I’ve been performing in amateur theatre since 1994. Which means I’ve forgotten more lyrics than most people have ever learned.
My first show was Annie. I was July. Not Annie, not Miss Hannigan. July. One of the orphans with about four lines and a lot of enthusiasm. I was hooked immediately.
Over the next few years I played Dulcie in The Boyfriend and Divorce Me Darling, Gertie in Oklahoma!, Little Eva in The King and I, and worked my way through the ensemble in Brigadoon, Me and My Girl, Follow That Girl, and Bob’s Your Uncle. All with societies in and around the East Midlands.
Then life happened. University. Kids. The rehearsal room had to wait.
I came back in 2023. Twenty-odd years later. Different societies, different shows, same obsession.
Since returning I’ve performed in Bad Girls the Musical, Evita, and Boogie Nights (as Trish) with Erewash Musical Society. I played Yum-Yum in Hot Mikado. And I’ve been performing with Arcade Players too, most recently as Vera Claythorne in And Then There Were None.
So that’s me. Performer. returner. Massive musical theatre nerd.
Why this blog exists
There is no shortage of theatre content online. Reviews from critics who sat in the stalls. Profiles of West End stars. Guides written by people who have never stood in a village hall at 7:30pm on a Tuesday wondering if they’ve missed a rehearsal email.
That’s the gap I wanted to fill.
Theatre & Chardonnay is written from the inside. From the rehearsal room, not the press night. From the perspective of someone who works a full-time job, drives to a church hall twice a week, and genuinely cares whether the harmonies are landing.
If you perform in amateur theatre, or you’re thinking about it, or you just love musicals and want to understand them properly, this blog is for you.
Pull up a chair. Pour yourself a glass. Let’s talk theatre.
Nicola performs with Erewash Musical Society and Arcade Players in the Long Eaton area of the East Midlands.