Mountview Alumni News November 2019

Our graduates are involved in a whole host of exciting projects this autumn. Here’s where you can see their work in November.

While we would love to mention every single alum’s latest work, the news doesn’t always reach us. If you are a Mountview graduate remember to let us know what you’re up to by emailing marketing@mountview.org.uk or tweeting @mountviewldn.

First of all, the Mountview graduate-led theatre festival Maiden Speech returns for its third year. Running at Tristan Bates Theatre and featuring over 40 alumni, the fest promises to be more ambitious than ever. We interviewed alum Lexi Clare about what we can expect from the line-up, why she launched the festival and how her training has helped her along the way.  Alumni performing and involved include Hannah Cound, Melisa Camba, Kayla Feldman, Catherine Bensley, Bridget Glennie, Evangeline Dickson, Crystal Bollix, Annie Cheung, Lucy Park, Katie Paterson, Asa Haynes, Jack Robson, Samantha Peters,  Rachel Causer, Tania Nwachukwu, Gracia Rios Calderon, Nancy Salt and Carmen Law.

Paul Bradshaw showcases his new writing Two Cities at the Criterion Theatre featuring our recent grads George Greenland, Alfred Clay and Oliver Kearney. Rachel Hinds, who graduated this year, will be appearing in Enthropy, a new play following kidney dialysis patients who learn that a new kidney has become available, produced by Ellie Fitz-Gerald as part of Park Theatre’s Script Accelerator 2019.

Recent grad Lucy Anderson can be found making her West End debut in Dear Evan Hansen this month at the Noel Coward Theatre. She will be joined by fellow alum Rebecca McKinnis. Jordan Crouch also makes his West End debut in the classic feel-good musical White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre. Tim Mahendran and Nathan Lorainey-Dineen continue in their roles in & Juliet which comes to Shaftesbury Theatre following a critically acclaimed premier in Manchester earlier this year. Wil Johnson joins the cast of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, in the role of Aslan, including fellow Mountview alumni Linford Johnson, at Bridge Theatre.

Andy Coxon joins the cast of musical whodunit Curtains in the West End and tour. Stephanie Noblet will be playing Liz Harris in No Bad Women, presented by Women Against Rape and English Collective of Prostitutes. Ryan Kopel and Tadek Chimiel will be appearing in The Astonishing Times Of Timothy Cracthit, the sequel to the treasured Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, at Hope Mill Theatre this month and over Christmas.

Jonathon Bentley will be appearing in singalong favourite Mamma Mia the Party at the O2. Millie Thorne has just finished filming for a guest role on CBBC show, Almost Never.  Mina Dahle, Gregor Duncan and Elle Mackenzie have featured in a cast recording of Gretel! – A New Musical available on Spotify, Amazon, apple music and every other streaming page.

In awards news, congratulations to Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual starring Hareet Deol for winning an Asian Media Award for Best Stage Production. Congratulations to Rebecca Trehearn for winning a UK Theatre Award in the Best Performance in a Musical category for Sweet Charity at Nottingham Playhouse. Meanwhile, a range of shows featuring our alumni also won UK Theatre Awards: Life of Pi at Sheffield Theatres with Mina Anwar and Tara Divina for Best New Play, Best Director, Best Design and Best Performance in a play; Billionaire Boy the musical  at Nuffield Southampton Theatres with Jared Leathwood for Best Show for Children and Young people.

A huge well done to our many alumni who have been announced in the shortlist for the 2019 BroadwayWorld UK Awards: Tyrone Huntley for Best Actor in a New Production of a Musical for The View UpStairs at Soho Theatre, Rebecca Trehearn for Best Actress in a New Production of a Musical for Kiss Me, Kate at The Watermill Theatre, Laura Pitt-Pulford for Best Supporting Actress in a New Production of a Musical for Falsettos at The Other Palace, Rebecca McKinnis for Best Long-running West End Show Performer (Female) for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre, Tom Xander for Best Long-running West End Show Performer (Male) for The Book of Mormon at Prince of Wales Theatre. Voting is open until 22 November. What are you waiting for? Vote now.

Images, top to bottom: Lucy Park, Lexi Clare​, Katie Paterson (photo credit: Lexi Clare), Maiden Speech Festival Image, Lucy Anderson (photo credit: Nathan Johnson), Jay Varsani and Hareet Deol in Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual (photo credit: Ellie Kurttz)