Me And My Girl cast photos and sponsors

Lee Baxendale
Director

Having been performing and producing shows in the North Devon area for 15 years, doing everything from producing to prompting, Lee has been part of over 150 productions – Me And My Girl being number 157!

Lee started performing with Studio Theatre, ATTCo and Panto Society and has enjoyed performing in many of their shows over the last decade and a half.

In 1999, Lee worked on his first musical show, working with Richard Lancaster, to produce the original production of Fifty Years of Music. From there he went on to create Small Pond Productions alongside Debbie Hadley and has been producing with them since 2001.

Since then Lee has moved more into directing but still performs. Most Recently Lee has performed as Feste in Twelfth Night, Spike in Hi-de-Hi!, Walker in Dad’s Army and Mr Shanks in Habeas Corpus, all with Studio Theatre, for whom he also directed their summer musical show Musical Magic, alongside directing Small Pond’s Summer Show.

Lee studied Theatre and Drama Studies at Roehampton University and now teaches Musical Theatre and Performing Arts at North Devon College.

Lee has enjoyed Me And My Girl immensely, especially as he gets to conduct the orchestra once more. Once Me And My Girl is over, Lee goes straight into directing It’s Christmaaas for Small Pond Productions at the Landmark this Christmas, followed by his biggest production yet: his wedding!

After 12 years as a professional dancer, including Billy Cotton’s TV Variety as a Tiller girl, Pamela’s amateur career began in Ilfracombe writing and producing no less than 16 pantomimes for the Ilfracombe Pantomime Society, of which she was the founder.

Pamela also spent seven years choreographing for Barnstaple Musical Comedy Society.

She has choreographed and co-produced many other shows including My Fair Lady and Hello Dolly! for Studio Theatre.

As well as producing, Pamela has performed a number of leading roles in many productions including:
• Dad’s Army
• Steaming
• Hi-de-Hi!
• Wonderful Christmastime as the memorable wicked stepmother

and

• The Vicar of Dibley, in which she practised her flower-arranging and culinary skills as Letitia Cropley.

Pam Beecham
Choreographer

Stuart has been treading the boards, on and off, for 14 years. Appearing in a variety of shows, from classics like My Fair Lady and Singin’ in the Rain to some more lesser known, such as The Big Musical and Little Shop of Horrors.

He made his directing debut a couple of years ago by directing Summer Holiday for another local society.

Rehearsing Me And My Girl, Stuart has found it a whole new experience: “It’s nice to be with a group who haven’t forgotten how to have fun in rehearsals. This has been a laugh from beginning to end and I hope this comes across in the performances you are about to see.”

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Elena is no stranger to the stage, and has been performing from a very young age.

As well as studying Performing Arts, Elena has recently completed a BA Hons in Early Childhood Studies.

Elena has been involved with a variety of productions including playing the nurse in Romeo and Juliet and Baby Fanny in The Vagina Monologues. Elena’s most recent and favourite role was that of Alice in The Vicar of Dibley.

Having tried to shake off the mannerisms of Alice unsuccessfully, Elena was thrilled to turn her attention to a new character.

Elena has thoroughly enjoyed playing Sally, especially the singing, dancing and the cockney accent. She says the whole experience has been great fun!

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Neil has appeared in many acting and singing roles on the stage, ranging from Henry VIII to Hamlet, and from Orpheus to Jack Point.

His last role was as an old drunkard, Sir Toby Belch, in Twelfth Night for Studio Theatre.

Although recently Neil has been concentrating more on developing his directorial and production management skills, he is very much looking forward to being back on the Ilfracombe stage as an old drunkard for this production of Me and My Girl!

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Barnstaple: 01271 375501
Ilfracombe: 01271 863166
www.rgbltd.co.uk

Laurence has recently played a multitude of leading roles in Studio Theatre’s Musical Magic, directed by Lee Baxendale, as well as Hugo Horton in the successful stage premiere of the Vicar of Dibley.

Laurence’s previous singing and acting collaboration with Lee has included the roles of Duke of Kingston in A Laughing Matter, Cornelius in Hello Dolly! and numerous dramas, musicals and comedies both with Small Pond and Studio Theatre.

