Press Contact: Natalie Thomas
29 February 2024
★ NICOLE ALPHONCE, ALEXANDER BEAN, WILL BOZIER, MATTHEW CAPUTO, TIFFANY GRAVES, TIM HODGES, LUKAS HUNT, LILY LAIGHT, DEJA LINTON, TYLER LOTZOF, LOUIS MACKRODT, SHAYNA MCPHERSON, EBONY MOLINA, RACHEL MULDOON, MARK SAMARAS, THOMAS WALTON AND DAISY WEST COMPLETE THE CAST.
★ THEY JOIN THE PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING DANCER AND ACTOR ROBBIE FAIRCHILD AS GEORGE VALENTIN, WITH WEST END FAVOURITE GARY WILMOT AS AL ZIMMER AND INTRODUCING BRIANA CRAIG IN THE ROLE OF PEPPY MILLER
★ BASED ON THE ORIGINAL MULTI-ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING FILM BY MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS
★ CO-ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LINDSEY FERRENTINO AND DREW MCONIE WITH A MULTI-AWARD WINNING CREATIVE TEAM
★ DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY OLIVIER AWARD WINNER DREW MCONIE
★ TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR STRICTLY LIMITED RUN AT THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH 11 – 25 MAY 2024.
Producers today announce full casting for the world premiere stage production of Michel Hazanavicius’ multi–Academy Award-winning film The Artist. The cast includes Nicole Alphonce (Swing/Dance Captain), Alexander Bean (Clifton), Will Bozier (Ensemble), Matthew Caputo (Ensemble), Tiffany Graves (Gertie Gams), Tim Hodges (Swing), Lukas Hunt (Swing/Dance Captain), Lily Laight (Ensemble), Deja Linton (Ensemble), Tyler Lotzof (Ensemble), Louis Mackrodt (Ensemble), Shayna McPherson (Swing) , Ebony Molina (Doris Valentin), Rachel Muldoon (Constance), Mark Samaras (Ensemble), Thomas Walton (Uggie) and Daisy West (Ensemble).
They join multi award-winning international dancer and actor Robbie Fairchild as silent movie icon George Valentin, returning to the UK stage for the first time since his acclaimed leading performance in An American In Paris, West End favourite Gary Wilmot as Al Zimmer, and introducing Briana Craig (42nd Street tour) as Peppy Miller.
Drew McOnie, Artistic Director of The McOnie Company, said: “It is such a privilege to work alongside this exceptional group of world class artists. Being part of an original cast on any project requires a heart full of hope, unbelievable stamina, patience, good humour, and otherworldly talent and this company have that in abundance. I’m very excited and even more grateful.”
Tickets are now on sale for The Artist at Theatre Royal Plymouth, where the production begins its journey with a strictly limited run from Saturday 11 May until Saturday 25 May 2024.
The Artist is co-adapted for the stage by Lindsey Ferrentino and Drew McOnie and directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. The multi award-winning creative team includes set and costume designs by Tony and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram (Wolf Hall Parts I & II, Red, Disney’s Frozen), music by Tony and Olivier Award winner Simon Hale (Girl From The North Country, Get Up Stand Up!), the Musical Director is Isaac McCullough, lighting by Zoe Spurr (Good, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World), sound by Tony and Olivier Award winner Simon Baker (Matilda The Musical, A Christmas Carol), video by Ash J Woodward (The 47th, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), puppetry by Maia Kirkman-Richards (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice), casting by Will Burton and the Associate Director/Choreographer is Ebony Molina.
Artwork and cast image can be downloaded here and here. An exclusive look at recent workshops can be found here: https://vimeo.com/917859410?share=copy
The Artist is a McOnie Company production produced by Theatre Royal Plymouth, The McOnie Company, Playful Productions, Bill Damaschke and Underbelly.
In 1920s Hollywood the business of making dreams come true is in full swing.
Silent movie icon George Valentin has long been the darling of the silver screen when he falls for aspiring actress Peppy Miller.
But while her star is about to rise, his might soon flicker out: amidst all the glamour, laughter and romance, the silent movie industry is on the brink of a revolution.
With the Talkies on their way, George must either find his voice in a brave new world or lose everything he holds dear to a bygone era.
The Artist has mesmerised film audiences across the world for over a decade, winning five Academy Awards, seven BAFTAs and three Golden Globe Awards. Now the beguiling love story is reinvented for the stage in a dazzling celebration of silent cinema that blends cutting-edge theatre-making with iconic music of the period.
