All profits from this show go to Winston's Wish






WELCOME TO THE SOUND OF MUSIC




DIRECTOR'S NOTE

The Sound of Music is my favourite musical of all time and to say that this is a dream of mine to put it on at Chedworth Manor would be an understatement. I was 16 years old when the film was first shown and when I was 17 I was sad enough to go to Salzburg on my own to see where the film was made. In the year when Christopher Plummer sadly died I could not ask for a more fitting tribute to him than the setting of this show and I know that the hard work and exceptional talent of Richard Murray will more than do him justice.

I have probably seen the film over 100 times and, like many people, cry every time I watch it. When I put on Romeo and Juliet last year in Tim and Jeannie Hamiltons beautiful hillside setting of Chedworth manor above the iconic church of St Andrews I already knew that this was where I wanted to put on the Sound of Music and try and fulfil a dream that I have harboured for over 50 years.

From the first audition through to the the final week of rehearsals as I write this note, it has been a roller coaster ride of thrills and excitement.

But this show is all about the children.
We had over a hundred children auditioning for the child parts and it was impossible not to feel sorry for the exceptionally talented young actors that I could not choose. No less than 21 girls auditioned for the part of Liesl and I was delighted that the burgeoning talent of Chedworth's own Flora Kenning was successful at the tender age of 14. Gemma Bianco travels with her mum from Sevenoaks for every rehearsal! Dedication indeed. Mum is Italian and has delighted the cast with home made cakes 'Lake Como' style. For a number of reasons I have cast two sets of children although Charlotte jumped at the chance to play all 8 performances when Zoe had to pull out.

I would not be in the least surprised to hear in a few years that some of these hardworking exciting young actors are gracing our TV screens and theatres.

Can I pay tribute to the 14 mums who have tirelessly brought their offspring come rain wind or heatwave to rehearsals which initially took place in an old barn and courtyard to comply with the Covid regulations in place at the time.

Can I make special mention of Toni Summers and Lizzie Spivey who have helped me immensely in wrestling with the enormously complex regulations for the protection of children and obtaining of performance licences. They are the Designated Safety Lead and Licensed Chaperone respectively! I confess that as this is the first musical with children that I have directed I didn’t even know such people existed until recently.

“How do you solve a problem like Maria?”

We had auditioners who had sung in the West End and came from as far as Scotland and Lithuania. Whilst I must leave it to you the audience to pass final judgment, my super talented musical director Matt Richardson, my tireless and ever willing assistant director Adrian, isolating at the time on Zoom, together with the keen eye of my choreographer Camilla Bates, had no hesitation in confirming my immediate wish to cast Grace Hawker in this iconic role.

One of the major challenges of this show is that there are significant differences between the film and the play both in terms of plot, cast and songs. There are two songs with which the audience will not be familiar, both written by the great Rodgers and Hammerstein, which involve the Baroness. Rumour has it that Eleanor Parker who played the role so beautifully could not sing a note in tune and refused to be dubbed! I have tried by use of the outdoor setting to recreate the most loved scenes from the film whilst remaining true to the play.

Without giving away any spoilers to have had the chance to recreate the film's opening scene in the abbey to the wonderful 'Hills are Alive' sung by Maria has been a privilege in itself.

The puppet scene of 'the Goatherd' song was impossible to recreate outside and I hope that the audience enjoys my interpretation and that Rodgers and Hammerstein will forgive my departure from the script.

Can I finally thank Tim and Jeannie Hamilton for not just lending us their superb venue but for working tirelessly on diverse tasks including mowing and strimming the entire field and car park, ringing the church bells, providing loos and changing facilities for a cast of over 40, and last but not least removing the cow pats!

Luck plays a big part in the success of any show and to have chosen the Sound of Music in the open air at a time when the public is thirsting for live entertainment is serendipitous. I only hope the weather continues our good luck!

I wish you all a healthy and enjoyable summer and hope this show adds a little glitter to what has been a terrible period for so many people.

Tim and I have done our best to make the venue disable friendly as I know how many many grannies and grandpas love this show as much as I do.

Ross Aldridge
Director







Bonzo Productions is the production company of Ross Aldridge. Director of previous 'Shakespeare at the Manor' performances you have hopefully enjoyed in the past.
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