In the 'House Seats'

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Helen Hobson boasts an impressive career in both Musical Theatre and TV. Following her debut in Chess in the West End she then joined the cast of Les Miserables. From there her leading lady roles include, Donna in Mamma Mia!, Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Clara in Stephen Sondheim’s award winning Passion, Cathy opposite Sir Cliff Richard’s Heathcliff, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Rose Vibert in Aspects of Love, Grizabella in Cats and Mrs Walker in Tommy.  She has just finished playing the role of Diane in Come From Away at the Phoenix theatre in the West End.

Helen has also played roles in EastEnders, The Bill, Where The Heart is, Rosemary & Thyme, Doctors, Judge John Deed and Heartbeat. She made her film debut in the award winning movie Lovelorn, winning Best Supporting Actress at the prestigious Los Angeles Reel Film Festival.

Helen has also performed with many orchestras around the world, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The NDR Orchestra, The London Pops Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Showbiz Pops Orchestra and The Kammerspiel Trio.

She has also just trained as a fitness professional and offers healthy eating advice, 1-2-1 coaching and online coaching. Follow her on Twitter @HealthyhelenNo1.

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Yay, we are one year old and this is our 52nd recording. 

We started this podcast with an initial taster intro on 6 May 2020 and our first episode, with Alan Burkitt, was on 10 May 2020. 

We are so excited that live performance will soon be happening again as we have all missed so dearly, so today we are taking some time to wish ourselves a very happy birthday and to welcome back to the stage all the performances that are about to reopen again this summer. 

So all you need to do is sit back, relax and listen in with us…

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Joanne's background in professional & performance ballet, musical theatre and television provides her with unique expertise and credentials in the performing arts.

Born in Paignton, Devon where she attended the Pamela De Waal School of Dancing. From an early age she was performing professionally in pantomimes alongside the Carry On team and Freddie Davis. She trained at the Arts Educational School in London, going on to perform principal roles with the Dublin City Ballet Company in Ireland, namely Pas De Quatre, Les Slyphides and The Nutcracker, working with Lou Conte, Paula Hinton Gore and John Gilpin. Joanne also danced frequently with the Dublin Grand Opera in Carmen, La Traviata 

On her return to the UK, she performed in the Jim Davidson show playing the role of Cinderella before joining the original cast of 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Joanne went on to play the role of Phyllis Dale, understudy both Peggy Sawyer which she performed numerous times and Anytime Annie. She later went on to perform Peggy Sawyer on the first national tour and return season to the West End at the Dominion Theatre.

On television Joanne has appeared on the Royal Variety Performances of 1985 & 1986, A Royal Night of 100 Stars, Casualty, House of Elliott and Little Englanders to name a few. In film she has appeared in The Hawk and the James Bond movie Goldeneye.

Joanne's experience also encompasses choreography for pantomime & smaller revues and acting in corporate videos.

A scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dance led her into a teaching career and in 1995 she graduated with distinction from the Professional Dancers Teaching Course. Going on to teach at the Denise Windmill School of Dance, The London School of Mime, Diana Vere School of Dance, Corona Stage School, Centre Stage and Roehampton Institute.

Until recently she also taught at the RAD Dance School in London.Joanne also taught regular artistic enhancement classes alongside RAD Summer and Easter Schools both in England and abroad, Children’s Summer Classes, and numerous children’s workshops. She has also taught at MOVE IT for the RAD, Move 123 in Luxembourg and assisted Craig Bartley who choreographed the Finale for Dance Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

She has had the pleasure of teaching the ballet classes for the IDTA Classical Performance Awards and at the IDTA London Seminar. Joanne has also had the honour of adjudicating the IDTA Classical Performance Awards.

Joanne was selected to complete training to enable her to teach Sir Frederick Ashton workshops both for The Dream and La Fille Mal Gardee for the RAD which she did at RAD HQ

She continues to run her own ballet school in Surrey, now in its eighteenth year. She is also a licenced Silver Swan teacher.

In October 2018 Joanne became the Principal of the RAD Dance School at the headquarters in London.

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Gary’s first West End role was that of Bill Snibson in the award winning Musical ‘Me And My Girl’ in 1989 (Adelphi Theatre).  A successful No.1 theatre tour of a new comedy, ‘Teething Troubles’ followed, both productions to critical acclaim. 

