Kiss Me Quickstep

JASON FURNIVAL
| MICK

Jason has a wide-ranging career in stage and screen.

Jason has toured nationally and internationally, most notably in the National Theatre’s Warhorse where he played Carter and Colonel Strauss from 2013 to 2015 touring the UK, Ireland and South Africa.

Theatre credits include: Dear Santa (NLP Productions); The Doris Effect (RSC 37 Plays Project); Alfie and the War (RSC 37 Plays Project); Patch, Tree Shall Not Be Move and Black Men Fishing (All Birmingham Rep/Sky Comedy Rep);  Billionaire Boy (Birmingham Stage/Tour); Gangsta Granny (Birmingham Stage Tour/Pinter Theatre); Dirty Laundry (Claybody Theatre); Richard III (Hull Truck/Northern Broadsides); The Kitchen Sink (New Vic Theatre); Chamaco (Home – Manchester); Wind In The Willows and Father’s Day (Library Theatre); The Tempest (The Stageworks); A Kick In The Baubles and Kissing Married Women (Hull Truck);  The Bells, Antigone, Henry V, A Woman Killed With Kindness, Macbeth and King Lear (Northern Broadsides); Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Factory); La Serva Padrona (Broomhill Opera); Emilia Galotti (Trilogy Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Broomhill Theatre).

Film/Television Credits include: Downton Abbey, Emmerdale, Home Fires, Scott and Bailey, Heartbeat, Blue Murder, Boy Meets Girl, Coronation Street, Dead Clever, Cracker, Northern Lights, At Home With The Braithwaites and A&E (ITV); Unforgiven (Red); Shameless, Gold Plated, Bradford Riots, Phoenix Nights and Hollyoaks (C4); All At Sea (CBBC); Grimbsy (Big Talk Films); Doctors, The Accused, Candy Cabs, Doctors, Paradox, Waterloo Road, Innocence Project and Linda Green (BBC).

ASHLEY GILMOUR
| JUSTIN

Training: Arts Educational London

Theatre Credits include: Austenland (Savoy West End); My Fair Lady, Evita (Curve); Les Misérables (Sondheim, West End); Miss Saigon (UK and International Tour); No For An Answer (Arcola); Miss Saigon (Prince Edward, for West End); Hairspray (UK Tour); Bare: The Rock Musical (Greenwich Theatre); Aladdin (Pavilion). 

Film/Television Credits include:

Walliams and Friends (BBC); Miss Saigon Live (Cameron Mackintosh/Universal); Olivier Awards (ITV).

CLAIR GLEAVE
| NANCY

Clair is thrilled to be joining the cast of Kiss Me Quickstep and coming back to her family’s Ballroom roots.

Training:  The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

Theatre Credits include: I Made you a Mixtape (The Union Theatre); Toys (Watford Pump House Theatre); Newtopia (Shooting Fish Theatre Company); Cinderella (Yvonne Arnaud); Dal Segno (Tabbard Theatre); Fairytale of New York (West End and UK Tour); The Royal Secret Siorée (Immersive Playground); Stick Man (UK Tour); Bring it On (Southwark Playhouse); 13 the Musical (Original West End cast at the Apollo Theatre); Jason Robert Brown in Concert (Southbank Centre).

Film/Television Credits include: A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (ITV); Mary & George (SKY); Why didn’t they ask Evans (ITV); Thanks for the memories (BBC); Welcome to Paradise (Amazon); Illicit Content (Amazon Prime & Sanddog productions); The Halcyon (ITV); Swiperight (SKY) and Patrick (Disney).

MATTHEW JEANS
| LEE

Training: Matthew studied Musical Theatre at The Urdang Academy and further trained in Acting and Meisner technique at The Impulse company.

Theatre Credits include: Mr Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Mike Connor in High Society, Bob Wallace in White Christmas, Eddie Ryan in Funny Girl, Joseph in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Rod/Tenor in Singin’ in the Rain, Mrs Henderson Presents, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Hairspray, We Will Rock You, 20th Century Boy and Grease the musical.

Television Credits include: Eastenders (BBC).

Matthew has also featured in the cast recording and cinema movie release of the original West End revival of Miss Saigon.

ISABEL SNAAS
| SAMANATHA

Training: Arts Ed

Theatre Credits Include: Fame The Musical (European Tour); Marie Curie The Musical (Charing Cross Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Bridge Theatre); Frozen (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End and The Olivier Awards London).

HOLLIE JANE STEPHENS
| JODIE

Training: Hollie started her training at the age of 5 at The Betty Chappelle Dance Centre. Her training continued at Northern Ballet in Leeds and later Bird College Conservatoire where she graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre.

Theatre Credits include: Austenland (Savoy Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Bridge Theatre); Mother Goose (Cheltenham Everyman Theatre); Strictly Ballroom (UK Tour); Chicago the Musical (UK & Ireland Tour); Starlight Express (Bochum, Germany); Aladdin (QDOS Pantomimes).

