Author Archives: Conrad Toft

Noordhaus: Room Number Three & Private View (6-7 Nov 2026)

A Noordhaus double bill at the Warehouse Studio Theatre:

  • Room Number Three: The board of directors are meeting again. In their endless pursuit of the perfectly optimized meeting, looping discussions about their previous meetings are leading them further and further away from their planned agenda. What begins as the expected absurdity inherent to any corporate meeting slowly morphs into non-sensical topic changes, tense exchanges between participants, and an ultimate descent into chaos from which not even the most professional of executives can recover.
  • Private View: Ferdinand Vaněk has been invited to his friends’ house, affluent couple Vera and Michael. Met with the surprising sight of a completely remodeled apartment, Ferdinand can do little else than play along with his friends’ new-found eccentric opulence. As the night’s conversations turn from casual to personal, and later to invasive, Ferdinand wonders what could have happened to Vera and Michael since he last saw them. Certainly the recent sudden change of their country’s political regime could not have anything to do with it.

Buy your tickets here

Post expires on Saturday November 7th, 2026

ATC: Sherlock Carol (3-12 Dec 2026)

There’s been a suspicious death in Dickensian London and Sherlock Holmes is on the case! Yet the world’s foremost consulting detective is not the man he once was, and the mystery is not all that it seems … for it is Christmas Eve, a night when the cold winds blow, the snowflakes fall and all manner of festive spirits roam the streets.

A madcap, musical mashup of Sherlock Holmes and A Christmas Carol, this show is a yuletide treat for all the family.

Show dates: 3-6 & 9-12 December

Box Office: https://www.billetweb.fr/sherlock-carol

Post expires on Sunday December 13th, 2026

ECC: Aladdin (29-31 Jan 2027)

Welcome to Aladdin, the classic rags-to-riches tale! Grab your tickets for the ECC Brussels panto and get ready to start 2027 in style!
All the usual panto favourites are there: pure hearted goodies, wicked baddies, outrageous royals, incompetent policemen and not one but two genies!
A show with magic, music and mayhem – and all the usual terrible jokes!
There’s no better way to dispel those winter blues!

Get your tickets here – https://www.billetweb.fr/aladdin7

Post expires on Monday February 1st, 2027

Cross-Gartered Players: Here Comes the Sun (2,4,6 March)

Cross-Gartered Players is looking for actors for our production of Here Comes the Sun by Heli Pärna at FEATS 2026, which takes place this year May 22–25 in The Hague.

The play is an exploration of intimacy, relationships, and unexpected love stories – set in a brothel. It is funny, tender, and a little surprising.

Auditions will take place on Monday 2nd, Wednesday 4th and Friday 6th March. For more information and to sign up for a slot, please click here.

Any questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out! crossgarteredplayers@gmail.com

Smoosicals: Rent (5-9 May 2027)

Following the success of Glensheen & Little Shop of Horrors, Smoosicals’ next adventure will be producing the iconic rock musical RENT! A vibrant depiction of life, love, and creativity in 1990s New York in the grip of the AIDS crisis, the show explores what it means to live your artistic dreams and be true to yourself and your community. Hilarious and heartbreaking by turns, RENT is also an incredible musical journey – and we are looking for performers who are ready to join us in taking on this amazing show.

Audition form:https://forms.gle/3TYiM8RjMG9UdVDg9

Info:www.smoosicals.be

Audition dates: 31 October 2026 (main) & 7 November 2026 (callbacks)

Show dates: 5-9 May 2027

Post expires on Monday May 10th, 2027

Butties 2026

Thanks a lot to Róisín, Kevin and Rachel for hosting the Butties 2026 in their beautiful garden.

Awards and winners (in bold)

Best Props

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Isabelle Deneyer & team
  • Grease (Green Parrot)
  • Homunculus / Trash Day (ECC)
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Cat Harris & Isabelle Deneyer
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Sandy Holderbach & team

Best Costumes

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Tonia Jolly & team
  • Grease (Green Parrot, Mar 2026): Mary Williams, Elena Shcherbina
  • Homunculus (ECC): Mary Williams, Elizabeth Tanghe
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Noémie Léonard, Chloé Quaresme
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Fiona McGinnis, Sheila Hewitt, Hannah Riley, Jennifer Gee

Best Newcomer

  • Eleanor Poppy Reeve
  • Eleonora Fusco
  • Jacey Schult
  • Rosette Seck
  • Timothy Agotha

Best Set Design & Construction

  • Grease (Green Parrot): Richard Milsom, Peter Lemerle
  • Home, I’m Darling (ECC): Steve O’Byrne, Jeremy Larkin, Kateryna Sakhanevych, Conrad Toft, & team
  • Homunculus (ECC): Tom Mallan, Patrick Maher, Becky McKay, Erica Faller, & team
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Richard Craddock
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Michael de Prins, Conrad Toft, Oscar Feen, Steve O’Byrne & team

Best Producer

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Alexander Just, Barbara Bauer
  • Grease (Green Parrot): Andrew Fisk, Rebecca Milsom
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Emma Quaedvlieg
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Chris Jones
  • The House of Bernard Alba (ITG): Tony Regan

Best Lighting

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Chris Harding, Sergey Morozov, Andrey Kaplan
  • Grease (Green Parrot, Mar 2026): Lucas Steeno
  • Homunculus / Trash Day (ECC): Andy Williams, Maja Lay, Chris Nobbs
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Andy Williams
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Ant McCarthy, Louis Cloetens, Angelos Dimopoulos, Leo Jones & team

Best Stage Management

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Marie Rousseaux
  • Glensheen (Smoosicals): Giselle Maksoud
  • Grease (Green Parrot): Boff Muir
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Pierre Halloy
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Andy Ing

