Music for Sale and Hire

Being nominated as BEST VISITING PRODUCTION in the 1998 Manchester Theatre Awards (following huge critical acclaim when performed at Manchester's Palace Theatre), bears witness to the high quality of this superlative new piece of musical theatre: quite astonishing when its young cast is compared to the other nominees: Cameron Mackintosh's Oliver, Royal Court's Shopin' and F'ing, Northern Broadside's Richard III, Opera North's Sweeney Todd and Paine's Plough.

Using an ensemble approach, which makes it a perfect vehicle for young companies, Rockin' Mikado is a cleverly reworked version of Gilbert & Sullivan's best known operetta. From the moment the leatherclad Gentlemen of Japan roar onto the stage on their motorbikes, this energetic musical, set in modern day Japan, captivates its audience.

Ninety percentage of the score is instantly recognizable, though the clever musical arrangements and witty lyrical modernizations make it readily accessible to young casts without upsetting the traditionalists...the blockbuster 'new number' Rockin' Mikado, very tongue in cheek, and offering more than a nod and a wink to Grease.

Scrooge's Christmas played at Belfast's sumptuous Waterfront Hall from December 4th to January 17th 1997/98 for seventy five performances to 24,000 people, 12,000 from school's parties. This was an adaptation written by Michael Poyner with a new score by Mark Dougherty.

Come and meet all those favourite Dickensian characters: Scrooge, the meanest miser of them all; his nephew Fred and his beautiful wife; the Cratchit's, complete with Tiny Tim; a trio of hilarious ghosts plus a myriad of colourful characters in a gloriously funny version of the spellbinding tale. And, of course, there's the dame, no pantomime would be complete without her...Mrs Marley, widow of scrooge's partner...she'll put him right! OH YES SHE WILL!

Cast: 4M, 4F...with doubling...but could be increased if required and add a chorus.

Following on the huge success of their first Dickensian pantomime (Scrooge's Christmas), Michael Poynor and Mark Dougherty have come up with another laugh-a-minute adaptation of Charles Dickens' most famous tale.

Come and meet all those favourite Dickensian characters: Mrs Bumble (dame), the Artful Dodger, Fagin, Bill Sikes, Nancy, Mr Brownlow, the Sowerburys and, of course, Oliver...plus a host of others in this gloriously funny version of the famous tale, told with all the panache and comic style so well established in this series of Poynor/Dougherty pantomimes.

Loosely based on the original, Fagin time-travels to bring a grown up Oliver back to rescue Nancy from Bill Sikes...Fagin has an attic full of 'dolls' including: Dodger (a wind-up puppet), Nancy (a ballerina) and Edward Naked (a teddy bear)... agreat adventure ends with the tradional rooftop chase where Bill Sikes meets his well deserved end and everything ends happily every after...as all good pantos should!

Cast: 4M, 4F with doubling...could be played by more with a chorus if wanted.