BROADWAY to BALDOCK

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ABOUT THE SHOW

"BROADWAY TO BALDOCK" is a hit online documentary series from Spotlight Drama Academy. The show follows the amateur society as they work on their next musical production. Spotlight is unique in that it is run entirely by 17-19 year olds, for young people aged 8-16. The show is currently into its second series, which is following Spotlight as they produce a version of "Annie".

The first episode of "Broadway To Baldock" premiered on October 31st 2007, attracting more than 100 viewers in its first week. The first series ran for eight episodes, following the group as they worked on their Christmas 2007 musical, "Guys And Dolls". It developed a consistent viewership and  ended on a high just after New Year. The series' first-week viewing figures peaked with Episode 5, which pulled in 116 viewers in its first seven days on release. Spotlight announced "Annie" as their May 2008 musical in November 2007, and a few weeks later "Broadway To Baldock" was renewed for a second season.

SHAUN KITCHENER is directing "Annie", and first came up with the idea of forming Spotlight back in 2005. "Annie" is his third show as director, following on from "Grease" and "Guys And Dolls". Shaun, like many of his Spotlight colleagues, has been involved in local amateur theatre, involving productions of "South Pacific", "The Pirates of Penzance", "The Wind In The Willows", "High School Musical", "The Importance of Being Earnest", "My Fair Lady", "Anything Goes", and "Oh What A Lovely War". Shaun will specialise in drama when he works at a summer camp in the USA later this year, and then he will study English and Drama in September 2008 at UEA in Norwich.

DEAN SAYER is Musical Director for "Annie". He is pursuing a future career in the performing arts with a course in Musical Theatre at Hitchin College, and is an active member of the local amateur circuit. In February 2008 he reached a new high point with a lead role as Troy Bolton in a sell-out production of "High School Musical". He has also been in productions of "South Pacific", "The Pirates of Penzance", "Oliver!", "The Wind In The Willows", "My Fair Lady", and a prestigious County Youth Theatre production of "Great Expectations". He will take his second lead role in a musical in June when he plays Albert in "Bye Bye Birdie".

NATALIE CAUGHTRY is choreographing "Annie" after making a successful Spotlight debut with "Guys And Dolls". She began dance lessons at the age of three, and has since been in four dance shows at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. Recently she has been teaching with the dance school she has been attending, and is currently in her second year of study for her A-Level Dance qualification.

Also on the production team is MARK GEE-FINCH, who is assisting rehearsals and taking charge of the costume for "Annie". Along with Dean and Shaun, he is one of the original founder members of Spotlight. Mark has had lead roles in "Honk!", "Anything Goes", "Oliver!", and "The Wind In The Willows", and his other stage credits include "Pickwick", "Scrooge", "My Fair Lady" and "Black Comedy". He has also had TV experience as an extra in ITV1 drama !"Tom Brown's Schooldays".

SOPHIE GRAY joins the production team for "Annie" after assisting a few rehearsals for "Guys And Dolls". Like Dean, Sophie has performed with the County Youth Theatre - she took part in an open-air production of "The Canterbury Tales" in the summer of 2007. She was a member of Biggleswade Amateur Theatrical Society (BATS) for many years, most recently performing in "Return To The Forbidden Planet" last year. With Letchworth Arcadians she has been in "The Pirates Of Penzance" and "My Fair Lady", and she is studying English and Drama at university from September 2008.

Finally, NICCI SHAW-LAWRENCE returns to the production team for her second Spotlight show. Nicci has been singing all her life, and this has lead her to countless performances with the school choirs and solo performances with a Big Band. She has taken part in numerous school productions including "Anything Goes" and "Oh What A Lovely War", as well as in the Gordon Craig Theatre's in-house production of "The Wizard of Oz".