Meet the Cast: Teen Angel! "My tail caught on fire mid-song"

Meet our gorgeous Teen Angel, played by David Oliver!

Name: David Oliver

Character Name: Teen Angel,

Tell us a bit about them: Teen Angel is both the fantasy and conscience of Frenchy, with a killer fashion sense to boot.

What’s your favourite song in the show?: Grease Lightning

What other shows have you done?: Return to the Forbidden Planet, Spring Awakening, Into the Woods & Little Shop of Horrors.

Best or Worst moment on stage: Being dressed as a lion, and having my tail catch fire on stage mid-song!!!!

Interesting Grease Fact #19: Elvis was offered the role of “Teen Angel” but a clash of dates meant he couldn’t do it. Ironically, the day filming started Elvis died, which was why the lyrics in “Sandradee” included “Elvis, Elvis let me be……”

Meet the Cast: Chorus Member Adam Lees! "This is my FIRST show"

We’ve had a hiatus….mainly because the cast are rubbish at getting their character interviews over to me, but we’re back and today we meet Chorus and Greaser, Adam Lees!

Name: Adam Character

Character Name: Trent

Tell us a bit about them: He is the quarterback of the high school team so is popular within the Jock group, but only because he is quarterback as he is an arrogant pig and thinks he can do what he wants (especially with girls) but the other Jocks cater to his whims as it is ‘cool’ to be seen with him.

What’s your favourite song in the show & why?: My favourite song is probably ‘We go together’ as I like the upbeat tempo and the ridiculous scramble of words.

What other shows have you done?: None, this is my first

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: I went to an AmDram Panto of Alice in Wonderland last year and shouted something at the Queen of Hearts during the audience participation song and she made me get on stage and do the dance moves with her. That was good fun.

Interesting Grease Fact #18: The film had a product placement plan with Coca-Cola but it fell through at the last minute. As a result, the Coke products in the shots were either digitally removed or blurred out.

Meet the Cast: Patty Simcox! "She thinks she is popular but everyone finds her irritating"

Introducing Patty Simcox played by Emma Hough!

Name: Emma Hough

Character Name: Patty Simcox

Tell us a bit about Patty: She’s the overly enthusiastic head cheerleader running for President of the Student Council. Thinks she is popular but everyone finds her irritating. She would also like to get her paws on Danny Zuko.

What’s your favourite Song in the show and why?: ‘Those Magic Changes’ - I just can’t help myself singing along, especially when Freddie sings it so beautifully.

What other shows have you done: This is my 8th show with Simply. (clearly can’t get rid of me) Some of the shows include, Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Spring Awakening and most recently, Into the Woods (Little Red Riding Hood).

Best or Worst moment onstage: Whilst playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, when the character eventually dies I leant back and my wig fell off. Completely ruining the emotional death and causing lots of giggles.

Interesting Grease Fact #17: Susan Buckner who played Patty in the film was originally considered for the role of Sandy and Directors had pretty much offered her the part, when Olivia Newton-John turned up!

Meet the Cast: Eugene! "I think he's secretly everyone's favourite character"

Meet the Geekiest Character in Grease - Eugene played by Daniel Owen!

Name: Daniel Owen

Character Name: Eugene

Tell us a bit about Eugene: I think he is one of everyone’s secret favourite characters. The stereo-typical geek, he epitomises everything that the Greasers are not. Ever enthusiastic, Eugene is a real personality.

Whats your favourite song in the show & why?: Shaking at the high school hop- I think this is my new favourite because I hadn’t heard it before signing up for the stage show (as it isn’t in the movie), and it sounds like it something that Little Richard might write.

What other shows have you done: Les Miserables (as Javert), Anything Goes (as the captain), Wild Wild Women (as Robert McClaired), Dracular Spectacular (as Ghengis) and many others.

