
Director's Diary: The Final Curtain
GMT’s current production, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, sees regular cast member and film director Alasdair MacRae take the directorial reins for the first time in the theatre. In this final edition of his rehearsal diaries, and with less than two weeks until the show opens, he talks to Assistant Director & Choreographer Emma Fraser about what they’ve learned. Alasdair: So, Emma, I’m a first-time GMT Director, and you’re a first-time GMT Assistant Director, and very so

Character Profile: Jewel and Doatsy Mae
The women of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas aren’t all what you’d expect from the title, as familiar GMT faces Nicola Coffield and Hilary Paterson will tell you. Their characters, Chicken Ranch housekeeper Jewel and local diner waitress Doatsy Mae, are anything but prostitutes. But that doesn’t mean they’re prudes, either... JEWEL Real name: Jewel Mitchell (“Surname inspired by a character that Broadway originator Delores Hall played in Diagnosis Murder.”) Aliases: Delor

Actor's Diary: Fake Scandanavians and the cherry on top
Kelly Johnston began performing with Glasgow Music Theatre in 2011’s West Side Story. Since then, she has been one of the company’s most regular faces, through ensemble and principal parts alike. She is currently rehearsing for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, in a part unlike any other she has played with GMT before... I’ve been working with GMT now for five years, and in those five years: I’ve taken part in seven shows I’ve met amazingly talented people, most of whom ar

Character Profile: Melvin P Thorpe, Bandleader
Marcus Littlejohn and Andi Denny first appeared as two of GMT’s own Jet Boys in 2011’s West Side Story. Four years later, and they’re playing two semi-celebrities obsessed with the Chicken Ranch (aka The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), and while the two never meet, they’re clearly on very different teams... Melvin P. Thorpe Aliases: That Watchdog Man, Phineas Age: 41 Profession: Television Crusader/Evangelist Songs: Texas has a Whorehouse in it Played by: Marcus Littlejohn

Director's Diary: Pretending Not to be Scared of Actors
GMT’s current production, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, sees regular cast member and independent film director Alasdair MacRae take the directorial reins for the first time in the theatre. In this fortnight’s edition of his rehearsal diaries, he discusses the art of working with actors with Kelly Johnston and Ciadhra McGuire, who play the newest whores at The Chicken Ranch, Shy and Angel. ALLY: So we got to meet Shy and Angel earlier this week in our Character Profile,

Interview: The New Boys of the Whorehouse
When you hear the title of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, you’d be forgiven for expecting the women to run away with the show. With GMT boys, though, there’s no stopping until they’ve given all they can, and the two latest additions are no exception. As they ramp up the pace towards their GMT debut, what challenges lie ahead for Andrew Forrest and Matthew Howells? Well, as they’re all too quick to tell us, testosterone poisoning won't be a worry, but their accents might

Character profile: Angel, Shy, Ginger
The first in our Character Profile series takes a look at three of the most prominent women in the Whorehouse tale: prostitutes Angel, Shy and Ginger, three very different women with three very different stories to tell. ANGEL Real name: Nancy Jean Drury Aliases: Sadie, Marsha, Sheila Queen of the Jungle Age: 21 Profession: Whore Songs: Twenty-Four Hours of Lovin', Hard Candy Christmas Played by: Ciadhra McGuire IN THE ACTOR'S WORDS Angel's backstory: "Nancy's been working as

Actor's Diary: Richard Dalrymple on Jocks, Cockney Texans, and Flying Without a Safety Net
From ensemble member to featured actor, singer and challenge-seeker Richard Dalrymple has gone from testing his dance potential in Flashdance to honing his acting skills in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. But with that first GMT appearance already under his belt, can the easy-going Whorehouse atmosphere provide thrills for this hard-working performer? Well, he’s been asked to take his top off... Let’s launch right into it. In my humble opinion, musical theatre is the bes

Matilda: Olivier Award Vote 2015
The Olivier Awards 2015 will be presented on Sunday 12 April at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. With the General Election still over a month away, you can practise exercising your democratic right in fabulous theatrical fashion by voting in the This Morning Audience Award. We've already told you the manifestos for Wicked, Billy Elliot, and Jersey Boys but for our final roundup, we're here to help you meet Matilda... Matilda: The Musical Composer: Tim Minchin Lyrics: Tim

The New Girls of the Whorehouse
Rehearsals for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas have passed the halfway point, and with that, even the newest performers to the company feel like part of the furniture. Of the five people making their GMT stage debut next month, the men and women have very different roads, challenges and victories ahead of them. We caught up with the girls, Deborah Quinn, Ann O’Neill and Christina Craven, to discuss whores, horses, and the empowering side of Miss Mona’s Chicken Ranch. GMT: