Directors

Amanda Laidler has directed musicals and childrens' theatre as well as opera, and has written and directed several pantomimes. She directed the Sibford Millennium Pageant written by RSC actor David Ryall, for a cast of over 100 including horses and a flock of sheep; Oliver! for Stratford Amateur Operatic at the Swan Theatre and l'elisir d'amore, The Medium, Trial by Jury, and La Clemenza di Tito for Midland Music Makers and Arms and the Man, the Fifteen Minute Hamlet and The Winter’s Tale for Second Thoughts The Taming of the Shrew for Caramba Theatre Company, 90 Years of the Musicals for Guildhall Operatic Society. She has also worked as an arts administrator and a stage/company manager for theatre and opera. She wrote the script for Rogues and Vagabonds If We Shadows .... and Divided Lives. She will direct Anything Goes for Spa Opera in autumn 2009 and Stratford Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s 2010 production of Ruddigore, as well as a version of She Stoops to Conquer adapted as a music theatre piece.

From 1986 to 1991 she was Company Manager and Assistant to the Director of Wexford Festival Opera. Specialising in musical theatre she has worked as professional stage manager or Assistant to the Producer on many musicals and operas for societies in Yorkshire and Warwickshire.

She has been teaching the drama and musical theatre classes at the Hadland School since January 2001, and with colleagues Lesley Hadland and Andrew Holtom runs an annual summer school in musical theatre.

Andrew Holtom plays piano and percussion and is in demand as an accompanist and organist. He teaches singing and musical theatre at the Hadland School.

He has been Musical Director for the Hadland Schools six Summer Schools and Phoenix Players' The Wizard of Oz, Falcon Productions: Elves and for Alcester Operatic Society's production of Singin in the Rain, and Deputy Musical Director for Stratford Operatic Society's recent production of Crazy for You, conducting one of the performances, and My Fair Lady. He has been musical director for several productions for Second Thoughts, including their recent record-breaking 1066 and All That. Andrew was Musical Director for Stratford Operatic Society’s 42nd Street, and Guildhall Operatic Society’s 90 Years of the Musicals.  He will be MD for Stratford Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s 2010 production.

He was assistant director for MMM's double bill of Menotti's The Medium, Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury, and La Clemenza di Tito. He has written music for several of Shakespeare's plays including Second Thoughts recent Winters Tale, Caramba Theatre Company’s The Taming of the Shrew and co-wrote the music for Beetleheart. He wrote the original music used in If We Shadows...and is presently working on music for Divided Lives and She Stoops to Conquer.

Anne Chivers
Having trained at the British Arts School of Dance and Drama, Anne enjoyed a successful show business career in TV and in London, which encompassed dance at the London Palladium and other famous venues, song and dance as leading lady at The Talk of the Town and acting on the West End Stage, including Pal Joey at the Albery Theatre.  Her numerous TV appearances included shows with Bruce Forsyth, Ken Dodd, Max Bygraves, Charlie Drake, Ronnie Corbett and Sir Cliff Richard. Anne subsequently developed her own cabaret act, appearing on Dutch TV s Diamond Lil.  Whilst bringing up her two daughters she concentrated on choreography for television, Harrow Ballet School, and more recently Rogues and Vagabonds, Stratford Operatic Society’s Old Tyme Music Hall and now Anything Goes for Spa Opera in Leamington. Anne has been working with Rogues and Vagabonds since 2007 and is particuarly good at encouraging members to develop their own choreographic skills.