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Nicole Alphonce
She/Her
Theatre credits include: Swan Lake (Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures); Chrysalis (London Company 2015-2016).
Screen credits include: Doctor Who S1 & S2; Bridgerton S2 & S3; Queen Charlotte; Disney’s – Snow White; Greatest Days; The Marvels; Britannia S3; Man In Black; Disney’s – Aladdin; Disney’s – The Nutcracker and The Four Realms.
Training: Swedish National Ballet School and Tring Park School for The Performing Arts
Alexander Bean
He/Him
Theatre credits include: Unbelievable (Kenny Wax); One Man Two Guvnors, Summer Holiday, Gulliver’s Travels, Wizard of Oz (Octagon Theatre Bolton); The Tempest (The Pleasence); Just So, Jungle Book (The Watermill); The Crucible, Blonde Bombshells 1943, North and South & Summer Holiday (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Aladdin, Robin Hood (Leeds City Varities); Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Teddy (Southwark Playhouse).
Training: Rose Bruford
William Bozier
He/Him
Theatre credits include: Moulin Rouge! (Piccadilly Theatre); Mamma Mia! (International tour); Wicked (Apollo Victoria); Edward Scissorhands, Sleeping Beauty, The Red Shoes, Cinderella, Swan Lake, The Car Man (Matthew Bournes New Adventures), Saturday Night Fever (UK Tour); Cinderella (Gillian Lynne).
Concert credits include: Mi Roar, SuperYou (Lyric Theatre).
Film credits include: Beauty & the Beast (Disney); Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again; Swan Lake (Matthew Bournes New Adventures).
Other credits include: Swan Lake Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Olivier Awards 2019
Training: Arts Educational School Tring Park
Matthew Caputo
He/Him
Theatre credits include: The Book Thief (DEM Productions); Hamilton (Cameron Mackintosh); City of Angels (Nimax Theatres); Matilda (RSC); Mary Poppins (Disney Theatrical); Top Hat (Kenny Wax Productions); Cats (The Really Useful Group); On The Town (Regents Park); The Life (Southwark Playhouse); 21 Chump Street (Courtyard Theatre); White Christmas, Scrooge, Gypsy, 42nd Street (Curve Theatre, Leicester).
TV credits include: National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals (BBC), All Star Musicals (ITV).
Film credits include: My Favorite Things.
Training: Bird College
Briana Craig
She/Her
Theatre credits include: 42nd Street (National Tour/Sadler’s Wells/Toronto); Singin’ in the Rain (Sadler’s Wells/Japan/ National Tour/Toronto); Jack and the Beanstalk (London Palladium); Dick Whittington (New Wimbledon Theatre).
Other credits include: Festival of Remembrance (BBC/Royal Albert Hall)
Training: The Dance School of Scotland and Laine Theatre Arts.
Robbie Fairchild
He/Him
Robbie Fairchild made his Tony nominated Broadway debut in 2015 as Jerry Mulligan in the Tony Award-winning musical An American in Paris, which he reprised in London’s West End in 2017. He was awarded the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theater World, National Dance and Astaire Award for this performance and was nominated for the Evening Standard and Drama League Awards. From 2009 to 2017, Fairchild performed as a Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet.
Other theatre credits include: Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein (Signature Theater, Chita Rivera Award); Brigadoon (New York City Center); Oklahoma! (Royal Albert Hall, London); A Chorus Line (Hollywood Bowl); Kiss Me Kate (Roundabout Theater Company’s 2017 Gala).
TV credits include: Soundtrack (Netflix); Julie’s Greenroom (Netflix); Oklahoma! (BBC Proms); NY Philharmonic’s Carousel (PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center); Dancing With The Stars; The Late Show With Stephen Colbert; Live with Kelly and Michael; CBS Sunday Morning; and 60 Minutes.
Film credits include: Tom Hooper’s Cats; An American in Paris Live (West End Production); The Chaperone and NY Export: Opus Jazz.
