Mountview Alumni News December 2023 & January 2024

December and January were bursting with exciting updates from our graduates. Read on to find out what they’ve been up to of late.

Are you an alum with news to share? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch at alumni@mountview.org.uk.

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On Stage and Screen

Andrew Berlin was cast as Captain Frank Hamer/Ensemble in the touring production of Bonnie & Clyde.

The final episode of Ghosts aired on BBC One, co-written by and starring Mountview’s Jim Howick.

It was announced that Jon Robyns will be making his first-ever West End solo concert appearance at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Rachel Morris has been performing in the touring production of 2:22: A Ghost Story.

Ed Paget started work as Assistant Stage Manager (Book Cover) on The Phantom of the Opera.

Meanwhile, Virginia Sirolli, Callum Moir and Kirsty Foreman workshopped new musical The Writer with LYMPA.

Connor Bannister was cast as Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes and the Poison Wood at The Watermill Theatre.

Georgia Leila Stoller, Oliver Nazareth Aston and Reuben Greeph finished their run of Treasure Island at The Barn Theatre.

Mountview graduates Aidan Dobson and Dan Glock performed in Standby Please – Christmas Concert at Waterloo East Theatre.

Daniel Lobo, Ayesha Patel and Daniel Walford performed in Sondheim in Red at Phoenix Arts Club, with Musical Director Tim Jasper.

Arden Winant‘s show Bea P. Deigh played at The Pen Theatre. It was directed by Grainne Robson, produced by Hannah Jayne Leonard (Hannah Jayne Productions) and also featured Daniel Keogh in the cast.

It was announced that Grace Hodgett Young will be reprising her role as Betty Schaefer in the Broadway transfer of Sunset Boulevard.

The new London studio cast recording of Diva – Live from Hell!, starring Luke Bayer, was released. Musical direction was provided by fellow alum Debbi Clark.

Laura Pitt-Pulford, Karen Wilkinson, Jonathon Bentley, Rachael Louise Miller and Adam Colbeck-Dunn began rehearsals for the West End transfer of Standing at the Sky’s Edge, with Katy Richardson serving as Consulting Music Supervisor.

Meanwhile, Bernice Pike and Suzy Whitefield performed in Tounges & Savage / Love at Seven Dials Playhouse.

Bronté Barbé and Myles Miller were cast as Maid Marian and Robin Hood in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men: A New Musical* (*sort of) workshop, with fellow alum John Rogerson on the production team.

The original West End cast recording of The Little Big Things, with Amy Trigg, Cleve September, Gracie McGonigal and Assistant Musical Director Catherine Benson, was released.

Tessa Alderton has been on tour with Twelve Angry Men as Tech Assistant Stage Manager (Book Cover).

Léona McLoughlin has been preparing for her professional writing and acting debut, Waiting for God. Oh., at the Old Red Lion Theatre, which also features fellow alum Erica Tavares-Kouassi.

Ophelia Charlesworth has been in rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet at the New Wolsey Theatre, in the role of Juliet.

Mountview’s Sean Green was confirmed as Musical Director for MJ: The Musical.

It was announced that Michael Longhurst will be returning to direct the West End transer of Next to Normal, with fellow Mountview graduates Jack Wolfe and Jack Ofrecio reprising their roles as Gabe and Henry.

Nick Hyde performed his show Double Act at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre, stage managed by Ryan Mulgrew.

Jonathan Scouse was confirmed as Technical Swing for the upcoming tour of An Officer and a Gentleman: The Musical.

Georgina James and Lily Caines have been in rehearsal for Beetlejuice with Norwegian Cruise Line.

It was revealed that Lilli Lehmann will be producing Be Water at this year’s VAULT Festival.

Ryan Kopel, Chumisa Dornford-May and Nicholas McLean were cast in The Addams Family at the London Palladium.