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: One of my most memorable was in ‘Anything Goes’, I was doing a scene where as Captain I was walking into a cabin to talk to someone. There were 3 of them on the bed- and of course, the bed broke, much to the delight of the audience. It was made even more comical by the fact that one of them was meant to be hiding under the bedsheets, and we had to ad-lib around the bed breaking because it was to big to ignore! Good times.

Interesting Grease Fact #16: Eddie Deezen who played Eugene in the film used to get a lift to the set everyday with best friend Dennis C Stewart, who played the leader of the Scorpions, better known as Crater Face!

Meet the Cast: Chorus member - Sophie Blomfield "The bows are the worst bit cos then it's all over"

She’s a woman of few words but what she lacks in vocab, she more than makes up for with her beautiful personality and amazing dancing! Meet Sophie Blomfield.

Name: Sophie Blomfield

Character Name: Lucy Groves

Tell us a bit about Lucy: Happy go lucky, fun loving, can talk a lot!

What’s your favourite song in the show and why?: It has to be “Beauty school drop out” I love that part in the movie.

What other shows have you done?: The Twits, Guys and Dolls, Fame, Oliver, The Wiz and loads more I can’t remember.

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: The best bit, no matter what the show is just singing and dancing. The Worst bit, without a doubt - the  bows as then you know it’s time to say good bye :(

Interesting Grease Fact #15: The twenty various background dancers seen in the movie all had character names, among them Sauce, Bart, Bubba, Midge and Moose.

Check out how we got hold of our "Greased Lightning"

http://nicoledramaqueen.wordpress.com/2014/07/09/go-greased-lightning/

Meet the Cast: Kenicke! "The tough guy of the T-Birds, all brag and ego on top, sensitive and marshmallow inside"

Today we meet hard man T-Bird, Kenicke, played by Mike Wood!

Name: Mike Wood

Character Name: Kenickie

Tell us a bit about Kenicke: The tough guy of the T-Birds, all brag and ego on top, sensitive and marshmallow inside. In a volatile love affair with both his car, Greased Lightning, and Rizzo. After spending some quality time on the back seat…..and occasionally with Rizzo, they fall out over a pregnancy scare.

Favourite song in the show & why?: Although I thoroughly love Greased Lightning, as I get to sing it, I’m a fan of Summer Nights. I have the unenviable honour of attempting to keep up the doo wop shoop-de-doop ramalama ding dong bass-line underneath the main parts, which I recorded singing at a vocal rehearsal so I could practice in the car. Weird looks are the least of it as I’m sat at traffic lights singing nothing more than a load of unintelligible consonants punctuated with “Did she put up a fight?!”.

What other shows have you done: With Simply, I’ve done Little Shop of Horrors and Streetcar Named Desire, both of which were amazing to be a part of. Outside of Simply I’ve been the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland and a regular in a local Panto, most recently as the Dame, which was hilarious. The Panto, that is. I was all puff and pastry.

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: I thoroughly enjoyed being the Dame in the panto, and it’s with the same panto I also had my worst moment. After years away from the stage my first step back in was as Wishee Washee, and I forgot my lines first scene in, rabbit in the headlights style. It wouldn’t have mattered if it wasn’t for the fact one of the children in the cast from the local school was expecting my lines to prompt her own, and I screwed it up that much it skipped hers. The poor girl was distraught, and I had a very upset parent berate me afterwards for being shit. She had a point.

Interesting Grease Fact #14: Jeff Conaway (Kenicke in the Film) had to walk slightly stooped so that John Travolta would appear taller.

Meet the Cast: Co-Director (and Costume Guru) Rosalie Bennett! "Who wouldn't want to be a Pink Lady or T Bird"

Now we meet the other half of our Directing Team - Rosalie Bennett.

Name: Rosalie Bennett

Who am I?: Co-Director of Grease and costume guru

Since you’re not in it, tell us a bit about GREASE: Grease has to be one of my favourite musicals – who wouldn’t want to be one of the Pink Ladies or T Birds!

