By The Culture Vulture
Graduates of an English Drama College met for the first time today in a Serrania de Ronda village.
Emma Cherry, 61, is an English professional actress from London who now lives in Benaoján near Ronda, after a long spell as a resident of Mallorca. Tom Whitelock and Susannah Austin, both 37, are professional actors and musicians who live in Hastings, East Sussex, after a spell in Leytonstone, London.
L to R: Tom, Susannah and Emma
Tom hails from Warrington, Cheshire, and Susannah from Hastings.
Drama College
All three actors attended Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, Kent, but at different times. Tom and Susannah met there and are now married with two children, boys aged four and one. Emma trained at the prestigious college, which also boasts Tom Baker ("Doctor Who", 1974-1981), and Gary Oldman (The Best Actor Oscar for "Darkest Hour", 2017) among its graduates, 20 years beforehand.
The breakfast get-together was arranged by Tom’s father, Paul Whitelock, who lives in Ronda and is a good friend of Emma from the time when they coincided at the Ronda Theatre Group, Proyecto Platea, run by Spanish actor Marcos Marcell.
So, Emma, Tom and Susannah met today at Bar Ankanita (formerly Bar Stop) in Estación de Benaoján and had a good old “chinwag” about their respective lives and experiences.
Emma Cherry
Emma Cherry was a leading actress at the Ronda Theatre Group Proyecto Platea, as well as being a teacher there. She took the lead in many of their productions, one of which, “Novias”, was written by Emma together with good friend and fellow actress Charo Carrasco, a Ronda businesswoman.
The Culture Vulture has seen “Novias” three times: the first occasion when it premiered in the courtyard of the Convento de Santo Domingo in Ronda; once in the open air in Atajate, a small village in Málaga province; and finally in the Proyecto Platea studio theatre in Ronda.
Emma and Charo are a successful and prolific writing partnership. So much so that in 2023 they published “Yo soy Teatro” a collection of their scripts. It is a top seller in the genre on Amazon.
Emma has just returned from a stint in London where she was involved in two film projects.
Tom Whitelock
Tom Whitelock is predominantly a theatre actor/musician. His most high-profile role to date was as bass player Pete Quaife in the London West End production of “Sunny Afternoon”, the award-winning musical about the 60s pop group The Kinks. That ran for over a year, with some eight performances a week.
Tom has also played the lead in Lorca’s “Blood Wedding” at the Cervantes Theatre in London, Pete in several productions of Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange”, in “Romeo and Juliet” at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, as well as “The Full Monty” (Simon Beaufoy), “All My Sons” (Arthur Miller) and “The Roses of Eyam” (Don Taylor) - Tom's acting debut aged six).
Tom has also landed some lucrative contracts recording TV advertisements.
Susannah Austin
Susannah Austin is mainly a singer/ songwriter, already with one album under her belt. Until she became a mum, she regularly performed on stage in the London area, and played gigs, sometimes accompanied by husband Tom Whitelock on guitar or double bass and vocals.
Susannah is the middle daughter of three of 70s singer, Claire Hamill, who sang with Yes, Wishbone Ash, and Jon Anderson, amongst others. Susannah's father Nick Austin was a record producer. So, Susannah has a good pedigree.
Claire, now approaching 70, is still active, performing live and recording. She has recently released her 15th album.
While the three actors enjoyed “comparing notes”, the two “Pauls”, Emma’s husband is designer Paul Rolf, went for a stroll with the two boys and explored the Benaojan/Montejaque railway station and the river Guadiaro.
© The Culture Vulture
Acknowledgements:
Charo Carrasco
CharryTV
Claire Hamill
Emma Cherry
Ents24
Facebook
Marcos Marcell
Paul Whitelock
Proyecto Platea
Susannah Austin
Tom Whitelock
YouTube
Audio:
(4) Facebook
Links:
"YO SOY TEATRO" - Book review (eyeonspain.com)
Claire Hamill
PROYECTO PLATEA - Marcos Marcell
Susannah Austin - YouTube
Tom Whitelock | Performers | Stage Faves
www.help-me-ronda.com
Tags:
A Clockwork Orange”, “All My Sons”, Atajate, Bar Ankanita, Bar Stop, “Blood Wedding”, Cervantes Theatre, Charo Carrasco, Claire Hamill, Convento de Santo Domingo, "Doctor Who", Emma Cherry, Estación de Benaoján, Guadiaro, Hastings, Jon Anderson, "Lady Chatterly's Lover", Lorca, Marcos Marcell, Montejaque, “Novias”, Paul Rolf, Paul Whitelock, Pete Quaife, Proyecto Platea, “Romeo and Juliet”, Rose Bruford College, Sean Bean, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Stanley Kubrick, “Sunny Afternoon”, Susannah Austin, “The Full Monty”, The Kinks, “The Roses of Eame”, Tom Baker, Tom Whitelock, Wishbone Ash, Yes, “Yo soy teatro”