Follies; Burnley Light Opera Society

Burnley Light Opera Society is dusting a Burnley stage in all the glamour of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical, Follies.

A reunion of former showgirls is held in honour of the Weismann’s Follies at a crumbling Broadway theatre on the eve of its destruction.

Twirling through their past performances, the women are oblivious to the ghosts of their former selves floating by.

Peeling away to reveal a tatty undercoat of bleakness and regret is the Follies’ glamorous cloak of fun, youth and optimism.

The production zooms in on couples Buddy and Sally Durant Plummer and Benjamin and Phyllis Rogers Stone, whose marriages are rocked by disappointment.

Sally, played by Vicki Clarkson, is still in love with her former lover Ben while her husband Buddy (David Norris), a travelling salesman, is having an affair.

Joanne Gill is taking on the role of Phyllis, who feels emotionally abandoned by her spouse and depicting Ben, a self-absorbed politician and philanthropist, is David Gill.

Performing as the ghosts of the couples in their younger years are: Jenny Gill (Sally); David Barrett (Ben); Peter Rigney (Buddy); and Laura Chadwick (Phyllis).

Comprising the supporting cast are: Sarah Farragher (Heidi); Megan Ingham (young Heidi); Jackie Catlow (Stella), Zoe Tompkins (young Stella); Sue Avanson (Solange), Anne Whittaker (young Solange); Ann Mason (Carlotta); Jessica Whittaker (young Carlotta); Lesley Jackson (Hattie), Charlotte Norris (young Hattie); Debbie Stopforth (DeeDee West); Leanne Bradshaw (young DeeDee West); Karen Huyton (Christine), Bethany Whittaker (young Christine); Anne Baron (Emily), Geoff Baron (Theodore); Martin Chadwick (Weismann); David Slater (Roscoe/Max); and Paul Jackson, Peter Dilworth, John Huyton, Robin Reid, Sarah Hayhurst, Noelle Ripley, Linda Southam and Alan Whittaker (waiters/ensemble).

The musical will be staged at The Burnley Mechanics from Wednesday, April 26th to Saturday, April 29th, beginning at 7-30pm nightly.

For tickets or more details, please visit www.burnleymechanics.co.uk or call the box office on 01282 664400.