Tiffany Graves
She/Her
Theatre credits include: National Theatre 50 Years on Stage; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Roald Dahl’s The Witches (National Theatre); Chicago (West End); Sweet Charity (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Gypsy (Buxton Opera House); The Boyfriend (Menier Chocolate Factory); But, I’m a Cheerleader (Turbine Theatre); Top Hat (The Mill at Sonning); The Wild Party (The Other Palace); Witches of Eastwick (Watermill Playhouse); The Snow Queen (Theatre Royal Stratford East) ; Apocalypse Meow (The Globe); 101 Dalmatians (Regent’s Park); Kiss Me, Kate (Opera North); Wonderful Town (The Hallé); Chess (Royal Albert Hall); We Will Rock You (Phil McIntyre Productions); The Producers (UK Tour).
Screen credits include: Blitz (Film) Andy and The Band (BBC)
Training: Arts Educational School, Tring.
Tim Hodges
He/Him
Previous McOnie Company credits: Nutcracker (Southbank Centre), Jekyll and Hyde (The Old Vic); Making Midnight (Latitude Festival)
Theatre credits include: Carousel (Regents Park); Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly Theatre); Half A Sixpence (Chichester Festival and The Noel Coward Theatre); Oliver (Curve); The Car Man; Hot Rod; Edward Scissorhands; Swan Lake (New Adentures); Singin’ In The Rain (Stage Entertainment); Dirty Dancing (Palace Theatre); Chicago (Cambridge Theatre, UK Tour) Cats (UK Tour); We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre); Murderous Instincts (Savoy Theatre).
Lukas Hunt
He/Him
Previous McOnie Company credits include: Nutcracker (Southbank Centre)
Recent theatre credits include: La Strada (Sadler’s Wells); Cake (UK Tour); Dreamgirls (UK Tour); Alice’s Adventures Underground (Royal Opera House); On The Town (Hyogo Performing Arts); The Lion King (UK & Intl Tour); Carmen (Ballet Ireland); Káťa Kabanová (Glyndebourne); Contemporary Company (Holly Noble); Back & Waltz in Swingtime (Dance Theatre of Harlem); Interludes (Temple of Understanding Gala); Nutcracker (Ballet Theatre NY).
TV Credits include: Anyone Can Sing (Sky Arts)
Film credits include: Death on the Nile; Artemis Fowl; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Training: Tring Park School for Performing Arts
Lily Laight
She/Her
Theatre credits include: Dirty Dancing (Dominion/UK Tour); Gypsy (Alexandra Palace); Hairspray (London Coliseum); Aladdin (Crossroads); Matilda (RSC).
TV credits include: Doc Martin; Five Go To Rehab
Film credits include: Barbie; Love, Rosie; In Secret, Les Misérables; Frequencies
Deja Linton
She/Her
Theatre credits include: The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre); The Wizard of Oz (The London Palladium); The Secret Garden (The Ambassadors Theatre); Snow White (Peacock Theatre); 42nd Street (UK tour and Toronto).
Other credits include: Commercials and programmes such as Children in Need and The One Show.
Training: The Urdang Academy
Tyler Lotzof
She/Her
Theatre credits include: Peter Pan (London Palladium); Dirty Dancing (UK and Ireland tour); Cats (Taiwan Tour & South Korean Tour).
Training: Patrick School of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia.
Louis Mackrodt
He/Him
Theatre credits include: Treason (Alexandra Palace & UK Tour); Hamilton (Victoria Palace); 42 Balloons Concert (Vaudeville); Guys and Dolls (Theatre Marigny, Paris); The Producers (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Lewis (The King’s Head & Edinburgh Festival); Time Flies (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Peter Pan (Churchill Theatre & Hull New Theatre).
TV credits include: National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals (BBC).
Training: Laine Theatre Arts.
Shayna McPherson
She/Her
Theatre credits includes: Sunset Boulevard (West End); Johannes Radebe: Freedom Unleashed (UK Tour); Aladdin (Apollo Theater, Stuttgart); The Wiz (Hope Mill Theatre).
Film Includes: Disenchanted (Disney).
Training: The Urdang Academy
Ebony Molina
She/Her
Ebony Molina Ebony is the Associate Artistic director of the McOnie Company.
Previous McOnie Company credits: Jekyll and Hyde (Old Vic); Be Mine (Jackson’s Place).
Theatre credits as Associate Choreographer include: The Witches (The National Theatre); La Cage aux Folle, Carousel, On the Town (Regents Park); The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida).
Theatre credits as Choreographic Supervisor include: Wizard of Oz (Curve).
Theatre credits as Associate Director/Choreographer include: The Wild Party (The Other Palace); Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith).
