New Directors' Debut at Rugby Theatre

Wendy Kay

Rugby Theatre has announced its forthcoming line-up of shows and auditions, with three new directors finally achieving their dream of bringing plays and musicals to life on stage.

Wendy Kay, Bev Avis-Dakin and Tim Sell completed the theatre's director course in autumn 2019, but the pandemic delayed them making their directing debut.

“Rugby Theatre is run entirely by volunteers, and this includes our highly talented show director team,” says the theatre’s acting artistic director Emma Bright.

Bev Avis-Dakin

“A show director nurtures a show from page to stage, and this year we have three new team members who are bringing their choice of show to our stage. We are super excited to not only enjoy the diverse creativity new people bring, but also to watch as our newest recruits develop and add to our ever-growing programme.”

Wendy Kay is up first, directing The Thrill of Love this March. Set in 1955, The Thrill of Love is the true story of self-styled ‘blonde bombshell’ Ruth Ellis, who was the last woman to be hanged in Great Britain.

For a lighter touch, Bev Avis-Dakin is directing Ladies Day, an exuberant comedy about four women from the Hull fish docks on a trip to the races, to be staged in September. And for musical fans, Tim Sell will direct Sweeney Todd, the bloodthirsty revenge of a London barber, in October.

Tim Sell

Auditions for Ladies Day and Sweeney Todd are open to the public and will take place on 4 March and 11 March respectively, with all details on the auditions page of Rugby Theatre’s website.

This trio of shows joins the musicals Aspects of Love (April) and School of Rock (June) in the Henry Street venue's varied programme, which also features the Youth Project Grease: the Musical in the school summer holidays.

See www.rugbytheatre.co.uk for more.