Laurence has also written and directed various shows both here in North Devon and in Oxford and, once again, will be directing the Ilfracombe Musical Productions show at the Landmark Theatre in 2009

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Hayley is currently studying Musical Theatre and Performing Arts at North Devon College.

She has been involved in theatre from a young age and has performed many lead and supporting roles including Bobby in the amateur premiere of the Railway Children and Muzzy Van Hosmere in Thoroughly Modern Millie for Barnstaple Young Generation.

More recently Hayley has performed demanding roles at North Devon College including Hecuba in Trojan Women and Mrs Peachum in The Threepenny Opera.

Me And My Girl is Hayley’s first show with Studio Theatre and Small Pond and she has enjoyed every moment of it.

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Robert is the token victim of Studio Theatre and Small Pond, being bullied and pushed about generally as Frank Pike in Dad’s Army, Dennis in Habeas Corpus, Jeffrey Fairbrother in Hi-de-Hi!, Frank Pickle in the Vicar of Dibley, a holidaymaker having an ice cream cone pushed into his face in Small Pond’s Summer Show and now Parchester in Me And My Girl.

He takes refuge in writing fiction and drama, including NetworkNotwork, a play about business networking staged by Studio Theatre, another play and a radio situation comedy up one of his sleeves and some comedy sketches, some of which have fallen out of his other sleeve to be performed at the Landmark Theatre and Pavilion.

Robert is currently publishing his online novel, Candyfloss & Pickles, in daily instalments at robznov.co.uk.

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Ted first became hooked on theatre in 1936 when, at the age of eight, he walked on stage at the Grand Theatre, Croydon to sing a boy soprano solo.

In the interim there is little that Ted has not tackled through Army Concert Parties, classical drama, rep theatre, touring variety shows and pantomime.

His more recent roles for Small Pond and Studio Theatre include Col. Kurt von Strohm in ’Allo ’Allo, Col. Hugh Pickering in My Fair Lady, a rumbustuous Yorkshire businessman in the premiere of Robert Zarywacz’s NetworkNotwork and David Horton in the Vicar of Dibley.

Ted has also made several guest appearances with ‘Think Floyd’, the class tribute band Pink Floyd – the world-famous rock group!

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Mike Bennett & Debbie Hadley
Lord & Lady Battersby

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Before moving to the seaside six years ago, Mike Bennett spent many years writing and directing panto and music hall, and appearing in many of the big musicals in the Thames Valley.

Since then, Mike has taken on lots of musical and comedy roles with Small Pond and Studio Theatre, including Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army, Mr Purdue in Habeas Corpus, Fred Quilley in Hi-de-Hi! and Jim Trott in the Vicar of Dibley.

As Studio Theatre’s vice chairman, Mike plays an active part in the group and, as well as his considerable involvement in all aspects of organisation, he devised and directed Studio Theatre’s 1940s touring summer show, When You’re Smiling.

Mike also enjoys appearing in Small Pond’s Summer Shows as the token old fart!

Mike looks forward to reprising the role of Lord Battersby, which he originally played in Maidenhead in 1999.

Debbie Hadley studied Drama at De Montfort University, and has performed Shakespeare to Berkoff, charity concerts to professional cabaret, from the Edinburgh Fringe to the West End.

With Small Pond Debs has performed in a variety of shows, including the thought-provoking and controversial Vagina Monologues.

She also took the leading role in Studio Theatre’s production of Hello Dolly!

Recently, she played the hilarious role of Geraldine in The Vicar of Dibley, noting many similarities between herself and the Vicar, namely “a bob cut and a magnificent bosom” and an appreciation of the chocolatier.

Debs is married to Glen, a sound, lighting and AV engineer and designer, has two insane cats and daughter who shares her mother’s love of shoes and feather boas.

Tony Parker

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Pedlar’s of Ilfracombe
Home Hardware & gent’s outfitters
27 High Street, Ilfracombe.
Tel: 01271 863509

Lybi Wastie

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All The Ms
fish & chip shop
7-8 The Promenade,
Ilfracombe.