A Derby Theatre Production

Welfare

A story of The Derbyshire Miners' Holiday Camp

Sat 28 Sep - Sat 12 Oct, 2024 Archive
Miners, Holiday Makers, Strikers, Bingo Hall Players: those seeking refuge, those demanding hope and those on the trail of fun…UNITE!

A new play by Abi Zakarian | Featuring Derwent Brass

Derby Theatre will be transformed into the site of The Derbyshire Miners’ Holiday Camp in Skegness, where miners went to convalesce, and later to holiday, as it was turned into a pioneering holiday camp for Derbyshire miners and their families.

Take a trip through the decades as we follow the fortunes of the camp through the highs and lows of history; meeting a family across the generations, and exploring how time and change affects communities and individuals alike.

Expect Brass Bands, rousing speeches, entertainment and a whole load of bingo!

Written by award winning British-Armenian playwright Abi Zakarian who was born and raised in Derby.

SHOW ADVISORY:

Some characters in WELFARE reveal out-dated societal attitudes and use offensive slurs. These slurs were offensive in the past and remain so today. They are included in the show to add realism to the historical context.

In particular:

  • A racial slur heard in the 1970’s and 1980’s is used in a verbal attack on a character.

Venue

Main House

Overview

Time: 7:30pm & 2:30pm
Performance duration: 2 Hours 10 Minutes (Including Interval)

Watch Now...

Welfare (2024) — In Rehearsal Trailer by © Fluid Ideas

Enhance Your Experience

Get ready for an immersive theatre experience with our special stage seating for the upcoming production of Welfare. — This Includes the following:

  • Seating: Traditional bar-style seats with backs, located on stage and visible to the audience.
  • Accessibility: There are two or three steps leading to our experience seats.
    Please contact our box office team to arrange any accommodations.
  • Refreshments: On the night, choose a drink (half pint, 175ml wine, or soft drink/still water) and a snack (sealed packs of pork scratchings, olives, crisps, or ice cream).
  • During the Performance: You can enjoy your drink and snack like other audience members. Note that if you leave your seat during the performance, you may be reseated in the auditorium.
  • Shared Tables: Your table may be shared with other audience members.
  • Photography: Official photography may take place, and you may appear in marketing materials.

How To Book:

  • Please contact our Box Office team either over the phone on 01332 593939, via email at DerbyTheatreTickets@derby.ac.uk or in-person.
  • You can also book online 24/7 by clicking HERE and following our booking process.

NOTE: **This offer is subject to availability.

Enhance your visit to Welfare with a traditional cone of Fish, Chips, and Mushy Peas, and immerse yourself in the spirit of the Derbyshire Miners’ Holiday Camp.

Fish and Chips

Savour the flavours of our classic offerings, with a choice between Fish, Chips, and Mushy Peas for £7.50 per person or a Vegan / Vegetarian-friendly option of Chips and Mushy Peas for £5.45 per person. Enjoy this hearty British snack as you follow the fortunes of the camp through the decades, meeting a family across generations and exploring how time and change affect communities and individuals alike.

Our team is dedicated to ensuring your experience is perfect. — Please inform our attentive box office staff of any dietary preferences or restrictions.Join us at Derby Theatre and make your Welfare experience truly exceptional with this delicious add-on. Relive the memories of miners seeking refuge, holidaymakers on the trail of fun, and the enduring community spirit, all while savouring a classic taste of Britain.

How To Book:

  • Choose your preferred Date and Time
  • Choose your preferred seat/s and ‘Continue’
  • Enhance your experience by adding your Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas to your basket. (Be sure to check the quantity)

NOTE: **This offer is subject to availability.

