Back to RWCMD main site

A Royal Welsh Musical Theatre Christmas

5 December 2019

Filed Under:

Musical Theatre

As this year’s MA Musical Theatre students shine up their singing for their first show – a very festive Christmas on Broadway – we catch up with what some of our recent graduates are up to:

Team RWCMD made its mark this year in Les Misérables as three graduates performed in the tour of the West End’s longest-running musical.

It reopens later this month in the newly named Sondheim Theatre.

Luke McCall understudied Jean Valjean on tour and will be the alternate lead role in the new production. It’s just been announced that now he’ll play Valjean every Monday from now on.

He made his debut in Les Mis straight after graduating in 2015, and is the youngest person ever to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera and  Les Misérables. 

This year he also appeared in Man of La Mancha at London Coliseum, followed by the UK and International Tour of Titanic – The Musical.

Emma Warren & Luke McCall with fellow Musical Theatre grads Vikki Bebb & Tom Vincent, performing a tribute to Catherine Zeta-Jones at the College’s New York Gala at the Rainbow Rooms in March

2017 grad Emma Warren, who has been covering the role of Cosette on the recent tour, will also continue to understudy this role.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoYiTM1D4Ig/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Fellow 2017 alumnae Teleri Hughes, who also performed in the same production, is playing Cinderella at Cardiff’s New Theatre over Christmas and New Year alongside Fairy Gokmother, Gok Wan.

We are pleased to announce that by royal invitation, joining Gok Wan and Phil Butler in this year’s Panto, Cinderella, are Teleri Hughes as Cinderella and Rob Wilshaw as The Prince.

Posted by New Theatre Cardiff on Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Michael Robert-Lowe, who played the leading role in Sweeney Todd in the College’s 2017 production, will play Joseph Buquet in next year’s UK and Ireland tour of The Phantom of the Opera. 

We’re looking forward to welcoming him back to Wales when the production hits Wales Millennium Centre in December next year.

Further RWCMD footprints were left in Theatr na nÓg’s UK and international play Eye of the Storm. Directed by College Fellow Geinor Styles, with music composed by yet another graduate and Fellow Amy Wadge, it features 2016 grad Caitlin Mckee playing Karen.

Michael Robert-Lowe and Becca Barrett star in the College’s production of ‘Sweeney Todd.’ Photo: Kirsten McTernan

Richard Russell Edwards, who was in our very first cohort of Musical Theatre grads, has a long association with Sasha Regan productions; this year he played Connie in the all-male Pirates of Penzance at Wilton’s Music Hall.

Fellow original MA Musical Theatre grad Nicola Avino toured the UK with Kinky Boots throughout 2019.

And on a Christmassy note, alongside Teleri’s Cinderella, a number of our grads are starring in pantomime roles across the UK:

2018 Christmas on Broadway star Howie Michaels plays Funky the Flunky in Sleeping Beauty, making his York Theatre Royal debut.

And our very own MC, Corey Jones, plays Peter Pan this Christmas at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre.

Corey Jones as MC in the College’s 2017 production of ‘Cabaret’

2017 graduate James Rockey is in Alhambra Theatre’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He’s also played two roles in the BBC’s critically acclaimed His Dark Materials –  which also features 29 RWCMD students and grads from Design for Performance and Stage Management.

And here’s just some of the highlights from this year’s graduates:

There’s more Phantom of the Opera success, this time in Athens, as Glain Rhys makes her professional debut as the understudy for Christine.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Sbe0ZAjAs/

Alex McDonald-Smith joins the Showtime Challenge’s 48-hour production of 1950s classic Singin’ In The Rain at the Adelphi Theatre.

Lauren Bickerdike and Tom Platt (2018) co-star in The Night Before Christmas directed by James Williams, who directed them in the College’s Showcase.

Conor O’Rourke dons uniform in Whistle Down the Wind as the policeman at Union Theatre in London.

We can’t wait to see what this year’s Christmas on Broadway stars get up to!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5uZZJvH8Nd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Read more about our MA Musical Theatre course here.

Related stories

Former Student Anthony Lyn Visits MA Musical Theatre Students