Big Bad Mouse
A brand new production of the classic 1970s farce starring legendary comedy duo Cannon and Ball
In the orders office of Chunkibix Ltd it is Mr Price-Hargreaves who gives the orders and Mr Bloome who obeys them. Until, that is, Mr Bloome is accused of chasing a young girl across Wandsworth Common making him the hero of every woman in the office, not least Miss Spencer. So glorious is Bloome’s transformation, in fact, that when the young person in question discovers she made a mistake in her identification, Bloome is determined to keep her quiet…
Tommy Cannon stars as Mr Price-Hargreaves with Bobby Ball playing the eponymous mouse Bloome. Refereed by Paul Elliott, who produced the world premiere back in 1970. Big Bad Mouse is full of ad-libbing and anarchic fun, with no two shows being the same, this is certainly one of the best comedies ever
Photos
Photos of the show are on a seperate page
Dates and locations
15-17 May, Lincoln Theatre Royal
20-24 May, Southend Palace Theatre
27-31 May, Hull New Theatre
3-7 June, Billingham Forum Theatre
9-14 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
17-21 June, Dartford Orchard Theatre
23-28 June, Nottingham Theatre Royal
30 June-12 July, Eastbourne Devonshire Park Hotel
21-26 July, Blackpool Grand Theatre
28 July-2 Aug Windsor Theatre Royal
Programme
| Fiona Jones | Emily Trebicki |
| Harold Hopkins | Chris Leach |
| Miss Spencer | Anne Smith |
| M Price-Hargreaves | Tommy Cannon |
| Mr Bloome | Bobby Ball |
| Lady Chesapeake | Sue Hodge |
| Doris Povey | Evelyn O’Malley |
| Producer | Chris Moreno |
| Producer/Director | Paul Elliott |
Cannon and Ball
Mr Price-Hargreaves & Mr Bloome
Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball are one of Britain’s funniest and most successful double acts. In a career spanning over 43 years they have achieved a string of honours that includes them among the all-time greats of show business.
On television they have starred in their own series practically every year since 1979. They have also ‘guested’ on all the major shows including Wogan, Parkinson, Des O’Connor, Sunday Night at the Palladium and several Royal Variety Performances. They featured in a BBC documentary, Funny Business, based on double acts, which also included footage of comedy legends Martin and Lewis, Laurel and Hardy, and Morecambe and Wise.
To add to their pedigree, they remain the only act to have won three separate National Club Awards and be named as the Variety Club Personalities of the Year. Their feature film The Boys in Blue, in addition to its cinema success, went on to become a video best seller. The boys have also been the subject of This Is Your Life,
During the 1970s they built a strong reputation around the UK cabaret club circuit for being a great live act. They also toured extensively in the hotel circuits of Australia and South Africa.
Tom and Bob have broken records in theatres all over the UK, including London. In 1981 they played a six-week season at the Dominion Theatre. Every seat was sold before the show opened, and in 1988 their pantomime Babes in the Wood broke all previous pantomime records at the world famous London Palladium, where Cannon and Ball created the record for the largest box office amount taken in one week in British theatre history.
Rock With Laughter 96 fulfilled Tommy and Bobby’s ambition to star in their own rock’n’ roll spectacular, their first summer season for producers Qdos. After an extensive autumn tour and a trip to Israel, the boys played the Chinese Policemen in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle and again at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton.
They have appeared on many major TV shows including The Des O’Connor Show, Noel Edmonds’ House Party, Talking Telephone Numbers and The Generation Came.
In the spring of 1999 the boys appeared at various theatres across the country starring in An Evening at the Music Hall while continuing their tour of An Audience With.
The boys played full houses at their summer season in 1999 at the Blackpool Grand Theatre; the season was the one of the most successful summers Blackpool has ever had!
The 1999/2000 pantomime season saw the boys play the Regent Theatre, Stoke on Trent for the production Cinderella co-starring Melinda Messenger and Britt Ekland.