What’s your favourite song in the show and why?: It’s really difficult to choose as they are all fab and our enormously talented MD and cast are doing a superb job on them. But if pushed, I would say ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ – oh how many times have I sung that, while looking in the mirror and holding a hairbrush (sympathy aahs please…)

What other shows have you done: I have performed regularly with Send Amateur Dramatic Society (SADs) over the last 15 years (and I’m still only 22!), my credits include: a lead role in ‘A Ritual for Dolls’; Michelle in ‘Allo Allo’; and Lady Beatrice in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’. I have also played many principal boys and princesses in my time, oh and one baddie! I have a background in dance and have directed and choreographed many straight plays and several pantomimes, my favourites being ‘Snow White and the Seven Not Particularly Tall People’ and ‘The Magic Shoes’.

Best & worst moment on stage: Best stage moments - being part of the award-winning ‘Ritual for Dolls’ at The Woking Drama Festival and winning a nomination for Best Actress whilst wearing my actual wedding dress (does that sound wrong)?! Worst moment has to be choreographing the ‘Can Can’ and showing the cast how to do a hand spring, while wearing new ‘slippy-soled’ character shoes – need I say more! Ask Rizzo how long we took to stop laughing…..

Interesting Grease Fact #13: Due to a zipper breaking, Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into the trousers she wears in the last sequence.

Meet the Cast: Frenchy! "She's optimistic, a dreamer and the sweetheart of the pink ladies"

Today we meet the lovely Elly Fenton who is playing cutesy (and very pink!) Pink Lady, Frenchy!

Name: Elly Fenton

Character Name: Frenchy

Tell us a bit about Frenchy: She’s optimistic, a dreamer and the sweetheart of the pink ladies. Her life goal is to become a beautician and attend beauty school. However, after dropping out of high school to go there she soon realises that beauty school wasn’t as good as she’d fantasised.

What’s your favourite song and Why?: For me it’s got to be Beauty School Drop Out because Teen Angel completely shines a bad light on her decision to go to beauty school and I just find it hilarious!

What other shows have you done?: Grease (played the character Marty), Hairspray and A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Best and Worst moment on stage: Too many good moments to pick a best one but my worst was probably when I did Grease before and all the Pink Ladies and T-Birds were on the bleachers listening to Vince Fontaine on the radio (which was sat next to me), and the radio fell and smashed into pieces! So we ended up listening to a radio broadcast without a radio.. eeek!

Interesting Grease Fact #12: Didi Conn who platyed Frenchy in the film, was the only member of the Pink Ladies to appear in the sequel “Grease 2”

Grease Rehersal Shots

Publicity Shots for Grease! 4th-6th September 2014 @ Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking. Book tickets at www.simplytheatre.net

Meet the Cast: Sonny! "I was pretty much making out with the Plant at the end"

….and now Sonny, played by Frazer Woodhams.

Name: Frazer Woodhams

Character Name: Dominic “Sonny” LaTierri

Tell us a bit about Sonny: One of the T-birds, considers himself as kind of a big deal. Thinks he’s a real ladies man, obviously that’s the main reason I got the part… but actually he’s very misguided and the only attention he gets from the opposite sex is when he’s being told off my Miss Lynch.

What’s your Favourite song in the show and Why?: Obviously it has to be the iconic “Greased Lightning”, its just great fun to sing and who doesn’t love the dance moves.

What other shows have you done: Footloose, Little Shop of Horrors, Into The Woods, Fame, West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Oliver, the Wiz, Billy Elliot and Grease (twice)

Best and worst moment on stage: Worst moment was when I was playing Riff in West Side Story, 5 of the jets forgot to come on stage for the rumble, so myself and two others faced off against 8 sharks. Best moment was playing the mad scientist in little shop of horrors, and pretty much making out with the plant at the end.

