LIVERPOOL’S ROYAL COURT
Talent Development
Liverpool’s Royal Court continues on its journey to work towards talent development across the city
There is no doubt Liverpool is renowned for its wealth of talent but we, along with the rest of our city’s theatre organisations and institutions, recognise we need to do more to ensure we are accessible, engaging and aspirational if we are to be truly representative and inclusive of the communities we serve. It is a long-term continuing process and funding is key as is working together with the theatres across the region.
Over the past three years we have laid down the foundations, initiating our plans for meaningful and real change. This includes the theatre’s programming, engagement, accessibility and relationships with artistes, communities, creatives, individuals, institutions, organisations, Schools/FE. We are working towards ensuring our talent development programmes are applicable, realistic and robust.
Listening and engaging in the first instance to a wide cross section of creatives and communities – recognising and taking ownership of our failure to be fully inclusive and to take a proactive approach to ensure there is inclusivity and diversity across the sector
A brief look at a few of our talent development projects so far:
Community
Music AAA (Access All Areas) is a partnership project together with three grassroots organisations: Positive Impact, Capoeira For All, and Catalyst performing arts supported by funding from Youth Music. Children and young people aged 6 – 25 can access free musical instruments, musical theatre, hip hop, dance, singing, drama and performance
Raw Talent
Young people from our youth theatre continue to have access to auditions and employment opportunities – during the past 3 years, 6 young people have been cast in Terriers, written by Maurice Bessman touring to schools and venues across the country.
More recently working with Fury films, 120 young people aged 15 – 25 from across the city took part in audition workshops for the film of Terriers at Fire Fit in South Liverpool, MYA’s Space in Bootle and The Vibe in Huyton. 8 young people will be working with the Director to support the script development.
New Mentor Creatives Scheme
Building on our pilot Mentoring Programme, the new Mentor Creatives Scheme from Liverpool’s Royal Court – in partnership with Shakespeare North Playhouse, Everyman & Playhouse Theatres and Curious Minds seeks to help develop and nurture Global Majority Creatives working right across the artistic sector.
• Mentor Creatives offers
• One-on-One Mentorship
• Goal Setting and Achievement
• Skill Development
• Regular Networking Opportunities
• Continuous Support
The project is supported by PH Holt Charitable Trust and Liverpool BID, find out more on our website
Boisterous Stage Write
Music Access All Areas
Maurice Bessman
A fresh, new, innovative and relevant youth theatre company based at the iconic Royal Court Theatre designed by young people for young people.
The Royal Court Youth Theatre delivers a range of opportunities free of charge for young people aged 11 – 25 from every part of the City.
If you are interested in a career in the arts or just looking for something to do, come along to one of our sessions or workshops. You will learn about everything from acting to stage management; fundraising to writing scripts.
Do you know a young person who has a passion for theatre, acting, singing, dancing or writing? Tell them to complete an expression of interest form by visiting liverpoolsroyalcourt.com/youth-theatre
Alternatively you can call 0151 702 5892 or email education@royalcourttrust.org
Everybody is welcome at the Royal Court Youth Theatre, there are no auditions or waiting lists to join.
The Eleanor Rathbone Foundation
Cast & Company
Eithne Browne
Jessica May Buxton
Katie Erich
Hayley Sheen
Kelly Lindsay Cast
Lilly/Pamela
Mona
Company
Sarah Whitehead
Nicole Behan
Eleanor Ferguson
Abigail Middleton
Ste Reid
Phil Dickinson
Marie Jones
Sean Gannon
Riona Gilliland
Writer
Director
Designer
Movement Director
Composer
Sound & Lighting Designer
Wardrobe Supervisor
Production Manager
Deputy Stage Manager
Set by Liverpool’s Royal Court
Sean Gannon
John Kavanagh
Jen Baron
Abbie Jones
Shaun Gillespie
Mike Gray
Dave Davies
Head of Technical
Workshop Manager
Scenic Art Manager
Scenic Artist
Carpenter
Carpenter
Carpenter
Cast Biographies
Eithne Browne Lilly/Pamela
She’s back! Last seen climbing out of a smoking coffin in A Thong For Europe Eithne is very happy to be back in the building..
The last year has seen appearances in The Responder (BBC), Odd Squad (CBBC).. and jumping over a fish pond to be rugby tackled to the floor for..High Hoops (CBBC).
A recent nominee for British Theatre Awards for Best Performance in a Play for a tour of Maggie May playing a woman dealing with early dementia.
Previous plays in the Studio include Masquerade and Merry Christmas Carol, Eithne is so pleased to be involved in another piece of new writing.
Favourite plays include Brick Up the Mersey Tunnel, Shirley Valentine, Mam I’m ‘Ere, Dirty Dusting, Blood Brothers, Educating Rita and over a 40 year career... many more. Also the voice of the Mersey Ferry and she’s the one telling you to turn your phones off today! Enjoy...