The early part of 2000 saw the boys starring and touring in various shows throughout the UK’s theatres. Summer season 2000 featured the successful Comedy Bonanza show (which broke box office records) at the Blackpool Grand Theatre and the Princess Theatre, Torquay for ten weeks from the 23rd July and later included Sundays at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth. Pantomime 2000/2001 saw the boys star at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford.
2001/02 pantomime season saw them starring in Aladdin with Tricia Penrose at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham.
Tommy and Bobby appeared at The Comedy Bonanza, Blackpool Grand Theatre, throughout the summer of 2002 and went on to star in Dick Whittington as Captain and Captain’s Mate at the New Theatre, Cardiff. This followed their starring in summer season at the Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth and Weymouth Pavilion Theatre.
The box office hit a new record-breaking high at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton with Peter Pan for one for the longest running seasons in the UK 2003/2004. The boys played Starkey and Smee, two bumbling pirates, much to the annoyance of the evil Captain Hook.
Tommy and Bobby returned to our television screens early in 2004 with the BBC1 series Revolver, a comedy sketch show that brought together a whole host of talent that we all know and love, such as John In man, Leslie Phillips and Honor Blackman.
In the summer of 2004 the boys teamed up with the Grumbleweeds as they performed at the Blackpool Grand Theatre with the hugely popular Comedy Bonanza; they also appeared at the Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth, Futurist Theatre, Scarborough and the Embassy, Skegness.
They went on to feature in an episode of the new series of Last of the Summer Wine, which was transmitted in March 2005.
The boys starred in Peter Pan at the Civic Theatre, Darlington in the 2004/05 panto season playing Smee and Yoo.
During the summer of 2005 Bobby filmed an episode of Heartbeat playing the role of Mr Turner.
Again in 2005 they starred at the Blackpool Grand for the summer season in the comedy show Legends of Comedy, also taking the show to Great Yarmouth, Scarborough and Skegness. The show at Blackpool was also filmed by the Rights Company for release on DVD. After proving massively popular, both were also asked back to film another episode of Last of the Summer Wine in August 2005.
Tommy and Bobby were then invited to experience life in the jungle on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here for ITV1. Both were thrilled to take part in such a unique television show and once again proved their popularity with the audience.
Panto beckoned for the 2005/06 season in Hull with the production of Dick Whittington where the boys played Captain and Captain’s Mate and broke all box office records since they were last there 1 6 years ago.
Bobby returned to Heartbeat in March 2006 to revive his role as Mr Turner.
In the summer of 2006 they were thrilled to be appearing at the Blackpool Opera House with their show Back From the Jungle with special guest stars the Grumbleweeds.
They also took the show to the Britannia Pier Theatre, Great Yarmouth, the Embassy Skegness and the Futurist Theatre, Scarborough.
Throughout 2007 they toured the length and breadth of the country with over 40 dates with their comedy show, as well as returning to the Blackpool Opera House starring in Comedy Bonanza.
They also made a return to Last of the Summer Wine.
Even after 43 years of making people laugh, Tommy and Bobby are still enjoying every minute and are looking forward to entertaining for many years to come!
Sue Hodge
Lady Chesapeake
Sue is a familiar face from ‘Allo ‘Allo in which she played the cheeky role of Mimi. ‘Allo ‘Allo not only ran for a number of years on the BBC, but has also been seen in 72 countries. The hugely successful stage show took Sue from England to New Zealand and Australia, then back to the London Palladium for six months.
Sue has worked on classics such as The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man for the New Shakespeare Company. These productions took her to Spain, Germany, Italy and the Middle East.
Her diversity ranges from Henry James’ The Innocents to The Rocky Horror Show, Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads to A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. Her favourite musical appearance has been in Jesus Christ Superstar. While appearing at the Fortune Theatre, Piccadilly and Westminster Theatres as Marigold in Toad of Toad Hall, she captured the eye of Terry Gilliam for the feature film Brazil.
During the last series of ‘Allo ‘Allo Sue took over the role of Suzette in Don’t Dress for Dinner at the Apollo and Duchess Theatres, West End, taking time off for Noel’s House Party, The Royal Command Performance, appearances for the Prince’s Trust and the Duke of
Edinburgh Awards, Breakfast TV, Good Morning and Children in Need.
Sue first appeared in pantomime at the tender age of 1 5 in Jack and the Beanstalk and has continued with performances every Christmas since. Roles range from Boy Babe in Babes in the Wood to Ugly Sister with Bella Emberg in Cinderella – playing three hugely successful seasons opposite Bobby Davro. Last Christmas, she played Fairy in Jack and the Beanstalk at Weston-Super-Mare.
When Sue is not seen she is regularly heard as many obscure characters for Jim Henson Productions. She has also recorded a pilot for a new animated cartoon for Hat Trick Productions.
Recent work includes a sell-out national tour of Crazy for You playing the inimitable Patricia Fodor with Christopher Beeny, a run at Lincoln Theatre Royal in Stepping Outplaying Dorothy and as Gladys in the number one UK tour of Dirty Dusting.
Most recently Sue has been appearing as Joyce Brooks in the number one UK tour of There’s No Place Like a Home.
Anne Smith
Miss Spencer
West End credits include: Evita (Prince Edward), Svetlana in Chess(Prince Edward), Iris in Good Rockin’ Tonite (Strand Theatre and Prince of Wales), Morgana in Robin Prince of Sherwood (Piccadilly), Dusty Springfield and KD Lang in Only the lone/y (Piccadilly) and Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward Theatre).
Repertory seasons include: Perth, Westcliff, Exeter, Liverpool Playhouse, Dundee, St Andrews and the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh. Favourite roles include: Toine in Piaf, Constanza in Amadeus, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Amy in Company, Bev in Abigail’s Party and more recently playing Solange La Fitte in Follies at the Landor Theatre, London.
National tours include: Dinner, Ferry Cross the Mersey and in 2007 Hot Flush.
Most recently Anne played the Empress of China in Aladdin at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen. Television and film work includes: Taggart (STV), EastEnders (BBC), Birds of a Feather(BSC) and the feature film Half Light (Universal).
Anne is represented by Richard Howard Associates.
Emily Trebicki
Fiona Jones
While training at the Christine Clarkson School of Ballet and Stage, Emily debuted professionally in Peter Pan (staring Arthur Bostrum) at the King George’s Hall, Blackburn and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with the London Lewis Ballet. She then toured with the Navigation Theatre Company playing Bernice in Drinking Companion (Ayckbourn), Umpire in Tea, Set and Match (Sean Street) and Doreen in A Night Out (Frank Vickery).
Training professionally at Laine Theatre Arts, Emily graduated with a musical theatre diploma (honours), ISTD teaching qualification and ALAM (LAMDA) in acting (honours) and joined the original cast of A Night at the Musicals on UK tour as a Principal Vocalist.
Other theatre credits include: Annie (Annette/Boylen Sister) at Perth Repertory Theatre, Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Meg in Hercules aboard the Disney Wonderaud Grisabella/Mamma Rose/Sleeping Beauty in the Broadway review show Encore at Tokyo Disney Sea, Japan.
Emily had the pleasure of creating the role of Kate in the Heather Brother’s world premiere musical Teen Scream at Lincoln Theatre Royal and Edinburgh Fringe
Festival (Assembly Rooms) and created the role of Millie Davenport for Paul Elliott’s premiere play There’s No Place Like a Home (national UK tour).
Emily played Fiona Jones in Big Bad Mouse at Lincoln Theatre Royal before returning to the cast of There’s No Place Like a Home for their second UK tour.