Meet the Cast

Everine

Olivia Egbunike

Angelica

Mya Fox-Scott

Kat

Tiana Maria Harrison

Jack/Henry

John Holt-Roberts

Fitzalbert

Oraine Johnson

Patty

Jo Mousley

Bingo Bob

Ivan Stott

Joseph

Andrew Westfield

Thomas/Danny

Rhys Wild

Zofia

Hanna Winter

Creatives

Writer

Abi Zakarian

Director

Sarah Brigham

Designer

Neil Irish

Musical Director and Sound Designer

Kelvin Towse

Assistant Director

Laura Ryder

Lighting Designer

Arnim Friess

Movement Director

Jon Beney

Voice Coach

Anita Gilbert

Casting Director

Ellie Collyer-Bristow (CDG)

Featuring

Derwent Brass

Cast and Creatives Biographies

OLIVIA EGBUNIKE
| EVERINE

This image is a close-up portrait of Olivia Egbunike with short, natural hair, wearing a green sweater. The individual has a calm expression, with direct eye contact and soft, natural makeup, emphasizing their clear skin and well-groomed eyebrows. The background is neutral, drawing full attention to the subject's face.

Training: University of Chichester (BA hons Performing Arts)

Theatre credits include: The Little Mermaid (Hoxton Hall); Help There’s an Elf in my house! (Proteus Theatre); Indestructible (Omnibus Theatre).

Film/Television Credits Include: Happiness for Ducks (Twisted Pixie Productions); Brothers (Lynch Films); Muppets Most Wanted (SA) Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films); The Cabin (Lynch Films). 

MYA FOX-SCOTT
| ANGELICA

This image is a close-up portrait of Mya Fox Scott with short, smooth hair styled close to the head. The individual is wearing an orange velvet top and has a neutral expression, with direct eye contact and minimal makeup, highlighting their natural features. The background is a soft, neutral tone, which keeps the focus on the subject's face.

Training: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

Theatre Credits Include: Standing at the Sky’s Edge (Gillian Lynne Theatre, West End); Peter Pan (Little Wolf Entertainment); Curtains, Julius Caesar, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A School for Scandal, Sweat, Paradise (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama); Emma Rice Wise Children Workshop (Wise Children).

TIANA MARIA HARRISON
| KAT

This image is a close-up portrait of Tiana Maria Harrison with medium-length curly hair, wearing a white ribbed cardigan over a black top. The individual has a calm and composed expression, with direct eye contact and natural makeup that highlights their smooth complexion. The background is soft and neutral, ensuring the focus remains on the subject's face.

Tiana is from a proud Derbyshire mining family in Shirebrook.

Training: LMA Liverpool, obtaining a first class BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre

Theatre Credits Include: Welfare is her professional debut; she has loved every minute  working with Sarah and the cast and is very much looking forward to  performing with the team on stage at Derby Theatre. She hopes to honour her late Grandad Kevin (Warsop Main Colliery) – who dedicated his later years to helping Tiana achieve her dreams. She would also like to thank her family and friends for their continued support.

JOHN HOLT-ROBERTS
| JACK/SIR FREDERICK SYKES

This image is a close-up portrait of John Holt-Roberts with short, tousled hair and a full beard, wearing a blue sweater. The individual has a warm expression with direct eye contact, and the lighting highlights their facial features, particularly the texture of the beard and the clarity of their eyes. The background is a solid, neutral grey, ensuring that the focus remains on the subject's face.

For Derby Theatre John has appeared in Robin Hood and the Major Oak, The Wind in The Willows, Alice in Wonderland and Kes. — He is delighted to be back!

Training: Academy of Live and Recorded Arts

Theatre Credits Include: The Dinner ( Switch festival/Lamphouse Theatre); Cinderella (Chester Storyhouse); Twelfth Night (JLA productions); Hard Graft (Common Ground Theatre); The Gingerbread Man (Hiccup Theatre, National tour); The Wind In The Willows (Gobbledigook Theatre/Bolton Abbey); Troupers and Till The Cows Come Home (Mikron Theatre, National tour); A Christmas Carol (The Flanagan Collective); Milk Teeth (Liverpool Everyman).

Film/Television Credits Include: Father Christmas is Back (MSR Media) and Zomblogalypse (One and Other creative).

