R Le Breton

Percussion and Sound Tech: Toby Cass

Woodwind 1 Alice Henderson

Woodwind 2 Rosie Cooper

Poppy Deakin

Woodwind 3 Isabella Brown

Woodwind 4 Lucy Irving

Woodwind 5 Marcus Carlsson

Ann Bishop

Horn 1 Pam Harris

Horn 2 Jennifer Woodward

Horn 3 Ben Jackson

Trumpet Ian Sharman

Trombone Jodie Roberts

Graham Harris

Piano David Shingler

Synth Alex Birkett

Violins Philippa Hall (Leader)

Alice Reid

Christie Richardson

Charlie Burfield

Louise Peacock

Viola Esme Hogg

Cello Rachel Owen

Jake Cardigan

Rebecca Clear

Technical and Other Support

Technical Manager

Mr G Desmond

Lighting

Elysha Cockbain

Matthew Ellwood

Sound:

Finlay Zachopoulos

Rory Cuninghame

Meghan Gray

Sarah Shingler

Miriam Stobart

Stage Management

Set Manager

Miss F Hardy

Support

Mrs L Lynn

Miss R Morley

Mrs D Johnson

Mr A Johnson

Mrs G Allin

Miss R Hatton

Daisy Connor

Olivia Zachopoulos

Pyrotechnics Mr A Heyes

Backstage

Mrs M Banks

Mr S Rudd

Mrs G Foster

Front of House

Mrs H Naylor

Mrs J Cass

Ticket Coordinator

Ms K Reynolds

Security

Mr J Scott

Makeup

Jess Sansom

Elizabeth Dixon

Joshua Thompson

Costumes/Sewing

Mrs Elaine Adamson

Mrs J Ellis-Williams

Miss R Hatton

Mrs Tracey Tait

Miriam Stobart

With especial thanks to Mrs

Elaine Adamson who tirelessly

and enthusiastically made a

huge number of skirts, shirts

and other costumes with

incredible close attention to

detail. Together with her

husband, Stewart M Adamson,

she donated not only her time

and effort but also all the fabric.

Mrs Adamson’s heroic efforts

have set up the school costume

cupboard for many years to

come and we are incredibly

grateful.

Set Design

Mrs G Allin

Set Construction

Mr M Irving

Mrs G Allin

Mr A Clay

With special thanks to Mrs R

Blake who gave up a great deal

of her time to make both the

magnificent boat and Phantom

chair. These are major

contributions to the set and we

are extremely grateful for her

efforts.

Set decoration

Mrs E Walker

Mrs G Allin

Elephant banners

Miss R Hatton

Miriam Stobart

General support

Miss F Hardy

Mrs D Small

Bobbie Rowley

Meghan Gray

Elizabeth Dixon

The Principals – Wednesday & Friday

Sam Weakley

as

The Phantom

Sophie Madden

as

Christine

Adam Swainson

as

Raoul

Gemma Bell

as

Madame Giry

Kerry Greenway

as

Meg Giry

Makayla Pieterson

as

Carlotta

Ross French

as

Piangi

Adam Cuninghame

as

Firmin

Robbie Anson

as

Andre

The Principals –Wednesday & Friday

Wilfred Fletcher

as

Reyer

Oliver Hartley-Graham as

Lefevre

Matthew Whitehead as

Buquet

Passarino Brodie Coulthard

Nurse Millie-Mae Thompson

Auctioneer Ted West-Sadler

Officers Scott Cooper- Holmes

Florence Prior

Matthew Whitehead

In Gratitude

The following deserve a particular mention and our very special thanks for their support

Mr G Desmond

for constant support and willingness to think laterally to make things happen on the technical front

Elizabeth Bell at The John Peel Theatre for the loan of many costumes and for making others when we were short

Theatre by the Lake

for the loan of costumes and a replacement smoke machine

Fiona Ryden for picking up our purchases in Grimsby

Sam Wilkinson at the ‘Studio A’

for the loan of set items

‘The Barista’ Coffee Shop for the loan of the gavel

Mr Robert Berry – Lead Consultant, ‘The Really Useful Group’

for his unending support, generosity and kindness in the face of our many questions