Jessica May Buxton Mona
Having ventured up to Liverpool to train in 2007, Jess fell in love with the city and never left. Jess is delighted to be making her debut at The Royal Court with such a strong female led team.
Jessica trained at LIPA and her Theatre credits include: Cinderella - The Mice’s Tale (The Bookworm Players); Twisted (Paperwork Theatre); Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons (Everyman Liverpool); The Stranger on the Bridge (Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatre & Salisbury Playhouse); Happily Ever After (Action Transport Theatre); Typhoon and the Pedal Players, (Paperwork Theatre); One Most Unfortunate, (Thirsty work Productions); How to Survive a Break Up (Lantern Theatre); Goldilocks and the Three Bears, (Bookworm Players/Theatre by the Lake); Of Mice and Men (Mind the Gap); The Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland (Pendle Productions); Planning Permission (Sellador Theatre).
TV credits include: Brassic (SKY); The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe (ITV), Broken (BBC), Hollyoaks (C4), Emmerdale (ITV), Coronation Street (ITV).
Short film credits include: The Fall of the Krays (Saracen Films), TOLD: The Mackenzie Files (Everyman Theatre, Liverpool).
Katie Erich Kelly
Katie is thrilled to be making her Liverpool theatre debut at the Royal Court
Theatre credits include: The Borrowers (The Dukes, Lancaster), Richard III (Shakespeare’s Globe), Wind in The Willows (Shakespeare North Playhouse), Julius Caesar (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Gruffalo (National Tour), The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Orange Tree Theatre), Christina Modestou - Night at the Musicals (Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield), Aladdin (CAST Doncaster), Different Owners at Sunrise (The Roundhouse, London), Oliver Twist (Leeds Playhouse)
Screen Credits include: Where The Light Gets In (Drummer TV/ BSLBT), Doctors (BBC), What If? (BSLBT)
Other Credits include: The Book Eaters (Audiobook), Imitation Princess (Camden People’s Theatre/NSDF)
Katie was a finalist for the Stage Debut Award in 2020 in the “Best Performer in a Play” category for Oliver Twist at Leeds Playhouse and was nominated for “Best Lead Performance in a Play” for The Solid Life of Sugar Water at the OFFIEs in 2023
Hayley Sheen
Lindsay
Hi, I’m Hayley and I’m really excited to be telling such a beautiful story with Pass The Parcel and I really hope you all enjoy it.
I most recently played ‘Sutcliffe/Freda/Margaret’ in Boys From The Blackstuff in London’s West End. My other Theatre Credits include: ‘Alice’ in The Scouse Dick Whittington, ‘Shannon’ in A Greasy Spoon, ‘Fairy Snowdrop’ in The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, ‘Sally’ in Mam I’m ‘Ere, ‘Snow White’ in The Scouse Snow White, ‘Cinderella’ in The Scouse Cinderella, ‘Mary’ in The Scouse Nativity, ‘Faryl’ in Golden Oldies, ‘Eve’ in Adam and Eve & Steve, ‘Blue Girl’ in Shout the Mod Musical.
TV Credits include; ‘Gemma’ in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and ‘Contestant’ in ITV’s Grease Is The Word
Rehearsal Photos
Photos by Liverpool’s Royal Court
Company Biographies
Sarah Whitehead Writer
Sarah Whitehead is a Liverpool-based writer who came through the Royal Court writers’ development programme. Her first play, a short piece for the 2024 Stocking Fillers show, was about a woman who falls for Santa Claus after meeting him in a department store lift on Christmas Eve. Pass the Parcel is inspired by Sarah’s great-grandmother, who grew up in Toxteth and was believed to possess the gift to foresee deaths and pregnancies; she was feared at parties and regularly attended seances in Blackpool.
Nicole Behan Director
Nicole is a Director from Liverpool and Artistic Director of Paperwork Theatre and is passionate about creating bold theatre and experiences for the stage and beyond. Previous theatre credits include: My Beautiful Laundrette (Leicester Curve and National Theatre’s Theatre Nations tour), Stocking Fillers (Liverpool’s Royal Court), Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons (Liverpool Everyman), Come Closer: Memories Of Partition (Royal Exchange), Qualified (Hope Mill), You, Me & The Goalpost (Octagon), Northern Flight (Liverpool Everyman)
As Artistic Director of Paperwork Theatre, she most recently created and Directed a new immersive multi location production Lovestruck, which toured to Liverpool Everyman, Storyhouse & Shakespeare North Playhouse. Previous credits include; Deep Blue (Liverpool Everyman) and Christmas Countdown; Twisted, Baltic Alight, I Spy A Yeti, How May I Direct Your Call? & Shortcut To Bliss
Associate Director: Red or Dead (Liverpool’s Royal Court), Alice in Wonderland (Shakespeare North Playhouse), Ghost --Caller (Headlong)
Assistant Director: Corrina, Corrina (Headlong/National Theatre workshop): Boys From The Blackstuff (Stockroom/National Theatre workshop) and Tree (Manchester International Festival/ Young Vic)
Co Director for Young Everyman Playhouse: Soapbox (Liverpool Everyman), Crowd (Liverpool Playhouse), Until They Kick Us Out (Birmingham REP)
Training: Drama & Theatre Studies BA Hons, Liverpool Hope University.