ORAINE JOHNSON
| FITZALBERT

This image is a close-up portrait of Oraine Johnson with dark hair styled in a top knot, wearing a black top. The individual has a serious expression, with direct eye contact, and the lighting accentuates the smooth texture of their skin. The background features a dark, blurred brick wall, adding a subtle contrast that draws attention to the subject's face.

Oraine is an actor, writer, composer, and singer. He is a multi-instrumented musician and has composed for the National Theatre and produced for major grime recording artists. From MTV to performing at the NEC and O2 arena in London, Oraine has navigated his way through an industry which still struggles with representation and diversity.

Training: Birmingham Theatre School (BA Hons in Acting)

Theatre Credits Include: Critically-acclaimed The Tin Violin, Richard III, Jungle Book, Treasure Island and an award-winning production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Film/Television Credits Include: Danny and the Human Zoo (BBC); and Choices (Channel 4); as well as award-winning short films Repercussions and Domino Effect.

JO MOUSLEY
| PATTY

This image is a close-up portrait of Jo Mousley with short, light-coloured hair and bangs, wearing a grey sleeveless top. The individual has a warm, genuine smile that highlights their teeth, and their eyes are crinkled slightly with joy. The background is a deep red, providing a vibrant contrast that emphasizes the subject's cheerful expression.

Jo is delighted to return to Derby theatre having appeared in Brassed Off last year, reprising her role from the 2015 production in 2023. She also starred in Two in 2018.

Theatre Credits Include: The Gifting (Slung Low); Today the Streets Are Ours, Electric Rosary (Royal Exchange); Helen (Theatre 503); Nine Night (Leeds Playhouse/Nottingham Playhouse); Four Minutes Twelve Seconds (Oldham Coliseum); Hello and Goodbye (York Theatre Royal); Be My Baby, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Europe, Road (Leeds Playhouse); Relatively Speaking, The Father, Saturday Night Sunday Morning (Oldham Coliseum/Harrogate Theatre); The Twits (Leicester Curve/Rose Theatre Kingston); Barnbow Canaries (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Horrible Histories: Horrible Mum (Birmingham Stage); The Full Monty (Tour/David Pugh Ltd); The Life and Times of Mitchell and Kenyon (Dukes Lancaster/Oldham Coliseum); Blood and Chocolate (York Theatre Royal/Pilot Theatre); Coronation Street (Sean McKenna Presents/New Zealand Tour); David Copperfield (Oldham Coliseum); Arabian Nights (Library Theatre); Corrie! (Phil McIntyre Ltd); Ugly, Forgotten Things, Riot Rebellions and Bloody Insurrection (Red Ladder); Blood Wedding (Cut to the Chase/Liverpool Playhouse); A Taste of Honey (Lowry Theatre).

Film/Television Credits Include: Coronation Street, Emmerdale (ITV); Doctors, Nice Guy Eddie (BBC); Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures/channel 4); Polterheist (India Calling Productions); Monroe (Monroe Productions).

IVAN STOTT
| BINGO BOB

A close-up headshot of a man with light gray hair and a full beard, looking directly into the camera with piercing blue eyes. He has a calm expression, wearing a dark shirt, with a neutral background that highlights his facial features.

Ivan is Artistic Director of Hiccup Theatre, shows have included Three Wise Monkeys (Winner of the Writers Guild of Great Britain Best Show for Young Audiences 2015), Rumpelstiltskin and The Owl and the Pussycat.

Ivan is also an established Composer/Sound Designer and has written the songs and music for Robin Hood and the Major Oak (Derby Theatre).

Theatre Credits Include: Romeo and Juliet (Stafford Shakespeare Festival 2022); The Wind in The Willows, Extra Time, One Man Two Guvnors, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Jungle Book, Look Back in Anger, Pinocchio, The Odyssey, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Gingerbread Man (Derby Theatre); A Boy and a Bear in a Boat (Spark Arts); Aladdin, Cinderella, The Snow Queen (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Hansel and Gretel (Dundee Rep); Picture Me, The Dreaming of Bones (Red Ladder); Who’s Breaking, Unreasonable Behaviour (Pilot Theatre); Teechers (European Tour).

