Who Are Scales of the Unexpected?
We try to be a well-behaved vocal harmony group that gives the great music of the 70s and 80s a classy barbershop reworking. But somehow the unpredictable showbiz alter-egos inside each of us keep bursting out. You never know when mild-mannered Ben will turn into his evil drag twin, Eileen Dover. When Derek will suddenly start ripping his kit off as stripping sensation The Truncheon. Maybe frustrated counter-tenor Torquil Wethers-Pune will burst into an astronomical vocal homage to Kate Bush, Julie Andrews and Tight Fit. And most terrifying of all, will Uncle Vince unleash the ventrilo-killer that is Cheeky the Chicken?
We met while studying at BALC (The Bananarama Academy of Literal Choreography) and the unique dancing skills we picked up there keep cropping up in our eye-popping routines. Below are some simple moves you can try for yourself next time you're down the discotheque:
Scales of the Unexpected is performed by Ian Bass, Ian Brandon, Andrew Emerson and Bryan Pilkington. If one of us is busy filming an ad for a popular noodle-based snack served in a pot, or doing something posh like Shakespeare in Oxford, our gaps are filled by TV's Ian Hallard. Between us we've appeared in many West End shows including Chicago, Jerry Springer The Opera, Amadeus and Sweeney Todd. And TV's Ian Hallard is on TV.
Individual Scales (left to right...)
IAN BASS
Ian is an actor, singer and illustrator. His theatre credits include – The Taming of the Shrew, The Importance of Being Earnest, Faust, Victory, Life of Galileo, Corpus Christi, He Stumbled at the Almeida, Blowing Whistles, The Kids from Shame, UK tours of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Gloves for the Igosha and Look Back in Anger. His first book, The Vesuvius Club Graphic Edition, adapted from the novel by Mark Gatiss, is in the shops now. Also be sure to check out his illustrations in Mark’s new novel The Devil In Amber.
ianbass@scalesoftheunexpected.co.uk
ANDREW EMERSON
Andrew Emerson trained at MountviewTheatre School. He played Mary Sunshine in the West End production of Chicago, was the original Chick With A Dick in Jerry Springer The Opera at Battersea Arts Centre, and was recently heard singing "Yes We Have No Bananas" on Channel 4's Paul O'Grady Show. Other theatre includes: Forever Plaid; The Caucasian Chalk Circle; The King & I; Elegies… ; The Romans In Britain; Assassins; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Merrily We Roll Along; and Gay Poets In Mud.
Andrew has written many radio plays and stage shows. As a lyricist he has collaborated on songs for Barb Jungr, Ian Shaw, Monica Vasconcelos, Gwyneth Herbert, Polly Gibbons and Simeon Cosburn. Andrew is further indulging his obsession with barbershop by writing his first film, Touching Bluebell, for Palladio Films.
Andrew's dog Basil recently made a featured appearance on BBC3's Dog Borstal Unleashed.
andrewemerson@scalesoftheunexpected.co.uk
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IAN BRANDON
Ian trained at the London School of Musical Theatre and Leeds University.
Theatre credits include Scales of the Unexpected (Battersea), The Kids From Shame (Battersea, Upstairs at the Gatehouse), What Happened Last Night? (Pleasance), Jesus Christ Superstar (Garfield Stadium, Barbados), No One in the World (Cochrane), An Englishman Abroad (Bridewell), A Slice of Saturday Night & From a Jack to a King (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Hope (Westminster), Barney the Care in the Community Comic (Pleasance, Edinburgh), Elegies (Battersea), Children of Eden (Landor), Forever Plaid (UK Tour), Robin Hood, Hair & The Wizard of Oz (City Varieties, Leeds). Workshop/Recording work includes Walk With the Angels (Soho), Best Friends & Butterflies (Greenwich), Mister Christmas & Now We Are Six (LSMT Drama Studios). Television work includes Trial & Retribution III (Carlton), Up Front (Granada).
Musical Direction credits include Once On This Island, Citizenship, The Living Newspaper (Bridewell Theatre), Starting Here Starting Now & Working (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Pippin (The Kings Head & Arts Depot), Violet (Young Vic), Bugsy Malone (Wyllyotts), And The World Goes Round (Intimate), Oliver (Millfield), Grease (Maltings, St Albans) and educational productions of Crazy For You, Fame, Blood Brothers, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Half A Sixpence, Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang, Grease, Beauty & The Beast, Chicago, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King, Fame, We Will Rock You, Witches of Eastwick, Hercules, Godspell, A Chorus Line, Songs for a New World, Wicked, Avenue Q....oh Lordy, the list just goes on........
As a composer, Ian has written original music for several films, plays and recordings and he writes the vocal arrangements for Scales of the Unexpected.
ianbrandon@scalesoftheunexpected.co.uk
BRYAN PILKINGTON
Originally from Derbyshire, Bryan spent four years studying to be a doctor before taking to the stage.
Trained: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Theatre: Amadeus (Wilton’s Music Hall), Audience with Murder (Jermyn Street Theatre), Sweeney Todd (New Ambassador’s), Cinderella (Forest Forge), Scales of the Unexpected (Battersea), Kids from Shame (Battersea and Upstairs at the Gatehouse), The Way of the World (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Palace Theatre Watford tour), Fifty Million Frenchmen (Linbury Studio),The Rose and the Ring, What You Will, Coppelia (Globe Players), Phantom and [yes, and!!] the Opera (tour), Twelfth Night (Wimbledon Studio), Richard III (Bristol New Vic), Pumpkin Soup, (tour), The Camp (Bristol New Vic), Side by Side by Sondheim (Bristol Old Vic), M’Lady Malade (Netherbow), Of Nettles and Roses (Edinburgh Theatre Workshop).
TV: Doctors (BBC), Anybody’s Nightmare (Carlton)
bryanpilkington@scalesoftheunexpected.co.uk
www.mbagency.co.uk/clients/pilkington.html
IAN HALLARD
Having completed a degree in English Literature at SheffieldUniversity, Ian trained at MountviewTheatreSchool where he was awarded a singing scholarship.
Theatre: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK Tour); A Christmas Carol (Antic Disposition); Footsteps to the Moon (White Bear Theatre); Dirty Glasses and Broken Hearts (Windsor Arts Centre); The Snow Queen (UK Tour); Toad of Toad Hall (Eye Theatre); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Battersea Arts Centre); The Tempest(Wimbledon Studio); Love and Human Remains (Man in the Moon Theatre); Carmen (Opera Holland Park) and two seasons with the Covent Garden Festival in Trial By Jury.
Film/TV: Miss Marple: The Sittaford Mystery (ITV); Where The Heart Is (ITV); Ideal (BBC); Suburban Shootout (Channel 5); Doctor Who: Global Conspiracy (BBC Worldwide); Into the Maelstrom (Altiplano Films); Distraction (Dead Bunny Productions); Personal (Wobbegong Productions).
Radio: Nebulous (Baby Cow Productions for BBC Radio 4) and several audio dramas for Big Finish Productions in their Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel and Judge Dredd ranges.
Ian has also provided the voice of “Robbie the Remote Control” for NTL’s digital TV guide.