After gaining an Honours Degree in Mathematics and Economics at Bristol University, Joanne first worked in the West End in 1976 as Stage Manager on Jonathan Miller’s acclaimed production of “THREE SISTERS". From l977 - l980 she worked for the Cooney-Marsh Group with Brian Rix running their six London theatres. This included overseeing the refurbishment of the Astoria Theatre, which reopened in l977 with the award-winning musical "ELVIS". During this period she also managed the Group’s musical productions: “ELVIS”, “BEATLEMANIA" and “HELLO DOLLY”, including setting up the European and Australian tours of “ELVIS”. Immediately prior to going to Australia, Joanne spent three months at the English Theatre in Vienna as assistant to author Simon Gray where he was directing his own play, “DOG DAYS”.Clive Chenery
Clive trained at the RADA, he started his career at the Palace Theatre Watford, followed by repertory seasons at The Watermill Theatre Newbury, The Coliseum Theatre Oldham and The Salisbury Playhouse and two years at The Royal Court Theatre where he worked on: Top Girls; Edward Bonds ‘Restoration’; The Seagull; Touched; Operation Bad Apple and Not Quite Jerusalem.
He then spent ten years touring productions as diverse as The Woman in Black, A Chorus Line; The Pirates of Penzance; The Real Thing; Hobson’s Choice; Home Truths; Girls on Tap! Another Country; The Last of the Summer Wine; Hi De Hi; Anyone for Dennis? and Why Not Bangkok! (A nude Review). During this time Clive toured Germany with The Rocky Horror Show original cast and spent six months as Cabaret Manager aboard the TSCS NAVARINO. Each Christmas Clive enjoyed working on Spectacular Pantomimes among them :- Aladdin with Tommy Trinder and Freddy and the Dreamers, four seasons of Mother Goose with Danny La Rue, four seasons of The Wizard of Oz with Harry Worth and Tessa Wyatt,
Aladdin with Danny La Rue and Aiden J Harvey and Cinderella with Anne Shelton and Bill Maynard.
In the West End, Clive worked on: My Fair Lady with Anna Neagle and Liz Robertson, The Biograph Girl with Sheila White and Bruce Barry,
A Little Night Music with Dorothy Tutin and Susan Hampshire, Winnie with Robert Hardy and Virginia McKenna, and King with Simon Estes and Cynthia Haymon.
From 1990 to 1996 Clive worked for the BBC Drama Department on Casualty, Eastenders, Miss Marple, Bergerac, The House of Eliott, Between the Lines, Performance: Uncle Vanya, Top Girls, Tales from Hollywood, The Entertainer.
House of Cards: The Final Cut and the Screen Ones, Devils Advocate and Killing Me Softly.
In 1996 Clive was invited to join the Rank Organisation as Producer, where he was responsible for 21 original production shows and 3 Pantomimes. He directed a summer season of 6 Potted Pantomimes and two Floorshows in Devon, and Jack and the Beanstalk at the Octagon Theatre Yeovil. He presented An Evening with Spike Milligan, which sold out at many regional theatres.
In 1997, Clive returned to his freelance Career, specialising in Producing and production supervising large scale concerts and corporate events, for clients such as British Airways, BMW, The Lions Club International, BAT Racing, The Football Association and HD Thames.
In 1998 Clive was Production Manager for ‘Swonderful the George Gershwin Centennial concert at The London Palladium produced by Joanne Benjamin
Clive has been Production Supervisor for many Royal Charity Galas and in 1999 Clive made his first visit to the Edinburgh Festival as Company Manager for the National tour of ‘Gumboots’ for Backrow Productions.
On Millennium eve 1999 Clive was responsible for the switch on of The British Airways London Eye performed by Prime Minister Tony Blair which was televised around the world from the north bank of the Thames, the event involved 89 television companies via BBC TV, Laser and lighting effects, £2 million fireworks and talking direct to Captain Mike Webster, the Pilot of Concorde to ensure that he flew over as the last firework burst above the Eye!
In 2000 he Company Managed ‘ Black Goes with Everything’ for Michael White at the Churchill Theatre Bromley, ‘Dusty the Musical’ on National tour for Paul Farrah Productions and in the Autumn of 2000 was invited to join English National Ballet for their 50th anniversary season to Company Manage Derek Dean’s productions of ‘Swan Lake’, ‘Giselle’ and ‘Triple Bill’ on National tour, the London Coliseum Season of The ‘Nutcracker’, ‘Swan Lake’ and the 50th Birthday Gala in the presence of The Duke of York and Dame Alicia Markova, and the Arena Production of’ Romeo and Juliet’ at The Royal Albert Hall and on tour in Australia visiting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
On returning to the UK Clive was asked to supervise the Theatre of Comedy Production of “Sitting Pretty”, by Amy Rosenthal, starring Maureen Lipman at The Nuffield Theatre Southampton and on National Tour. He was Production Stage Manager for “Umoja” at The Shaftesbury Theatre in December 2001.
In 2002 Clive joined The International Festival of Musical Theatre in Cardiff as Project Director and was responsible for 100 performances in 11 Venues over 3 weeks, including the European Premiere of Ragtime at St David’s Hall, The Schools premiere of Les Miserables, Babes in Arms at the New Theatre, NYMT in Oklahoma, a Czech musical Joan of Arc, and concert versions of Carousel, Jubilee and an orchestral concert with the Opera Babes. The opening Gala concert was conducted by Donald Pippin; the closing at Llandaff Cathedral was a celebration of the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
During 2003 Clive production managed “The Bommity of Errors”, a Hip Hop Rap version of the Comedy of Errors which opened the Helix Theatre Dublin and then played a season at the New Ambassadors Theatre. He then joined Bill Kenwright Ltd to Company manage the National tours of “How the Other Half Love”s with John Challis and Sue Holderness, “Scrooge the Musical” starring Tommy Steele and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the New London Theatre. He also project directed two further Festivals in Cardiff in 2005 and 2006.
In 2007 Clive opened the European Premiere of “Menopause The Musical” starring Sue Pollard and Michael Brown. He was then invited to Switzerland to be orchestra tour manager for the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra and spent two seasons with them touring the world with guest conductors including Charles Doutoit, Sir Andrew Davies, Essa-Pekka Solonen, Mikhail Pletnev, Zubin Metha, Antonio Papano, Stéphan Denéve and Gábor Takács-Nagy and international Soloists Gabriela Montero, Joshua Bell, Martha Argerich, Maxim Vengerov, Mischa Maisky, Angelika Kirschlager, Lang Lang, Anne Sophie Mutter, Piotr Anderszexski and Frederica Von Stade.
On returning to the UK Clive joined long time associate Joanne Benjamin at The Entertainment Business and is currently working on two new musical productions,
‘Lend Me A Tenor The Musical’ which will premiere in the West End in 2010.
‘Loserville, the musical’ by Eliott Davis and James Bourne, will open in London in 2011.
‘Bloodbath the Musical’, written by Holby City writer and producer Tony McHale, which was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009, is currently in development.
The Entertainment Business is also in development for a series of musical theatre productions for the 3D live streaming market worldwide.