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Director Steven Dykes
Asistant Director Cara Gunston
Production Manager Rachel Candler
Costume Designer Emma Child
Set Designer Sakina Karimjee
Lighting Designer Karl Lawton
Stage Manager Andy Hicks
Deputy Stage Manager Jess Weller
Musical Director Andrew Friesner
Accent Coach Charlie Hughes-D'Aeth
Movement Coach Marcelle Davies

Steven Dykes – Author & Director
Steven Dykes is a founder member of NXT (New Cross Theatre) for whom he directed The Erotica Project - in association with Shady Dolls. His plays include The Happiness Compartment (Theater M, New York & Greenwich Playhouse, London); A Light Gathering of Dust (Gateway Theatre, Edinburgh & Potomac Theatre Project, Maryland); Kolonists (Bridge Lane, London & Pelican Studio, New York); and The Swing Left (Unlimited Theatre, Leeds). He has collaborated with the composer Paul Englishby on three original stage musicals, the oratorio The Flood (recorded by the Tallis Chamber Choir), and Hidden Voices and The Score for BBC2's Sound on Film series. His translation of Leoncavallo's La Boheme premiered at the Coliseum (ENO) and his version of the Estonian verbatim play Cold Come, Cranes Gone received a platform performance at the Traverse, Edinburgh.
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Andrew Friesner – Musical Director
Andrew's composing work includes SLEEPING BEAUTY and THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (Manchester Library Theatre), TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT (National Tours), THE CRUCIBLE, RING ROAD TALES, CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE and MORE GRIMM TALES (Palace, Watford), SHE KNOWS YOU KNOW (West Yorkshire Playhouse), NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (Chester Gateway), THE HOBBIT (Theatre Royal, Bath), THE GOLDEN DOOR (BT National Connections), HABEAS CORPUS, CATCHING THE BUS, ANIMAL FARM, DON QUIXOTE, THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER, JUST BETWEEN OURSELVES, THE OVERCOAT, THE MYSTERIES, TITAN'S CLAW, THE SNOW QUEEN (all for Salisbury Playhouse), I AM DAVID (Chelsea Centre Theatre), TRAVELLERS (Covent Garden Festival), THE WOMEN OF TROY (Oval House), SNOW WHITE and A FRIEND IN NEED (Devon Schools' Project), the devised theatre piece ALARM CALL, a ballet QUIET LIFE, and educational recordings for children. He co-devised and performed GASH GOLD-VERMILLION at the Courtyard, London and St. John's , Oxford . He has written a song cycle I DARE YOU, which will be performed later this year.

Work as Musical Director includes FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD and TOAD OF TOAD HALL (all for Cheltenham Everyman), ANNIE (Thorndike, Leatherhead), DERBY 100 (Derby Playhouse), MARIA MARTEN (Theatre Royal Lincoln and National Tour), INTO THE WOODS (Salisbury Playhouse) THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (Manchester Library), IN A DANCING MOOD, IN THE FAMILY WAY, TAKE IT FROM THE TOP, DICK, LARRY AND OSCAR, DON'T SING WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL, LET'S GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, LEND AN EAR (Royal Academy of Music). He was Assistant Musical Director for INTO THE WOODS and PETER PAN (Manchester Library), ANNIE (Liverpool Playhouse) and the original West End production of SUNSET BOULEVARD. He is a tutor at various Drama and Music colleges and takes vocal workshops around the country.
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Rachel Candler – Production Manager
Rachel trained at Rose Bruford College and has been a Production/Stage Manager for 10 years. She has worked for a variety of theatre companies and artists throughout this time including, Theatre Venture, Salisbury Playhouse, Ian Shaw, The Octagon Theatre, The Royal Exchange Theatre, The Contact, Red Ladder, Opera Holland Park and the Barbican. She is currently free-lancing, and lecturing and tutoring at
Rose Bruford College .
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Sakina Karimjee – Set Designer
Sakina trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School . Her design credits include As You Like It and Anansi and the Spider (Theatre Royal, Bath ), The Front Page and The City Madam (Bristol Old Vic Studio). Her other recent work includes Model Maker for the National Theatre and AutoCAD Draughts Person/Assistant Production Manager at the Royal Opera House. She also runs art and design workshops for young people. She is currently designing Cinderella (West Wing, Slough ) and La Boheme (Nottingham Theatre Royal).
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Emma Child – Costume Designer
Emma graduated from Rose Bruford College in 2002. Her design credits for theatre include Skylight , Blasted, Woman in a Tree on a Hill, A Room of One's Own and African Gothic ( New Theatre, Sydney); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Honk (The Eligiva, Chesham); The Bright and Bold Design (ICA, London). She has worked at the Royal Opera House as Model Room Assistant for the last 2 years and is currently the Design Assistant to Peter Farmer for his Beijing production of Swan Lake .
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Karl Lawton - Lighting Designer
Karl Lawton has recently graduated from Rose Bruford College as a Lighting designer and is on his way to completing His Masters Degree. Karl Started lighting at the Tender age of 15 and hasn't looked back since. He has so far had the opportunity to light all aspects of the industry from theatre, dance, Music and a variety of corporate and charity work. Opera looks like the next stage of Karl's career and is looking forward to pushing the boundaries of theatre and engaging in challenging and exciting work. “The lighting designer has the unique stand point of seeing all the pieces of the puzzle come together to create the one picture”
Contact: Karl@Karllawton.co.uk
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