Our Patron – Julie Atherton

Julie trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, following which she made her West End debut in the lead role of Sophie in Mamma Mia! She then played the role of Serena in the national tour of Fame, a role she subsequently reprised for a Christmas season at the Edinburgh Playhouse and in the West End. Her other theatre credits include: Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut in the original West End production of Avenue Q (Noel Coward Theatre & Gielgud Theatre); Kat in Tomorrow Morning (Landor Theatre); The great British Musical in concert (Criterion Theatre); Unwritten Songs (Delfont Room);Charlotte in Through the Door (Trafalgar Studios); Susan in Tick Tick Boom (Duchess theatre); Cathy in The Last 5 Years (Theatre Royal, Haymarket & The Duchess Theatre); Claire in Ordinary Days (Finborough  Theatre & Trafalgar Studios); Alice in Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi (Liverpool Playhouse) Fern in Charlotte’s Web (Polka Theatre); Iris Bentley in Let Him Have Justice (Cochrane) which she also co-wrote; Kolokolo bird in Just So (Chichester Festival); A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe (Her Majesty’s Theatre) Euro Pride (Royal Albert Hall); Minerva in Out of this world (Chichester); Little by little (Arts Theatre); Night of 1000 voices (Royal Albert Hall); Michael Bruce’s concert (Apollo Theatre); West End Live 2010, 2009 & 2007(Leicester Square); First Things Last (The Lincoln Centre on Broadway); AJ in the Loveshack workshop; Sindy in the Apocolypse Wow workshop; Darlene in the Raindogs Workshop; various workshops for Perfect Pitch; and A workshop with Peeplykus at the National Theatre.

As a founder member of the Notes from New York company she has starred in shows at the Donmar Warehouse, the Arts Theatre, the Trafalgar Studios, The Garrick Theatre and the Duchess Theatre and has headlined both instalments of Christmas in New York at the Apollo Theatre and Lyric Theatre respectively.

Her Television and Radio credits include; Chrissy in Barbara (Carlton); Braniacs (Sky One); Royal Variety Performance filmed at the Collesium (BBC1); Children in Need (BBC1); Paul O’Grady show(Channel 4); Challenge Anneka (ITV); Britains Got More Talent (ITV2). Julie has played various characters in Big Cook Little Cook for Cbeebies Radio and I’m an Alien Beam Me Off Here BBC Radio 7.

Albums include: Christmas in New York (Speckulation ); Let Him Have Justice (TER); Just So (First Night Records); Over the Rainbow (Universal); More With Every Line(my protégé); First Things Last(yellow sound label); Unwritten Songs(Speckulation); A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe(Speckulation);The best of Miller and Hammond (Making Records); her Solo Album of Charles Miller’s songs entitled A Girl Of Few Words. Julie has most recently been in the studio and has only just just released her second solo album No Space For Air.

Julie and her “On Stage Husband” Paul Spicer travel the country delivering Masterclasses and Workshops and whenever they are in the Northwest they pop into Fame to deliver a class or two.