Pantomimes include: Snow White (Spirit of the Mirror with Danny La Rue and Brit Ekland) and Aladdin (Genie of the Ring with John Inman and Gary Wilmot) both at Plymouth Theatre Royal, the title role in Dick Whittington with Cannon and Ball at the New Theatre Cardiff, Aladdin (Princess Jasmine) at Southport Theatre, the title role in Cinderella at the King’s Theatre, Southsea and Princess Theatre, Torquay and most recently the Fairy in Jack and the Beanstalk with Cannon and Ball at the New Theatre, Hull.
Commercial work includes: Costcutter X Factor corporate film playing a Britney Spears wannabe Britney Spa! and a TV commercial for Stokers.
Original cast recordings include: Soloist on the Tokyo Disney Sea New Year’s Eve Spectacular and Christmas CDs and voiceovers for Amphonic Music and Paramount.
Chris Leach
Harold Hopkins
Chris graduated from University of Leeds, Bretton Hall in 2006. While at Bretton Chris played Les in an anniversary production of Bouncers at Leeds City Art Gallery and Robbie Turner in an adaptation of Atonement for the grand opening of the Carriageworks Theatre.
Chris recently played PC Pong in Aladdin (Bruce James Productions) at the Thameside Theatre, Grays. Chris appeared in the 2007 revival of Big Bad Mouse and is looking forward to this year’s tour.
Evelyn O’Malley
Doris Povey
Evelyn trained at ArtsEd, London on the musical theatre course.
Most recently she played the Genie of the Ring in Aladdin at Dorking Halls. Prior to that theatre credits include Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for Chapterhouse Theatre Company; Aladdin and Snow White at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading (Proper Pantomime Company); Macbeth (Shakespeare 4 Kidz); Eithne Inguba in The Only Jealousy of Emer and The Death of Cuchulain and Gred in Brand (Dublin Lyric Players); and As You Like It and Hamlet (the British Shakespeare Company).
She is delighted to be returning to Big Bad Mouse this summer, having played Doris last year in Lincoln.
Chris Moreno
Producer
Chris has produced and directed many theatre productions, both in Great Britain and throughout the world, with frequent visits to Australia and Canada. For 30 years he has run the Theatre Royal, Lincoln.
He has produced the national tour and world premiere production of The Darling Buds of May, the national tours of Rock Hard with Alvin Stardust, Speed-the-Plow with David Soul and Michael Brandon, and Double Doc/We with Susanna York and Robert Powell; and a year-long national tour of Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera. He also co-produced Nightmare and Nightfright with Michael Rose. In London he produced Animal Crackers at the Lyric Theatre, and was Associate Producer on the hit musical Buddy for 1 5 years at the Strand Theatre.
In 2002 he produced a new comedy, Five Blue Haired Ladies Sitting on a Green Park Bench, starring Anne Charleston, Shirley Anne Field, Ruth Madoc and Jean Fergusson, again with Michael Rose.
In 2003 Chris produced a sell-out tour of the musical Annie. He also produced a new comedy, The Cemetery Club staring Edward Woodward, Michelle Dotrice, Shirley Anne Field and Anne Charleston.
2004 saw Chris producing two smash hit national tours: the Gershwin classic Crazy for You and family favourite Annie. He also took a new production of Peter Panto Kuala Lumpur and in 2005 returned there for the premiere of Oliver! Another tour of Annie was produced in 2005.
Chris has produced, directed and written more than 60 pantomimes. He has formed a company with producer Paul Elliott called Cruising Musicals Consortium, which produces old and new musicals on board P&O cruise ships.
Away from straight theatre, Chris has produced many artists in concert, including Vic Damone, Diahann Carroll, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Lonnie Donegan, Jacques Loussier, Dave Allen, Fats Domino, Dame Edna Everage, Elaine Paige, Jane McDonald, Leo Sayer, Girls Aloud, Status Quo, Liberty X and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2006 Annie performed a 14-week tour of the UK, and the world premiere of a new play by Paul Elliott- There’s No Place Like a Home – completed its first national tour. Chris also produced Teen Scream both in Lincoln and at the Edinburgh Festival. Christmas saw Chris producing Beauty and the Beast at the Broadway Theatre, Peterborough, and the world premiere of a new musical, Treasure Island and the Pirates of the Caribbean, in Lincoln, as well as Santa Claus – the Musical at the Empire, Liverpool and the European premiere of White Christmas at the Mayflower in Southampton (both with Michael Rose).