Film Credits include: Skeleton team in workshop stages of Snow White (Choreographed by Mandy Moore, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, due for release in 2025).

Dance Credits include: Roller Skater in NOW That’s What I Call A Musical (Commercial); The Classic Brit Awards (Choreographed by Paul Roberts at The Royal Albert Hall); Music video ‘Grow’ by Jack Hawitt (Choreographed by Aaron Renfree).

Choreography Credits include: Songs For a New World (Mountview), High Society (ArtsEd).

Hollie is represented by Russell Smith Associates Ltd and is looking forward to joining the cast of Kiss Me Quickstep. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support.

JABEZ SYKES 
| LUKA

Theatre Credits Include: A Streetcar Named Desire (Noel Coward Theatre, BAM Brooklyn); A Streetcar Named Desire (Almeida Theatre); Rock, Paper, Scissors (Sheffield Theatres); The Visitors Book (Hope Mill Theatre); Spring Awakening (Hope Mill Theatre).

ALAN DEDICOAT
| COMPÈRE

Alan Dedicoat has a voice millions in the UK recognise and many envy. For something like 30 years, he has been the National Lottery’s “Voice of the Balls” for the Lotto, Thunderball and Euromillions draws. His is also the voice of BBC One’s flagship entertainment show, Strictly Come Dancing. And next time you’re over in the States, listen out for him – he’s the British announcer on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Alan was born in Hollywood – the one in Worcestershire. Educated at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys and Birmingham University, he was originally destined for a career in the law, but it wasn’t long before he was seduced by the world of broadcasting.

Several years on local stations in Birmingham, Plymouth and Exeter were followed by a move to London and national BBC Radio 2, eventually becoming the network’s Chief Announcer. For more than 20 years he joined in the banter with the late, great Sir Terry Wogan on what became the biggest breakfast radio show in Europe – “Wake Up to Wogan”.

In recent years, Alan been using his voice at numerous corporate events across the country. He has even toured with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force as concert host – taking in numerous towns and cities – raising money for the RAF Charitable Trust.

Most recently, he has been heard hosting a weekly radio show on Portsmouth-based Radio Victory.

AMANDA WHITTINGTON
| WRITER

Amanda Whittington has written over 30 plays for theatre and radio.

Theatre Credits include: Be My Baby, The Thrill of Love, Ladies Day, Ladies Down Under, Ladies Unleashed, Mighty Atoms, The Invincibles,  Kiss Me Quickstep, Amateur Girl, Bollywood Jane, Satin n Steel, A Force to be Reckoned With, Atalanta Forever, The Dug Out and Player’s Angels.

Original Radio Play Credits include: D for Dexter (returning series); The Thrill of Love, Man at the Helm, The All-Clear, Louisa’s, A Practical Guide to Death,  The Dock Nuremberg, Once Upon a Time, Paradise Place and The Nine Days Queen.

Amanda Whittington has two titles in Nick Hern Books’ Top Ten Most Performed Plays.

In 2017, she was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy by Publication at the University of Huddersfield.

LILAC YOSIPHON
| DIRECTOR

Lilac is a writer-director and the Artistic Director of Althea Theatre. Her practice engages with themes of belonging, migration and intersectionality in relation to identity – specifically the intersection between heritage, disability, language and culture.

Runner up for the Peter Hall Award 2023 & recipient of the inaugural Annie Castledine Award. Recipient of an MGCFutures Bursary 2021, awarded an Unlimited commission in partnership with Polka Theatre. This is her midscale directing debut.

Recently, Lilac was the associate director on Oedipus (Old Vic) and the Baylis Assistant Director on The Real Thing (Old Vic) and the staff director on The House of Bernarda Alba (National Theatre). She has been endorsed by Arts Council England as a promising Exceptional Talent in the UK.

Directing Credits include: Scenes from RENT (Curve Theatre); Oh What A Lovely War (Made at Curve co-production with De Montfort University); I Want to Live (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Stuck With You (Crips Without Constraints Part 2, Graeae); Kaleidoscopes (Criterion Theatre, West End); Heroes (Vault Festival, nominated for an Origins Award for New Work); The Glass Will Shatter (Omnibus Theatre and UK tour); Home Sweet Home (Stratford Circus, Jackson’s Lane and ARC Stockton); One Last Thing (For Now) (Old Red Lion Theatre, nominated for an Off-West End Award for Best Ensemble).

Associate Director Credits  include: Chariots of Fire (Sheffield Theatres); Odd and the Frost Giants (Unicorn Theatre); Robin Hood and the Magic Oak, Alice in Wonderland (Derby Theatre); 10 Nights (Graeae and Tamasha in association with Bush Theatre, Olivier Award nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre).