ANDREW WESTFIELD
| JOSEPH

This image is a close-up portrait of Andrew Westfield with a shaved head and a short beard, wearing a black shirt. The individual has a serious expression, with direct eye contact that creates an intense and focused look. The background is blurred, featuring a mix of dark and light areas, which contrasts with the subject's face and enhances the overall dramatic effect of the portrait.

Theatre Credits Include: King Rat in Dick Whittington (Everyman Theatre Cheltenham); Biff in Stand Up, Stand Up (Theatre Royal Wakefield and Tour); Deakin in First Light (Chichester Festival Theatre); Westmoreland/ MacMorris in Henry V, Willoughby in Richard II and Westmoreland in Henry IV Part 1 and 2 (RSC Barbican, China and Brooklyn Academy of Music New York); The Corporal in The Silver Tassie (National Theatre); Sugden/Beal in Kes (Derby Playhouse); Abanazar in Aladdin (Everyman Cheltenham); Al in April in Paris (Horsecross Arts); Geoff in The Heretic (Library Theatre, Manchester); Mr Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank (York Theatre Royal); Duke Frederick in As You Like It and Lucan in Merlin (Chester Performs); Narrator in The Grapes of Wrath and Butler in Wallenstein (Chichester Festival); Gower in Henry V, Le Bret in Cyrano De Bergerac and Duane Wilson in Harvey (Royal Exchange Manchester); Peto in Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, Jeptha Jones in His Dark Materials, Leafleteer in Edmond, Jacobie in His Girl Friday, Bosola in The Duchess of Malfi, Steve in A Street Car Named Desire and Briggs in No Man’s Land (Royal National Theatre); Antonio in The Tempest (Bury St Edmunds); Grant in Pitch Perfect (Derby Playhouse); Mark in Art (Wyndham’s); PC/Teacher in Blood Brothers (UK Tour); and Lavach in The Three Musketeers (Mercury/Colchester). 

Film Credits Include: Mr Fox in Watershed, Gary in Rolling Steel, and Marcellus in The Last Legion.

Television Credits Include:  Bill Reaney in Doctors (BBC); Rob in Grantchester (ITV); Police Officer in Coronation Street (ITV); Jake in The Royals (Privileged Productions); Guard in Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures); Melvin Worth in Doctors (BBC); Undercover Policeman in Home Fires (ITV); Boucher in The Musketeers (BBC); John Cowell in Doctors (BBC); Terry in Doctors (BBC); Mark Wilson in Hustle (Kudos); Lynch in Downton Abbey (ITV/Carnival); John Adams in Doctors (BBC); Tyler in Eastenders (BBC); Stan in Lark Rise to Candleford (BBC); Mike Britton in The Bill (BBC/Thames); PC Lawton in Coronation Street (ITV/Granada); Brian in Silent Witness (BBC); Captain in The Royal (YTV); Constable Graves in Cranford (BBC); Igor in City Lights (Granada); Berig in The Fall (BBC); Bato in Constantine (BBC); Eddie Curran in The Bill (Thames); Derek Tyler in Wire in the Blood (Coastal); Pete Rigger in Rosemary & Thyme (Carnival); Bernie in The Quest III (YTV); Frank Markin in Judge John Deed (ITV); Gery Coomb in Casualty (BBC); Bob Hardcastel in Heartbeat (YTV); Alan Merrick in The Bill (Thames); Site Manager in Shadows (Fox TV); Policeman in Metropolis (Granada); Cabbie in See How They Run (BBC); Joiner in Heartbeat (YTV) and Narrator in Spirit of Pharoah (BBC).

Radio Credits Include: Dave in The B Towns, Lapoulle/Colonel de Vineuil in Emil Zola: Money, PC Mellor in Brief Lives, Revivalist in Anna of Five Towns, Gordon in Market, Steven in Stone, DS Bolton in Brief Lives, McConnell in Buffalo Bill, Atkins and George in ID, Mills & Butler in Confessions of a Medium, King Monkey in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Cyrano in The Other Man, Digger in Ring Around the Bath, Gloria in The Change, and The Paper of AJ Wentworth (all for BBC Radio).

