Now is the perfect time for people to come together, have a laugh and test their knowledge of all things Musical Theatre as well as meeting some West End stars along the way, as the each host a round in the Rosie May Christmas Zoom Quiz! Taking place on Saturday 28th November at 7:30pm its an event you wont want to miss. With stars such as Richard Reynard, Charolotte Gorton Brown, Kelly Price, Charlie Storrie and Francesca Unitt, its going to be a great insight into the world of theatre and an oppertunity to escape back into the magical world of Musical Theatre. Below I’ve managed to have a chat to the stars before the big night to find out about their careers and favourite memories!
Hosting the quiz will be the incredible Charlotte Gorton Brown who was “introduced to a West End performer of mine who had been approached by Mary to adjudicate the 1st Rosie May Dance Competition.” When she returned back from Sri Lanka the day before, they “had so much in common” and said there were “too many coincidences for me to not stay involved with the charity, and the rest is history!” Charlotte is now the charity’s patron. She said her favourite venue that she has performed in was at Lincoln’s Inn. She said “it’s wonderful to be able to go to places that the public aren’t allowed. It was however exceptionally difficult as the floors were highly polished wood and made dancing a tad scary!”. Whilst talking to the stars it’s amazing to see how varied their careers are, from shows, to roles to venues they all have such incredible careers but all come together to support such an amazing cause. Charlotte found it hard to decide on which character that she has played she could relate to the most as she said “every character you can relate to a bit although recently i have been playing bitter, nasty, drunken abusive mother’s so as much as i can relate to the pain. I cant relate to the actual!” The patron says she “adores getting into the mindset of a character, her flaws, loves, weaknesses, desires etc” and it is this that “drives my love of theatre”. She has played roles such as Donna in the West End version of Mamma Mia! and Mari Hoff in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice which she believes was her biggest achievement. Her dream for the theatre is “for there to be no barriers in acting. That it is accessible to all”. We’re all so excited for Charlotte to host the quiz and to find out more about her career!
Richard Reynard hails from Leighton Buzzard and trained for 3 years at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom. On graduating he appeared in Fame, Cats, Chicago, Mamma Mia and Blood Brothers. He now owns his own theatre school Musical Theatre High! training and inspiring children of all ages in the world of theatre. Having first got involved with the charity when the Rosie May Foundation had a “Dance Academy offering some of Rosie May’s friends and other girls her age the opportunity to experience a monthly workshop led by a West End performer.” Richard was “one of the first”. He said he “struck up a great friendship with Mary and have been involved with the charity ever since”. Musical Theatre High is affiliated with the Rosie May Foundation and raises money annually in their charity term where students perform a variety of shows in hopes of raising as much money as possible to support the foundation. Richard said he “had the fortune of working at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London in two different musicals and got to know the building really well. In one show, i was a swing – an off stage cover to the ensemble. I would wonder the corridors when i wasn’t on stage.” He said it was “pretty spooky” and had lots of “secret rooms with old chandeliers and sets from previous years” but claimed he never got to see “the theatre ghost though!”. When i asked Richard about his biggest achievements he said his was when he “brought a 1950s Methodist Church in 2017 and converted it into a community space for local groups, events and parties”. He said it has played a major role in “helping new businesses get on their feet” and it has been “really rewarding”. He also enjoys being able to play a part in creating a “memorable celebration” when helping people plan events and parties. Richard dreams of completing the refurbishment of the building, “which involved an insulated roof, updated toilets, disabled access and rendering the exterior”. “Once it’s finally completed I am sure I will then have another dream- probably of retirement!”. Richard has performed in roles such as one of the brothers in Blood Brothers and in many pantos as the role of Dandini! His support to the foundation is second to none and we can’t wait to see what theme his round will be on Saturday Night!
Kelly Price is another West End Star getting in the Christmas spirit and hosting a round of the Rosie May Quiz next Saturday. Having first got involved when she visited the Rosie May Home when on holiday in Sri Lanka with Patron ( and her best friend) Charlotte Gorton in 2007. They met the girls and saw “first hand the amazing work the charity had been doing and continues to do”. She said “it was very heartwarming and reassuring to witness security, safety and opportunity being offered to children who had lost their families during the Tsunami. As an actress one of her fondest memories was “walking out onto a West End stage for the first time when I was auditioning for Mamma Mia! at the Prince Edward Theatre”. It “took her breath away” as she was still training at drama school it made her realise she was doing the “right thing with my life”. However she also loves performing in intimate venues due to “the detail, focus and energy you can create when an audience is close up and personal”. Her overall favourite venue was the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse which is a part of Shakespeare’s the Globe that was candle lit and cocooned by the audience. They performed Nick Drake’s All The Angels about Handel’s creation of Messiah. She described it as a “truly magical event”. With regards to a favourite character, Kelly thinks that “you play the right character at the right stage in your life” and “characters that i related to in my 20’s seem a little more distant now.” Recently she played Mrs Cartwright on The English Game for Netflix and although she was very different from me, I seemed to understand her immediately” and “just clicked” with the character as she was rehearsing. The actress claimed her biggest achievement was “still being in the business!” due to it being “a rocky rode” which she has never lost love for. She said she remembers “sitting with my first agent who asked me what I want from my career and I told him I wanted to play leading roles and to be versatile”. She was proud to be in The English Game and claims it was “the kind of work I had been longing to do”. She loves the world of theatre but had also been “desperate to be able to get my teeth into an interesting tole on screen”, further adding to the versatility of her career. This TV experience had lead to her ultimate dream of playing “leading roles consistently in amazing TV shows, films and theatre”. She would also “love to create work and opportunity for myself and others” as well as travelling more with work, “meet a gorgeous man, fall in love and have a family!” She can’t wait for lock down to end as in her eyes she has “a lot to do”! Kelly’s charm, smile and incredibly vast career are sure to give you a first class insight into the theatre industry and her questions are guaranteed to test your entertainment knowledge!
Those are just a few of the inspirational people we have taking part!! So if a quiz could provide some much needed Saturday Night Entertainment, go to http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rmfmusicalquiz to sign up. Entry is £10 per participant with all proceeds going towards the foundations Emergency Covid-19 Appeal and those suffering as a result of the pandemic. Looking forward to seeing you there!