Show Projects

"Slice Of Life" TITLE CHANGED TO "A BOWL OF CHERRIES"

THE FIRST PRODUCTION WAS SHOWCASED IN MAY 2008, in development and in Co-Production with the Guildford School of Acting. The Musical was performed by the post graduate Students who also played musical instruments.

Actor/Director Andrew C. Wadsworth, Directed, and the Book was written by Carolyn Pertwee, and new young writer Pericles Snowden. Songs by David Martin.

A Bowl of Cherries

 It’s a wonderful life! Or is it?

Do we see things as they really are or choose to look through rose tinted spectacles?

 This musical revue charts the course of life through love, laughter and tears. Introduced by a couple who appear to be worldly, experienced in life as they beg the question of the audience - is life really wonderful?    Beau is the male optimist and Boo the female the pragmatist, playing devil’s advocate. The theme is revealed as Boo and Beau cherry pick various aspects of life demonstrating through short plays and songs, their point of view, each trying to win the argument.

The plays are written by Carolyn Pertwee with songs by chart topping  Ivor Novello award winner David Martin. Each play or song illustrates a different aspect of life’s bitter sweet experiences as Boo and Beau take us on a journey from cradle to grave and even beyond - challenging the audience to think differently about some of what life throws at us.

This thoroughly entertaining show, is Performed by eight versatile actors and musicians, and devised and directed by Olivier Award nominated Andrew C Wadsworth;  the show is a thoughtful, humorous and moving look at some of life’s familiar dilemmas and the songs will sing on in your heart long after the curtain comes down.

Oh, and watch for the twist at the end….

8 pop songs are accompanied by 8 short plays, which will be working in conjunction with musical themes from the cradle to the grave, giving the actors the opportunity to play all ages.

Andrew C. Wadsworth

Andrew’s West End credits include Kiss Me Kate (Regents Park) for which he received an Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Fred / Petruchio, Javert in Les Miserables (Palace), Judas in Godspell (Prince of Wales, Phoenix) Songbook (Globe), Anthony in Sweeney Todd (Drury Lane), Curley in Oklahoma (Palace), Nigel in Pass the Butler (Globe), the original Eddie in Blood Brothers (Lyric), Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (Prince of Wales) Lt Joe Cable in South Pacific (Prince of Wales), Spencer Wylie in Betrayal of Nora Blake (Jermyn St) Alderman Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington (Sadler’s Wells), Zipp (Duchess), Georges in Marguerite (Haymarket) and The Go Between (Trafalgar Studios). 

For the Royal National Theatre he played Andrew in Coming in to Land, Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer, Julien in Martine, Adam Adam in Rough Crossing, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and Dolabella in Anthony and Cleopatra. 

For Music Theatre London in Britain, Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Austria he played The Don in Don Giovanni, Papageno in Magic Flute, The Count in Figaro, Germont Pere in La Traviata and Alidoro in La Cenerentola. 

He played the title role in the national tour of Dick Barton Special Agent. Originally created for Croydon Warehouse in 1998, it was revived in 1999, 2000 and 2001 due to public demand. He was also Resident Director on this production.  In 2004 he received critical acclaim for the one man play Nymphs and Shepherds by David Hines at the Etcetera Theatre. In 2005 he appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in Twelfth Night –the Musical as Orsino/Toby Belch. 

He appeared as Prince Charles in the controversial new play A Right Royal Farce at the Kings Head. 

Andrew’s TV work includes appearances in Victorian Scandals (Granada), Peak Practice (Carlton), Wings (BBC), and Marriage of Figaro (BBC). For BBC Radio he appeared as a Guest Soloist in Les Miserables and Polishing the Sun, as Cardinal Cibo in The Lorenzaccio Story and as Emile Daenaker in the award winning Killing Maestros. He appeared in Stranded for Hallmark Films and Oh Happy Day for Firebrand Films. Andrew was the director of ‘A Comedy of Arias’ at both Jermyn Street Theatre and its subsequent transfer to the Kings Head  He directed Sauce for the Goose, a Feydeau farce, the Brecht Weill Threepenny Opera, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Sweeney Todd, Man of La Mancha and This Thing Called Love for the Guildford School of Acting. He directed Sweeney Todd for Central School of Speech and Drama. He has directed four short films ‘Stories of 2016’ for futurefocus and the highly successful new play BOO for the Camden Festival. 

In 2006 Andrew devised and directed the workshop of A Bowl Of Cherries at the New End Theatre. 

In January 2010 Andrew completed a season at the Orange Tree Theatre Richmond in The Lady or The Tiger, and is currently directing the Mystery of Edwin Drood as Central School of Speech and Drama’s graduate production.

Carolyn Pertwee

Carolyn Pertwee Followed an active and successful acting career on both stage and TV, Carolyn decided to answer the call of the pen. Her writing took off almost immediately with a television commission from Warner Sisters for her situation comedy "Rosie and Dud".   Her first stage play 'The Love of Art' a 30 minute black comedy was produced at the BAC in a season of new writers, and her full length play 'A Very Private Matter' was selected for the Wandsworth Festival and had a performance reading at the BAC.

Carolyn's Radio Four play starring Julia McKenzie and Ronald Pickup was the pick of the day in all the national press and had glowing reviews. Last November her quartet of short plays "Sexologically Speaking" sold out every night at the O.S.O. Arts Centre.  Carolyn most definitely possesses a natural flair and talent for writing and is looking forward to exercising her skills for 'Bowl Of Cherries' and future Loose Cannonz projects.

Pericles Snowdon

As well as being a prolific playwright, ten performed plays to date. Pericles also writes a weekly column for the Guardian Unlimited-Sponsored OffWestend.com.website. Plays that have been produced include Six/Seven (short-listed for the Old Vic New Voices Award) And Bluebeard, Time Out Critic’s choice for two weeks.

Future Plans

Discussions are now taking place with various theatres for a national tour of ‘A Bowl Of Cherries’ to commence in the spring if 2011.

Great Expectations The Musical

David Martin is also joint Director of GEM Ltd (GEM). Gem is promoting a new musical based on the Charles Dickens Classic "Great Expectations" which we hope will be staged in Asia 2011. David is very proud to have written the score (music and lyrics) for this show and the original audio tracks demonstrate a further example of his work.

SMART… The Musical

David has been in close collaboration with the Smart family, who are delighted to have given their do ahead, approval to this project. So far, there is a background Story and Treatment plus three example songs. This project is in early development.

Please go to Audio page for song tracks on all the above projects.