|
Smike
''Smike'' is a pop musical adaptation of a small part of Charles Dickens' 1839 novel ''Nicholas Nickleby'', that was televised for the BBC in 1973. The musical is based on the character Smike from that novel. The TV production starred Beryl Reid as Mrs Squeers, Andrew Keir as Mr Squeers, Leonard Whiting as Nicholas, and Ian Sharrock as Smike. The original cast also featured DJ Neil Fox, a pupil at Kingston Grammar, as one of the schoolboys.''PEBBLE MILL SPECIAL, SIMON MAY'', BBC1, 20 December 1994 A cast album was released on Pye records, including the songs from that production, but not all of the songs used in the stage version. The complete score was re-recorded in 1983 and released on a double album featuring Jill Gascoine, Oliver Tobias and Mike Holoway. It was originally devised in 1973 at Kingston Grammar School by two teachers, Simon May, who became a successful television composer, and Clive Barnett. The songwriting partner was Roger Holman. Songs include "Don't Let L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nicholas Nickleby
''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the Nickleby Family'') is a novel by Charles Dickens originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839. It was Dickens's third novel. The story centres on the life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, a young man who must support his mother and sister after his father dies. Background ''Nicholas Nickleby'' is Charles Dickens's third novel. He returned to his favourite publishers and to the format that was considered so successful with ''The Pickwick Papers''. The story first appeared in monthly parts, after which it was issued in one volume. Dickens began writing ''Nickleby'' while still working on '' Oliver Twist''. Plot Nicholas Nickleby's father dies unexpectedly after losing all of his money in a poor investment. Nicholas, his mother an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roger Holman
Roger Holman is a British musician and composer. He is best known for the televised musical ''Smike'', and as the co-writer of Stephanie De Sykes's two hit singles. As a performer, Holman released a 1971 self-produced single with two songs, "Act Like a Man" and "Back On My Feet", both co-written with his writing partner Simon May. The Holman/May duo released a 45 record the following year using the stage name "Sqeek". In 1973, Holman collaborated with Simon May and Clive Barnett to create the musical ''Smike'', which was televised on the BBC. Holman also co-wrote with May the UK top-20 hits for Stephanie De Sykes " Born with a Smile on My Face", which in 1974 peaked at number two, and " We'll Find Our Day", which in 1975 peaked at number 17. In 1975, Holman released another solo effort on EMI Records performing the songs "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" and "Lay Your Head in the Grass". In 2011, Holman wrote a musical adaptation of Thomas Hardy's ''Far from the Madding Crowd''. Early l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simon May
Simon May (born 15 August 1944) is a British composer. He has composed many British television theme tunes, including ''EastEnders'' and ''Howards' Way'', and the music for the 1988 film ''The Dawning''. Biography Born in Devizes and a pupil of Dauntsey's School, May was a choral scholar at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a degree in modern languages in 1965. While teaching languages and music at Kingston Grammar School, he co-wrote a musical named ''Smike'' with a colleague, history teacher Clive Barnett and songwriting partner, Roger Holman. Following the publicity ''Smike'' attracted, May was contacted by the BBC, who televised the play in 1973, starring Beryl Reid and Andrew Keir. It also featured DJ Neil Fox, a pupil at Kingston Grammar, as one of the schoolboys.''PEBBLE MILL SPECIAL, SIMON MAY'', BBC1, 20 December 1994 The show has subsequently been staged many times by youth drama groups. While working at ATV, he was asked to compose some ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leonard Whiting
Leonard Whiting (born 30 June 1950) is a British retired actor and singer widely known for his role as Romeo in the 1968 Zeffirelli film version of ''Romeo and Juliet'', a role which earned him the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor. Early life Whiting was born on 30 June 1950, in Wood Green, moving with his two sisters to Holloway, another area of North London, England. The only son of Peggy Joyce (O'Sullivan) and Arthur Leonard Whiting, he has English, Irish and some Romani ancestry. Whiting's love of performing was encouraged at his local Church and Primary School, St Josephs R.C Highgate, where he and sister Linda acted in the school's nativity plays. Leonard went on to attend St. Richard of Chichester School, Camden Town, leaving just a week or two before beginning work on ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1968). Career Whiting had some success as a child singer, almost winning a Butlin's Talent Contest (he came second) hosted in the holiday camp's packed out Gaiety ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Simon May Collection
''The Simon May Collection'' is a 2010 compilation album of television and film music written by Simon May. The album was released to coincide with the departure of the character Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor, from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. May, who composed the original ''EastEnders'' theme in 1984, was commissioned to rework "Julia's Theme", a slow, piano version of the main theme traditionally used at "the end of episodes featuring intense emotion or drama". The track, "Peggy's Theme", was made available to download following the broadcast of the character's departure. May appeared playing numbers from the collection in a concert at the Corn Exchange in Devizes on 22 September 2010. Track listing #" Peggy's Theme" (variation of "Julia's Theme" from ''EastEnders'') performed by Simon May #"Always There" (from ''Howards' Way'') performed by Susie Webb & The Simon May Orchestra #"More to Life" (from BBC TV series '' Trainer'') performed by Cliff Richard #"Holi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingston Grammar School
Kingston Grammar School is an independent co-educational day school in Kingston upon Thames, England. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century.History It is a under English law. It was a boys' school from its foundation until 1978, when the first girls were admitted. In 2018 the results recorded 85% of grades were A*/A or 9-7, and at A-level 62.7% of all grades were A or A*. In 2008 the '' |