Best Actor

  • Manu Peix: Johnny – Home, I’m Darling (ECC), Male Creek Chorus – How I Learned to Drive (ATC), Orin – Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals)
  • Michael Agotha: Willy Wonka – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC), Seymour – Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals)
  • Neale Mcdonald: Luka – The Fifth Step (ITG), Clay – Homunculus (ECC)
  • Paul Musiol: O’Hara – Friends Help You Move (ITG), Patrick – Love In a Glass Jar (ITG)
  • Rafael Plata: Puss In Boots – Puss In Boots (ECC)

Best Publicity and Design

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Eva Konrad-Just, Tommaso De Re, Isabelle Deneyer, Emilia Kitsiou, & team
  • Glensheen (Smoosicals): Emilia Kitsiou
  • Grease (Green Parrot): Rebecca Milsom
  • Homunculus (ECC): Ilona Hendrix, Joachim Dos Santos, Katya Sakhanevych
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Emilia Kitsiou

Kenway Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Conrad Toft
  • Mary Williams
  • Steve O’Byrne
  • Tanya Arler
  • Tim Middleton

Best Hair & Make-up

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Valeria Enea, Janet Gray, Mel Ciriaco, Laraine Alder, & team
  • Grease (Green Parrot): Felipa Ferraz, Chloé Van Thielen
  • Homunculus / Trash Day (ECC): Jennifer Gee, Gemma Santasusana, Martha Mendez
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Emilia Kitsiou, Maya Cañizares Jenni Gee & Hazel
  • Puss in Boots (ECC): Mel Ciriaco, Valeria Enea, Jayne Lindau, Gemma Santasusana

Best Sound

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC): Andrew Fisk, Mihir Samavedam, Chenoa Burca
  • Glensheen (Smoosicals): Loren Wiklander, Steve O’Byrne
  • Grease (Green Parrot): Andrew Fisk, Anton Pavlov, Lucas Steeno
  • How I Learned to Drive (ATC): Karen El Haddad, Nastassia Maes
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Andrew Fisk, Steve O’Byrne

Best Actress

  • Becky Mckay: Judy – Home, I’m Darling (ECC), Mimi – Homunculus (ECC)
  • Jacey Schult: Constance – Trash Day (ECC), Simmer – Homunculus (ECC)
  • Juliana Subach: Rizzo – Grease (Green Parrot)
  • Maja Lay: Li’l Bit – How I Learned To Drive (ATC)
  • Victoria Barbazanges: Mrs Teevee – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC), Marjorie- Glensheen (Smoosicals)

Best Director

  • Grease (Green Parrot): Kathy Lemerle, Jenny Clarkson, Steven De Mesmaeker
  • Home, I’m Darling (ECC): Kateryna Sakhanevych
  • Homunculus (ECC): Tom Mallan, Ashley Norman
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals): Cath Howdle, Matt Carver, Jean Emmett
  • The House of Bernard Alba (ITG): Jane McBride

Golden Butt

  • Aravind Dhakshinamoorthy for juggling multiple projects at once and still succeeding
  • Cat Harris for the puppets in Little Shop of Horrors
  • Cath Howdle for creating Smoosicals, being involved in several shows and always being a class act
  • Conrad Toft for the sheer quantity of things he does on and off stage
  • Esther Pozo Vera for juggling directing, acting, chairing BSS & parenthood

Best Show

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC)
  • Grease (Green Parrot)
  • Homunculus (ECC)
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals)
  • Puss in Boots (ECC)

Fun facts and figures

20 shows included in the Butties this season, five of which were double bills:

  • Home, I’m Darling (ECC, Sep 2025)
  • The Gun Monologues (ATC, Oct 2025)
  • Knocked (BMC, Oct 2025)
  • Measure for Measure (BSS, Nov 2025)
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (BLOC, Nov 2025)
  • Friends Help You Move / The Fifth Step (ITG, Nov 2025)
  • Puss in Boots (ECC, Jan 2026)
  • How I Learned to Drive (ATC, Feb 2026)
  • Grease (Green Parrot, Mar 2026)
  • The House of Bernard Alba (ITG, Mar 2026)
  • Homunculus / Trash Day (ECC, Apr 2026)
  • Glensheen (Smoosicals, May 2026)
  • Little Shop of Horrors (Smoosicals, May 2026)
  • Anthony & Cleopatra (BSS, May 2026)
  • Love in a Glass Jar (ITG, May 2026)
  • Zero for the Young Dudes (EYT, May 2026)
  • The Real Lady Macbeth (EYT, May 2026)
  • Green-Eyed Monster / Othello in Forty Minutes (BSS, May 2026)
  • The Zoo / Trial by Jury (BLOC, Jun 2026)
  • Studio Nights – Bench / Together (ATC, Jun 2026)

Nine groups, including two new ones (in bold) for 2025-2026:

  • American Theatre Company: ATC
  • Brussels Light Opera Company: BLOC
  • Brussel Musical Creatives: BMC
  • Brussels Shakespeare Society: BSS
  • English Comedy Club: ECC
  • English Youth Theatre: EYT
  • Green Parrot: GP
  • Irish Theatre Group: ITG
  • Smoosicals

A few fun stats:

  • 1213 entries in the programmes for this year
  • 625 different people appeared in the programmes (and about 660 names, given all the misspellings and different versions!)
  • The person mentioned the most times was Andrew Fisk (15)
  • The person involved in the most shows was Steve O’Byrne (8)
  • The person involved with the most groups was Tommaso De Re (5)
  • The people who have been in the audience for most shows were Manu Peix & Conrad Toft (12)
  • 186 people voted in the Butties
  • 8 people tried voting for themselves!