SSSSPOTY 2014
Venue: Garrick Theatre
Date: 18 May
Host: David Bedella
Opening number: "There's a Parade in Town" (Anyone Can Whistle)
Guest performers: Caroline Sheen, Kara-Ami McCreanor
Winner: Corrine Priest (London School of Musical Theatre)
Runner-up: Callum McIntyre (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)
Best New Song: "The Procrastination Song" (performed by Luke Reilly) and "Library Boy" (performed by Jay Worley) by Tamar Broadbent
Girl Power by Jeremy Chapman
Girl power took over from Twelve Angry Men at the Garrick Theatre for one glorious Sunday afternoon as Corrine Priest and Tamar Broadbent walked away with the glittering prizes.
Priest, a 21-year-old from Somerset who had just been the lead in the London School of Musical Theatre’s Spend Spend Spend at the Bridewell, captured the £1,000 first prize in the eighth Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year, beating off her 11 fellow finalists with power-packed and brilliantly acted versions of Sondheim’s "Don’t Laugh" (from Hot Spot) and the hilarious "Something For The Pain", Eamonn O’Dwyer’s entry for the Stiles & Drewe New Song Prize.
And Broadbent, 24, an elfin singer-songwriter from Surrey who plays the comedy circuits, went one better than 12 months ago (when she got a special runner-up cheque for her number "17 Drafts") by beating off more than 100 rivals for the coveted New Song award, which was also worth £1,000.
The Student Performer of the Year Finalists (in order of performance)
Hugo Catton Hugo’s love of performing at an early age led him to six years with Playbox Youth Theatre, followed by the Foundation Course at LAMDA and then on to Guildford School of Acting where he is currently in his 3rd Year studying Musical Theatre. Roles have included Molokov in Chess, Charles in Pippin and Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins. Hugo is thrilled to have made it into the SSSSPOTY Competition and very excited to be performing with the other finalists at The Garrick Theatre.
Sondheim: “Ballad of Booth” (Assassins)
BNS: “The 6:59” by Tim Connor
Luke Reilly is originally from The Wirral, and graduates from the BA Acting course at East 15 Acting School this summer. In training, his credits have included Marko in Wild Honey, Will Scarlett in Robin Hood and Iago in Othello. He also represented East 15 for the BBC Radio Carleton Hobbs Award, where he achieved commendations for best classical monologue and the team piece. He is delighted to return to his musical theatre roots at The Garrick. You can keep up to date with Luke on twitter @LukeCDR
Sondheim: “The Ladies Who Lunch” (Company)
BNS: “The Procrastination Song” by Tamar Broadbent (winner)
Hayley Hampson is currently in her third year at LIPA, studying BA Hons Acting. LIPA credits include; Blue Girl in Shout the MOD Musical, Fredrika in A Little Night Music, Debbie in Three Sisters on Hope Street, The Actress (Marilyn Monroe) in Insignificance, Miriam in Summer of ‘42, and Auntie Pasha in Black Milk. Hayley has continued to work professionally: in her first year she played Sophie in InSTEP Theatre’s production of Departure Lounge at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool and selling out at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2012. Hayley is extremely excited to be performing at the Garrick Theatre for SSSSPOTY this year and would like to thank LIPA and the Sondheim Society for such a wonderful opportunity.
Sondheim: “I Wish I Could Forget You" (Passion)
BNS: “The Next 1,000 Years” by Jack Robinson & Michael McGregor
Stephanie Lyse grew up in South London and is currently studying Musical Theatre at The Royal Academy of Music. In addition to this, she also has a degree in Drama from the University of Exeter. Stephanie first discovered Sondheim in her early teens and ever since has been a huge fan his work. Therefore, she is thrilled to be selected as a finalist for this year’s competition. She would like to thank her family and friends for their amazing support.
Sondheim: “Moments in the Woods” (Into the Woods)
BNS: “We’re Not The Same” by Judy Wolfson & Danny Davies
Nicola Martinus-Smith is originally from Burgess Hill near Brighton and is currently in her 3rd Year studying musical theatre at CPA Studios and has just played Smitty in her third year musical production of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Her previous credits in training include: Sonia (Babies), Dot (Honk!) and Wendla (Spring Awakening). Workshops include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Stephen Ward with Stephen Mear, CPA’s Patron. Nicola is thrilled to be a part of this competition and wishes all the finalists the best of luck!
Sondheim: “Could I Leave You?” (Follies)
BNS: “Cracked And Broken” by R. C. Staab & Dave Ogrin
Callum McIntyre (runner-up) is on the verge of graduating from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School after three years of training. His credits while training include Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sir Henry Curtis Bennett in Hanged for Love, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (TIE tour), Billy/the Bailiff in Moonfleet, and Melchior in Nativity: A Starry Night. In 2012, he was employed by Alain Boulil to rewrite some of the lyrics for his musical Marguerite, when it was performed for a fringe production at the Tabard Theatre in London in that year. He is very excited to be taking part in this special competition among so many talented performers.
Sondheim: “Buddy's Blues” (Follies)
BNS: “Scrapbook” by Rob Archibald & Verity Quade
Sam O’Hanlon is currently in his third year at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts studying Musical Theatre. Born in Chichester, West Sussex, Sam discovered a love for acting when he took part in a schools production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He continued to pursue acting as a possible career when he joined the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, with whom he performed for eight years alongside secondary school and his A levels. Sam has also been playing guitar for four years and is writing a series of fictional novels in his spare time. Credits at Mountview include, Arthur Kipps in Half a Sixpence, Jimmy Powers in City of Angels, Cousin Kevin in The Who’s Tommy and Rasputin in a workshop performance of Yusupov.