RHYS WILD
| THOMAS/DANNY

A headshot of a young man with short, wavy brown hair and a light mustache, looking directly into the camera with a neutral expression. He is wearing a brown shirt and a thin silver chain necklace, with a dark, textured background adding contrast to his features.

When Rhys isn’t acting, he enjoys making cocktails, writing and playing football. He is also a huge film fan and especially loves the work of his favourite actor Jake Gyllenhaal, Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and his hometown hero Paddy Considine. 

Training: Musical Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Theatre Credits Include: Professional debut on the Number 1 tour of Zog Live playing Gadabout. Rhys subsequently spent the panto season in Beauty and the Beast.

Film/Television Credits Include: Earlier this year filmed a new short film called Fox Holes.

HANNA WINTER
| ZSÓFIA

This image is a close-up portrait of Hannah Winter with long, dark hair pulled back, wearing a white sweater. The individual has a neutral expression with soft, brown eyes and natural makeup. The background appears slightly blurred, with subtle hints of an outdoor or indoor setting, allowing the focus to remain on the subject's face. The lighting is natural, highlighting the subject's features and creating a gentle, authentic look.

Hanna is a Clown, Physical Theatre Artist, Director and Workshop Facilitator based in London. Hanna did a 2 year performance based course at Ecole Phillipe Gaulier in Paris and a 1 year Physical Theatre performance based course at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris.

Theatre Credits Include: Escape in Time, Clowns without Borders, Lost Cabaret, Snowflake, Nonna, The Capture, Fabulon, Late Night Nonsense, I Occur Here, Note to Self, Storyteller, Mimi Goes East and Ship of Fools.   

Directing Credits Include: Dart Dance Theatre, Lost Cabaret, Lulia’s Living Room, Daughter of a Dictator, Cry For Me, Nesama and  Marcel Vol II.

ABI ZAKARIAN
| WRITER

Abi Zakarian is an award-winning British-Armenian playwright born and raised in Derby, now based in London.

Theatre Credits Include:Age is Revolting, for The National Theatre Connections Festival, We Are Our Mountains, for Bush Theatre Protest Series; Lullaby, Shakespeare’s Globe; Found, produced by 45North for their Written on the Waves series of audio plays; Perfect Myth Allegory at Jermyn Street Theatre for the ‘15 Heroines’ series; Enough, Small Truth Theatre, A Threshold, BritSchool/Bridge Foundation musical; Old Dough/When Two Armenians Meet, Futures Theatre for their Fully Amplified podcast series; A Thousand Yards at Southwark Playhouse and I Am Karyan Ophidian for the Sam Wanamaker Theatre at Shakespeares Globe.  

Her play Fabric won a Scotsman Fringe First award and she won the Vault Festival Peoples Choice Award for I Have A Mouth And I Will Scream. She is a previous recipient of an MGCFutures Award bursary.

Her plays Mountain Warfare & Worthy Women were finalist & long-listed for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2021/22 & 2023/24 respectively.

Abi is a co-founder of the horror theatre company Terrifying Women along with Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Sampiria Al-Fihri. She also created and co-runs the Armenian Creatives Network UK. She is a trustee board member of MGCFutures and a Creative Associate with Small Truth Theatre. 

Her first short film, Pomegranate, is currently on the festival circuit and she is currently under commission with A.T.C and Futures Theatre.

SARAH BRIGHAM
| DIRECTOR

Sarah has been the Artistic Director and Chief Executive at Derby Theatre since January 2013. Sarah trained at Bretton Hall and worked first extensively as an actor for a variety of companies before pursuing her directing career. She has also worked at Dundee Rep as Associate Director, at The Berry and The Point, Eastleigh as Artistic Director and undertaken other directing work with such companies as York Theatre Royal, Lyric Hammersmith, Red Ladder, Theatre Pinklec, Croatia; Muz Theater Holland and Hiccup Theatre amongst others.

