MANDY LOWRIE (CASHION) – Belle
Singing and dancing since the age of six, Mandy studied tap, jazz ballet and theatrical styles with Sonny and Wendie Jose and has undertaken singing tuition with Gwyneth Dixon and Gina Bashford. She began performing in theatre restaurant with the Picadilly Players’ Old Time Music Hall before going on to appear in plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Man for All Seasons, Don’s Party and An Ideal Husband with Hobart Rep. Her real passion lies with musicals and she has performed lead roles in many of Hobart’s biggest shows such as 42nd Street, Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes, Sweet Charity, Me and My Girl, A Slice of Saturday Night, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Jesus Christ Superstar, Back to the 80s and Annie.

Mandy has performed with Big Monkey (Theatre Alfresco) in Sindbad the Sailor, The Lizard of Oz and Robin Hood and has appeared in every production by The Show Company including ONE!, ONE more!, Secrets Every Smart Traveller Should Know and Company, as well as choreographing elements of those productions. Other choreography work includes My Fair Lady and Oliver! for the G&S Society and productions of Annie, Stepping Out and The Pyjama Game.  

ANDREW HICKMAN - Beast
For some men, approaching forty can result in a new convertible, a career change or perhaps even that Harley motorcycle. For Andrew, the yearning was to be a part of telling great stories through musicals, having always been an avid lover of this medium. As a youngster he had five great years as a soloist with the Australian Rosny Children's Choir and was a regular competitor in local eisteddfods through his teens. Fast forward over twenty years and his first theatrical appearance was as French plantation owner Emile de Becque in the G&S Society’s 2004 production of South Pacific.

Andrew is rapt to have the opportunity to play the role of the Beast, getting to spend time with this talented and committed bunch of Hobart's finest people in one of the best musicals to hit the stage. He is honing his singing abilities with the expert tuition of Jane Edwards. His proudest principal role is actually that of ‘family man’, including a supporting act in the endeavours of his two children. Other leading roles include keeping the lights on with Hydro Tasmania, some yacht racing and the occasional cameo as a tennis player.

STUART PEARCE - Gaston
This is Stuart's third musical with the G&S Society, having previously appeared in Oliver! in 2000 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 2001, both staged at the Theatre Royal. He has played a number of principal roles in musical theatre shows including Billy Flynn in Chicago for Pierrot Productions and Rufus Dawes in the world premiere of For the Term of his Natural Life for Mainstage. He has been a performing member of The Show Company since 2003, playing Paul in its production of Company last year and previously appearing in ONE more! and Secrets Every Smart Traveller Should Know.

Stuart's appearances with other companies include La Cage aux Folles, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Brilliant Lies, I Hate Hamlet, Death of a Salesman and The Lion in Winter for Hobart Rep, Sweet Charity and Anything Goes for X Wellington Wellington X/Theatre Royal, Murder on the Nile for ExitLeft and The Merry Wives of Windsor for Directions Theatre. In real life Stuart is a mild mannered manager with a financial services company. He spends far too little time with his beautiful wife Pippa and gorgeous munchkins Sophie and Mia.

ROBERT JARMAN - Maurice
A freelance theatre artist, Robert Jarman has directed and/or performed for all major Tasmanian companies, including Zootango, Terrapin, Salamanca, Is, Big Monkey, CentrStage and Al Fresco theatre companies, Tasmania Performs, Australian Script Centre, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, IHOS Contemporary Opera, Bel Canto Opera, TasDance, Two Turns Dance, Mature Age Dance Ensemble, Theatre Royal, Old Nick, Hobart Rep, G&S Society, as well as numerous independent projects. Earlier this year Robert directed the inaugural productions for the Tasmanian Theatre Unit Trust, Les Misérables, and the Tasmanian Theatre Company, Bombshells. His work has featured in all Ten Days on the Island Festivals.

Robert has acted in innumerable productions, of which his favourites are Burn This, A Bright and Crimson Flower, Capital and the role of Thenardier in the G&S Society production of Les Misérables. Outside Tasmania Robert has worked with Nimrod, Griffin, Music Theatre Sydney, Australian Institute of Music, One Extra Dance Company, Theatre Workshop, Melbourne Comedy Festival, La Boite, JUTE, Regional Wave and Kinselas. Robert is a former member of the Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board and former Chair of the TAAB Theatre Panel. In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for services to the performing arts.

JEFF MICHEL - Lumiere & Assistant Director
Jeff is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. He appeared in amateur and professional theatre in New York City prior to moving to Hobart, where he performs and teaches English and Drama. He has worked at Hobart, Rosny and Claremont Colleges. Jeff has appeared in many productions since moving to Tasmania in 2005 including Trial by Jury for the G&S Society, A Slice of Saturday Night, And Then There Were None and The Wind in the Willows for Hobart Rep, Company for The Show Company, BOATS for Terrapin Puppet Theatre and RENT for ExitLeft at the Theatre Royal.

Jeff has also appeared in Aladdin and Pinocchio at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and will be returning there this summer to perform in Alice in Wonderland. Jeff also performs in the comedy duo The Red Hot Cols with Andrew Colrain and sings bass for the barbershop quartet Close Shave.