Sondheim: “Hello, Little Girl” (Into the Woods)
BNS: “Take Me Back” by Gus Gowland
Corrine Priest (winner) is originally from Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset. Before attending London School of Musical Theatre, Corrine gained a 1st-Class Foundation Degree in Musical Theatre from Bath Spa University. While studying, she played The Kolokolo Bird in Just So and performed at The Landor Theatre in London for the first season of From Page To Stage. Credits during training include: Viv Nicholson in Spend Spend Spend (musical); Ophelia in Hamlet (excerpt); Girl 5/Whore in Les Misérables (workshop); Ru/Ensemble in Merrily We Roll Along (workshop); Ruddigore (workshop). Corrine is delighted to be representing London School of Musical Theatre as one of the twelve finalists at this year’s event.
Sondheim: "Don't Laugh (Hot Spots, music by Mary Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim; lyrics by Sondheim and Martin Charnin)
BNS: Priest: “Something For The Pain” by Eamonn O’Dwyer
Katie Shearman is currently in her final year at ArtsEd. Theatre while training includes: Eva Peron in Evita, Ensemble in The Music Man, Joanne in Company and Phyllis in Iolanthe. Other credits include: Choir for the Olivier Awards 2013 and 2014, Choir for Kerry Ellis in Concert, Choir for Friday Night is Music Night with Michael Ball on BBC Radio 2, Cinderella in Cinderella the Pantomine by DK ProDuKtions, and Principle Ensemble in Peter Polycarpou: Songs Of My Life at the Garrick Theatre. Katie is delighted to be part of this competition and wants to thank all the tutors, friends and family who have supported her throughout the process.
Sondheim: “Everybody Loves Louis” (Sunday in the Park with George)
BNS: “You Should See Her Fly” by Matt Board
Tyler Smith is a Canadian-born performer and graduate from the Theatre Arts programme at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. Notable roles include Jitter in The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Fredrik in A Little Night Music, Melchior in Spring Awakening, and Gayev in The Cherry Orchard. His passion for performing has given him the opportunity to perform alongside such names as Ben Folds, Mark Masri and American Idol top-10 contestant Michael Johns. Tyler was also a member of the Canadian six-man a cappella group “6 Minute Warning”, with one EP and one full CD released from his time with the group. He is currently completing his Masters in Musical Theatre (Performance) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Sondheim: “Everybody Says Don't” (Anyone Can Whistle)
BNS: “Theo Moves On” by Michael Patrick Walker
Jay Worley: “I’m a graduating actor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. My experience in Musical Theatre has been mostly at High School in End of Year Shows, but I was lucky enough to be cast in a song cycle musical called Part A by new writers Jack Williams and Freya Smith, that played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and transferred to the Actor’s Church, Convent Garden and The Roundhouse Theatre, Chalk Farm, along with a Welsh Language Musical Film called Teulu Ty Crwn, which aired on S4C in 2012.”
Sondheim: “Finishing the Hat” (Sunday in the Park with George)
BNS: “Library Boy” by Tamar Broadbent (winner)
Monique Young is in her final year studying a BA Honours degree in Musical Theatre at ArtsEd. She was born in California and started dancing ballet at the age of three. When the family moved to Hampshire in the UK when she was seven, she continued her dancing and she started finding a love for singing with the School Choir. It was through the encouragement of her Music teacher that Monique applied and was accepted to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts where she studied up until the age of 18 focusing her vocational efforts on Musical Theatre then leading her on to ArtsEd. Monique particularly loves the music of Stephen Sondheim and it is with great excitement and pleasure that she is part of The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year competition.
Sondheim: “The Girls of Summer” (The Girls of Summer)
BNS: “Somewhere Up High” by Theo Jamieson
Molly Lynch (Reserve 1) hails from Cork, Ireland, and is currently training at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for an MA in Music Theatre, having gained a Bachelor of Music (Hons) degree from The Cork School of Music. While training at Central she has played Polly Peachum in The Beggars’ Opera and is currently rehearsing for The Baker’s Wife in the role of Geneviève. In the UK, Molly has also performed as Jennifer in The Dreaming at the Rose Theatre in Kingston with NYMT UK and as Serifina in Sacred Hearts at the Latitude festival.
Molly Lynch (Reserve 1) hails from Cork, Ireland, and is currently training at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for an MA in Music Theatre, having gained a Bachelor of Music (Hons) degree from The Cork School of Music. While training at Central she has played Polly Peachum in The Beggars’ Opera and is currently rehearsing for The Baker’s Wife in the role of Geneviève. In the UK, Molly has also performed as Jennifer in The Dreaming at the Rose Theatre in Kingston with NYMT UK and as Serifina in Sacred Hearts at the Latitude festival.
David Breeds (Reserve 2) is in his final year of the three-year diploma course at CPA Studios in Romford, where is a recipient of the Lionel Bart Foundation Bursary Award. He has performed central roles in several college productions including Honk! and Jonathan Harvey’s Babies and in May 2014 will be playing Finch in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. In April 2013, David was invited to sing for a private audience in Los Angeles, USA, and in July 2013 he read and sang the central role of Lionel Bart in a professional reading of Christopher Bond’s musical play Be Back Soon based freely on Bart’s life.
Judges
Student Performer of the Year: Edward Seckerson (Chair), Jonathan Butterell, Maria Friedman, Nigel Lilley & David Lan
Stiles+Drewe Prize for Best New Song: Scott Alan, Andrew Lippa, George Stiles & Anthony Drewe