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Rock Follies


Based on the television series written by Howard Schuman
Book by Chloë Moss
Songs by Howard Schuman and Andy Mackay

Mon 24 Jul – Sat 26 Aug
  • The show

About Rock Follies

4 Stars

Fabulous. This is gig theatre at its most exuberant

Guardian

4 Stars

Energetic, effervescent and hugely entertaining. A great night out

Mail on Sunday

Gallery

  • Q (Zizi Strallen), Dee (Angela Marie Hurst) and Anna (Carly Bawden) are sitting on some wooden steps, all looking bemused at something off camera. They are all dressed in typical 70s clothing.
  • Stevie (sebastien Torkia) is dressed in black leather trousers, a black cape and black top. He has long black curly hair and is leaning back singing into a microphone. Behind him is a lot of coloured smoke and haze and in the background some dustbins with people inside them.
  • Kitty (Tamsin Carroll) wears a 70s style cream suit and red shirt, she holds a microphone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She is standing in front of a shimmery curtain, some music amps and is smiling.
  • Q (Zizi Strallen), Anna (Carly Bawden) and Dee (Angela Marie Hurst) are dressed in red dresses that resemble Royal Guard outfits. They are standing on a stage that is lit with red, white and blue lights, they all have one arm in the air. Above them, lit up letters in red, white and blue read 'Little Ladies'.

A fabulous blast of nostalgia, dazzlingly delivered

Chichester Observer

Turns the fun factor all the way up to 11

The Stage

Before the Spice Girls, Sugababes and The Saturdays…

It’s the 1970s and feminism is on the rise. Fed up with the male-dominated entertainment industry, Anna, Dee and Q take the future into their own hands and form a rock band – the ironically named ‘Little Ladies’. And so begins the musical helter-skelter ride of a lifetime. Can principles and ambition co-exist? And can their friendship survive in the dog-eat-dog world of rock?

With a book by Chloë Moss and original songs from the ground-breaking TV series by Howard Schuman and Andy Mackay, this punchy new musical is a rousing, riotous rollercoaster of woman power!

Dominic Cooke, former Artistic Director of the Royal Court, directs; his recent work includes Medea and Good (West End), his multi award-winning production of Sondheim’s Follies (National Theatre), and on screen, The Courier.

Carly Bawden, who appeared in CFT’s Concert in the Park in 2021 and whose theatre credits include Julie Jordan in Carousel (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Romantics Anonymous (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), wonder.land (National Theatre) and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Sheffield Crucible), plays Anna.

Angela Marie Hurst plays Dee; her West End credits include Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, The Lion King and Motown the Musical.

Zizi Strallen returns to Chichester (The Music Man Festival 2008) to play Q; her West End appearances include the title role in Mary Poppins (for which she received an Olivier Award nomination) and the NT’s Follies.

The cast also includes Samuel Barnett, whose stage credits include Olivier and Tony-nominated roles in The History Boys (also on film) and Twelfth Night; and on screen, The Lady in the Van and Twenty Twelve; and Tamsin Carroll (Barnum Festival 2013; 2:22, Hex and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in the West End).

Rock Follies is based on an original idea of the Rock Bottom Group (Diane Langton, Gaye Brown and Annabel Leventon) and Don Fraser.

Rock Follies was commissioned and developed by Fictionhouse, Longshot Films and Elpis Theatre Productions Ltd.

Songs used by kind permission of Universal Music Publishing.

Cast & Creatives

  • Stephenson Ardern-Sodje

    Spike
  • Samuel Barnett

    Harry
  • Carly Bawden

    Anna
  • Bella Brown

    Ensemble
  • Tamsin Carroll

    Gloria/Kitty
  • Collette Guitart

    Ensemble
  • Fred Haig

    Jack/David
  • Peter Houston

    Ensemble
  • Angela Marie Hurst

    Dee
  • Matthew Malthouse

    Ensemble
  • Antoine Murray-Straughan

    Ensemble
  • Philippa Stefani

    Roxy/Secretary
  • Zizi Strallen

    Q
  • Sebastien Torkia

    Stevie/Bernard/Carl
  • Harriet Watson

    Ensemble
  • Dominic Cooke

    Role
    Director
  • Nigel Lilley

    Role
    Musical Supervisor, Arranger & Co-Orchestrator
  • Carrie-Anne Ingrouille

    Role
    Choreographer
  • Vicki Mortimer

    Role
    Set Designer
  • Kinnetia Isidore

    Role
    Costume Designer
  • Paule Constable

    Role
    Lighting Designer
  • Ian Dickinson for Autograph

    Role
    Sound Designer
  • Toby Higgins

    Role
    Musical Director & Co-Orchestrator
  • Campbell Young Associates

    Role
    Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Design
  • Kate Waters

    Role
    Fight Director
  • Pippa Ailion CDG

    Role
    Casting Director
  • Natalie Gallacher CDG

    Role
    Casting Director
  • Anne-Marie Speed

    Role
    Voice & Dialect Coach
  • Tanuja Amarasuriya

    Role
    Associate Director
  • Liam Godwin

    Role
    Assistant Musical Director
  • Helen Keane

    Role
    Associate Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Designer
  • Richard Johnston

    Role
    Associate Casting Director
  • Ben Arkell

    Role
    Production Manager
  • Zoë Thomas-Webb

    Role
    Costume Supervisor
  • Katie Balmforth for Propworks

    Role
    Props Supervisor
  • Matt Hellyer

    Role
    Assistant Set Designer
  • Lorna Cobbold

    Role
    Company Stage Manager
  • Anna Hunscott

    Role
    Deputy Stage Manager
  • Ellie Penney

    Role
    Assistant Stage Manager
  • Kanoko Shimizu

    Role
    Assistant Stage Manager

logos

  • Prologue event

Sponsored by

  • itd Consultants

Venue

Minerva TheatreFrom £10
Running time
Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including an interval

logos

  • Prologue event

Sponsored by

  • itd Consultants

A stage for every story

Chichester Festival Theatre

Contact Details

Call: (01243) 781312 Email: hello@cft.org.uk
Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, Chichester, PO19 6AP


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©2023 Chichester Festival Theatre. Chichester Festival Theatre is a registered charity. Charity no. 1088552. Chichester Festival Theatre is a company limited by guarantee. Company no. 4210225. Website by Supercool.