DI RICHARDS – Mrs Potts
Di began treading the boards at the ripe old age of four in her home town of Wollongong. She had the good fortune to perform professionally in theatre restaurant productions for Pickard Productions for many years and with Not Another Theatre Company. Since moving to Tasmania in 1999 Di has appeared in many productions, with her numerous principal roles including Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables for the Tasmanian Theatre Unit Trust, Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! for the G&S Society, Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago for Pierrot Productions, Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd for Shouting in the Evening, Joanne in Company for The Show Company and the Witch in Into the Woods for ExitLeft.

Other memorable shows include productions of Annie, Annie Warbucks, Side by Side by Sondheim, The World Goes Round and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change to name but a few. Di was part of the choir that was chosen to appear with Michael Crawford during his Tasmanian tour and she also featured in the Centenary of Federation Concert in Launceston.

PAUL LEVETT – Cogsworth
Paul has been involved in Tasmania’s theatre community for the past fifteen years. He is a well-liked and respected performer and has acted in both professional and non-professional productions. He has performed in drama, comedies, musical theatre, street theatre, improvisation, radio voice-overs and television commercials. Musical theatre is Paul’s favourite genre and highlights have included the X Wellington Wellington X/Theatre Royal productions of Guys and Dolls and Anything Goes, My Fair Lady for the G&S Society, The Venetian Twins for Hobart Rep and Trial by Jury for the Tasmanian University Musical Society.

Paul's other theatre credits include The Comedy of Errors for Zootango, Sinbad the Sailor for Theatre Alfresco in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, various summer plays for the Port Arthur Historic Trust, Don’s Party, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Cherry Orchard for Hobart Rep and a number of productions for the Old Nick Company including It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To, The Rover, A Doll’s House, A Toast to Melba and the 1999 Uni Revue.

MATT HUNT – Le Fou
Aside from long walks along the beach and romantic candle-lit dinners, Matt enjoys musical theatre, spinning fire and – very topically – downhill mountain biking. His first performance in the G&S Society’s production of Oliver! in 2000 got him hooked and since then he hasn’t looked back. Matt’s additional appearances with the G&S Society include Trial by Jury, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, HMS Pinafore and South Pacific. His other theatre credits include productions of West Side Story, La Cage aux Folles, Assassins, Hydrogen Jukebox, Grease, RENT, The Venetian Twins, Singles and Cats.

Matt also enjoys ballroom dancing and playing guitar and bass. Currently a Mercedes Benz Technician and a youth leader at Taroona Baptist Church, Matt is busy but loving every minute of playing Le Fou.

MARCELLA MATHOT-DEWIS – Madame de la Grande Bouche
As a little girl Marcella struggled with reading so her Mum introduced her to the story of Beauty and the Beast as an incentive to help her improve. Thus began a love of reading that cemented this story as one of Marcella’s favourites, and she is so excited to be a part of this theatrical production of the tale. Marcella enjoys being with her gorgeous husband Phil and her fantastic sons Oliver and William, and she loves road cycling, mountain bike riding and discovering new tracks to explore on our wonderful Mt Wellington.

Currently a student of Sharon Prero, she has also studied voice with Chris Richardson and she recently participated in a master class with soprano Sara McIver. Marcella has previously played the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar for Launceston College, performed in the group Faith Alone and has been invited to perform as a soloist in various settings.

SOPHIE TYRRELL – Babette
Since she was eight years old Sophie has been performing in various choirs, plays and musicals. Her performance highlights include South Pacific for the G&S Society, Back to the 80s for the Hobart Summer Theatre School, RENT for ExitLeft, A Slice of Saturday Night for Hobart Rep and productions of Les Misérables, Pippin and Disco Inferno.

This year has seen her performing in Hobart Rep’s production of Stepping Out and the 2008 Uni Revues Kevin 007 and Diamond Nickers for the Old Nick Company. Sophie was recently a State Finalist in Storm the Stage.

MARK WOJCIK – Monsieur D’Arque & Ensemble
Having appeared in many of Hobart’s major musicals, Mark is thrilled to be back on the Theatre Royal stage for this enchanting production of Beauty and the Beast. For the first time ever, he is able to explore his dark and menacing side as the shady Monsieur D’Arque. Mark has been involved in productions of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Oklahoma!, Chicago, Sweet Charity, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Anything Goes, Oliver!, Big River and West Side Story. He is a member of The Show Company and has performed in its productions of Company, ONE more! and Secrets Every Smart Traveller Should Know.

While musical theatre is Mark’s first love, he has also taken part in non-musical shows, appearing in Così for Hobart Rep and an adaptation of Little Voice at the Deloraine One-Act Play Festival. Mark has also worked as Stage Manager for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Hair. He loves all forms of dance and until this year was heavily involved in Polish Dance as the teacher of the Polish National Dance Group ‘Oberek’. From time to time Mark has also sung with various choirs and performed at the City of Hobart Carols by Candlelight.

This page is published by The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Tasmania and JHR Productions Pty Ltd and was last updated on 12 September 2008.