Platform 8 Productions’ first show in April 1995 was the 1960’s spoof musical ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’ which was a great success, so much so, that by popular demand they repeated the show to celebrate their 5th anniversary! In between, they produced other musicals, serious dramas and comedies.
The company was founded by Jacci Jones and her daughter Alexia together with some of her drama school graduates and musicians. Since then, Alexia has directed and choreographed as well as acted in many of the productions, often joined by one or both of her two sisters.
With more than twenty successful shows under their belts, performed in Bath and surrounding theatres many of the young founders went off to travel the world, so in 2001 after the hugely popular ‘Popcorn’ by Ben Elton it was decided to take a year break. That year turned into 4 years !
In May 2006, the production company regrouped and under the direction of Scott Rogers, the director of the award winning Zenith Youth Theatre Company, had a hit with John Godber’s ‘The Office Party’ at the Mission Theatre in Bath. They followed that with the very moving black comedy ‘The Memory of Water’ which saw three sisters, playing three sisters ! In November 2007 they did ‘Trench Kiss’ by Arthur Smith and most recently the much acclaimed sell out success ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ also directed by Scott.
In May 2009, they took ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ to The Arc Theatre in Trowbridge and November will see a new production which will be directed by Scott and will feature some of Platform 8's favourite performers.