Compiled and directed by
Sheana Carrington
Sheana is a founder member of Maskers and appeared in their first production, as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing. She directed Little Women at the Nuffield and Wind in the Willows in the grounds of Mottisfont Abbey. She says that it was her favourite show to direct. Sheana is also involved in costuming shows; her last production was The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Maskers’ Studio. It was set in the thirties, so was a lovely concept to design.
She has been involved with many anthologies at Christmas and a Rose one, which was performed in Mottisfont Rose Garden, but that was several years ago!
Additional compilation by
Brian Stansbridge
A long-term member of Maskers, Brian has been involved in many shows, both as an actor and director. Recent acting credits include: Flastaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Tim in The Flint Street Nativity, Miguel de Cervantes in Don Quixote, the Station Master in Mistletoe Junction and Long John Silver in Treasure Island. During his acting life, Brian has made an unintentional habit of taking over parts at short notice when other actors fall ill. He swears he didn’t poison them.
Recent directing credits include: A Box of Delights, Much Ado About Nothing, Mistletoe Junction, Room at the Inn, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Servant of Two Masters and The Comedy of Errors. During the Covid restrictions, Brian wrote and directed a one act play called Parklife, which we performed in parks and open spaces around Southampton. He has also written a short play about the Cratchit family, which was part of our Christmas show last year.
The Cast
Dawn Gatrell
Dawn previously performed in pantos at The Bent Brief pub and in The Shadow Factory, which premiered at the Nuffield City Theatre. This is her third appearance with the Maskers. She was first seen getting to grips with Shakespeare as the tavern owner in The Merry Wives of Windsor and then in Gormenghast, playing Clarice, one of the twin aunts.
Duncan Randall
Duncan started as a character actor at primary school. He has been involved in various community theatre groups for over a decade. On moving to the south coast, he joined Titchfield Festival Theatre (TFT), creating roles such as, Bri in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Enobarbus (Anthony and Cleopatra), Goldberg (The Birthday Party) and the Landlord in Jim Cartwright’s Two. Duncan joined the Maskers for The Three Musketeers playing Athos, amongst others, and was recently in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Gormenghast.
Maria Head
Maria has been a member of Maskers for some time and has played a wide variety of roles including Goneril in King Lear at the Nuffield Theatre, Mary Plunket in A Bunch of Amateurs and, most recently, Mistress Meg Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Neil Maddock
Neil has toured the UK with Activate Theatre Company, working in schools throughout the country. He also spent two years working with Detour Theatre Company in NZ. Neil has performed a variety of roles including Peter (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Jonathan Harker (Dracula), and Jesus (The Southampton Passion). He has appeared in musicals such as West Side Story and Half a Sixpence and was a member of the community cast for The Shadow Factory at the Nuffield Theatre. For Maskers, Neil played Stevie in Ugly Lies the Bone, Rev. Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Aslan (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), in Maskers’ joint production with Light Up Drama.
Marie McDade
Marie’s first appearance with The Maskers was in Mitchell’s Wings in 2011. Since then, she has enjoyed a wide range of roles, both in the studio and on the outdoor stage. These have included: Bagheera in The Jungle Book, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Granny Weatherwax in Wyrd Sisters, the comedies A Bunch of Amateurs and Out of Focus, The Three Musketeers, Gormenghast and, most recently, Jane Eyre.
Brian Stansbridge
A long-term member of Maskers, Brian has been involved in many shows, both as an actor and director. Recent acting credits include: Flastaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Tim in The Flint Street Nativity, Miguel de Cervantes in Don Quixote, the Station Master in Mistletoe Junction and Long John Silver in Treasure Island. During his acting life, Brian has made an unintentional habit of taking over parts at short notice when other actors fall ill. He swears he didn’t poison them.
Recent directing credits include: A Box of Delights, Much Ado About Nothing, Mistletoe Junction, Room at the Inn, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Servant of Two Masters and The Comedy of Errors. During the Covid restrictions, Brian wrote and directed a one act play called Parklife, which we performed in parks and open spaces around Southampton. He has also written a short play about the Cratchit family, which was part of our Christmas show last year.
Rosa Longman
Rosa was seven years old when she first learned to play the piano. She has played with so many societies, they are too numerous to list here. She has appeared in a number of Maskers’ Christmas shows, including our last Christmas show Christmas with the Cratchits.
Guest Performers
SouthamptoncSalty Sea Dogs
Southampton's finest shanty crew!
Southampton Salty Sea Dogs are a group of men who sing shanties together unaccompanied (no piano or backing track). They learn by ear in the traditional way and love to create their own harmonies. They perform frequently around the Southampton area. SSSD are led for this show by John Bailes.
Siobhan Spingys
Siobhan is a primary school teacher who has always loved singing! She has sung in several choirs over the years, from classical to sea shanties, taking part in the Youth Proms along the way. You can sometimes find her singing at local events, guitar in hand!
Denise Fenwick
Denise started singing in 2002 when visiting a friend in Sheffield, who took her along to a workshop presented by the late Nick Prater, renowned pioneer of the community choir movement. To say that she was “blown away” by the experience would be a huge understatement! Back in Southampton, Denise found “Women Singing for Fun”, led by Maggie O’Connor who is another proponent of the Natural Voice Network, holding the belief that singing is everyone’s birthright, regardless of musical experience or ability. That led on to eight wonderful, inspiring and completely luscious years of singing with Pauline McWilliams’ “Glorious Harmony” choir, with a good helping of “Southampton Shantywomen” on the side. When not singing, Denise can be found in the greenhouse, walking or messing about with boats.
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