Derby Theatre productions include: Alice in Wonderland (2024); Three Billy Goats Gruff, Pleasant Land, Robin Hood and the Major Oak, Jekyll and Hyde, Home Girl, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Treasure Island, Extra Time, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood, One Man, Two Guvnors, What Fatima Did, Great Expectations, Alice in Wonderland (2016), Jack, Look Back in Anger, Jinny, Brassed Off, Cinderella, Solace of the Road, A Christmas Carol, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Kes, The Odyssey and Pinocchio, Hansel & Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Peter Pan and The Gingerbread Man.

Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahBrigham

LAURA RYDER
| ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Laura is a theatre maker, director and facilitator based in the Midlands.

Her work centres around collaborative making processes, children and young people and access. Laura is Lead Artist with B Team Theatre Company.

She had worked with Birmingham REP, Derby Theatre, Hubbub Theatre Company, Omar Khan and Plus One at Derby Theatre.

In 2023, Laura was the recipient of Birmingham REP’s JMK assistant director bursary.

KELVIN TOWSE
| MUSICAL DIRECTOR & SOUND DESIGNER

Musical Supervisor/Musical Director/Conductor includes: One Man Two Guvnors (Derby Theatre); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound of Music, Blood Brothers, Whistle Down the Wind (BKL Productions, UK Tour); The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan, Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin and Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (Crossroads Pantomimes); Kinky Boots, 42nd Street, A Chorus Line, Singin’ in the Rain, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver, The Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard (Taylorian Productions, Isle of Man); Jekyll and Hyde and Parade (Chichester University); The Entertainer, A Christmas Carol, Hooray for Hollywood, Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm, As You Like It, Treasure Island, Dick Whittington, Mother Goose and Aladdin (Derby Playhouse); Aladdin (Cambridge Arts); Aladdin, The Steamie and Dick Whittington (Oldham Coliseum); and Dick Whittington (Manchester Library Theatre).  

As a composer/Arranger, scores include: Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol (Reading Rep); Macbeth (Daniel Taylor Productions); Dracula, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frankenstein, Merlin and the Winter King, Serial Killers, Arabian Nights, and Henceforward (Derby Playhouse); A Christmas Carol (Reading Rep); Panorama (BBC); Dispatches (Channel 4); BAE Systems, Secure by Integrity and Toy Options (New Image PR Ltd.); A Time Travel Experience (Oldham Chamber of Commerce); Ski Better with Ali Ross (Red Run Media); Various Films & Documentaries (Limekiln Films); Classical works, Hogmanay – A Suite for Orchestra and Choir & Bagpipes (published by Europa Edition); and A British Isles Fantasia for Orchestra and Choir.  

Kelvin is also Head of Music at Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama.

NEIL IRISH
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

Neil trained in Birmingham and later at The Slade, UCL.  

Theatre Credits Include: A Christmas Carol, One Man, Two Guvnors, Hansel & Gretel, Peter Pan, Betrayal, Alice in Wonderland (Derby Theatre); Cosi Fan Tutti (Guildhall London); Robin Hood, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Guildford Shakespeare Company); Dishoom! (UK Tour/Rifco Arts); Carmen (Royal Academy of Music); Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge Arts Theatre); Tommy (Ramps on the Moon, UK Tour); House and Garden, Alice in Wonderland (Watermill Theatre); Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (London, Hong Kong and Frankfurt); Don Giovanni, II Trittico (Opera Holland Park); Anything That Flies (Jermyn Street Theatre); The Taming of the Shrew, Wind in the Willows (Guildford); All’s Well That Ends Well, Macbeth (GSC Winter Festival) and Ever Young (W11 Opera). 

Neil has designed operas for Opera Theatre Company Eire; English Touring Opera; Almeida ENO Festival London; Danish Opera; Opera Holland Park; Garden Opera; BAM New York; Opera Comique Paris; New Zealand Opera and W11 Children’s Opera.  

