Please see the dates to the right for upcoming previews and auditions.
Our production team are: Nick Brannam (Director and Choreography) and Thomas Joy (Musical Director)
Auditions will take place on Sunday 13th November 2016
Rehearsal Schedule
Reading Operatic is in the final stages of preparation for Children of Eden but we’re now already looking forward to our production of Sister Act.
Rehearsals commence on 25 April with auditions on 8 May.
The production team is Jennifer Scott, Gemma Hough and Neil Matthews.
It will be an open audition process and we’ll be looking for a particularly vivacious Delores, as well as looking for females of a wide age range among the roles.
Watch this space for more details or get in touch via our Contact page to let us know of your interest.
Michelle/Tina No. 1 Take me to Heaven – bars 27 – 47
Deloris (ad lib) No. 2 Fabulous Baby bars 1 – 66 and bars 116 to End. Possibly do bars 106 and 107.
Curtis No. 6 When I find my Baby – beginning to bar 43.
Mother Superior No. 13 I haven’t got a prayer – beginning to bar 43 and bar 92 ( ‘..and I haven’t a clue…’) to the End.
Sister Mary Lazarus No. 5 It’s good to be a nun bars 16 to bar 53 ( all of these bars even though they are shared between Lazarus and Patrick) and No. 8 Raise your Voice – bars 145 to 148 ( ‘Rap’ section ‘ Laudamus te…’ etc )
Sister Mary Patrick No. 5 It’s good to be a nun bars 16 to bar 53 (all of these bars even though they are shared between Lazarus and Patrick) and No. 9 Take me to Heaven ( Reprise ) bars 128 to 135 ( ‘ Don’t know how you do what you do….etc’ )
Sister Mary Robert No. 15 The Life I never led – from beginning to bar 64 and bar 202 to the End and No. 8 Raise your Voice – bars 161 – 165 ( ‘ Tu solus dominus…’ etc )
Eddie No. 7 I could be that Guy ( first verse only ie to bar 54 )
TJ/Joey/Pablo No. 12 Lady in the Long Black Dress – first verse ( to bar 25 ) and bars 41 and 42 ( ‘Hey….long black dress’ ) ( I will practise these 2 bars with anyone auditioning to help them )
CHORUS Nuns: No. 11 Sunday morning fever – bars 166 to 183 ( sing appropriate harmony if possible – probably audition in twos and threes )
Men No. 22 Spread the love around – bars 111 – 118 ( ‘Everyone, join your hands together…etc ) or simply ‘ Hallelujah’
Reading Operatic Society is excited to announce the cast of its production of Children of Eden at the Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames on 13-16 April 2016.
Auditions for this very talented group of performers were held over three different sessions and the production team were both blessed and challenged by the very high standards on display.
Our congratulations go to the successful auditionees and sincere thanks to everyone who took part in auditions and recalls.
The whole cast will meet for the first rehearsal on this coming Monday, 9 November, at St Peter’s Church Hall, Church Road, Earley, Reading RG6 1EY, 19:15 for 19:30. Let creation begin!
| Father | William Branson |
| Adam | Tom Gingel |
| Eve | Jenni Simmonds |
| Cain | Ben Tait |
| Abel | Dominic Lane |
| Yonah | Jolene Walsh |
| Japheth | Richard Bott |
| Noah | Nathan Isaac |
| Mama Noah | Charley Woodward |
| Aysha | Jane Hardcastle |
| Aphra | Claire Johnson |
| Snake | Eve Macdonald and Gareth Watkins |
| Snake Dancers | Inez Gallagher, Nicky Jaggar, Claire Johnson, Nicola Morrin and Katie Thrussell |
| Lead Female Vocalist | Ellie Ulrich |
| Young Adam | Sammy Fitzpatrick and Jamie Watkins |
| Young Eve | Katie Mulligan and Lucy Richards |
| Young Cain | Tristan Berry |
| Young Abel | Alex Leroy |
| Dancers | Tilly Beck, Jade Clark, Karina G-Koegel and Jennie Leggat |
| Story Tellers | Sarah Abbott, George Apap, Abi Clarke, Gemma Didcock, Phil Elliott, Kevin Gingell, Gloria Griffiths, Jane Hardcastle, David Johnson, Sam Prior, Rhiannon Rowlands, Julia Sadler and Barrie Theobald |
| Children’s Chorus | Jade Chaplin, Rose Chaplin, Ellie Chapman, Jake Didcock, Manon Green, Jasper Lawson, Juliette Leroy, Tanith White and Jack Wright |
Reading Operatic Society is pleased to announce that it has appointed Sally-Anne Coleman as director and choreographer for Children of Eden and Anton Gwilt as our musical director. Both will join our established production team for the show which is anticipated to attract a cast of broad age range and abilities.
