Annie

A heart-warming musical tracing a young girl’s journey from an orphanage to the home of a billionaire is in rehearsal at Sheringham Little Theatre.

Annie features an amateur community cast of adults and children follows her adventure with a mix of pluck, positivity, fun, comedy and song.

Set in 1930s New York, the plot sees Annie, who was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan, escape to the big city where she meets billionaire Oliver Warbucks, a lovable mutt named Sandy and even president Franklin D Roosevelt.

There is a 40-strong cast aged between nine and their 60s for the show, running from October 8-11, which is a fundraiser for the venue.

Show director Katie Thompson said some of the adult cast had already played their roles when the show appeared in Great Yarmouth’s St George’s Theatre earlier in the year, but many of the cast were new faces drawn from the Sheringham area.

“The fun has been watching the cast gel as a group and young people grow in confidence. And the challenge has been to switch the production from the spacious St George’s to the smaller space of the Little Theatre.”

Annie is played by 11-year-old Clementine Nuthall from the Sprowston area of Norwich, who is taking her first major role at the Little Theatre, having played a variety of characters in her city stage group ranging from Zazu the bird in the Lion King, to a goose, undertaker, and even a piece of seaweed.

“I am really looking forward to being on stage in front of lots of people, playing an iconic part and singing some great songs,” she said.

Her four-legged friend Sandy the dog is a cockapoo called Penny from Cromer, whose owner Olivia Linford is in the show as an upcoming Broadway star. The pooch may look familiar to theatre supporters as she is the sister of Mabel, the pet of theatre director Debbie Thompson who sometimes joins her at work.

Miss Hannigan is also a familiar face, played by theatre commercial manager Hannah Smith, while Bert Healy is played by front-of-house manager Robert Briggs.

Other key roles are Tom Lloyd as Rooster Hannigan, Ray Tempesta as Mr Warbucks, and Charlotte Caldwell as his secretary Grace Farrell.

Annie was originally a Victorian poem which morphed into a 1920s American newspaper comic strip, later adapted into various stage and film versions. The best- known songs from the show include It’s The Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow, and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.

Tickets for Annie (from £13.50, U16s 8.50) are from www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com or the box office on 01263 822347. Performances 7.30pm from 8th to 11th October with a matinee at 2.30pm on 11th October