Interesting Grease Fact #11: The original stage play of “Grease” has more sexual references than the censors would allow in the film. One of these was the use of clingfilm as a condom. The censors made the filmmakers take this out during production of the movie, but John Travolta found a sneaky way to put it back in. During the song “Greased Lightning” you can see Danny rubbing plastic wrap on his crotch during the dance number.

Meet the Cast: Roger! "Enjoys getting his bum out an unhealthy amount"

Today we meet the rest of the T-Birds - firstly, Roger, played by Neil Brown.

Name: Neil Brown

Character Name: Roger

Tell us a bit about Roger: Bit of a joke, definitely one of the goofier t birds. Enjoys getting his bum out an unhealthy amount

What’s you Favourite song in the show & Why?: I do like a bit of hand jive, probably because the dance is close enough to the macarena so is in my ability range

What other shows have you done?: Little Shop of Horrors twice, Not Another Pantomime, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Road, Seven brides for Seven brothers

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: In Little Shop of Horrors when I played Seymour, the last night I dived into the plant with much gusto and in the process got my foot caught in Audrey 2s throat. It took two stage hands yanking me out from between the puppeteers legs… Like an episode of one born every minute…

Interesting Grease Fact #10: Henry “The Fonz” Winkler was originally offered the role of Danny. He turned it down for “fear of typecasting.”

Meet the Cast: Jan! "She is a sweet, slightly dense, unladylike food fanatic"

The beautiful and talented Megan Swaisland is playing food fanatic, Jan!

Name: Megan Swaisland

Character name: Jan

Tell us a bit about Jan: She is a sweet, slightly dense, unladylike food fanatic. She’s not quite as gossipy or glamorous as the other girls, but she has a heart of gold and is a perfect member of the pink ladies.

What’s your Favourite song in the show & Why? : ‘We Go Together’ because it is an opportunity to completely let go and party out way through the song!

What other shows have you done?: Parade, Whistle Down the Wind, Cinderella, The Producers, A Christmas Carol & Guys and Dolls.

Best or Worst moment on stage: I was kneeling on the floor doing a dramatic monologue in pantomime and whilst standing back up I ripped my dress and didn’t realise. I did the rest of the scene with my underwear on full show.. How embarrassing!

Interesting Grease Fact #9: Rydell High is a reference to teen idol Bobby Rydell who had a million selling hit with “Swingin’ School” in 1960.

Meet the Cast: Miss Aitch "She's a Terrible Flirt"

Today we meet one of Rydell’s Teachers - Miss Aitch, played by Helen Bracher!

Name: Helen aka Mrs B

Character Name: Miss Aitch

Tell us a bit about Miss Aitch: She’s is a terrible flirt. She is great friends with Miss Titch. She has a wicked sense of humour which winds Miss Lynch up! ! She thinks she is down with the kids.

What’s your favourite song and Why?: Love them all as so up beat and make me smile but to choose a fave would have to be. ‘We go together’ as such fun to sing.

What other shows have you done?: Maskerade, Hot Mikado, Something Funny Happened on Way to the Forum, Return to Forbidden Planet, Little Shop of Horrors, A Streetcar Named Desire, Into the Woods.

Best or Worst moment on stage: Best is so difficult toss up between teaching audience Reverse Polarity in planet and straight acting in Streetcar. Worst … Now that is easy that bl**dy Apron!!

Interesting Grease Fact #8: Set in high school, most of the principal cast were way past their high school years. When filming began in June 1977, John Travolta was 23, Olivia Newton-John was 28, Stockard Channing was 33, Jeff Conaway was 26, Barry Pearl was 27, Michael Tucci was 31, Kelly Ward was 20, Didi Conn was 25; Jamie Connelly was 30, and Annette Charles was 29! The only one still a teenager was Dinah Manoff who was only 19!

Meet the Cast: Rizzo! "I blummin HATE Summer Nights"

Hard girl and leader of the Pink Ladies, Rizzo, is played by Nicole Rose.

