SOUND OF MUSIC: Meet Mother Abbess

I was on holiday in New Zealand last year ... when I got a message on facebook from Tracy McQuat asking if I was the Pat Nelson who sang? I remembered Tracy fondly from the festival movement. We met for coffee on my return to Cumbria. She told me about the SOM and asked if I would give her & Lily some lessons...so I took Wendy, Tracy & Lily ... they asked me to go auditions with them....the rest is history....Mother Abbess (for the 2nd time...first in Papua New Guinea...Loved every minute of rehearsals...lovely people, lovely atmosphere ... Never thought I'd do another show. Parts played....Maria (the first amateur Maria in Britain.) Maria in West Side Story in Zambia, many soprano leads in G & S and panto with Jane (Sister Margaretta) when she was 17!! Love it....love it!! 

SOUND OF MUSIC: Meet Rolf

Hello again, Jon here and what an adventure it's been over the last couple of years! Two years ago I came to you from the depths of dirty London in Oliver! and last year from disco-lovin' Philadelphia in Sister Act. This year I'm speaking to you from the hills of Austria where I've taken the part of Rolf. 

Rehearsals for me so far have been quite relaxed in comparison to previous years but I'm sure they'll be kicking up a gear as the show gets closer! My favourite part of rehearsals has been watching the children bloom and grow (like Edelweiss!), they're all such talented performers and for some of them this is their first ever show - I hope you enjoy watching them as much as they've enjoyed preparing!

I've always been interested in the history of World War II so have found playing a Nazi character particularly poignant, I just hope the audience will feel some of the emotion when they see it on stage.