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Biography
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Purple Credits
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Other Theatre Credits
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Radio Credits
Toby starting playing piano at the age of five. A chance happening when he was left with a friend of the
family for two weeks, who just happened to be a piano teacher. What are the odds? However, he gave
up almost as soon as he started, and the piano which was bought for him lay dormant in his bedroom
for several years until he started secondary school. Piano lessons started again, but wasn't appealing
enough for Toby so he gave up again. But in his spare time, he started teaching himself. He soon got
the hang of it, as he started playing in school concerts, and even composing music for events around
the school, and regular charity weeks, using his self-taught and school-taught music theory skills.
By the time he was 17, Toby left school with several GCSEs under his belt including one in music,
but decided he wanted to go into Media Studies, which he did, at Northbrook College in Worthing.
Studying mainly audio editing, sound production and working as a presenter/newsreader/composer
of advert jingles for local radio, this seemed to be the way to go. Toby was even given the task
of being head audio editor and voice-over artist for the BBC Clothes Show Young Fashion Awards in
London in Summer 1994.
Still putting his hand to anything he could in the media world, during his gap year 1995, a friend
had organised to do a show called 'Ten Dream Bottles' which was to raise money for a charity called
Dreamflight, which sent disabled and terminally ill children to Disneyland in Florida. This was Toby's
first outing for a long time in musical theatre, having dabbled a little when he was younger at school.
The show was a success and enjoyed a second run. Toby decided to go back to college in 1996 when
he was 20, studying popular music. He was given the part of 2nd keyboard for Les Miserables in
Chichester and never looked back. While also studying stage management, lighting, all the things
that come with a theatre production, Toby managed to get to Musical Director status within nine months.
Now 28, Toby has racked up over 60 shows, as Musical Director, Actor, Sound Engineer, Stage Manager,
and has even written his own shows. Most recently, he wrote 'Eighty Days - The Musical' with Peter Burnett,
performed at the Compass theatre in November of 2003.
Now the Artistic Director of the Purple Theatre Company there's no stopping him. Having just completed the 'Allo 'Allo run as Assistant
Director, the future's looking ever brighter. He's recently finished co-writing "Something Wicked", a supernatural dark comedy thriller
musical, with Peter Burnett again. Their 2nd musical written and performed inside two years. This production goes up in November.
More information on here and on Toby's website above. Watch this space!
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