A Bunch of Amateurs

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Judi started performing at 5 playing the Virgin Mary and never looked back! After gaining a drama
degree in London Judi taught drama and musical theatre for 33 years, recently becoming a freelance
drama consultant, LAMDA examiner as well as qualifying as a trained life coach. In her 40 years of
amateur theatre, she has been involved in well over 200 productions as performer or director. Her
directing work across the Midlands has won awards from NODA and the All England National One
Act Festival. Performing in many theatres across the country from Buxton Opera House to all three
RSC houses. Judi has played many principal roles from Frasquita (Carmen) to Jack’s mother (Into the
Woods). She is delighted to be playing the role of Dorothy.

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Oli has been in CODS for four years, making his debut as the villainous Chief Weasel in Wind In
The Willows. His time in CODS has also included performing in musicals The Full Monty, Whistle
Down The Wind and Sweeney Todd. Most notably, he got the chance to play the hapless Manuel in
CODS’ production of Fawlty Towers and the shambolic (and not to mention accident-prone) elderly
waiter, Alfie in One Man, Two Guvnors. Most recently playing the Historian/Minstrel in Spamalot,
'Amateurs' will be his 8th performance with CODS in one of his favourite theatres, The Playhouse.

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Perhaps it was the fact that we had other strings to our bow that kept our writing partnership going, where many others have foundered. I
certainly look forward to writing with Ian as a relief from the solitary and occasionally lowering process of drawing and selling cartoons. We
always write in a room together, happy in the knowledge (borne from long friendship) that either party can tell the other that their idea is
unfunny or hopeless.

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