With direction by Simon Callow, Gary’s next role was that of Joe in the award winning ‘Carmen Jones’ (Old Vic). Gary then starred in the first sell out national tour of ‘Me And My Girl’ which earned him a best actor nomination.

He then went on to star in the world premier of the Barry Manilow musical ‘Copacabana’ at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre after which, he received a special invitation to recreate his role in ‘Me And My Girl’ for the final tour of this great show.

That same year he recorded a one-hour TV special for the BBC – ‘Showstoppers’ and was invited to record a further series of six TV spectaculars with the BBC Concert Orchestra and many national and international guest stars. He also starred in and directed a 160 date tour of ‘Showstoppers'.

In 1997 he created the role of Elliot Garfield in ‘The Goodbye Girl’ and in 1998 another successful characterisation of Fagin in the Cameron Mackintosh production of ‘Oliver’, touring through spring and summer 1999.

Gary spent a highly successful period at the Bristol Old Vic (and touring) in Willy Russell’s play ‘One For The Road’ and starred in the concert tour of ‘Music To Watch Girls By’ singing, in his own inimitable style. 

A No 1 tour of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Confusions’, Bottom in The New Shakespeare Company to play  ‘A_Midsummer_Night’s_Dream’ (Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park) and the Pirate King in ‘Pirates of Penzance' and a performance in the national tour of Giles Havergal’s brilliant adaptation of the Graham Greene novel ‘Travels With My Aunt’.

Gary spent most of 2003/4 at The London Palladium, starring in the record breaking ‘Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang’ and ending the year with his own national concert tour ‘My-Kind_Of_Music’. 

In the summer, he was invited back to The Open Air Theatre to play Dauntless Dick Deadeye in ‘H.M.S_Pinafore’ and then starring in ‘Santa Claus the Musical’ at The Mayflower, Southampton in 2005. He was invited back to ‘Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang’ and the 2006 Christmas season saw him starring in ‘Peter Pan’ as Captain Hook.

A successful national tour of ‘Half_a Sixpence’ and the 2007 Christmas as the Scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and then the Lion in The Festival Theatre's The Wizard of Oz in 2008, finally ending the year in Manchester as Smee in Peter Pan.

In 2009 Gary starred in the national tour of ‘Chicago’ in the role of Billy Flynn, the lawyer, ‘The Invisible Man’, at Chocolate Factory, the national tour of Lord Arthur Saville's Crime as Septimus Podgers and as the lead comic role in the national tour of  ‘Radio Times’. In 2013, he played Dame for the first time at the Birmingham Hippodrome and then a run of westend shows including, The Pajama Game, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Wind in the Willows followed by another panto at the Palladium and a run of M

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Leon studied at Guildford School of Acting.

Leon's theatre credits include: Sandra Bollock - Everybodys talking about Jamie (Apollo Theatre) West End, Babkak/Cover Genie - Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre) West End, Audrey II (Voice of the plant) - Little Shop Of Horrors (Salisbury Playhouse & Mercury Theatre Colchester), Queen Of Hearts - Alice In Wonderland (UK tour), King Herod - Jesus Christ Superstar (Arena Tour UK & Australia), Rodney - My Big Gay Italian Wedding - (Greenwich Theatre), Melvin P Thorpe - The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (Union Theatre), Company - Myths And Hymns (Finborough Theatre), Sid/Inventor - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK tour), Montel/Jesus - Jerry Springer The Opera (Cambridge Theatre) West End, Chuck Brown - Over The Rainbow (UK Tour), Company - On The Shelf (Edinburgh Festival) and other roles in Exit Allan - (Sherman Theatre Cardiff).

On television Leon's credits include:  Ensemble - Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour (Universal), Montel/Jesus - Jerry Springer The Opera (BBC2 & Avalon), a featured role in “Paddy Power Ball Of Shame” (Commercial) and a featured role - Nintendo Wii Fit (Commercial).

Pantomime credits include: Ugly Sister - Cinderella (New Wimbeldon Theatre), Director - Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs - (Forum Barrow), Director - Cinderella (Forum Barrow), Widow Twankey - Aladdin - (Derby Arena), Dame Jollena Jellychops - (Oxford Playhouse), Dame Doughnut - Dick Whittington (Oxford Playhouse), Sarah The Cook - Dick Whittington (Grove Theatre Dunstable), Dame Mary Trott - Jack And The Beanstalk (Broadway Theatre Catford), Dame Widow Twankey - (Lyceum Theatre Crewe), Dame Nanna Nora - Sleeping Beauty (Lyceum Theatre Crewe), Genie - Aladdin (Loughborough), Dame Daisy Dollop - Jack And The Beanstalk - (Wakefield Theatre Royal) and Sarah The Cook - Dick Whittington - (Cliffs Pavilion Southend - QDOS).