Theatre credits as Associate Choreographer: This House (Minerva, Chichester); The Lorax (Old Vic); Tommy, Spring Awakening (English Theatre, Frankfurt); Soho Cinders (Queens Theatre).
Theatre credits as a performer: Singin In The Rain (Palace Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre); 42nd Street (Curve); Shoes (Sadlers Wells); Sweet Charity (Theatre Royal Haymarket and Menier Chocolate Factory); Shall We Dance (Sadlers Wells); L’Heure Espangnole (ROH); On The Town (Theatre du Chatelet Paris); Sinatra ( The London Palladium); Chicago (Adelphi); West Side Story (Bregenz Festival); Beauty and the Beast (RSC); On your Toes (Japan); Les Demoiselles du Rochefort (Palais De Congres Paris); My One and Only (Piccadilly Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (Piccadilly Theatre); Chess (Denmark); The Carman, Dorian Gray , Nutcracker, Edward Scissorhands (New Adventures).
Film credits include: Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Wonka, Greatest Days (Associate Choreographer).
Rachel Muldoon
She/Her
Previous McOnie Company credits include: Nutcracker (Southbank Centre), Jekyll & Hyde (The Old Vic), Making Midnight (Latitude Festival).
Theatre credits include: Oklahoma! (BBC Proms); On The Town (Regent’s Park); Carousel (ENO); Wicked (Apollo Victoria); The Hurly Burly Show (Duchess Theatre); Notre Dame de Paris (International Tour); Cats (UK Tour); Chicago (Cambridge Theatre); Shall We Dance (Sadler’s Wells); Grease (Piccadilly Theatre); The Genius of Ray Charles (US Tour).
Screen credits include: BAFTA – Sophie Ellis Bextor; Hannah Waddingham – Home for Christmas; Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway; King Charles III Coronation Concert; All Star Musicals; Strictly Come Dancing; X Factor; The Brit Awards; Britain’s Got Talent; The Greatest Dancer; The Entire Universe; Royal Variety Performances; Take That; Little Mix; Kylie; Robbie Williams; Becky Hill; Jake Shears; Laura Mvula; Laura Marling; James Blunt; Blitz; Look to the Light; Cruella; Rocketman; Mamma Mia 2; Mary Poppins Returns; Ready Player One; Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Training: The Royal Ballet School, Laine Theatre Arts.
Mark Samaras
He/Him
Previous McOnie Company credits include: Nutcracker (Southbank Centre)
Theatre credits include: Nutcracker, Giselle (Ballet Ireland); Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake (Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures), Newsies (West End).
Film credits include: Greatest Days.
Training: Central School of Ballet
Thomas Walton
He/Him
Theatre credits include: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (UK Tour); Bugsy Malone (UK Tour); Dick Whittington (Royal and Derngate).
Training: Bird College
Gary Wilmot
He/Him
Past Theatre Royal Plymouth credits: Big The Musical
Theatre credits include: Jack & The Beanstalk (Palladium), Wicked (Apollo Theatre), Anything Goes (Barbican), Pantoland at the Palladium (Palladium); Prince of Egypt (Dominion); Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Palladium); Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear (National Theatre); Little Miss Sunshine (Arcola); Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (Palladium); Flowers for Mrs Harris (Chichester Festival Theatre); Dick Whittington (Palladium); The Wind in the Willows (Palladium); End of the Rainbow (National Tour); Oklahoma (National Tour); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre & National Tour); The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre); Radio Times (The Watermill & National Tour); A Bowl Of Cherries (Charing Cross Theatre); The Invisible Man (Menier Chocolate Factory); Arthur Saville’s Crime (National Tour); Chicago (National Tour); The Wizard of Oz (Royal Festival Hall/Mayflower); Half A Sixpence (National Tour); Santa Claus The Musical (Mayflower); H.M.S. Pinafore (NSC, Regents Park); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Palladium); Travels With My Aunt (National Tour).
Screen credits include: The Grinch, Showstoppers, Cue Gary, The 6’ O’Clock Show, The Saturday Gang, Copycats, So You Wanna Be Top, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon, Aspel And Co, The Bob Monkhouse Show, Don Black – Diamonds Are Forever and One Drop (Short Film).
Daisy West
She/Her
Theatre Credits Include: Dirty Dancing (UK & International Tour); The Wizard of Oz (Curve); Carousel (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); On The Town (Hyogo Performing Arts Centre and Bunka Kaikan Theatre, Japan); Macbeth (Mark Bruce Company, UK Tour); Medea (Grand Théâtre de Genève); Al Wasl (Dubai Expo); Sea of Troubles (Yorke Dance Project, Royal Opera House); Rewind, Forward (Yorke Dance Project, UK Tour); The King (Danish Tour).
