Who will we shine the light on next…
Meryl Riley
Today we shine the Spotlight on one of our longest serving members, Meryl.
When did you join The Warren? 1985
Favourite show/character? I think my favourite show was That’s Life as it had such great rat pack songs and it was the first time I joined the band playing clarinet – and I haven’t looked back since!
Character I would love to play? Not ever going to happen, but I would love to play Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls.
Most embarrassing moment? I have tried to forget any embarrassing moments, but I do remember once singing the same verse of a solo three times as I couldn’t remember what the second verse was! I am still not sure anyone noticed!!
What does it mean to be part of The Warren? The Warren is genuinely my family! Apart from the fact that I met my husband of 32 years in The Warren, I have lifelong friends that I have made and I love the fact that you can socialise with the youngest to the oldest and everyone gets on.
Any funny backstage moments? Too many to recall! Plenty of falling over things when trying to get of stage in a blackout, going off stage the wrong side and bumping into people coming on, and having the fire alarm go off in the middle of a performance.
Favourite West End show? Les Mis – seen it 16 times and love it every time.
Favourite Pantomime? Whichever one we are currently performing!
Matthew Patenall
Our first spotlight is on Matthew, who has been a member for over five years.
When did you join the Warren? I joined in September 2017 through Stephanie Barker. I had originally seen her in the Wizard of Oz in 2012 with her Mum Tracy and planned to join but didn’t get round to actually doing so until five years later.
What was your favourite show/favourite character to play? My favourite show/character to play was King Richard in Robin Hood and the Dame of Thrones. I loved this show because it was my first time playing a principal lead in a pantomime and I was also a dancer for the first time. I loved the story, music and routines I performed as a dancer and I also liked the character I played and the scenes I had with my cast members, especially Shak Hussain as the Sheriff of Nottingham, who I loved acting alongside in the scene I had with him.
What character would you love to play? I would love to play a hero or a comic sidekick in one of our pantomimes one day since I see myself more playing these kinds of characters and would love the opportunity to do so in a future production.
Most embarrassing moment on stage? When we were dancing the routine for the song Dance with me Tonight during Little Red Riding Hood, because I was on a wooden platform performing my routine, I slipped and stumbled off the block. I managed to quickly get back up and recover in order to get back to where I was in the song.
What does it mean to you to be part of The Warren? Being a part of the Warren means getting to perform lots of amazing shows and raise money for some wonderful charities, as well as a great way to meet lots of people and do plenty of social activities and make plenty of friends along the way.
Any funny backstage moments? Hanging out backstage with my fellow cast members, there are always so many laughs and banter that takes place, especially in the male dressing room where I hang out most of the time when not on stage. The stuff we come out with and joke about can’t all be shared but it is also nice to get more time to properly chat with them and get to know more about what they like about being in the Warren and getting their tips and advice on how to do well in the Warren and the shows we perform.
Favourite West End show/play? One of my favourite West End show I have seen is Rock of Ages, which was a jukebox musical set in the late 80’s with songs by classic rock artists like Slade, REO Speedwagon, Bon Jovi and Journey. I loved the jokes in the show, especially when they broke the fourth wall. I loved the story and the characters of the show. Last year, I loved watching Spongebob Squarepants the Musical and the songs from the show are some of my favourites that I have been re-listening to a lot.
Favourite Pantomime (in or out of The Warren)? One of my favourite pantomimes that I have enjoyed is Aladdin, which I saw being performed at the Hackney Empire back in 2019. I enjoyed the sets and costumes and the setting which incorporated the East End of London and East Asia was a great mix that created a really funny combination of humour from both cultures. There were also lots of dancing pandas and Clive Rowe was hilarious as the Dame and Tameka Empson was also funny as the comic character.