Episode 42: Actor/musicians Sarah Whittuck, Peter Peverley, Olivia Foster-Browne and artistic director Pete Rowe talk about the smash hit show ‘Never Lost at Home’ running at the New Wolsey Theatre

The Suffolk Pod Show

In this podcast episode we talk to sensational cast members Sarah Whittuck, Peter Peverley and Olivia Foster-Browne as well as Pete Rowe Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre and writer and director, of the smash hit show ‘Never Lost at Home’.

Pete Rowe tells the story behind the making of ‘Never Lost at Home’, a live stage show wrapped around Ipswich Town Football club’s UEFA Cup winning season in 1980/81. The story (created from a collection of real stories from fans and Ipswich Town Football club from that time) focuses on a fictitious family, The Coombes, and their friends, all obsessive Town fans, as they make a pact to watch every away-game in Europe. The story also recounts the 80/81 season through the eyes of Bobby Robson, then manager of Ipswich Town team, and his players. Pete also tells us about the mix of comedy and drama in the show.

Pete gives us an insight to the making of the show as well as the use of film, how he chose that sensational soundtrack (including Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tainted Love and Can you Feel it), the talented singers and musicians, the youth theatre community group’s involvement recreating the action on the pitch without a ball!

Sarah Whittuck, actor, musician and singer, plays Sheila Coombes, mother and anchor of the family. Sarah loves the New Wolsey theatre and is over the moon to be back there on stage ‘it’s what dreams are made of’ she says. She talks about the show and her role within the fictitious Coombes family. She also talks to us about perfecting her Suffolk accent, with famous voice coach Charlie Haylock. Sarah talks about her career, her life and how she manages to remain in perfect health throughout long performance runs.

Peter Peverley is highly revered for his performances as Bobby Robson and he talks about getting into the character of Bobby, including the training and study he puts into the role. Peter was born and raised close to Bobby Robson’s home village which, as he says, gives him a great head start in recreating Bobby’s pitch, timbre and inflection. Peter is a musician and singer as well as an actor, he talks about his passion for playing live gigs in working men’s clubs and other venues around his hometown – he adds he may throw a bit of Bobby into his live gigs! Peter gives us a few lines from the show!

Olivia Foster-Browne, professional actor singer and dancer, plays ‘Ange’ – best friends with the Coombes family and wife of 'Smudger' played by Keanu Adolphus Johnson. Olivia talks about ‘Ange’ as a strong, layered and witty woman and chats about some of the similarities between Ange and her real self. Olivia also chats about on-stage chemistry with Keanu and her love of singing ‘that big song’ at the end, come on it’s ‘Tina Turner’!

Never Lost at Home runs at the New Wolsey Theatre until Saturday 9th October 2021.

To book AUDITORIUM tickets (including relaxed performance, BSL, AD, Captioned performances and dementia friendly performances)

https://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/shows/never-lost-at-home/

To book LIVESTREAM tickets (AD and Captioned)

https://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/shows/never-lost-at-home-livestream/

Imagery created by The Suffolk Pod Show, original Photo credits: Mike Kwasniak