Film Credits Include: Snow White (Disney); Greatest Days (Elysian Film Group).
Music Videos Include: Newton Faulkner (Up, Up and Away); Slow Club (Complete Surrender).
Training: Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance
Other Credits Include: Pet Shop Boys (Live at BBC Radio 2 Hyde Park); Jess Glynne at the Brit Awards (O2 Arena); Go Go Penguin (Latitude Festival).
CREATIVE BIOGRAPHIES
Drew McOnie, Co-adaptor, director and choreographer
Drew is the Artistic Director of The McOnie Company and the Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London. Drew won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for In the Heights and he was nominated for the same award the following year for the ground-breaking production of Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Theatre credits as director/choreographer include: On the Town (Olivier Award Nomination for Best Musical Revival – Regent’s Park), The Wild Party (The Other Palace), King Kong (The Broadway Theatre, Broadway), Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly Theatre, West End / Toronto / West Yorkshire Playhouse), Torch Song (The Turbine Theatre London), CAKE (Lyric Theatre, West End).
Select credits as a choreographer include: Carousel (Regents Park), Jesus Christ Superstar (Olivier Award Nomination for Best Theatre Choreography – Regents Park, Barbican Theatre and American National Tour), In the Heights (Olivier Award Winner for Best Theatre Choreography, Winner of the Off West End Theatre Award for Best Choreography – Southwark Playhouse and Kings Cross Theatre), The Lorax (Old Vic), Hairspray (BroadwayWorld Award Winner for Best Choreographer – UK Tour), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith and National Tour), Oklahoma! (National Tour), Chicago(Curve Theatre, Leicester), Tommy(European Tour).
For the McOnie Company: Nutcracker (The Tuff Nutt Jazz Club, Southbank Centre), Jekyll and Hyde (BroadwayWorld Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement in Dance – Old Vic), DRUNK! (Curve Theatre Leicester/ The Bridewell Theatre London) which led to him being nominated for the ‘Emerging Artist Award’ at the National Dance Awards, Making Midnight (Jermyn Street Theatre/ Latitude Festival), Slaughter (Audience Choice Award Winner – The Place Prize), Be Mine! (Robin Howard Theatre).
Ballets include: Merlin (Northern Ballet National Tour), Monochrome Suite (Sadlers Wells), The Old Man Of Lochnagar (Sadlers Wells and Hackney Empire), Little Red Riding Hood (Wimbledon Theatre), To You (Sadlers Wells).
Film credits include: Greatest Days Movie produced by Danny Perkins and Kate Solomon, Me Before You (Directed by Thea Sharrock).
Lindsey Ferrentino, Co-adaptor
Lindsey Ferrentino is a prolific playwright and screenwriter who writes with, according to The New York Times, “a muscular empathy which seeks to enter the minds of people for whom life is often a struggle of heroic proportions”. Whether writing about a female burn survivor or penning the first off-Broadway play with a leading role for a person with Down Syndrome, Lindsey has been called “a brave playwright of dauntless conviction whose unflinching portraits are hard to come by outside of journalism.”
Her produced plays include Ugly Lies the Bone (The National Theatre, UK,Roundabout Theatre Company, NYT Critics Pick), the “barrier breaking” Amy and the Orphans (Roundabout Theatre Company), This Flat Earth (Playwrights Horizons), and The Year to Come (La Jolla Playhouse). Ferrentino is writing the book to a number of musicals including Queen of Versailles, with composer Stephen Schwartz, starring Kristin Chenoweth premiering at The Colonial Theater in Boston this summer.
Ferrentino is the recipient of the Kesselring Prize, Catalyst Award for Entertainment Industry Excellence, Laurents/ Hatcher Citation of Excellence, ASCAP Cole Porter Playwriting Prize, Paul Newman Drama Award, , NYU Distinguished Young Alumna Award, 40 Under 40 at Hunter College, and is the only two-time finalist for the Kendeda Playwriting Prize.
Lindsey has various film/TV projects. Lindsey is writing and directing the feature version of her stage play Amy and the Orphans, produced by Jason Bateman’s company Aggregate. As a screenwriter, Lindsey has also penned the following features in pre-production: Ugly Lies the Bone, A Very Large Expanse of the Sea (Levantine Films) and Not Fade Away to name a few.