He was also the presenter Amadeus - Globalzoom Hair and Modelling show- (Vienna - Austria) and lead singer - Songs of Michael Jackson - MA Concerts (Warwick Castle).

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Steven's television and film credits include: Jeff Cullen (Regular) in Coronation Street & Just Rosie (ITV), Ken Beasley (Regular) in Bernard’s Watch (Carlton), Gregg Blake (Regular) in London’s Burning (LWT), Ed Russell (Regular) in Bugs (Carnival / BBC), Captain Barker in The New adventures of Robin Hood (Warner Bros), Drew in Doctors (BBC), Scott Bridges in Holby City (BBC), Ex (Moonstone), Alive and Kicking (Film Four), Futures (Flick Films), Prisoners of Honour (Franco London Films).Theatre credits include Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music (UK Tour), an Olivier nomination for his portrayal of Keith Nicholson in Spend Spend Spend (Piccadilly, Original Cast), Bob Wallace in White Christmas (Edinburgh Festival and The Lowry Manchester), Arnaud du Thil in Martin Guerre (Prince Edward, Original Cast), Adam Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (National Tour), Chris in Miss Saigon (National Tour), Danny Zuko in Grease (National Tour), The Narrator in Blood Brothers (Phoenix), Alex in Desperately Seeking Susan (Novello, Original Cast), Curly in Oklahoma (Kilworth open air theatre), Munkustrap in Cats (New London), Pish Tush in The Hot Mikado (Queens, Original Cast), Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun, (National Tour), Pat Denning in 42nd Street (Chichester Festival Theatre), Sebastian in The Thing About Men, (New Players), Pip in Great Expectations (National Tour), Arthur in Come Dancing (RNTS), Dave in Komb@ (RNTS), Simon in Friends Like Us (Arts), Lead in War Cabaret (Pleasance), Kiss Me Kate (National Tour), Moby Dick (Piccadilly, Original Cast), The Man in American Hot (Cafe de Paris), and Children of Eden (Prince Edward, Original Cast) 

His recording credits include “Wind Beneath My Wings”, a single produced by Simon Cowell, which sold 600,000 copies and reached number 3 in the UK singles chart. Also, Steven recorded his own album, which sold 200,000 and went straight to gold disc.

As well as his performing work, Steven is also the Artistic Director of ‘Excel Performing Arts’ in Hertfordshire. He has lectured all over the UK and has been an adjudicator for many dance festivals/competitions including the new ‘Champion of Champions’ festival. Most recently he has adjudicated ‘Miss Dance of Great Britain’ in Blackpool.  

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From training as a 13 year old at Italia Conti school, Lee has had an illustrious career performing in theatre before becoming the successful multi award winning choreographer and director that he is now.

Lee has directed: Once on this Island (Southwark Playhouse); Eurovision (Iceland); Legally Blonde (Monaco)

Lee has choreographed: Ghost (Stuttgard, Germany); Fiddler on the Roof (Det nyt Teatre, Denmark);City of Angels (Royal Academy of Music); Once on this Island (Southwark Playhouse); Eurovision, (Iceland), Matilda (Reykjavik); The Rocky Horror Show (Reykjavik City Centre); Ghost (Stage Entertainment); Elf The Musical (Tivoli, Copenhagen); Sunset Boulevard (UK Tour); Legally Blonde (Opéra Garnier, Monaco); Ghost (Landestheater Linz); The Braille Legacy (Charing Cross Theatre); GHOST The Musical (original German speaking production) Linz, Austria and Berlin; RENT (UK tour); Harriet Martineau Dreams of Dancing (Live Theatre, Newcastle); Spring Awakening (Leicester Curve); Allegro (Southwark Playhouse); Grey Garden's (Southwark Playhouse); The Smallest Show on Earth (UK tour); Grand Hotel (Southwark Playhouse); The Wind in the Willows (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre); The Producers (UK tour); Mamma Mia & Billy Elliot (Reykjavik City Theatre); Ghost The Musical (English Theatre Frankfurt); Post Office of Iceland (TV Commercial); Lottys War (UK tour), Revolution in the Elbow of Ragnar Agnarsson (Minetta Lane Theatre New York); Carousel (Arcola Theatre); HI Lo Joe (Movie); Tyne (Theatre Royal Newcastle/Custom House); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Reyjavik City Theatre); Cooking With Elvis (Live Theatre, Newcastle); Olympia (Workshop/Jerwood Space); The Revenge Of Sherlock Holmes (Hoxton Hall, London); Mary Poppins (Reykjavik City Theatre); Boy Meets Boy (Jermyn Street Theatre); Victor Victoria (Southwark Playhouse); Our House (Peoples Theatre, Newcastle); Mack and Mabel (Southwark Playhouse); Utopia (Soho Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); A Northern Odyssey (Live Theatre).
Resident Choreographer: Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace). 

