Mark Read is a British singer/songwriter, best known as a member of the band A1, one of the most popular and successful chart bands of the late 90s & early 2000s.

The band were more recently seen on ITV’s The Big Reunion and as part of the major arena tour of the UK.

Born into a very musical family, Mark’s dad was a member of the Wild Angels, a rock and roll band; his mum, also a songwriter, a pianist and drummer; and his grandmother, one of the original 60s Tiller Girls.

He started playing the piano at age 3 and took to the stage for the first time at age 7, but his first big break came at the age of 19 as part of A1.

A1 achieved great success across the globe, including two UK number 1 singles, eight Top Ten hits, five studio albums and countless awards, including MTV, Smash Hits, Disney Channel and Brit Award for Best Newcomer.

The band still has a huge worldwide following.

An accomplished hit songwriter, Mark has also penned songs for a number of International artistes, including Michael Bolton, Boyzone, John Barrowman, Ruthie Henshall, Charlotte Church and The Hollies.

Mark has played the piano and provided vocals on numerous album projects, film soundtracks (including Harry Potter), video games (Little Big Planet) and for many winners of X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

As a composer, Marks proud ’s proudest moment to date was having a song he co-wrote, 'We Will Remember Them', recorded by an all-star cast – including Michael Bolton, Robin Gibb and Paul Carrack – with all proceeds going towards Help for Heroes and Royal British Legion. Mark performed the song to a rousing ovation at the Royal Albert Hall in 2009.

Mark produced and co-wrote the soundtrack to Noah – A Musical Adventure, which toured the UK in 2014 and 2015.

In musical theatre, Mark has played Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (Epsom Playhouse) The Balladeer in Assassins and Roger in Rent (Beck Theatre) Prince Charming in Cinderella (Aylesbury Waterside) Joe in Santa Claus the Musical(New Theatre Royal Portsmouth) Dandini in Cinderella(Worthing Pavillion) and Aladdin(Marina Theatre) He has performed on many P&O and Princess cruise ships as a guest entertainer and also starred in Seasons of Love (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) Most recently Mark joined Strictly Come Dancing Pro Kristina Rihanoff for her Audience With Tour of the UK,Scotland and Ireland as host and special guest singer.

Mark is approaching his 20th Anniversary as a professional touring musician and recording artist and his infectious energy and passion for music shines through in every performance.

Ben trained at the Guildford School of Acting.

In the West End Ben has played ‘Eugene’ in Grease; ‘Inventor’ in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; ‘Roger The Cabin Boy’ in Dame Edna: The Spectacle and ‘Victor Saville’ in Over My Shoulder: The Jessie Matthews Story.

On tour Ben played ‘Lumiere’ in Disney’s Beauty And The Beast; ‘PC Boot’ in Salad Days; ‘Teddy Shapiro’ in Sophie Tuckers One Night Stand; Tomfoolery; Glenn Miller in Bugle Boy and was the alternate ‘Joseph’ in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In London, Ben has also been seen in Noel And Gertie as ‘Noël Coward’ at the Cockpit Theatre; G And I at the New End Theatre; Gays The Word (Jermyn Street); Anyone Can Whistle (Covent Garden Festival); Rags (Lyric); Merman’s Apprentice (Landor); Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Lost Musicals) and Follow That Girl (Theatre Museum).

His regional work includes ‘Cornelius’ in Hello Dolly; Lady Windermere’s Fan; A Chorus Of Disapproval and Single Spies (Pitlochry); Tomfoolery; Cole and Charley’s Aunt (Frinton); French Without Tears and Over My Shoulder (Sonning); Murder Mystery Musical (Edinburgh Fringe); Alice In Wonderland (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Our Gracie, Stepping Out and Feels Like The First Time (Oldham Coliseum); La Cage Aux Folles (English Theater, Frankfurt), Annie (Perth) and The Tale of Mr Tumble at the Manchester International Festival.

As a panto regular Ben has appeared as ‘Ugly Sister’ for QDOS in Cinderella (Milton Keynes, Hastings, High Wycombe, Dartford, Bradford, Northampton and Wolverhampton twice!) alongside the likes of The Krankies, Lesley Joseph, Lynda Bellingham, Stefan Dennis, Jimmy Osmond,

Sophie-Louise Dann

Sophie-Louise trained at Arts Educational Schools London and her career has encompassed the worlds of opera, musical theatre, radio and film. Most recently she originated the role of ‘Barbara Castle’ in the world premiere of the musical Made in Dagenham at the Adelphi Theatre.

West End credits include: Celia in The Girls (Phoenix Theatre; 2017 Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical)Paula Paxton in Bend it Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre); Barbara Castle in Made in Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre); Diana Divane in Lend Me a Tenor (Gielgud Theatre; 2012 Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Role in a musical), title role in Iolanthe, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, Edith in Pirates Of Penzance (Carl Rosa Opera/ Gielgud), 42nd St (Dominion), Jolson (Victoria Palace), Forbidden Broadway! (Albery) and numerous leading roles for D’Oyly Carte Opera (Savoy).

Other theatre credits include: Forbidden Broadway! (Menier Chocolate Factory); Closer Than Ever (Jermyn St Theatre); Velma von Tussle in Hairspray (Leicester Curve); Dot in Sunday in the Park with George (Chatelet du Paris); Gay Daventry in Ivor Novello’s Gay’s The Word (Jermyn St. Theatre), Mrs Beaver in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (Kensington Gardens, directed by Rupert Goold & Michael Fentiman), Kath in The Kitchen Sink (Hull Truck), Gay Daventry in Gay’s the Word (Finborough), Mo in Lucy Gannon’s Broken Hearted (Derby Theatre), And The World Goes Round (Castle Theatre, Wellingborough), Lady Raeburn in Salad Days (Riverside Studios), Vera in Stepping Out (Derby Playhouse), Liz Imbrie in High Society (UK Tour), Hannah in A Chorus of Disapproval (Theatr Clwyd), Alma Hix in The Music Man, Smitty in How To Succeed…, Marya Artonova in The Government Inspector, Venus in Out Of This World, (Chichester Festival Theatre), Dot Robinson in the world premiere of The Original Chinese Conjuror (Almeida Opera/Aldeburgh Festival), Hortense in The Boyfriend (UK Tour), Marta in Dick Barton – Special Agent and Dick Barton and the Curse of the Pharaohs’ Tomb (Croydon Warehouse), Cherry buck in Thark (Watermill), Louise Hamilton in Why Not Stay For Breakfast? (Mill at Sonning), As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, (New Shakespeare Co.) Polly Peachum in The Beggar’s Opera (Holland Park), Scarlett O’Hara in Frankly Scarlett...(Kings Head), Young Viv in Spend, Spend, Spend (TMA Award Winner; West Yorkshire Playhouse).

Sophie’s extensive concert career has seen her headline at the Royal Albert Hall with pianist Jonathan Cohen as part of Raymond Gubbay’s Christmas Festival. She is a regular guest artiste on Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night and has appeared with the BBC Concert Orchestra in Patience, Sondheim at 80 (BBC PROMS) ‘More Of Loesser’ (BBC Radio 3), Pal Joey & On Your Toes (Brighton Dome) and as Carrie in Carousel (RFH, St.David’s Hall). Her one-woman show “From Classic to Coward to Current” has been performed in London, New York and LA.

TV, radio and film credits include Doctors (BBC), Granny McFitch in BAFTA winning Trapped! – Ever After (CBBC), Mr. Bean (ITV1), Goodnight Sweetheart (BBC1), My Summer with Des (BBC1), The Phantom of the Opera (Warner Bros) and Sunday in the Park with George (Mezzo TV).