Mike Holoway
Mike Holoway (born 28 January 1961 in Dagenham, Essex, England) is a British musician and actor. He was the drummer and percussionist in Flintlock and at the same time became an actor, notably in the cult TV series ''The Tomorrow People''. Career He was taught to play the drums at the age of five by his grandfather and, at eight, he joined a stage school to pursue an acting career. He gained his secondary school education at Erkenwald Comprehensive School in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. He also studied music theory, percussion and drums at the Barking & Essex College of Music and played in the Essex Jazz Band. His first stage appearance was as Boy Babe in ''Babes in the Wood'' at the London Palladium with Edward Woodward and Derek Nimmo. At ten, he made his first TV appearance with the Young Revivals – two years later they changed their name to Flintlock. Comprising Mike Holoway, Derek Pascoe, John Summerton, Bill Rice and Jamie Stone, the group made numero ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Keir
Andrew Keir (né Buggy, 3 April 19265 October 1997) was a Scottish actor who appeared in a number of films made by Hammer Film Productions in the 1960s. He was also active in television, and especially in the theatre, in a professional career that lasted from the 1940s to the 1990s. He starred as Professor Bernard Quatermass in Hammer's film version of '' Quatermass and the Pit'' (1967). He also appeared in the big screen version of the ''Doctor Who'' story ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'', ''Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.'' (1966). He originated the role of Thomas Cromwell in Robert Bolt's play '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1960). His obituary in ''The Times'' described him as possessing "considerable range and undeniable distinction." Early life and career Keir was born in Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the son of a coal miner, and had five brothers and one sister. At 14, he left school to work down the coal mine alongside his father. He started acting by chance, whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neil Fox (broadcaster)
Neil Andrew Howe Fox (born 12 June 1961) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, known for many years as Dr Fox before he became "Foxy" in the 2000s, then simply as Neil Fox, M.D. before reemerging as "Dr Fox" in 2020 to host the UDJ "Heritage Chart" countdown. He was a judge on ''Pop Idol'' between 2001 and 2003 alongside Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman. Early life Fox was born on 12 June 1961 in Harrow, Middlesex. As a boy he moved to Thames Ditton, Surrey, where he lived for a number of years. He was then educated at Kingston Grammar School in London and joined the Air Training Corps, before becoming a management student at the University of Bath, where he joined the student radio station University Radio Bath, and began his career as a radio presenter using the pseudonym Andrew Howe. After leaving university he worked as a binliner salesman. He does not hold an ordinary PhD or medical degree, but does have an honorary doctorate from the University ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jill Gascoine
Jill Viola Gascoine (11 April 1937 – 28 April 2020) was an English actress and novelist. She portrayed Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in the 1980s television series ''The Gentle Touch'' and its spin-off series ''C.A.T.S. Eyes''. In the 1990s, she also became a novelist and published three books. Early life Gascoine was born in Lambeth, the daughter of Francis Gascoine, a Quantity Surveyor, and his wife Irene, née Greenwood. She was sent to a boarding school, which she hated, later explaining that she was ridiculed by schoolteachers. After leaving school, in the 1950s, she went to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to appear in a revue.Brian Pendreigh,"Obituary: Jill Gascoine, actress who played the first female police detective on British television" '' The Herald'', 1 May 2020 Career Early in her career in the 1950s, Gascoine was a soubrette in a Great Britain tour of the '' Crazy Gang Show''. In 1956, she was a chorus dancer in the Christmas season of ''The Adventures of Da ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oliver Tobias
Oliver Tobias Freitag (born 6 August 1947), known professionally as Oliver Tobias, is a Swiss-born UK-based film, stage, and television actor and director. Biography Born in Zürich, Switzerland, he is the son of the Austrian-Swiss actor Robert Freitag and the German actress Maria Becker. He came to the United Kingdom at the age of eight and trained at East 15 Acting School, London. In 1968, he appeared in the original London production of ''Hair (musical), Hair'', playing the prime rebel role of Berger. The following year, he starred in, directed, and choreographed the rock opera in Amsterdam and, in 1970, directed a production in Tel Aviv. Film career Tobias's first role was in the feature film ''Romance of a Horsethief'', co-starring with Yul Brynner, Serge Gainsbourg and Eli Wallach. He then co-starred with Charlotte Rampling in the Jacobean tragedy '''Tis Pity She's a Whore (film), 'Tis Pity She's a Whore'', a film directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. He became popular as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beryl Reid
Beryl Elizabeth Reid, (17 June 1919 – 13 October 1996), was a British actress of stage and screen. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for ''The Killing of Sister George'', the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for '' Born in the Gardens'', and the 1982 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for ''Smiley's People''. Her film appearances included '' The Belles of St. Trinian's'' (1954), ''The Killing of Sister George'' (1968), ''The Assassination Bureau'' (1969), and ''No Sex Please, We're British'' (1973). Early life Born in Hereford in 1919,Jonathan Cecil, "Reid, Beryl Elizabeth (1919–1996)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 200available online Retrieved 30 August 2020. Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in Manchester, where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools. As a child, she established a lifelong friendship with Nancy Wrigley, the daughter of the prominent classica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