Producers Kristie Winsen and Maria Guevara, Musical Director Cerys McKenna and cast member Pablo Gomez Jones have been preparing for Horizons: Songs from New Musicals at Brasserie Zedel.

Rosie Bannister has been working as Assistant Stage Manager (Book Cover) on Operation Mincemeat.

Meanwhile, Shaneice Brown has been serving as Assistant Stage Manager on Till the Stars Come Down at the National Theatre.

It was announced that Anna Odeke will perform at Shakespeare’s Globe in her new play, Princess Essex.

Laura Dawn Pyatt was cast in 42 Balloons: A New Musical at The Lowry, with Joe Beighton confirmed as Musical Supervisor and Amy Spall as Deputy Stage Manager.

Shaun Corcoran has been working as Stage Manager for the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Richard Lund was cast in Ladies Down Under at the New Vic Theatre.

At Neon 194, Amy Spall has been working as Deputy Stage Manager on Rehab: The Musical.

It was announced that Mountview’s Jordan Luke Gage will star in Bare at the London Palladium.

Alum Tom Liggins has been in rehearsal for Clueless: The Musical at Churchill Theatre.

Grace Kanyamibwa was cast in MJ: The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre.

It was announced that Mountview graduates Georgia Leila Stoller and Hollie-Anne Price will be heading out on tour with Half Cut Theatre’s production of The Canterbury Tales.

Stephen Hayward was named in the cast of Baggage at the Bread and Roses Theatre.

After a highly-acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe, it was confirmed that Juliette Artigala, Michaela Murphy and Fran Davies-Cáceres will be taking We’ll Have Nun of It to The Other Palace.

It was revealed that Georgie Staight will direct Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon at the Garrick Theatre.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that Here We Go, starring alum Jim Howick, will return to BBC One in early February.

Awards and Nominations

Mountview grads Hiba Elchikhe and Tim Mahendran hosted the nominations for the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards. Amongst the nominees were Jack Wolfe (Best Supporting Performer in a Musical, Next to Normal), Amy Trigg (Best Supporting Performer in a Musical, The Little Big Things), Will Close (Best Supporting Performer in a Play, Dear England) and Grace Hodgett-Young (Best Professional Debut Performance, Sunset Boulevard). In addition, there were nominations for numerous productions featuring Mountview alumni: Newsies, The Little Big Things, Next to Normal and The Time Traveller’s Wife (all nominated for Best New Musical), Guys & Dolls, The Lord of the Rings Musical, The Sound of Music, Sunset Boulevard and The Wizard of Oz (all nominated for Best Musical Revival), Dear England, The Motive and the Cue and Stranger Things (all nominated for Best New Play), The Effect and VANYA (both nominated for Best Play Revival), In Dreams, To Wong Foo and Miss Saigon (all nominated for Best Regional Production), Flowers for Mrs Harris: The Musical, George Takei’s Allegiance, Rebecca: The Musical and Scouts! The Musical (all nominated for Best Off-West End Production), Ariana DeBose in Concert, Evita in Concert and Schwartz at 75 (all nominated for Best Concert Event).

Robin Soutar and his team picked up the Emmy Award for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series – 2023 for their work on Tim Burton’s Wednesday.

Grace Hodgett-Young was included in London Theatre’s ‘People to watch in theatre 2024’.

In the 2023 BroadwayWorld UK / West End Awards, Lauren Drew picked up the award for Best Leading Performer in a New Production of a Musical (LIZZIE), Emma Louise Hoey for Best Performance by an Understudy/Alternate in a Play or Musical (LIZZIE), Jack Wolfe for Best Supporting Performer in a New Production of a Musical (Next to Normal) and Will Close for Best Supporting Performer in a New Production of a Play (Dear England).

Natassia Bustamante and Andrew Ewart were named amongst the finalists in the 2023 Offies Offest Awards for Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical and Boys in the Buff respectively.

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Announcements

Asa Haynes was announced as one of the 503Five: Theatre503’s pioneering programme for early career playwrights.