Dick Whittington Cast Bios
Ian Assersohn
Fitzwareen and Captain Horatio
This is Ian's first production with Cobham Players although he has been involved with the performing arts as a musician all his life. His panto experience has, until now, been restricted to a spell as one of the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella but he has also appeared at the old Leads Playhouse as the onstage Musical Director in a professional production of Marat/Sade. Ian is currently Musical Director of Leatherhead Choral Society and Vaughan Williams Singers.
Emma Thacker
Jack
This is Emma's first production with Cobham Players and we are thrilled to have her in this production!
Steve Black
Sarah the Cook
This will be Steve's sixth production with Cobham Players. He has been acting from a very early age, working with such companies as the OSC, Rash Brilliance, Brighton and Hove Operatic Society, Brighton Little Theatre and, until 2017, with the Barns Green Players. A life journey to Switzerland then took him away from the boards until his return as Martin in our October 2022 production of Curtain Up On
Murder. Then followed his appearances as Andy in Woman in Mind in April 2023, as Roger in our 2024 production of One For The Road and as Laurence in the January 2025 play Abigail's Party.
Steve has performed in a variety of plays and venues, including Sweet Charity at Brighton Theatre Royal, King Lear at The Minack Theatre in Cornwall and The Life and Death of King John at The Globe Theatre.
Steve has also written and directed a number of productions with his charity groups, "Gorgeous Productions" and "Bossanova Productions".
Emily Ingold
Alice
Emily's best grade at GCSE was for Drama so it came as no surprise that, on leaving school, she took up acting as a hobby. Following small roles as a wolf and an elf in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with Nomads, she went on to play Louise in Happiness by Paul Mathews and anorexic slimmer, Kelly, in Love Me Slender by Vanessa Brooks. She also had fun playing a villager in a pantomime version of Jack and the Beanstalk. With The Whips, she took part in Alan Ayckbourn's Role Play as Julie-Ann.
After a long break from acting, Emily is happy to be back on stage for this show. She and we are looking forward to further opportunities for Emily to perform with Cobham Players.
Amy Aiello
Dick Whittington
Millie Hart
Tommy the Cat
This is Amy's inaugural production with Cobham Players. We are thrilled to have her!
Millie joined Cobham Players in 1998 and her many performances include roles in Cabaret, Habeas Corpus, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Stepping Out. She played Adriana in The Comedy of Errors and Beryl Armstrong in Something to Remember You By. In 2010, she was the joint winner with Samantha Myers of the Best Actress Award at Leatherhead Drama Festival for her performance as Beth Cummings in Lifeboat. In 2011 she appeared in Babes in the Wood and The 39 Steps. She was Annie in Calendar Girls (2012), Susan Walker in Swallows & Amazons (2013), Mickey in The Female Odd Couple (2013), Kitty in The Sleeping Beauty and Marya in The Government Inspector (2014).
She played Peggy in Lilies on The Land, winner of the 2015 Leatherhead Drama Festival, Glow Worm in The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner and several roles in Sunday Morning at The Centre of The World (2007), She was also Wishy Washy in Aladdin (2018) and Skinny in The Educatio: of Skinny Spew 2019), the last winning play at the Leatherhead Drama Festival. In the Woking Drama Festival winning version of Under Milk Wood (2019), Millie played eight roles and this play went on to be runner-up at the All British Winner's Festival in 2021. Also, in 2021 she reprised the role of Beth Cummings in Lifeboat, winner of Woking Drama Festival.
Millie's most recent role in a Cobham Players production was as Doris in 2024's My Mother Said.
Milie is currently membership secretary and a member of Cobham Players'.
Karen Budd
Empress of Morrocco and Kanya Fart
Karen has been a member of Cobham Players for over 40 years acting on the stage and also directing.