Name: Nicole Rose

Character Name: Rizzo

Tell us a bit about Rizzo: She’s the leader of the Pink Ladies and sometimes girlfriend to Kenicke, harsh, tomboyish, sarcastic, takes no crap but underneath she’s actually very vulnerable.

What’s your favourite song in the show and Why? I absolutely adore nearly every song in Grease (apart from Summer Nights, which I blummin hate) I think my favourite (and not because I get to sing it) is “There Are Worse Things I Can Do”. It’s the first time in the show that you see Rizzo’s vulnerability and you actually empathise with her. More than that, it’s a lovely song with some very poignant lyrics.

What other shows have you done?: Ummmm *takes a deep breath* Return to the Forbidden Planet (Gloria), A Streetcar Named Desire (Stella), Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette), Hot Mikado (Pitti Sing), West Side Story (Graziella), Habeas Corpus (Mrs Wicksteed), Girls Night Out (Auntie Ivy), Oklahoma (Gertie), Me and My Girl (Mrs Brown), David Copperfield (Aunt Betsey), Guys & Dolls (General Cartwright), The Vicar of Dibley (Alice) and numerous Panto’s where I have mainly had the displeasure of playing Principal Girl!

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: I’ve got loads of fantastic moments on stage I could mention but the best has to be the entirety of Return to the Forbidden Planet – definitely the best show I’ve done. The worst was being hit, every night, around the face during the famous STELLLLAAAAA scene in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and the actor who played Stanley managed to perforate my eardrum – ouchy!!

Interesting Grease Fact #7: Stockard Channing wasn’t the first person considered for the part of Rizzo, it was actually Lucille Ball’s daughter, who turned the part down. Also, Rizzo’s hickeys were real! Stockard Channing said in an interview that  Jeff Conaway insisted on applying them himself.

Meet the Cast: Sandy! "There's definitely a feistier side to Sandy"

Today we meet leading lady, Sandy, played by Catherine Willoughby!

Name: Catherine Willoughby

Character Name: Sandy

Tell us a bit about Sandy: Danny’s love interest. “Sweet, naive, wholesome and cute”. There are many different aspects to her personality, she appears vulnerable but underneath it all there’s definitely a feistier side!

Favourite song in the show and Why?: We Go Together… try and listen to that song without smiling! Also the sandra dee reprise. Beautiful song and complete turning point for Sandy’s character.

What other shows have you done?: Sweet Charity, Oliver, Wizard of Oz, Little Shop of Horrors, Parade.

Best or Worst moment on stage: 1. Being genuinely emotional and moved by the court room testimony’s in Parade. 2. Jon Bingham’s flag snapping mid song.

Interesting Grease Fact #6: “Hopelessly Devoted to You” was written and recorded after the movie had wrapped. The producers felt they needed a strong ballad and had Olivia Newton-John come back to film her singing this song. This song ended up receiving an Academy Award nomination.

Meet the Cast: Vince Fontaine! "I was left staring at a cup for some time"

Radio lothario, Vince Fontaine, is being played by Simply newcomer, Paul Weems.

Name: Paul Weems

Character Name: Vince Fontaine

Tell us a bit about Vince Fontaine: He’s a radio announcer and a bit of a lothario. Uses his status to hook women.

Favourite song in the show & Why?: Those magic changes, really reminds me of the period

What other shows have you done?: Brassed Off, The Cherry Orchard, Party Aladdin, Road, fear & misery of the third reich

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: In the cherry orchard I was down stage sat down on my own and noone came on for an age. I was left staring at a cup for some time

Interesting Grease Fact #5: The dance contest scene was filmed during the summer, when the school was closed. The gym had no air conditioning and the doors had to be kept closed to control lighting, so the building became stifling hot. On more than one occasion, an extra had to be taken out due to heat-related illness.