She is currently under commission from Roundabout, The Geffen, Manhattan Theatre Club, and South Coast Rep. She holds a B.F.A. from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and has two M.F.A.’s in playwriting from Hunter College and The Yale School of Drama.
Christopher Oram, Set and costume designs
Christopher Oram is a Tony and Olivier award-winning scenic and costume designer.
Recent work includes: Frozen (Broadway/West End) Backstairs Billy (MGC) Wolf Hall/bring up the Bodies/the mirror and the light (RSC) the Wreckers (HGO) and Geisha (Northern Ballet).
His many collaborations with Michael Grandage Company include Red, Hughie, Photograph 51, Peter and Alice and The Cripple of Inishmaan. He has also the recipient of the Drama Desk, Evening Standard, Critic’s Circle, Garland, Falstaff, whatsonstage and Ovation awards for his work both here and in the United States.
https://www.christopheroram.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/christopheroram/
Simon Hale, Musical Supervisor, Composer (original music) and Orchestrator
Simon Hale is a composer, orchestrator, arranger and musical supervisor. His theatre credits include: Girl From The North Country (Old Vic, West End, Broadway, UK & Ireland Tour – Tony Award for Best Orchestrations); Cold War (Almeida Theatre); Newsies (Troubador Theatre); Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stage); Spring Awakening (Almeida Theatre, Broadway, West End, US Tour); Hex (National Theatre); Get Up Stand Up! (West End – Olivier Award for Best Original Score and Orchestrations); Bedknobs & Broomsticks (UK Tour); Looking A Lot Like Christmas (Donmar Warehouse); Romantics Anonymous (Shakespeare’s Globe, Bristol Old Vic, US Tour); Tootsie (Chicago, Broadway, US Tour); Strictly Ballroom (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Toronto, West End); Guys ‘n’ Dolls (Royal Exchange Theatre); Side Show (Southwark Playhouse); Finding Neverland (A.R.T. Boston, Broadway, US Tour); Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Broadway, West End), Company (Sheffield Theatres). His film credits include: Spectre ‘The Writing’s On The Wall’ by Sam Smith.
Simon’s solo album, East Fifteen, led to recordings with many artists, including Duncan Sheik, George Benson, Simply Red, Jamiroquai, Björk, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys and Sam Smith.
Zoe Spurr, Lighting design
Zoe is a theatre lighting designer whose work has been seen on the West End, throughout the UK and internationally. She won the 2019 Theatre and Technology Award Lighting Design for The Unreturning (Frantic Assembly UK Tour), Lightmongers’ ALD Award ‘New Talent in Entertainment Lighting’ and the OFFIE award for Lighting Design for her work on Tiny Dynamite (Old Red Lion Theatre).
Recent designs include: Underdog- the Other Other Bronte (National Theatre); The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Southwark Playhouse); The Vortex (CFT); Bonnie And Clyde (West End); Beginning (Royal Exchange Manchester); How Not To Drown (Thickskin UK Tour); Good (Harold Pinter Theatre); The Importance Of Being Earnest (ETT), Migrations (The Welsh National Opera); Our Generation (National Theatre); She Described It To Death (Royal Opera House Linbury Studio); Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World (Kenny Wax Family Entertainment for MAST Mayflower, UK Tour); Hamlet (Bill Kenwright Ltd at Theatre Royal Windsor); The Unreturning (Frantic Assembly UK Tour); Meek (Headlong UK Tour); Emilia (West End).
Simon Baker, Sound design
Simon Baker has worked and experienced almost every corner of the theatre sound industry. He has served time in the sound departments of both the RSC and the National Theatre where he held the post of sound supervisor, and in 1999 he joined leading British sound design and rental company, Autograph, where he stayed for 11 years. He is Technical Director for Wise Children and an Associate Artist at The Old Vic. Simon is a Fellow of Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
His theatre credits include Groundhog Day (The Old Vic, Broadway); The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida Theatre); Hex (National Theatre); A Christmas Carol (The Old Vic, Broadway – Tony Award for Best Sound Design for a Play); Woman In Mind (Chichester Festival Theatre); Girl From The North Country (Old Vic, West End, Broadway, UK & Ireland Tour); Wuthering Heights (Wise Children, UK Tour); Bagdad Café (Wise Children, Old Vic); The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk (Bristol Old Vic); Faith Healer, Three Kings, Lungs, Present Laughter, Wise Children, The Caretaker, The Master Builder, Future Conditional, High Society (Old Vic); Standing At The Sky’s Edge (Sheffield Theatres); Brief Encounter (West End, UK Tour); Matilda The Musical (Royal Shakespeare Company, West End, Broadway – Olivier Award for Best Sound, Helpmann Award for Best Sound); Pinocchio (National Theatre) and The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic, West End).
