The overdue story of the other Mendelssohn, starring Charlie Russell (The Goes Wrong Show (BBC) and The Play That Goes Wrong (actor and co-creator, West End & Broadway).
...who?
You’ll probably know her younger brother, Felix Mendelssohn, from 19th century smash hits like The Wedding March. He was the Cliff Richard of his day and was even asked to play at a personal concert for Queen Victoria. But only if he played her favourite piece of music ever, a song called Italien.
However, we now know that Felix was forced to admit to the Queen that, in actuality, the piece had been composed by his sister, Fanny, and simply published under his name.
Felix: Publishing under a male’s name? Nobody would believe it!
Fanny: Shall we ask George Eliot how believable it is?
Felix: What’s he got to do with it!
FANNY imagines that Fanny intercepts a letter addressed to ‘F. Mendelssohn’ inviting Felix to play for Queen Victoria. As the true composer of Italien, she decides to hide the letter, don her brother’s clothes, and take his place at the palace…cueing a race across Europe and a furious Felix. This fun and irreverent new comedy celebrates classical music and - at last - the work of a composer overlooked because of her sex.
Performance schedule
Mon – Sat 7.30pm (28 May 7pm)
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Tickets from £15
Book early for the best prices across our performances, ticket prices may vary according to demand.
Performance information
Most suitable for ages 10+
Pre-show dining special offer - two courses for £20
Join us before performances of Fanny on Mon – Wed evening and save £5 off our bespoke two-course menu. Book your table here
Audio flyer
Director KATIE-ANN MCDONOUGH
Composer & Musical Director YSHANI PERINANAYAGAM
Casting Director HJB CASTING
Set & costume Designer SOPHIA PARDON
Lighting Designer DAVID HOWE
Sound Designer THOMAS ANDRÉ WASLEY
Costume Supervisor HANNAH GILBERT
Company Stage Manager on Book Olivia Wolfenden
Assistant Stage Manager Sophy Johnston
Artwork by Rebecca Pitt
Artwork photography by Michael Wharley
Charlie Russell
Fanny
Creative Associate and co-founder at Mischief. Trained at LAMDA. Work with Mischief includes: Katie, Groan Ups (West End); Sandra, The Play That Goes Wrong (UK Tour, West End, Broadway); Sandra, Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Pleasance, West End, BBC1 adaptation, Broadway); Caprice, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery (West End); Sandra, A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (BBC1); Sandra, The Goes Wrong Show (BBC Sitcom); Improviser, Mischief Movie Night (West End, UK Tour), Austentatious, Yes Queens Charlie wrote and performed a run of her first solo show, Charlie Russell Aims To Please, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022. Other acting work includes; The Goes Wrong Show(BBC 1), Kat in Kite Strings (Short Film), Doctors (BBC 1), And Then There Were None (BBC1 & Mammoth Screen) #FindTheGirl (BBC3 Online) and A Twist Of Dahl (BBC Radio 4). Charlie co-produced (as part of Mischief) the Mischief Movie Night London Run and UK Tour and produced the new play Piano Play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019.
Corey Montague-Sholay
Felix
Corey won Best Actor at the Offie Awards in 2023.
Theatre includes: Bacon (Soho Playhouse, New York/BOV/Finborough); Dismissed (Soho Theatre); Wind in the Wilton’s (Wilton’s Musical Hall); The Prince (Southwark Playhouse); The Trumpet & the King (Terra Nova); Wendy & Peter Pan (Leeds Playhouse); She Stoops to Conquer (Guildford Shakespeare Company); The Whip and King John (Royal Shakespeare Company); This Island’s Mine (King’s Head Theatre); Henry V (Shakespeare at The Tobacco Factory); The Enchanted (The Bunker Theatre); Normal (Rift Theatre at Styx); The Hotel Cerise (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Little Revolution and ICU (Almeida Theatre); and Carpe Diem (National Theatre).
Short film includes: Kite Strings, Angry Face, Callum, Our Night and Home.
TV includes: Casualty
Harry Kershaw
Paul
Harry is one of the original Mischief Theatre / Play that Goes Wrong gang and is highly skilled at improv, appearing in their improv show Mischief Movie Night throughout 2020/ 2021 and teaching improvisation at LAMDA. Harry has also appeared in a number of comedies on screen including ITV2’s sketch comedy The Emily Atack Sketch Show, BBC Three’s Jerk and Cuckoo. Harry played a leading role in What’s New Pussycat? at Birmingham Rep to 5* rave reviews and also starred in Good Luck, Studio, which toured a number of venues in the UK. Harry recently finished starring as Chris in Peter Pan Goes Wrong on Broadway and the West End.
Kim Ismay
Lea
Stage Credits include: Debs in Elf The Musical (Dominion Theatre); Frances in Kidnapped (National Theatre of Scotland); Barbara in Come Dine With Me (MT Fest); Her award-winning one woman show About Bill (The Other Palace); Madame Morrible in Wicked (Apollo Victoria, International and UK Tour); Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, Novello Theatres); Lysette in The Silver Gym, Dotty Otley in Noises Off, Katisha in The Hot Mikado and Fiona in How The Other Half Loves (all Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch); Maxine in Stepping Out (Derby Playhouse); Baroness Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK tour); Miss Dinsmore/Dora Bailey in Singin’ In The Rain (West Yorkshire Playhouse/UK Tour); Flo Manero in Saturday Night Fever (UK Tour); Miss Bonnie in Acorn Antiques (UK tour); May Belfort in Lautrec (Shaftesbury Theatre); Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show (Frankfurt English Theatre); Kiss Me Kate, Wizard of Oz and Comedy of Errors (all RSC).
Television Credits include: Claudia in Not Going Out (BBC), Eastenders (BBC), Ida Hill in The Bill (Talkback Thames), Maxine in Bob Martin (Granada) and Suzie in London’s Burning (London Weekend Television).
Film Credits include: Professor in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Universal Pictures).
George Howard
Willhelm
George made his screen debut in BAFTA nominated series, Sherwood (BBC One). He was a guest lead in the most recent Christmas special of Call The Midwife (BBC).
Stage credits include Witness For The Prosecution (London County Hall); King Lear (Bristol Old Vic); Zombiegate (Theatre503); Votes For Women, Playhouse Creatures (New Vic); The Comedy Of Errors (UK Tour); The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Greenwich Theatre).
George trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where he was awarded the Sir John Gielgud Bursary Award.
Jade May Lin
Clara
Jade May Lin, originally born in Poitiers France has a French Mom and Chinese Dad and was raised in Beijing, China. She is fluent in French, English and proficient in Italian and Mandarin. She learned the piano at the young age of 6 and quickly discovered her love of singing. After obtaining her full International Baccalaureate, she moved to Italy, Florence and was trained in classical singing at the Conservatorio di Musica Luigi Cherubini earning a bachelor and master’s degree in chamber music. She recently obtained her MA in Music Theater at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and stared in Follies as Sally Durant Plummer. Jade May has had numerous recitals, concerts throughout Italy, France and China. Furthermore, she has developed her one-woman multilingual cabaret show having a passionate flair for story-telling, performance and costumes. She is delighted to be playing her first role of Clara Schumann on the British stage at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury.