“When my son was three years old, he wouldn’t watch the Teletubbies. Instead he used to watch the film of Chicago on a loop! He knew all the words to the Cell Block Tango by heart! So I’m now having a “full circle” moment, as I’m going to be performing that very same number with BATS!” Michelle Anderson is very excited about returning to the stage after a break of 24 years. In the 1990s she trained in Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting, where she met her husband Xavier. After pursuing a professional career she gave up performing to raise her two sons. Michelle Anderson “In recent y ..read more

SET: The set was two sets of bleachers that moved apart to make an entrance/exit at the rear of the stage. The backdrop being a technicolour brightly lit pyramid of colour. The use of the stage in this way made room for the large cast. The focus was therefore on lighting and costumes.  COSTUMES: Costumes were fantastic, brightly coloured and varied in style from traditional biblical to modern and all were vibrant, well fitting and suited to their characters. There must have been some very quick changes due to doubling up of characters and scene changes. The narrators were in black and thi ..read more

If you are an adult aged 18+ and would like to join us to perform in our revue On With the Show - A Musical Theatre Roulette, here is the information you need about auditions. The show will be performed at The Haymarket in Basingstoke on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May 2024. ACCESS AUDITION RESOURCES ONLINE: MEMBERS AREA You must be a paid-up member to be able to access audition materials and the online audition form. Access these resources by logging into your member account on the BATS website. If you are a new member, pay your membership online with a debit or credit card to gain instant acc ..read more

Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an absolute classic and BATS hit every note perfectly. Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is an absolute hit, it's safe to say most of us can recite the lyrics of at least one song thanks to its popularity with school drama departments. If your school didn't put on a show, the choir probably did its own rendition of Any Dream Will Do during assembly. Every year BATS effortlessly brings the West End to The Haymarket, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is no exception. As expected, the show was a joy to watch, with colourful costumes, impr ..read more

There’s just so much to love about BATS’ latest production, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It wasn’t just the dream coat that was amazing and technicoloured – this was a show full of colour, dance, laughter and eccentricity which had its audience totally engrossed and thoroughly entertained. If the main purpose of a show is to entertain, then the standing ovation at the end of Tuesday’s opening night, proved BATS had, once again, delivered. The production was directed and choreographed by Louise Travis, with Luannsa Goodman as her co-choreographer and Jonathan Eiø as Musical Di ..read more

I had the unique opportunity to attend a rehearsal of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by the outstanding cast of Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society and directed by Louise Travis. Despite being a rehearsal, the performance was already incredible, showcasing raw talent that promises to be even more breath-taking with the addition of music, lights and scenery. Highlights The Potiphar Scene brought a fascinating clockwork orange vibe, adding a unique touch to the production. The integration of narrators with the characters, particularly the brothers, was a brilliant choice, provid ..read more

“I’ve missed it – big time!” Ian Smith, known universally as Spud, is speaking about his return to the stage in the show-stopping role of the Elvis-like Pharaoh in BATS’ production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Ian ‘Spud’ Smith Spud joined BATS in 1997 for Me and My Girl and has been involved in 47 shows since, playing roles like Bill Sikes in Oliver!, Jud Fry in Oklahoma! and the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, as well as working backstage. But Joseph is the first time he’s been in front of an audience for a while. “I had som ..read more

“Strange as it seems, there’s been a lot of crazy dreams…” Tingles run down the spine as three female singers harmonise beautifully in a lovely moment from Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat. The voices belong to Kirsty Kingham, Laura Newborough and Eronwy Selwyn, who play the three Narrators in BATS’ production. Wait a minute - three? Wasn’t there just one in the original show? “There aren’t that many female roles in Joseph,” says Laura, “so this casting choice gives more opportunities. Our director Louise Travis made us all sing together in the audition. We had to harmonise on the l ..read more

SET AND PROPERTIES: The set, a multi level steel structure, was practical and made good use of the space; part of the upper level housed the orchestra. Tables were moved around and used in various scenes. Props were well used – even the candles which can be notoriously badly behaved in live theatre! THE PROGRAMME: The programme was in A4 format, glossy and gave clear and interesting information about the production, background and planning with photos and information about the cast. There was a Chairman’s message as well as information about their future production and how to get involved with ..read more

If you are a parent/guardian of a child and would like them to join us to perform in our production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, here is the information you need about the audition workshop. To be eligible to audition, your child must be at least 7 years old by the audition date and no older than 17 on the last performance. The show will be performed at The Haymarket in Basingstoke from Tues 14 – Sun 19 November. We rehearse every Monday and Wednesday evening and on some Sundays. Children will be required to attend the Sunday rehearsals and some Monday and Wednesday evenin ..read more