cast biographies
nikki aitken - bec
Credits include Australian regional and national tours of MOTHER, WIFE & THE COMPLICATED LIFE together with appearances in New York (Bec, Popjam Productions), CINDERELLA (Fairy G, KD Productions), MILK AND HONEY (Mrs Perlman, Magnormos Productions), INTO THE WOODS, (Little Red Riding Hood, Newtown Theatre), THE SEEDY ADVENTURES OF JOHHNY STEELE (Rita, Full Swing Productions).
Nikki toured as part of the two hander cabaret, GOBSMACKED! SHOWBIZ & DATING by Jamie Burgess (Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival, Midsumma Festival, Auckland Pride Festival, NZ Fringe Festival and Dunedin Fringe Festival, nominated for Best Cabaret, NZ Fringe and Best Music and Cabaret for Dunedin Fringe).
Her Cabaret writer & performer credits include GO! A mini-disaster musical (Phoenix Downstairs), THE ATTACK OF THE 40 FOOT WEDGE, receiving the ATG award for the 2008/09 ‘Best Comedy Show’, 2009 Adelaide Fringe Awards nominee for ‘Best Cabaret’, and received a special commendation for ‘Excellence in Songwriting’, CABARET: ALIVE AND KICKING (‘Inspace Development’ and ‘Best Cabaret’ nominee, 2010 Adelaide Fringe Awards), CABARET ON THE COUCH, MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER IS A MOBILE PHONE, STICK IT TO THE MAN and I PUT OUT ON THE SECOND DATE. Nikki also co-wrote VIVA LA FRANGLAISE (Speigeltent, Adelaide, Short & Sweet Cabaret 2010 Finalist). Recently Nikki made the move to London and has performed at The Battersea Barge and The Pheasantry with her solo cabaret work and is currently a second year composer with Book Music & Lyrics
natasha j. barnes - jessie
Theatre includes: Funny Girl (UK Tour); Cinderella (London Palladium); Funny Girl – Covered and Played Fanny Brice (Menier Chocolate Factory & The Savoy Theatre); American Idiot (dir. Racky Plews, Arts Theatre); The Boy Who Fell Into a Book (dir. Alan Ayckbourn); Chess (Union Theatre); Snow White
(Old Vic Theatre and Tour); Come Dancing (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Lend Me a Tenor (dir. Ian Talbot, Gielgud Theatre); I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Spring Awakening (dir. Michael Mayer, Lyric Hammersmith and Novello Theatre)
TV Includes:
Doc Martin, Doctors.
Radio Includes:
BBC Radio Drama- The Day I Finished off Charlotte Bonte, The Wonderful World of Allaetitia, Alice Through The Looking Glass.
Workshops include:
Peter Pan (Lyric Theatre) Crush (Harold Pinter)
anita louise combe - lily
Anita’s most recent credits include the role of the Mother in Ragtime (Charing Cross Theatre). Prior to this, Anita played the title role of Grizabella in Sir Trevor Nunn’s current UK production of Cats having played the original Jemima (Sillabub) in the Australian Premiere Production. Prior to that she was last seen in the West End playing Tessie Turra in Jonathan Kent’s critically acclaimed production of Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre with Imelda Staunton. Her other credits include : Roxie Hart & Velma Kelly: Chicago (Adelphi Theatre, London), Roz Kieth: 9to5 (UK Tour), Cassie: Most recent Australian Revival of A Chorus Line (nominations: Green Room, Robert Helpmann & Theatre People Pro Awards for Best Actress in a musical), Originated the role of Stephanie: Saturday Night Fever (World Premiere Production, London Palladium), Betty Schaeffer: Sunset Boulevard (World & Canadian Premiere Productions) (nominations: Dora Maver Moore & Jessie Richardson Awards for Best Actress in a musical), Starting Here Starting Now (Victorian State Opera,Melbourne), Mavis: Stepping Out (Derby Playhouse), Elizabeth Crabbe: Alan Ackbourne’s Taking Steps (Gatehouse Theatre and Middle East), Sybil: Private Lives (Sydney Opera House), The Actress: Hello Again (Bridewell Theatre, London) (nominated for Whatsonstage People’s Choice Award for Best Actress in a musical), Mimi: La Boheme (Amsterdam & London Premiere at Drill Hall), Fermina: Man of La Mancha (Australian Tour) Cosette: Les Miserables (Aust. Production), Peron’s Mistress: Evita (State Theatre Sydney), Peggy: Honeyspot (Canada, USA & Australia), Constance Lloyd: Oscar (Shaw Theatre, London)
Concerts & Guest appearances: Bournemouth Symphony, Israel Chamber, Bangkok Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras. Take That (UK tour), Kristin Chenoweth RAH, A Chorus Line (BBC) and many many more
Film & TV: Eastenders, The Royals, Doctors, Holby City, Salsa, Rabbit Fever, Silent Witness, Belinda, A Country Practice, GP, Home & Away
laura pitt-pulford - kate
Laura trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
In 2016 she was nominated for a prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Millie in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at London’s Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park.
Theatre Credits include: Nell in Nell Gwynn (ETT & Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. UK Tour); Anna in Platinum (Hampstead Theatre); Violet in Side Show (Southwark Playhouse); Pamela/Natasha in Flowers for Mrs Harris (Sheffield Crucible); Nancy in Oliver! (Leicester Curve); Jean in The Smallest Show on Earth (UK Tour); Milly Bradon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – 2016 Olivier Nomination); Young Phyllis in Follies in Concert (Royal Albert Hall); Petra in A Little Night Music in Concert (Palace Theatre); Maria in The Sound of Music (Leicester Curve); Margaret in The Return of the Soldier (Jermyn Street Theatre); Woman in Marry Me A Little (St. James Theatre); Falconer in The Light Princess (National Theatre); Adele in A Man of No Importance (Salisbury Playhouse); Nicky in Shakers (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch); Mabel in Mack & Mabel (Southwark Playhouse); Charity in Sweet Charity (Belfast MAC); Snake in The Little Prince by Nick Lloyd Webber (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); Lucille in Parade (Southwark Playhouse); Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls (Theatre Clwyd, Wolsey Theatre Ipswich & Salisbury); Lola in Copacabana (The Watermill Theatre); Lead in The World Goes Round (Wellingborough Castle); Jill in Jack & Jill (Oxford Playhouse); Kathy in Little Fish (Finborough Theatre); Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard (The Comedy Theatre, West End & The Watermill Theatre); Susan in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Young Heidi/ Young Dee Dee in Follies (Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton); Woman 1 in Closer Than Ever (Edinburgh Festival); Queen Isabella in Edward II (Edinburgh Festival)
Television Credits include recently guest lead roles in Doctors and Father Brown (both for the BBC)
Workshop Credits: Snake in The Little Prince; Mabel Stark in Mabel Stark; Tiger Tamer (Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton)