ptcadmin, Author at PTC - Page 2 of 3

George Stiles is a renowned composer of stage musicals, probably best known for his collaborative work with the lyricist Anthony Drewe. Between them they have won numerous awards and written six musicals including Honk!, Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure, and Just So which has been optioned by Steven Spielberg for feature animation. George’s other work includes the shows Tom Jones, Moll Flanders, and The Three Musketeers, as well as music for Sam Mendes’ award-winning Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya at the Donmar Warehouse. We spoke to George in the middle of a busy schedule and he gave us his advice and insight on how to write music for plays.

Susie Amy was born in London in 1981, and brought up in Surrey. Although she always studied drama, she went to a regular academic school all her life. Her career began when an agent spotted her in 1999 while she was doing the play After Juliet by Sharman McDonald at the National Theatre in London. Over the next two years she got parts in Sirens, The Swap, My Family and the sitcom Sam’s Game.

She became a household name in 2001 when she was chosen to play Chardonnay Lane in the ITV drama Footballers’ Wives.

Since then she has recorded a second series of Footballers Wives and in 2002 was chosen for the lead role of Valentine D’Artagnan in the Hallmark Production La Femme Musketeer, starring alongside Michael York, Gerard Depardieu and Nastassja Kinski. Susie has also appeared in Hollyoaks and the films Modigliani and House of 9.

Dave Nellist is one of England’s select group of North East actors. He trained at the Rose Bruford college of speech and drama and for the last twelve years has been working consistently within the industry, most notably on television in programs such as Spender, Prince of Hearts, Catherine Cookson’s The Gambling Man, Badger, Place of The Dead and BBC Three’s flagship series Breezeblock. His work in the theatre includes West End appearances in Elton John’s Glasses and performances in premiere venues around the country.

Dave’s numerous advertising jobs include flogging Ford Escorts, telly licences, Foxs biscuits, McDonalds and doing a spot of twirling around in a pink dress singing “I’m Every Woman” for Supernoodles.

Here he writes for you about advert auditions and how to beat them.

Mike Craig was born in Batley, Yorkshire – a fact he will tell you within seconds of meeting. Almost educated at Wheelwright Grammar School, Dewsbury, he’s been a writer, performer and producer since 1964 and until recently held the post of head of light entertainment at BBC radio.

Fiz Marcus’ favourite roles include: Deborah in A Kind of Alaska; Natasha in A Man With Connections; Galina Brezhnev in Red Princess and Mata Hari in Lovers & Lies, her own one woman show.

Fiz’s experience takes in screen, radio and television and includes roles in Leon The Pig Farmer, Wild West and The Bill as well as acclaimed stage performances both nationally and internationally:

In addition to acting and directing Fiz is also an accomplished writer and has had five plays published by Samuel French.

Here she offers sound advice on the benefits of acting on the fringe and, most importantly, how to make it work to your advantage.

Actor, Writer and Director, Julie Kinsella has been acting, writing and directing for most of her life and has an enviable record of work in film, television and theatre both at home and abroad. Recently she has held positions with the BBC, BD films, Kinetic Theatre Company and the Oxford Shakespeare Festival as well as producing material for her own theatre company Indian Ink.

Most importantly to us though Julie was a director on our production of The Witch’s Bogey!

Here she writes for you about exploring and exploiting your talent to the full.

Born in 1923 Steve Clark was, along with the likes of his cousin Sammy Davis Junior, one of the original pioneering black artists. As half of the legendary tap dancing act The Clark Brothers , he fought enormous social prejudice to enjoy a career on both sides of The Atlantic, playing to packed houses from Broadway to Londonís West End.

As well as being an unrivaled tap dancer, Steve is also a consummate choreographer, singer, musician and entertainer. He has worked alongside the likes of Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Gypsy Rose Lee and Bob Hope and counted Frank Sinatra, Howard Keel, Tallulah Bankhead, Lena Horn and the gangster Al Capone as friends.

His cv is endless but films such as Killer Diller with Nat King Cole and A Day At The Races with The Marx Brothers stand out, as do a succession of appearances on televisionís Sunday Night At The Palladium and six Royal Variety performances including the famous 1963 event when The Beatles introduced the world to the expression ìRattle your jewellery.

Now at the ripe old age of eighty, still tapping and teaching, Steve Clark has been in the business for more than seventy years. We are extremely honoured to be able to present some of his thoughts for you here.