BSL Integration Directing Credits include:The Magic Flute (Opera North) and Chariots of Fire (Sheffield Theatres). 

Resident Assistant Director Credits include: Billy Elliot The Musical and The Wizard of Oz (Curve Theatre).

JOANNA GOODWIN
| CHOREOGRAPHER

Training: Laine Theatre Arts, Epsom.

Choreographer Credits include: My Fair Lady (Curve, Leicester); Sondheim on Sondheim (Alexandra Palace Theatre); The Cabinet Minister (Menier Chocolate Factory); Pippin 50^th Anniversary Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); An Officer and a Gentleman (UK tour); Marie Curie (Charing Cross Theatre); Jerry Herman in Concert (Cadogan Hall); Much Ado about Nothing (Sheffield Crucible); A view From the Bridge (Ustinov Studio and Theatre Royal Haymarket); Love Never Dies Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Black Mirror (Netflix); Life After Life (BBC); Strike- Troubled Blood (BBC); Gypsy (Alexandra Palace); Sunset Boulevard (Royal Albert Hall & Alexandra Palace); Am-Dram! The Comedy Musical (Curve, Leicester); Sunday in the Park with George (The Mill, Guildford); The Bridges of Madison County (Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford); Just So (The Barn Theatre, Cirencester); Snow White (Theatre royal, Plymouth); Jack and the Beanstalk (Swindon Theatre); Aladdin (White Rock Theatre, Hastings).

Jo also choreographed the workshop of new musical Austenland (Savoy Theatre London) written by novelist Jodi Picoult.

Director/Choreographer Credits include: I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical (Edinburgh fringe 2022).

Associate Credits include: Associate Choreographer/Associate Director Young Company, Oliver! (Leeds Playhouse); Associate Choreographer, Funny Girl (Theatre Marigny, Paris); Associate Choreographer, Billy Elliott ( Curve, Leicester) Associate Choreographer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Barnum, Sunset Boulevard and Happy Days The Musical (UK Tours); Resident Director, 42^nd Street (Theatre du Chatelet, Paris).

Other Theatre Credits include: Sweet Charity (West End); Crazy For You (West End); The Producers (West End); Hello Dolly! (Regents Park, Open Air Theatre); On The Town (Theatre du Chatelet, Paris); Funny Girl (Chichester); Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi (Union Theatre, London); Street of Dreams (Arena Tour); Guys and Dolls (Theatre Marigny,Paris); Best of the West End (Royal Albert Hall); NT Gala 2022 (National Theatre); White Christmas (Salford Lowry & Plymouth Theatre Royal).

Television Credits include: Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway; The Olivier Awards; Children In
Need, The Broadway Proms, An Audience with Al Murray, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, The Olympic Torch Concert and Britains Got Talent .

Jo was also a mentor on the CBBC series All Over The Workplace.

Film Credits include: Assistant Choreographer to Jared Grimes on feature film The Performance starring Jeremy Piven and Adam Garcia, Apartment 7A ,WICKED and Better Man.

ELEANOR FIELD
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

As a Theatre Designer, with over a decade of professional experience, Eleanor has worked on a variety of projects for opera, dance, theatre and festivals, even designing a window display for Selfridges, London.

Theatre Credits include: Talking About the Fire (Royal Court Theatre and International Tour); A Family Business (Staatstheater Mainz and UK Tour); Finding Home (Curve Theatre); Oh What A Lovely War (Curve Theatre); A Pageant On Paper – Large participatory drawing project (RADA Festival, The National Theatre and UK Tour); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Wilton’s Music Hall); All Of Me (Summer Hall, Edinburgh. The Yard, London and UK Tour); Pepper and Honey (UK Tour); Gaze (Northern Stage).

Kiss Me Quickstep is the third Amanda Whittington play that Eleanor has designed following Bollywood Jane for Curve Theatre and Amateur Girl for Fifth Word Theatre’s UK Tour.

She is currently designing the regional premier of Eureka Day which opens at Nottingham Playhouse in October this year.

Eleanor is also completing a PhD exploring mess and scenographic processes. Her research investigates what an embrace of mess can offer as a challenge to current industry expectations of theatre-making processes and possibilities.
She has presented at numerous conferences and symposiums including Collisions 24, London, T&PRA and IFTR at Prague Quadrennial 2023.

Eleanor’s portfolio can be found at www.eleanorfielddesign.com

DAVID COULL
| LIGHTING DESIGNER

David Coull is a Lighting Designer, Programmer and Technician, after graduating from the University Of Derby in 2020 with a First-Class Honors degree in Technical Theatre. David is thrilled to be making his Lighting Designer debut at Derby Theatre after working within the team for the last 8 years and designing numerous shows in the Studio.