Neil has also worked in both Set and Costume Departments for BBC TV.

ARNIM FRIESS
| LIGHTING DESIGNER

Arnim is delighted to return to Derby Theatre.

He designs for live events, and visitor experiences like museums and exhibitions, blending lighting, motion graphics and video projection, animation and film-making. His designs for, so far, about 200 productions, have been seen not only on stages around the world, but also in a zoo, a factory, a monastery, an abandoned pub and deep down in a cave. Performances cover diverse arts forms from theatre, musical, opera and ballet via puppetry, Indian dance, experimental music and children’s shows.

Theatre Credits Include: The Glass Menagerie (Arcola Theatre & Watford Palace Theatre); Flying Theatre (RAF Museums Cosford and London); Bridge (Imagineer Productions); Our Blue Heaven (New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich); Abigail’s Party (Hull Truck Theatre); The Who’s Tommy (Ramps on the Moon); One Night in November (Belgrade Theatre Coventry); Look Back in Anger (Derby Theatre); Ghosts in the Wall (RSC Stratford u.A.); Life on Mars (Legoland Denmark); Donegal (Abbey Theatre Dublin); Piaf (Curve Theatre Leicester); The Bloody Irish (Dublin The Helix PBS USA Broadcasting); The Etienne Sisters (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Wuthering Heights (The Gate Theatre Dublin).

JON BENEY
| MOVEMENT DIRECTOR

Jon Beney trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
He is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and mass movement director.
Jon Beney is Co-Artistic Director and founder of Tenfoot Dance Company.

His performance work includes works by Virtual Motion Dance Co, dans connect for Swindon Dance, Ballet Lorent and Protein dance. His work as a mass movement director includes the rugby league opening ceremony 2013 and the challenge cup finals 2014, 2015 and 2016. Jon was part of the team for the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony and is mass rehearsal director for Akram Khan “Kadamati”. 

Jon Beney has worked on education projects with the Aduna Dance Group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the Lajee Center, Palestine. He has worked with public acts the National Theatre and has taught dance across the UK, working with Dance United in criminal justice settings and with hard-to-reach young people, Jon also works with the University of Central Lancashir,  Leeds Met and at York St John’s University.

ANITA GILBERT
| VOICE COACH

Anita studied Acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, before completing an MA in Professional Voice Practice from The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. 

Anita co-authored The Jobbing Actor, published by Nick Hern Books. 

Credits for Derby Theatre Include: Cinderella,Brassed Off, Jekyll and Hyde, Homegirl, Extra Time, Abi, What Fatima Did, One Man, Two Guvnors, Treasure Island, The Little Mermaid, 4 Walls, Mr Burns, The Wind in the Willows. 

Other Theatre Credits Include: First Encounters: Romeo & Juliet (RSC); Chariots of Fire, Typical Girls, Rock/Paper/Scissors, We Could All Be Perfect (Sheffield Theatres); The Trials (Nottingham Playhouse); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare North Playhouse/Not Too Tame); LarkRise to Candleford,Under the Greenwood Tree (Hammerpuzzle Theatre Co/Everyman Cheltenham) The Gingerbread Man (Front Door Theatre).

Television Credits Include: Hollyoaks (Channel 4). 

Film Credits Include: Bonny Chip (short). 

ELLIE COLLYER-BRISTOW — CDG
| CASTING DIRECTOR

Ellie is a freelance casting director based in Sheffield. She has really enjoyed working with Derby Theatre this season on Alice in Wonderland and the upcoming productions Welfare and A Christmas Carol.

West End Credits Include:Witness For the Prosecution, Killer Joe, Adrian Mole, The Wider Earth 

Off West End Credits Include: Romeo & Juliet, Ages of the Moon, The Permanent Way, The Girl Who Fell, 3 Women, A Guide for the Homesick, Madame Rubstein, Dirty Great Love Story, Fool for Love, Sideways. 

