The Last Five Years

THE LAST FIVE YEARS

ADC Theatre, September 2014

Jason Robert Brown’s award-winning two hander had long been an ambition of ours and it was always going to be our first show – in fact it came before the idea of having a company at all!

Musically it is intelligent and stylistically varied, lyrically funny and moving and theatrically challenging and slick.

Set in modern day New York, the play revolves around Jamie, a successful novelist, and Cathy, a struggling actress and it follows their relationship chronologically – well kind of…

The Last Five Years was performed in Hinchingbrooke Performing Arts Centre for one night before two excellent nights at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge in September 2014.

The above photos were taken from the ADC rehearsals – so we apologise for the not so subtle micropore tape on the microphones!

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What an achievement; such a professional presentation and a beautiful musical balance.
I was in turn both moved to tears and laughter and completely wrapped up in the story.

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Faultlessly ‘real’, raw and truly beautiful at the same time. I was very teary! So incredibly proud of all of you!

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HUGE congrats to you all for making it happen. Corkscrew Theatre Company have got a HUGE, bright shiny future ahead!

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The Last 5 Years is one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve seen in a long time; Steve Nicholson’s characterisation had such integrity and his performance overall was mesmerising.

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Last night was amazing! I was totally drawn in and convinced from the beginning. Absolutely brilliant. Well done!

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Congrats on a great show! It kept me intrigued and entertained throughout – very slickly done!

“

We thought it was amazing. I love the show, and have seen it a number of times, but this was the best version I’ve seen. It worked so well on the stage and it was so nice having the band visible – and they sounded great. Loved the clocks as well! The two central performances were brilliant – both in terms of the singing and the acting.

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Refreshing to see something new performed by a new and obviously talented and local group.

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The two stories told forwards and backwards was brilliant. The acting was faultless and two great singers two a bonus… and must not forget the band…. and it’s backing music…. Loved it well done…. More, more, more!

“

Steve and Amy (as Jamie and Cathy) were fantastic, brilliant vocals throughout (and let’s be honest, it’s not easy…), and the acting was incredible and heart-rendering. Beautiful set and direction, and the band sounded really top-notch.

CAST

Having seen Steve and Amy perform together in another Jason Robert Brown piece, Parade, and in their cabaret evenings, A Stud and a Babe, we knew we wanted to work with them on this piece.

There is absolutely no doubt that they are perfect individually as Jamie and Cathy but together there is magic!

Photo Credit: Alice the Camera

Amy Castledine – Catherine Hiatt

Amy studied Drama at UEA in Norwich before training in Musical Theatre at Mountview.

Credits include: Sally in Me and My Girl (London Palladium); Hope in Anything Goes, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Princess in Jack and the Beanstalk, Alice in Dick Whittington (Cambridge Arts Theatre); Laurie in Copland’s The Tender Land (Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Arcola, Cochrane Theatre); Finalist in The Voice of Tomorrow (Bloomsbury Theatre); Caitlin in Edges (Union Theatre); Dimples in Before the Night is Through (Millfield Theatre)

Amy has performed with Focus Opera at Chiswick House, Capital Voices at the Royal National Theatre, and Our Lady J on several occasions at the Royal Festival Hall and Soho Theatre.

Amy was part of the 2008 cast of the longest running comedy sketch show News Revue (Canal Café Theatre) and is a regular cast member of the Thursford Christmas Spectacular in Norfolk.

With the Festival Players, Amy played Emma in Jekyll and Hyde (Mumford Theatre) and Lucille inParade (ADC Theatre). It was after this that Steve and Amy created their cabaret show, A Stud and a Babe.

Steve Nicholson – Jamie Wellerstein

Theatre: Leo Frank in Parade and Freddie in Chess (Festival Players, ADC, Cambridge), Mack Sennett in Mack and Mabel (Regal, Stowmarket), Noah and Serpent in Children of Eden (L.M.A, Sudbury), created the role of Dominic and also directed the premier production of Viaticum (King\’s Theatre, Newmarket), Freddie in Chess (Irving Company, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun and Camille in Merry Widow (BSEAODS, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Lank Hawkins in Crazy For You, Judas in Godspell, Billy Bigelow in Carousel and Tulsa inGypsy (NOMADS, King’s Theatre, Newmarket), Bobby in Company (Jacketflap, King’s Theatre, Newmarket), Judas in Godspell (Cambridge Drama Centre), Curly in Oklahoma! (Robinson, Cambridge).

TV: The Bill, Holby Ci…OK, not really, but the sharp eyed can spot Steve being incredulous at Michael Gambon in Stephen Poliakoff’s Perfect Strangers.

Other: Featured soloist in Ruthie Henshall’s Care for a Song charity gala (Regent, Ipswich), and has performed alongside Amy Castledine in their A Stud and a Babe cabaret show. And last but not least, an unforgettable turn as Barry Scrooge in Gina Silburn and Phil Jackson’s A Christmas Kerfuffle(Ipswich)