Samantha joined Cobham Players in 2004 and has undertaken a range of roles. Her early plays include Memory of Water, Interior Designs, The Glider, The Comedy of Errors and The 39 Steps. She directed the award-winning Visiting Hour at Leatherhead Drama Festival (2007) and Something to Remember You By (2009). In 2010, jointly with Millie Hart, Sam won the Best Actress Award at Leatherhead Drama Festival
for her performance as Bess Walder in Lifeboat. She has appeared in numerous pantomimes from Cinderella to Aladdin and many more. Other roles include Brenda in Cash on Delivery, Celia in Calendar Girls and Bobchinsky in The Government Inspector. She played Liz in September in the Rain, Cobham Players' winning entry in the 2013 Leatherhead Drama She played Margie in Lilies on the Land 2015), winner of Leatherhead Drama Festival, Zelda in Death in High Heels, several roles in Sunday Morning at the Centre of The World and Daisy Pulls It Off (2017), Mr Spew in The Education of Skinny Spew 2019), the last winning play of the Leatherhead Drama Festival. She played many roles in Under Milk Wood in 2019, winner of the Woking Drama Festival and again in 2021 at the British All Winners' Festival where it was awarded runner-up. That same year, she reprised her role of Bess Walder in Lifeboat, winner of the Woking Drama Festival. Her most recent performances were as Susan, the lead in Woman in Mind in 2023, as Margaret in 2024's My Mother Said I Never Should and as Beverly in January 2025's Abigail's Party.
Samantha is currently Chair of Cobham Players.
Samantha Myers
Fairy
Graham Budd
Sid Snott
​Graham has produced, directed and appeared in many Cobham Players productions during his decades-long association with us. In 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2018 he directed our pantomimes, Babes in the Wood, Treasure Island, Puss in Boots and Aladdin and his Magic Lamp and in 2021 directed our October production of the comedy Barbecue.
On stage his roles have ranged widely. He was
Baines, the butler, in Lord Arthur Savile's Crime (2013), Jim McCormack in Ladies' Day (2014) and Henry Pulling in Travels With My Aunt in 2015, a busy year given his directing Puss In Boots as well. Then followed roles in 2016 as Black Wing in Snow White and Inspector Charlesworth in Death In High Heels, as Red Admiral in The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner in 2017, as Captain Crabtree in 2018's Allo 'Allo! and as Mr Braddock in The Graduate in 2019.
Graham's appearance as Tony in Woman in Mind (December Bee) in 2023 marked his welcome return to the stage.
Graham also took active part in our 2020 Zoom shows and play readings, prior to the resumption of live theatre in 2021.
This is Phoebe's first production with Cobham Players. She has made a great first impression!
Phoebe Bloor-Black
Queen Rat
Sally Edwards
Villager, Rat, Sailor, Singer
I started singing later in life with Leatherhead Choral Society and from there we formed a soprano acapella group called Vivo which includes Feonia, Emily and Anna (my fellow rats and sailors!). I also sing with Show Choir where we enjoy songs from the musicals.
Anna Diepstraten
Villager, Rat, Sailor, Singer
Before joining the Cobham Players this season, my one and only acting role was aged 8 when I played a rat in the Pied Piper of Hamlyn. I am delighted to reprise the role of Rat 2 in the Dick Whittington Panto, as well as playing a chorus member, a villager and a sailor. In my other life I sing in three choirs as well as the Vivo Soprano Acapella Group with Emily, Feonia and Sally.
Feonie French
Villager, Rat, Sailor, Singer
It's been a long time since appearing in my first panto age 14 so thought I'd join as part of the chorus which has expanded to include rat/sailor/citizen. I also sing as part of Vivo a Capella group with Anna, Sally & Emily, VWS and LCS.
Emily Kay
Villager, Rat, Sailor, Singer
Emily is a singer songwriter who loves nothing more than singing, setting words and poetry to music and playing the piano alongside her dad Hedley Kay and the Vivo girls. A dedicated member of Leatherhead Choral Society for many years, Emily loves what music brings to her life inlcuding the opportunity to tread the boards with Cobham Players.