Ash J Woodward, Video design
Ash J Woodward is a video designer and filmmaker. Woodward has designed and animated content for large-scale shows in the West End, on Broadway and around the world. Work includes hand-drawn, 2D and 3D animation, cinematography, visual effects and design work for other live performance genres such as live music, exhibitions, and art installations. Ash J Woodward is an associate artist at the Squint theatre company. Work in theatre as video and projection designer includes The Witches Musical, Dear England and Hex (National Theatre); Patriots (Noël Coward); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (worldwide); Local Hero (CFT); Famous Five the Musical (Theatr Clwyd); The 47th (The Old Vic); The Glass Menagerie (Duke of York’s); Can I Live (Complicité); The Beauty Parade (Wales Millennium Centre); Bletchley Park Hut 11A (Bletchley Park); Armadillo (The Yard); and Molly (Squint Theatre).
Maia Kirkman-Richards, Puppetry director and design
Maia is a Designer and Maker and Director of puppetry and in 2018 was selected for the Old Vic 12 as their first Puppetry Consultant.
Puppet Director credits include: Bear Snores On (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); There’s A Rang-Tan In My Bedroom (Little Angel & UK tour); My Cloud (National Theatre of Qatar); Our Teacher’s A Troll (Ruined Theatre); The Butterfly Lion (The Barn Theatre); A Dickensian Christmas (The Old Library); Look Up (National Tour); A Stone’s Throw (Edinburgh International Festival).
Puppet Design credits include: Bear Snores On (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); There’s A Rang-Tan In My Bedroom (Little Angel); The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Southwark Playhouse); Our Teacher’s A Troll (Ruined Theatre); Wind In The Willows (The Turbine Theatre & UK tour); My Cloud (National Theatre of Qatar); The Butterfly Lion (The Barn Theatre); The Further Adventures Of The Owl And The Pussycat (The Little Angel); The Slightly Annoying Elephant (The Little Angel); Great Apes (Arcola); Jack Frost (Moon On A Stick – Norwich Theatre Royal and National Tour); Baby Bear (Moon On A Stick – National Tour); Meet The Eastenders (Museum of London Docklands); Metamorphosis (Theatrical Niche – UK Tour); The Dream Factory (National Tour).
Puppet Maker credits include: My Neighbour Totoro (Barbican); Animal Farm (UK Tour); The Magician’s Elephant (Royal Shakespeare Company); Gnomus (BBC Proms); Wizard Of Oz (Birmingham Rep); Peter Pan (Troubadour White City); Beauty and the Beast (Chichester Festival Theatre); Mr Poppers Penguins (International Tour); Wolves in the Walls (Little Angel and National Tour); Doctor Dolittle (UK Tour).
Assistant & Associate Puppet Director credits include: 101 Dalmatians (Regents Park Open Air); The Everywhere Bear (Polka).
The McOnie Company
The McOnie Company is the hot-blooded theatre company with ‘Rock n’ Roll swagger’ (The Observer). The company is led by Producer Georgia Gatti and Olivier Award-winning director and choreographer Drew McOnie, whose work has been described as having ‘the explosive feel of barely contained ecstasy’ (Chicago Sun Times).
The company was launched to celebrate the power of visual storytelling and holds audiences at the centre of its creative mission. We are committed to creating exhilarating stories for today that push boundaries. Our wild-hearted company presents both known titles reimagined for the stage and screen, alongside brand-new work.
The McOnie Company holds a proud association with the Old Vic Theatre and Birmingham Rep.
The company’s productions include the award-winning dance-thriller reimagining of Jekyll and Hyde at the Old Vic Theatre, the song and dance revue Drunk at the Bridewell Theatre, Making Midnight at Jermyn Street Theatre, Slaughter at The Place and Be Mine at the Robin Howard Theatre.
The McOnie Company’s production Nutcracker, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, opens on 4 November at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club, Southbank Centre.
Twitter: @McOnieCompany
Instagram: @mconiecompany