It’s total madness (From Harrow Times)

It’s total madness

10:44am Thursday 15th July 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

WHEN the rights for the hit West End musical Our House were made available recently, first to “bag it for am-dram” in the north London area was Kathryn Rogers and Andy Mills of community theatre company Katalyst Productions.

Since “seizing the moment” as artistic director Kathryn tells me it’s been “madness, madness they call it madness...” to quote a line from the songbook of ‘80s Brit ska band Madness, whose music and lyrics feature throughout the show.

“From the minute we announced it on our Facebook site there has been a lot of interest,” enthuses Kathryn. “We were inundated with youngsters turning up to our open auditions.”

This inclusive decision paid off because they found their main character, Joe Casey, in 21-year-old Mitchell Lathbury. A Potters Bar lad who not only acts well, but sings and dances too. “He’s a director’s dream,” emphatically states Kathryn.

Kathryn’s “dream production” has had its moments too, one of them being the set.

“Working out how to house a car, the live band and the rest of the cast at any one time on stage was a bit of an issue,” says Kathryn.

“Particularly through the Wings Of A Dove number at the beginning of Act 2 – but we’ve been creative,” she teases.

And then there was the headache of finding a dresser to help Mitch change from Good Joe to Bad Joe and vice versa – fortunately that potential problem has been ironed out too.

Our House opened last night (Thursday) and will run until Saturday, July 17.

“Tickets are selling like hot cakes,” adds Andy, Katalyst’s founding partner since 2008.

And this award-winning drama group, which recently added two more trophies to its bulging cabinet from the Barnet Festival, is also putting Our House forward for the London Fringe Festival – so expect more plaudits with this production, aimed at young and old with its added bonus of catchy, sing-along Madness tunes.

Our House, until Saturday, July 17, at The Bull Theatre, Barnet EN5 5SL; telephone 07809 504446 for tickets.