March 83 - March 86
Marilyn graduated from Manchester University, took a postgraduate diploma in Drama, and then joined Derby Playhouse Theatre-in-Education and Studio Company. She has since worked with companies all over Great Britain and Ireland. West End credits include:
A founder member of Fascinating Aïda, she appeared with them in numerous television and radio shows before leaving in March 1986. Favourite roles since then include:
Marilyn recently made a foray into the field of opera, playing Despina in Music theatre London's production of Cosi Fan Tutte, followed by Annina in their Oliver award nominated Traviata. Last year she toured the country with Copacabana, and has recently finished a run of Romeo and Juliet at the Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich.
March 83 - October 83
Canadian actress Lizzie Richardson was Dillie's best friend from her drama school days. In the early 80's they teamed up again to sing in various London venues.
For some gigs they were joined by Marilyn Cutts and various other performers, working under the name "Shame". The group split in September 81 when both Lizzie and Marilyn returned to their acting careers.
Lizzie returned to the fold in March 83 when Fascinating Aïda was founded.
She left the group after the Dublin Theatre Festival in October 83 to return to her native Canada.
[Webmaster's Note: If anybody has any information on Lizzie's current whereabouts please get in touch by e-mail.]
October 83 - December 83
Glenda originally studied opera at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dance. She joined Fascinating Aïda after spending the summer working as a redcoat at a Butlin's Holiday Camp.
She left FA as she felt the group wasn't right for her.
Glenda Smith has e-mailed the webmaster to provide this update on her career since leaving FA:
Since leaving F.A. I have had a very interesting career which includes a fairly rapid rise within the Civil Service alongside a continuing singing/acting career! Work all over the UK has included:
I have recently moved back into classical work - which is where I started - on the 4th of May 2002 I am performing with the Elgar Chorale in Worcester.
August 86 - 15th April 89
Denise Wharmby was born in Tasmania, and met the girls (as they were then known!) on their first night in Sydney back in 1986. She showed them where to party, took them out on wild nights of drinking and gambling, and finally threw a barbie for them just before they headed off on their Outback Tour... Fatefully, someone started a bit of a sing-song, and wouldn't ya just know it, but Denise launched into the big aria from La Traviata. Dillie was completely bowled over -not jusy by Denise's superb voice, enormous range and all round musicianship - but by the extraordinary throw of the dice that had landed them all together. For the truth was that Adèle and Dillie had been touring with a heavy heart, as Marilyn had decided that she needed to spread her wings and escape the somewhat claustrophobic world of touring touring touring... This was to be her swansong with Fascinating Aida, and it appeared that there was no-one to replace her. Auditions had been held, and suffice it to say that much drowning of sorrows had been attempted as a result of said auditions. However, there in Sydney on that fateful day in February 1986, whilst they munched their blackened shrimps and stood beside a Kawai grand piano, Adèle and Dillie found their saviour.
The rest is history. Denise left a promising career on the musical side of Australian showbiz to come to England, and didn't leave out shores for many years.
Then another piece of fate to La Wharmby to her third continent. In 1984, Fascinating Aida had been pipped at the post for the Perrier Award, Edinburgh's famous comedy trophy. The winners that year (quite deservedly) were the wackiest quintet of musicians ever to toot a horn on a stage -THE BRASS BAND. As huge fans of THE BRASS BAND, Fascinating Aida found it no trouble to galnat losers, so they took the bottle of champagne they'd bought around to share it with the five crazy Californian boys. The guys looked somewhat puzzled at this act of quixotic magnanimity, but sufice it to say that they recognised in the girls the unmistakable signs of schoolgirl adulation (not to mention infatuation) and a real and abiding friendship was struck.
Then when Denise joined the group, she naturally came across the guys - firstly at the Perth Festival in 1988, then in San Francisco in 1989. Of course, all the guys lived in SF, so there was quite a bit of socialising, etc. etc., and naturally she got to know them all fairly well.
Cut to some years later - about 1994 or so... Denise was passing through San Francisco on her way to Oz to see her family, and decided to look up the old friends. THE BRASS BAND had by then disbanded (no pun intended!) but the individuals weren't hard to find. And lo and behold, she and George Wallace (no relation to the right wing senator, nor to the African-American comic of the same name) looked into one another's eyes - and found the experience more than pleasant.
So there you have it. Denise is now living in the Bay Area of San Francisco, a contented mother of a little boy. George is doing all sorts of things - he turned out to be a bit of a whizz as a builder and decorator, so that's his main occupation. However, he's still conducting and doing all sorts of things with his music, and Denise is teaching. That little boy is sure going to be musical!
We wish her well, and Denise, if you're reading this, send a photo of the family to the website!
March 1994 - July 1999
Issy was the longest serving of all the FA sopranos. During her five years with the group she won the hearts of many fans from all round the world.