UK Tours Include:And Then There Were None, Birdsong, Frankenstein, Macbeth, The Mirror Cracked, Handbagged, Arcadia, The Swearing Jar, Dusty, The Good Enough Mums Club, The Croft, A Splinter of Ice, The Night Watch, Wait Until Dark, French without Tears, Night Must Fall. 

Regional Theatre Credits Include:The Hypochondriac (Sheffield Crucible); This is a Love Story (Birmingham Hippodrome); Peter Pan, Hansel and Gretel (Rose Theatre Kingston); They Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! (Mercury Colchester); The Secret Garden (TBTL and York Theatre Royal); Little Women (York Theatre Royal); Ladies Day (Wolverhampton Grand); As You Like It, Miss Julie, Remarkable Invisible, After The Dance, William Wordsworth, Two Way Mirror (Theatre by the Lake); The Glass Menagerie (Nuffield Southampton); Dancing at Lughnasa (Lyric Belfast); Playhouse Creatures, Blue Remembered Hills, Fred’s Diner (Chichester Festival Theatre). 

Immersive Theatre Credits Include:The War of the Worlds, The Gunpowder Plot. 

Kids Casting Includes:The King and I, Wind in the Willows (London Palladium), Doctor Doolittle, Macbeth (UK Tours). 

Additionally, Ellie previously worked as Casting Associate for the Ambassador Theatre Group.

DERWENT BRASS
| FEATURING

Derwent Brass has proven to be a major success story in the Midland’s proud heritage of brass banding. Formed in 1992 with the aim of producing a quality brass band in Derby, Derwent Brass quickly established itself as a most popular concert attraction. With wide reaching repertoire and innovative programming this has been sustained to this day and the band is constantly in demand across the region, in the UK and occasionally venturing abroad.

The band was originally formed as a 3rd section band and under the 25 year leadership of musical director Keith Leonard quickly climbed to the Championship Section where they are now firmly established. Following Keith’s retirement in 2018 the band appointed Music Director Jack Capstaff. Along the journey the band held the number one position in both 3rd and 2nd section league tables consecutively and have totaled six appearances at the National Final Championships. The band and its soloists continue to decorate the band room with silverware from nationwide contests including the Midland Regional Championships, National Finals Championships, Bolsover Festival of Brass, Leicester BBA, Wychavon, Buxton, ODBBA, NEMBBA, GBBA and more. In its time the band has performed at over 750 events and has shared the stage with over 50 artists and groups.

For more about Derwent Brass visit our website www.derwentbrass.com

Joining the professional cast of actors will be a community company of performers including: Charlotte Bennett, Samantha Bosworth, Ali Bramwell, Gregory Butler, Esme Carpenter, Candice Condon, Philip Cox, Kal Dhindsa, Drew Green, Bry Griffiths, Alfie Handford, Abena Halliday-Fox, Adrees Hussain, Shannon John, Olivia Kenyon, Bwalya Mulenga, Andi Parkin, Jennifer Salt, Heather Slonimski, Georgia Snyders, Iyisha Williams, Kirsty Williams and Marnie Wilson. 

KAI BOOLS | STAGE CREW

JACK BOND | DEPUTY STAGE MANAGER

HARRY CRANE | STAGE CREW

DANIEL ELLIS | COMPANY STAGE MANAGER

ANTHONY FEARNLEY | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

ALISON FAZZANI | SCENIC CARPENTER

HANNAH GRIFFITHS | SOUND NO.1

RICHARD HEAPPEY | LX PROGRAMMER

RACHAEL JACKS | SCENIC ARTIST

IMOGEN MCARA-JAMES | CHAPERONE

DOMINIC MURRAY | CAPTIONS

RYAN RAISTRICK | LIGHTING OPERATOR

JEMIMA ROSE | SCENIC ARTIST

JASMINE SLATER | DRESSER

MYLES SMITH | SCENIC CARPENTER

MEGAN SMITH | SOUND NO.2 (COVER)

JACK THOMAS | SOUND NO.2

JB WILLCOX | SCENIC CARPENTER

BEE WINCHESTER | DRESSER