Mark Ridyard

Mark Ridyard Mark must surely be one of our most versatile members! As a performer he has played Daddy Warbucks (Annie), Cagey Joe (Bugsy Malone) and, for Theatre Guild, Moonface Martin (Anything Goes) and Uncle Henry / Guard (The Wizard of Oz). As a director of plays his credits include Twelfth Night, Measure For Measure, The Merchant of Venice and Henry V (are you spotting a pattern here?). In addition he has directed films, TV adverts and radio plays!! For Theatre Guild he was Assistant Director for The Wizard of Oz and he returned as Artistic Director of our 2005 production of Hello Dolly! and our 2006 production of Kiss Me Kate. He returns in 2007 to direct our production of The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. He has also worked with Johnstone Phoenix as Producer / Director on Copacabana and My Fair Lady, with The Cecilian Society on Oklahoma! and Anything Goes and with EKLOC on My Fair Lady. Backstage his credits include Annie (x2), Bugsy Malone, Singin' in the Rain, Mack & Mabel, 42nd Street, The Music Man, Mame, Return To The Forbidden Planet and a pivotal role as Stage Manager for Theatre Guild on Sweet Charity in 2003 and more recently Oklahoma!. He lists his first EVER performance as a shepherd in his primary school Nativity play: "I remember the towel falling off my head several times - and, like all good actors, I blamed it on the wardrobe mistress rather than my own obvious incompetence!". When not on stage he does "as many things back-stage as possible"! He recently married Victoria - the couple having met while rehearsing the Guild's production of Anything Goes. If all this were not enough he follows Barnsley F.C. and cries a lot (these last two are related activities)!! Mark recalls a funny theatre story - to paraphrase: "On the opening night of my first production of Sweet Charity the good fairy appeared with her 'star dust' to sprinkle over Charity. As she threw it in the air pyrotechnics went off creating a wonderful effect. I wasn't aware of any effect for that scene. Turns out that a light exploded showering the actors with sparks and broken glass - just at the perfect moment!". (Mark's Secret: He managed to persuade Michael Sheard - Grange Hill's Mr. Bronson and Indiana Jones' Hitler - and Nicholas Courtney - Dr Who stalwart - to sing a drunken version of "Me And My Shadow" while filming video segments for Return To The Forbidden Planet. He ALSO has video footage of Tony Smith's secret!!)