His awards include: 2019 Griman Award for Best Choreographer for Matilda at Reykjavik City Theatre; 2017 International Best Achievement Recognition Award "Best Choreographer", 2017 TheOffWestEnd Award (Offie) "Best Choreographer" for Allegro at the Southwark Playhouse, 2016's "Best Choreographer" TheOffWestEnd Award (Offie) for Grand Hotel in London and Mack and Mabel. Lee co-directed Legally Blonde with Nikolai Foster.

Biography courtesy of Global Artists

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Alex made his West End debut in the RSC/Opera North production of Showboat at The London Palladium in 1991. Shortly after this he joined the London production of Buddy at The Victoria Palace Theatre. In 1992 Alex joined the American touring company of Buddy and performed at The White House in the presence of President & Mrs George Bush.

On his return Alex took over the role of Buddy Holly (his idol!) in the London production for two years. He went on to Only The Lonely at The Whitehall theatre, London and then played Kenickie in the 1st National tour of Grease, taking over the lead role of Danny Zuko when the show transferred to the Cambridge Theatre, London. After this, Alex played the role of Gaston in Disney's Beauty & The Beast at the Dominion Theatre, London.

A change of pace saw Alex in stockings and suspenders as Dr. Frank'n'Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. He then played another one of his singing idols, Dean Martin in The Rat Pack – Live from Las Vegas on the national tour. After a stint in Chicago at The Adelphi, London playing Billy Flynn, and tours of The Magnificent Musicals with Ruthie Henshall, Alex returned to Disney's Beauty & The Beast, this time playing the role of The Beast, before playing Dean Martin again in The Rat Pack at the then Strand Theatre, London.

Alex then joined the cast of We Will Rock You at The Dominion theatre which was to be his home for the next six years playing Khashoggi. During this time, Alex became a father to his beloved daughter Josie, after marrying his wife, Jo in Las Vegas! (as a life-long Elvis fan – where else?!)

A career highlight followed when he played Fred/Petruchio in Trevor Nunn's production of Kiss Me, Kate at Chichester and then The Old Vic theatre, London for which he received an Olivier nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.

Alex played Daryl Van Horne in Craig Revel Horwood's production of The Witches Of Eastwick at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury for which he received a TMA nomination for Best Actor and then went on to originate the role of Bob in Midsummer Songs at the New Wolsey theatre, Ipswich. He performed in his first ever pantomime in 2014 playing Captain Hook at the King's theatre, Glasgow with the much loved Greg McHugh.

His Annie journey began in 2015 when he played his dream role of Daddy Warbucks on the national tour for a year. He then did his second pantomime as Blackheart in Robinson Crusoe at Cliff's Pavilion, Southend with Gok Wan and Brian Conley.

In early 2017, Alex played Sam Carmichael in the national tour of Mamma Mia! just prior to the London and Toronto productions of Annie during 2017/18. Most recently he appeared as Lex Hogan in the new British musical, Eugenius at The Other Palace, London.

Over the years, Alex has been privileged to perform in numerous concerts and broadcasts including – Friday Night is Music Night for BBC Radio 2, A Night of a Thousand Voices at The Royal Albert Hall, "All About Bond" at The Henley Festival with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Kiss Me, Kate BBC Prom with the John Wilson Orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall for BBC2 and he was honoured to perform live at The Olivier Awards the year of his nomination.

Alex would like to thank all the amazing “Annies” he has worked with, for making this show so special.

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