Company of Friends

welcome

Welcome to the Company of Friends web site, a local amateur, non-profit making musical and theatre group based in East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Dick Whittington wasn’t the only one having adventures over Christmas, oh no he wasn’t. There were far more dramatic goings on behind the scenes when the snow almost stopped play and East Grinstead was blanketed in far too much of the white stuff. Cast and crew struggled through the blizzard, one of them taking 4 hours to get to the Dress Rehearsal from Tunbridge Wells, while Tommy the Cat didn’t ‘pawse’ once in his 3 hour trip from Horsham so, with their usual Company of Friends style and enthusiasm many of the cast and crew actually slept in the theatre just to make sure they’d be there for the opening performance.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this fabulous show. Not one performance was cancelled and we even picked up extra audience who couldn’t get to their other pre booked pantos because of the weather so thought they’d give us a try – and they’ve already said they’ll be back next year. Watch out for details of Open auditions in the summer for our next spectacular trip to pantoland, and after all the goings on this time round what else could it be except Snow White!

Our Audience says...

“We had a wonderful time with our friends at the Hawth this afternoon. Your show was absolutely spectacular and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - it was one of the best ever. The orchestra was terrific too. Well done and we can't wait for the next one!”

“My wife and I have just returned from the matinee performance of Pirates of Penzance and would like to say how much we enjoyed the show. A first rate production enthusiastically performed. A special mention is due for the orchestra. Well done and thank you to everybody involved.”

“…..coming back from London last night I spent most of the journey listening to the ladies behind me. They had been to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert. They spent the whole journey discussing shows they had seen, many in London, Aida at LaScala in Milan, the Sydney Opera House, the Albert Hall, and then one said "have you been to East Grinstead. The Company of Friends. They're fantastic."

Dick Whittington 2010 at Chequer Mead Theatre, East Grinstead Snow White 2011 at Chequer Mead Theatre, East Grinstead
The next Company of Friends fun-filled Family Pantomime.
Click here for further information.

Photo by championphotographic.co.uk

We're Behind Them

Just a few of the Company of Friends who have spent Christmas with us over the past few years...

Peter Pan - Justin Thomas-Verweij is in his final year at D & B School of Performing Arts, having spent a busy summer season touring cabaret in Spain,been featured in a BT infinity Advert and is now touring in Dirty Dancing.

Wendy - Lily de la Haye Earl - Now In her second year at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Lily already has radio and tv performances to her credit and hopes to be flying high into a professional career.

Queen of Gooseland - Move over Christine Bleakley because Frankie Templeman now works professionally presenting online and live broadcast programmes.

Grace Gardner - With a Disneyland Paris season to her credit and a lead role in ‘Parade’ Grace has been working her magic at Mountview for almost 3 years and is looking forward to a ‘fairy’ busy career, beginning in What Our Audiences Say……..February when she tours Europe and UK in ‘Jekyll and Hyde' and now is playing a part in ‘Sister Act’.

A Thrilling Experience - Matt Gillet & Todd Holdsworth, with many CoF pantos and musicals behind them, they are pictured here in Mother Goose, but both have now flown the nest, with Matt appearing in Dames at Sea at the Union Theatre, before embarking on the National tour of White Christmasl and Todd, who graduated from the London Studio Centre last summer currently touring in ‘Thriller’.

Okay, so ‘Pirates of Penzance isn’t a panto but audiences agree it was just as much fun and we were delighted when Richard Sideway came back during a European G & S tour to play Frederick – it had been his appearance as Sky Masterson in CoF ‘Guys and Dolls’ which set him off on a west end and international singing career.

Aladdin always said he’d go far – and Kate Hume is now at Trinity Laban Conservatoire doing a degree in Musical Theatre.

Matthew Spencer managed to Artfully Dodge spending too many Christmases on stage with us but his appearances in ‘Oliver!’ and Olde Tyme Music Hall helped him on his way to the professional stage and performances in the West End in ‘Bent’ and the legendary ‘War Horse’.

Adam Pettigrew - Hot off the Press is the news that Adam, who played Bobby Franklin in ‘the Boyfriend’, has just landed himself a leading role in the ‘Avenue Q’ tourand is playing in A Slice of Saturday night.

Recently spotted on the Costa del Sol was RYAN MORRIS who’s in the middle of a busy summer season entertaining the holidaymakers – he always did have a sunny smile!

Chorlene Biron-Monnier and Sian Taylor O’Hanlon have appeared in several CoF pantos and they shared the role of Kathy Cratchitt in Scrooge so it’s great to know that they have both made it into ‘Shrek’. Chorlene is taking a break from November to return as one of our Seven Dwarfs just as Sian starts her West End run. Chorlene will be joined in the dwarf’s cottage by Jake Tuesley who is currently on the London stage in ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’. Also missing from our junior ranks this year will be Tom Clarke who is playing John Darling in “Peter Pan” at the Hawth and Alex Watts who is joining Fagin’s gang in the national tour of “Oliver!”

Chris Parsons who was seen as one of our marines in South Pacific joined the Army in August 2008 and has been stationed in Germany since August 2009 as part of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. He is currently in Afghanistan. He works as ground crew and signaller for Lynx helicopters. We all hope he will be home safe and sound in mid-November.

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