In 2007 Annie toured for the sixth successive year and There’s No Place Like a Home also toured again. As well as producing Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal, Chris was delighted to produce The Wizard of Oz at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton and also produced Santa Claus – the Musical’in Birmingham and White Christmas in Edinburgh and Cardiff (both Michael Rose).
2008 looks just as busy for Chris with tours of Hello, Dolly!, Annie – the Musical and Big Bad Mouse. He is also presenting concerts by Sugababes, McFly, Katherine Jenkins, Aled Jones, Hayley Westenra and the Feeling. Christmas 2008 will see him produce Snow White in Lincoln, White Christmas in London and Cinderella -the Musical m Southampton.
Paul Elliott
Producer/Director
Paul Elliott has been producing for more than 40 years and over the decades has produced or co-produced a wide variety of shows including Buddy-the Buddy Holly Story which played over 13 years in the West End; Jolson (Olivier Award – Best Musical 1997) Victoria Palace Theatre; Kat and the Kings (Olivier Award – Best Musical 1999) Vaudeville Theatre; The Goodbye Girl, Albery Theatre; Run for Your Wife at various theatres in London and Stones in His Pockets (Olivier and Evening Standard Award 2001) London, Toronto and New York.
Paul has produced over 350 pantomimes for the West End, throughout the United Kingdom and in Australia and Canada, many of which he wrote and directed. With Chris Moreno he has produced a host of productions and is a partner with Chris in the Cruising Musical Consortium, which provides quality entertainment to P&O Cruises ships Oriana and Aurora.
Working with Duncan C Weldon, Paul formed Triumph Entertainment Ltd; they worked together for ten years from 1967 and again from 2001 and between them have produced or co-produced over 300 London productions.
Paul and Duncan’s extensive list of productions include When We Are Married (1970), The Hollow Crown (Michael Redgrave/Peggy Ashcroft- USA 1972), Grease (Richard Cere/Elaine Paige 1973), Hedda Gabler (Glenda Jackson 1975), /3Rue De L’Amour (Clynis Johns/Louis Jordan), Richard III (Robert Lindsay 1999), The Importance of Being Earnest (Patricia Routledge 2001), Private Lives (Alan Rickman/Lindsay Duncan-London 2001, Broadway 2002, Tony Award Best Revival 2002), Stones in His Pockets (USA 2002), My One and Only (2002), The Hollow Crown (Diana Rigg/Derek Jacobi/Ian Richardson/Donald Sinden – Australia
and New Zealand tour 2002) and The Tempest (Derek Jacobi – The Old Vic 2003), The Master Builder (Patrick Stewart/Sue Johnston – Albery Theatre), Coriolanus and The Merry Wives of Windsor (RSC) at The Old Vic, Suddenly Last Summer (Diana Rigg -Albery Theatre) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Amanda Holden/Maureen Lipman – Shaftesbury Theatre, and Lesley Joseph on tour in the UK), Eileen Atkins and Henry Goodman in Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party at the Duchess Theatre, Kevin Spacey in The Philadelphia Story at The Old Vic, Kristin Scott Thomas and Bob Hoskins in As You Desire Me at the Playhouse Theatre, Patricia Routledge, Roy Dotrice and Michael Pennington in The Best ofFriends on tour in the UK, The Last Confession starring David Suchet at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart at the Geilgud Theatre, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Lyceum Theatre, Broadway, and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Parts 1 and 2 at the Geilgud Theatre, London and the Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto.
Paul Elliott has years of experience working with the entertainment industry and, using this knowledge and insight, has written his first ever comedy, There’s No Place Like a Home, which toured successfully in 2006/7.