Elaine Paige OBE Visits Mountview

Elaine Paige with her scholar Chumisa Dornford-May.

“Mountview’s revival was so impressive. I got the feeling you could have picked it up there and then and put it on any professional stage – in fact, I would go as far as to say it was better than Broadway.”

Mountview is honoured to count Elaine Paige OBE as an Artistic Associate and generous scholarship supporter. Her illustrious career is a source of continuous inspiration to students and staff alike, and we were delighted to welcome her to two of our recent productions.

As part of her BBC Radio 2 show, Elaine Paige on Sunday, she gave a glowing review of our production of The Addams Family, commending the collaborative efforts of our students and the high standards of performance and production throughout. “As always at Mountview, it was a real team effort”, she says, “the company comprised 21 final-year BA Musical Theatre students, plus 13 Production Arts students working right across stage management, scenic art, props making, the sound and lighting as well, and musical direction. In every single one of those areas, the students triumphed”.

“Mountview’s revival was so impressive. I got the feeling you could have picked it up there and then and put it on any professional stage – in fact, I would go as far as to say it was better than Broadway… it is an ensemble piece in which everyone was absolutely at the top of their game. So, what can I say? Bravo! Bravo! – to one and all.”

We cannot thank Elaine enough for her generous and ongoing support of our students, and we share her appreciation of the engaging and high calibre work they produce. Creating live theatre to professional standards is a rigorous undertaking, but recognition such as this speaks to the power of our students’ and resident teams’ collaborative efforts.

Mountview’s recent production of The Addams Family. Photo credit: Steve Gregson.

This episode of Elaine Paige on Sunday aired on 12 February 2023. Catch up here.