Over the years Sally-Anne has enjoyed a varied career, both on and off the stage. She is an established choreographer and performing arts tutor working with children and adults of all ages.
Sally-Anne has performed in, and worked on, numerous productions, including touring cabarets and even the circus.
This is Sally-Anne’s second production for Reading Operatic Society having worked on the choreography and musical staging for the highly successful production of Oliver! in 2014.
Anton joined the Royal Air Force’s Music Services at the age of 16 and, after two years’ training, joined the Central Band and spent more than 23 years touring all over the world.
Since leaving the RAF Anton has been working as a freelance musician.
Previous productions as Musical Director include Honk, Bugsy Malone, High School Musical, A Chorus Line, The Pirates of Penzance,
Our House, Les Miserables, Mack & Mabel”, The Sound of Music, Half A Sixpence and The Wiz.
Anton is no stranger to Reading Operatic Society and we are pleased to welcome him back as Musical Director for Children of Eden.
Reading Operatic is pleased to announce be performing Children of Eden by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Wicked) at The Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames.
This widely regarded musical features a wide range of roles which will show the members of our Society off at their very versatile best and involve our very youngest to eldest performers. Plus of course our talented back stage and front of house teams.
Auditions will be held in October and there will be many opportunities for amateur performers of all ages and ethnicities to try for roles and the chorus. Watch for announcements.
Keen competition at the auditions for Reading Operatic Society’s performance of Hairspray at The Hexagon, Reading in September 2015 resulted in the following being cast in the principal roles:
Tracy Turnblad Emily Smith
Edna Turnblad Paul Sheppard
Wilbur Turnblad James Gwynne
Link Larkin Henry Bearman
Velma Von Tussle Nicola Morrin
Amber Von Tussle Samantha Hopkins
Penny Pingleton Holly Snowden
Mrs Pingleton Sarah Abbot
Motormouth Maybelle Natasha Mulvey
Seaweed J. Stubbs Jerome Ifil
Inez Tamla Birch
Corny Collins Ollie Kyte
Mr Pinkey George Apap
Tickets are available now, at special prices only from this website. Please see our Hairspray show page for more details.
Reading Operatic Society’s performance of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at The Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames, was nominated for three NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) London awards – and then declared winner of The Joe Putnam Trophy for the Best Musical at the awards ceremony today, 28 June 2015.
Anna Jennings (Miss Mona) was Highly Commended in the Molly Harle Trophy for the Best Female Character in a Musical
The Society was also in a shortlist of 12 nominees in the Kathleen Oyler Trophy for Chorus Work.
The full list of NODA London 2015 Award Winners can be downloaded here.
Reading Operatic Society has long-appreciated the many ways that Jean Theobald and our president, Barrie Theobald, have tirelessly worked on its behalf over many years. We were delighted to learn they had been nominated to receive the Services to Earley Award from Earley Town Council in recognition of their varied contributions to the Earley community.
They were each presented with certificates and plaques by the Mayor of Earley on 20 May 2015 to mark their efforts. The presentation was duly reported on the third page of the local press, accompanied by a photograph, and Jean was heard to say that she can finally claim to be a Page 3 Girl! The annual ROS fund-raising day in their garden on 23 May raised over £500 for the Society.
Read the report in The Reading Chronicle here.
Reading Operatic Society will be performing the brilliant musical, Hairspray, at The Hexagon, Reading, Berkshire on 23-26 September 2015. We’re on the look out now for cast members, for all roles including Tracy Turnblad, Edna Turnblad, Velma Von Tussle, Penny Pingleton, Motormouth Maybelle, Amber Von Tussle, Link Larkin, Seaweed J. Stubbs, Wilbur Turnblad, Corny Collins and Little Inez, plus ensemble.
Workshops for Hairspray will be on :
Auditions Sunday 17 May in the afternoon. Please download the audition form here, complete and bring it with you.
Workshops will be a mixture of music, dance and drama and cover the audition pieces/routines. These will be available during the workshops. All workshops and the audition will be at Earley St. Peter’s Hall, Church Road, Earley, Reading. For non-members there will be an audition fee of £5 which will be offset against subscriptions if you take part in the production.
To be considered for audition please contact secretary@readingops.co.uk
A music workshop will be held at 7.30pm Thursday 9 October 2014 for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ahead of auditions on 12 October. This is to give everyone a really good idea of the expectations of our production team, director Alex McWilliam, musical director Nick Austin and choreographer David Parsonson ahead of casting.
The workshop will be run at our usual rehearsal venue.
To register for auditions and gain access to audition material please complete the audition form here.