Theatre Credits include: Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty (New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth); The Polar Express Experience (Embsay); Mr Toad (Summer 2024, UK Tour); Mr Burns, Pleasant Land (Derby Theatre Studio).

Upcoming & Current Projects include: Kiss Me Quickstep (Derby Theatre); The Three Little Pigs (Summer 2025, UK Tour); The Santa Express (London Victoria & NYMR Railway); Aladdin (Solihull).

For most information please see David’s website: www.dclightingdesign.co.uk 

LEE AFFEN
| COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER

Lee is a composer, music producer and sound designer. His extensive record of high quality, creative content includes production for theatre, dance, film and radio. Lee is a director of The Bare Project and an Associate Artist with Box of Tricks Theatre and Utopia Theatre.

Theatre Credits include: Death and the Kings Horseman,  Something Old, Something New (Sheffield Theatres); Calmer (Lolita Chakrabarti, BBC Radio 3); Ripples (SBC Theatre); Anna Hibiscus’ Song (Utopia Theatre); Where Two Rivers Meet (The British Library); Jadek (Imagine If); The War Within (Fallen Angels & Birmingham Royal Ballet); Lines (Sheffield Theatres & Remote Theatre Project); Never Look Back (Roots Mbili & Sheffield Theatres); Driftwood (Thick Skin & Pentabus); Too Much World at Once (Box of Tricks); Birds and Bees & Human Nurture (Theatre Centre); The People’s Palace of Possibility (The Bare Project); Who Are Yer? (Cardboard Citizens); Othello (Demi-Paradise Productions); Hansel and Gretel (Paperfinch & Theatr Clwyd); The Box (Hawkdance Theatre); Outside the Igloo (The Knotted Project).

Original live scores for Metropolis, Nosferatu and The Passion of Joan of Arc (The Dukes Theatre).

Current and upcoming projects: Other Everests – An original live filmscore for the 1922 film Climbing Everest in association with Kendal Mountain Festival, UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire) and featuring the Tashi Lhunpo Monks of Tibet.

ANITA GILBERT
| VOICE & DIALECT COACH

Anita studied Acting at ALRA and worked several years in theatre, film and TV, 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: Of Mice and Men, Welfare, 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 and The Wind in the Willows.

Theatre Credits include: First Encounters: Romeo & Juliet (RSC); Chariots of Fire, Rock/Paper/Scissors, We Could All Be Perfect (Sheffield Theatres); The Trials, The Ugly Duckling (Nottingham Playhouse); Gods Of Salford (Lowry Theatre/Not too Tame); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare North Playhouse/Not Too Tame); Lark Rise to Candleford, Under the Greenwood Tree (Hammerpuzzle Theatre Co/Everyman Cheltenham); The Gingerbread Man (Front Door Theatre)

Film/Television Credits include: Hollyoaks (Channel 4); Bonny Chip (Short Film). 

MATT GILLETT
| ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAOPHER

MARIA TERRY
| ASSISTANT DESIGNER

Maria is a freelance artist, designer and maker with over a decade of experience based in Derby, Banks Mill Studios. She completed an MA in Performance Design at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (2021), during which time she was awarded the John Elvery prize to recognise Excellence in Stage Design in her work towards creative inclusion and sustainability.

Credits for Derby Theatre include: Treasure Island, Christmas Carol, One Man Two Governors, Jungle Book, Hansel & Gretel.  

Theatre Design Credits include: Exe Men (Exeter Northcott Theatre); The Trials (Nottingham Playhouse); My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) (Rob Madge, UK Tour); The Three Seagulls (Sally Cookson, Bristol Old Vic); Leave The Light On For Me (Mind The Gap); Chef (Sabrina Mahfouz, Wardrobe Theatre).

GRAEME BRAIDWOOD
| REHEARSAL & PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY

KAI BOOLS | FLYMAN

CATHERINE BRIGGS | LEAD SCENIC ARTIST

HARRY CRANE | HEAD FLYMAN & SCENIC CARPENTER

DANIEL ELLIS | COMPANY STAGE MANAGER

ANTHONY FEARNLEY | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

HANNAH GRIFFITHS | SOUND NO.1

ISOBEL LATHAM | SCENIC ARTIST

HOLLY MCGONIGLE  | SCENIC ARTIST

ALI POTTINGER | DEPUTY STAGE MANAGER

JAMES SHERLOCK | CAPTION PROGRAMMER & OPERATOR

MEGAN SMITH | SOUND NO.2

MYLES SMITH | SCENIC CARPENTER

MITCH WALKER | LX OPERATOR

OLLY WHITEHEAD | LX PROGRAMMER

JB WILCOX | LEAD SCENIC CARPENTER

ISOBEL LAMB  | LEAD BSL INTERPRETER

WINSTON DENERLEY / STACEY GREEN / CARRIE SMITH | BSL INTERPRETERS