Born in Hong Kong to Dutch parents,
naturally. Lived in Japan, South Africa and then back to Hong Kong. Aged
9 was sent to Prep School in England then on to boarding school - after a
mutual parting of the ways between Head Mistress and pupil - Issy decided
it was time to move on, which she did, to London for a year of 'A' levels
at Queensgate.
Having done a lot of singing and acting at school...Amahl in Amahl and The Night Visions, St Matthews Passion at the Festival Hall, conducted by Sir David Wilcox...Issy discovered the joys of Vodka and Malboro cigarettes and decided the life of an estate agent was for her, until a timely run in with the Chelsea police. She had dabbled with cooking, secretarial work, travel agency and interior design on her voyage of discovery.
At this time, Issy was suffering withdrawal symptoms, from lack of performing and found herself in a band performing at all sorts of events, from private parties to the Hammersmith Palais - The Sweatband.
She put her money where her dream was and still is, and when offered a recording deal with an American record producer in New York - three tracks later, wiser, poorer, but richer in experience, she returned to London.
Back in London and having shed many tears and a boyfriend, she went to celebrate the New Year in Delhi performing, in cabaret, for the Taj Group of Hotels - squeezing in a quick trip to the Taj Mahal.
Soon after that, she was asked to join the line up at Madam Jo Jo's, for six weeks, as the only "real" girl - eventually, after 18 months, they managed to prize her out of Soho with the false promise of a glittering tour of Manchester and Los Angeles.
Suddenly appearing on the scene, Larry Adler, whisked her off to the Edinburgh Festival where they performed together and have been ever since - The Glory Of Gershwin Album, a tour of Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Barbados and The Jazz Cafe, Camden!
Her baptism of fire into the wondrous West End Theatre life came with the marvellous Norwegian hit musical [albeit in Norway alone, she is thrilled to still receive her residual cheques from the cast recording and video] - WHICH WITCH stunned London's discerning theatre audiences, several years ago. Even with the support of the entire Norwegian football team and their Royal Family, they could not save this rather "poor" musical - but everyone has to have at least one on their CV.
She then went on to perform in various musicals - "Moll Flanders", "Love Life", "Music In The Air", "By Jupiter", as well as numerous performances of her own show around the country and in London, at Pizza On The Park.
In 1994 she joined forces with Dillie Keane and Adèle Anderson to reform Fascinating Aïda on instructions from Victor Lownes [the former "Head" of Playboy in the U.K. - the discerning musical critic that he is!], they had two sell out U.K. Tours, a sell out run at the Lyric Hammersmith and The Garrick West End, culminating in an Olivier Nomination for Best Entertainment.
Having found she had two months off, in the midst of all this, she accepted a short run of Lysistrata for the Peter hall Company at Richmond Theatre Royal and Epidorus Amphitheatre, as part of the Athens Festival.
She received a phone call from her dear friend Christopher Biggins asking whether she would like to play the part of Hortensio in a production of the Taming of the Shrew in Barbados, which, naturally, she accepted like a shot. When she later discovered that she would be playing a man, she still didn't have the heart to say, No [and word has it, she was rather good]!
She then went off to Australia and New Zealand, with Larry, to tour the Gershwin album to sell out venues where the album had gone platinum - it might have also had something to do with a few of the other up and coming artists on the album - Jon Bon Jovi, Sting, Elton John, to name but a few.
She spent the next twelve months playing the part of Petra, the free thinking and liberal maid in Stephen Sondheim's award winning musical, A Little Night Music, at the Royal National Theatre, also starring Dame Judi Dench, Sian Phillips and Patrica Hodge - due to popular demand, the show was extended. During her hectic year at the National Theatre, she managed to squeeze in the recording of the acclaimed cast album of "A Little Night Music" as well as her own album "It's Oh So Issy" - which was a cathartic experience, a lot of fun and extremely satisfying.
When the show closed, Issy went on to do her sell out show at the Purcell Room, plus various other ventures, such as Joy To The World [Royal Albert Hall], Glory Of Gershwin [Berlin], Late & Lyrical [Jermyn Street] etc etc etc.
The new year brought Fascinating Aïda back together for another sell out run at the Vaudeville and the subsequent transfer to the Apollo Theatre, due to popular demand, with their hit show, "It, Wit, Don't Give A Shit Girls".
1997 saw Issy's much lauded performances for the New Shakespeare Company in both "Kiss Me Kate" [as Bianca / Lois] and "A Midsummer Nights Dream" [as Helena] at the Regent's Park Open Air.
Current Projects:
The cast album of "Song of Singapore", starring Issy van Randwyck is now available from Dress Circle. Click on the above link for full details.
February 2000
Charlotte's time with the group was tragically brief. Shortly after she flew in from California in January 2000 to join the girls, she was struck down by acute laryngitis and lost her voice. She partially recovered her voice and was able to perform in just four shows before losing her voice again. She opted to leave the group to give her voice the chance to recover.
Details of Russell's career and life can be found on this page.