April Nicholson – ‘Mrs Wright’
April originally trained to be a professional dancer and was asked to dance a solo in a special Royal Gala presented to Princess Margaret when she was fourteen. Her first professional engagement was in Cinderella in Glasgow with Stanley Baxter and Ronnie Corbett when she was sixteen. The choreographer was Peter Darrell who went on to found Western Theatre Ballet later Scottish Ballet.
April went on to dance, sing and act in theatre shows, pantomimes and musicals throughout the British Isles including “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “The Boyfriend”. She also played Chastity in the first musical Cameron Mackintosh produced which was “Anything Goes” on tour and in the West End and appeared in period dramas for the BBC including “The First Churchills” and “Daniel Deronda.”
Having brought up her three sons, April returned to the stage a few years ago for a rest! Whilst "just a housewife" she founded the Stagerage Theatre School, with students appearing in West End musicals, was a Director of Watford Palace Theatre and also ran a local voluntary theatre, The Pump House, dealing with everything from changing light bulbs to soothing celebrities.
To facilitate her return to performing, April completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Acting, Musical Theatre at the Central School of Speech and Drama. During the course, she had the opportunity to study the latest acting and singing techniques and to re-focus her career as an actress. She had the good fortune to work closely with Mary Stewart-David and Denis King, choreographing and work-shopping their musical "Afterwards." April then played Mrs Wylie for them, acting, singing and dancing in "The Fax of Life" at the Greenwich Theatre and on the London Fringe.
Other roles include Lady Hewlett in the play “Funkface” at The Arts Depot and Madame Van Tricasse at Hackney Empire in a new musical “Dr Ox’s Experiment” which was a workshop production directed by Sam Buntrock. When not acting April teaches Drama and Dance and enjoys singing with a small Swing band, Manhattan Quest.
Filmography
A Fitting Tribute – ‘Mrs Wright’
(UK, 2007, 10mins, short)
South of the River – ‘Dog Walker’
(UK, 2005, 15mins, short)
Fever Dream – ‘Wife’
(UK, 2005, 10mins, short)