Meet the Cast: Co-Director - Marie Gardner! "I'm not a real Police Officer either"

Introducing Grease’s lovely Co-Director Marie Gardner 

Name: Marie Gardner

Who am I? Co-Director of GREASE

Since you’re not in it, tell us a bit about GREASE : Well we all know the movie, we all know the songs and we’ve all sung Summer Night’s or Greased Lightning with gusto at the end of a night out at some stage in our lives…

Favourite song in the show and Why?: They are ALL brilliant…. And I just can’t help smiling when hearing the fabulous Simply Theatre cast bring them all to life.

What other shows have you done?: I’ve performed and directed a number of shows in Guildford for Pranksters Theatre Company. Directing credits include “One Flew over The Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Brassed Off” and the recent award winning “PARTY ” at Leatherhead Drama festival. Acting credits range from most recently The Jewish Wife in Bertolt Brecht’s, Fear and. Misery of the Third Reich” at the Electric Theatre ,Lady Macduff in Macbeth in Guildford Castle, Samedi in “The Infant” at Leatherhead and Woking Drama festivals to the delightfully funny roles of Hamlet and Richard III in ” The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged” at The Star Inn, Guildford.

Best/Worst Stage Moment: The cast and crew of Brassed Off receiving a standing ovation for their performance on the final night was the best. Not the worst but the funniest stage moment was when playing “Chief Constable Prince” in “Romeo and Juliet” on Guildford High Street, having to explain to passers by that “no the fight on the high street wasn’t real and no I’m not a real police officer either”.

Interesting Grease Fact #4: When Rizzo (Stockard Channing) sang “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” they added the line about Elvis Presley as this scene was shot on the day he died. The lyrics are different in the stage show version! 

Meet the Cast: Marty! "I Feel like a teenager again"

Pink Lady & hopeless romantic, Marty, is being played by Amelia Greco.

Name: Amelia Greco

Character Name: Marty

Tell us a bit about Marty: She comes across as vivacious and glamorous but she is a romantic and somewhat insecure girl at heart! She has a penchant for older men as she loves to be spoilt.

Favourite song in the show & Why?: ‘Shakin at the High School Hop’ because the dance makes me feel like a teenager again!

What other shows have you done?: Crazy For You, Whistle Down the Wind, Bat Boy, Fat Club, Sleeping Beauty, My Fair Lady, Carmen, Bugsy Malone, Annie, The Wiz, Guys and Dolls, Twelfth Night, Tommy

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: It was probably the best AND worst moment when I played Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and during my solo song a 4 year old little girl climbed onto the stage to dance with me!

Interesting Grease Fact #3: The dance contest scene was filmed during the summer, when the school was closed. The gym had no air conditioning and the doors had to be kept closed to control lighting, so the building became stifling hot. On more than one occasion, an extra had to be taken out due to heat-related illness.

Meet the Cast: Doody! "Doody is awkward, naive, boyish"

The first of today’s interviews is Doody, played by Freddie Cox…..

Name: Freddie Cox

Character Name: Doody

Tell us a bit about Doody: He is awkward, naive, boyish, young and worshipping of the other guys… but much of this changes over the course of the show.

Favourite song in the show & Why?: Well, aside from the obvious choices of Those Magic Changes (My song) and Freddy My Love (I wonder why I love that one?) my favourite has to be There Are Worse Things I Could Do. I absolutely adore the orchestration and the range of emotions covered by the song. Pure genius…

What other shows have you done?: Many! With Simply Theatre, the first was Alice in Wonderland, followed by Comedy Tonight and Funny Thing That Happened On The Way To The Forum, but aside from these I have done many including Avenue Q, Hairspray, Grease (in 2010… As Doody!), Copacabana and A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Best or Worst Moment on Stage: Best: Playing Wilbur in Hairspray at Christmas of 2013.

Interesting Grease Fact #2: The original Broadway production opened at the Eden Theater on February 14, 1972 and ran for 3,388 performances, setting a record.  John Travolta appeared at some time as a replacement on Broadway in the role of “Doody”.