Theatre's front-of-house staff return to the stage

A theatre's front-of-house team who became TikTok stars for their dance routines are putting on a sequel to their first stage show.

Staff at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton are performing the musical La Grande Façade on 26 and 27 June.

They put on their first show, The Show Must Go...On?, in October after there became an unexpected gap in the theatre's schedule.

The director, Jodie Kindell, said: "We did such a good job last year that we've got big shoes to fill, even though they are our own shoes."

Kindell explained the show was about how fame had gone to their heads, causing tensions to rise.

It follows on from the previous plot, which mirrored the reality of staff coming together to put on a last minute show for the first time.

"We are a family so it makes the rehearsal process a lot easier, as it makes it a safe space to explore these themes and ideas," she said.

Known as TheatreFrontOfHouse on TikTok, the team have gained more than 160,000 followers.

"It's so lovely to have an audience that already exists," said Kindell.

Joseph Kempster is the musical director and has written 10 original songs for the latest show.

"We're not polished actors or performers, we're not pitch perfect, but it doesn't need to be [and] there's real beauty in that," he said.

"I'm excited to see what it becomes."

Rimini Reed, who plays a variety of instruments in the musical, described the team as "very dedicated".

Last time the group did not have much preparation time, meaning they were rehearsing around shifts and finishing the script as they went.

Matthew Cook, who is part of the ensemble, said "last time was such an incredible success" but "it definitely has that extra level of professionalism [this time around]".

James Swindall, a customer experience supervisor and performer, said the show was "one hundred percent us".

"There is an existing bond there, not just from the last show but from years before that. It's quite rare," he added.

Co-star and front-of-house staff member, Benji Dotan, said the team wanted to show the people who only knew them from TikTok that they were professionals both in their jobs and on stage.

"We have all this hidden talent, we want to show [that it] happens [here in] Northampton," he said.

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