Eleanor Ferguson Set & Costume Designer
Eleanor Ferguson is a Theatre Designer, Maker, & Artist based between Liverpool and Manchester. She trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, graduating in 2021.
Her professional credits include Pool (no water) (Grosvenor East Theatre, MMU); How A Jellyfish Saved Theatre World (Jam Jar Theatre Company/The Pleasance); Mr Burns: A Post Electric Play (Derby Theatre); The Tremors (HER Productions/53Two); Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can (The Way Theatre); Deep Blue (Paperwork Theatre/Liverpool Everyman); Vincent River (Green Carnation Theatre/Hope Mill Theatre) and Derby Theatre’s Youth Theatre Programmes
Ste Reid Composer
Ste is a composer, singer-songwriter, guitarist and frontman of The Mono LPs. Their album Shuffle/Play was released in 2021 via Fretsore Records to critical acclaim and showcases a deliberately diverse range of skill and genre. The album features the latest single “Think About It”, fan-favourite “Hell, Save My Soul” and playlist-supported “Love Me”.
Ste has gigged in places such as the Notting Hill Arts Club, Kendal Calling, and Norway’s Fosnavag Rock Festival, and recently featured on Sky’s Showcase TV presented by Mark Radcliffe.
Previous credits as a composer for Theatre include Paperwork Theatre’s Deep Blue (Liverpool Everyman), and Tell Tale Theatre’s adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984. Ste is currently developing a new production Eric The Musical which received development at the Lowry in 2023.
Phil Dickinson Sound & Lighting Designer
Phil first started at the Royal Court as casual backstage crew pushing trucks for Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels in 2007 before becoming the technician of the weekly Rawhide comedy club.
After leaving Liverpool for 15 years of being an Outdoor Activity instructor in West Yorkshire, Phil was excited to return to his home-town and to Liverpool’s Royal Court as the full-time technician of the new and improved Studio venue. Since then, Phil has provided lighting and sound designs, amongst other technical support, to many performances in the venue including critically acclaimed shows The Incident Room (2023), The Independent Socialist Republic of the Upper End of the Lower Breck Road (2024), Making It (2024), I Am Stephen Gerrard (2024) and the most recent sellout success of the
Studio and it’s transfer to St George’s Hall, the stage play version of It’s A Wonderful Life (2024).
Marie Jones
Wardrobe Supervisor
Marie studied fashion and then moved on to theatre costume interpretation at Mabel Fletcher College. Marie’s work as a freelance costumier has included costumes for Oldham Coliseum, The Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Jimmy McGovern’s film Liam, Beyond Friendship for Mersey Television and the many pantomime dames who have appeared on the Everyman stage.
She has worked extensively at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and has recently been employed as full time Wardrobe Supervisor at the Royal Court. Most recently Marie’s work at the Everyman and Playhouse has included: Much Ado About Nothing, The Electric Hills, The Flint Street Nativity, The Tempest, Unprotected, Billy Liar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Urban Legend, Fly, Breezeblock Park, The Entertainer, Still Life And The Astonished Heart, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Anniversary, Dr Faustus, The May Queen, Cruel Sea and All My Sons
Marie’s other credits include: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Good Golly Miss Molly, Stags and Hens - The Remix, On The Ledge, Misery, Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Night Collar, Dirty Dusting, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out - The Musical, The Salon, Funny Money, Merry Ding Dong, A Fistul Of Collars, Lucky Numbers, Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Reds And Blues - The Musical, Ladies Day, Bouncers, Scouse Of The Antarctic, Pharaoh ‘Cross The Mersey and Down The Dock Road for Royal Court Liverpool, Brouhaha International Street Festival, Working Class Hero on the recent Imagine DVD, Costume Supervisor for many shows at LIPA, The Splash Project at MYPT and Twopence To Cross The Mersey at the Liverpool Empire.
Royal Court Staff
Executive Producer Kevin Fearon
Chief Executive Gillian Miller
Head of Finance & Administration Gary O’Connor
Creative Producer Jess Bolger
Head of Marketing Kofi Ohene-Djan
Head of Operations Ailsa Morris
Executive Chef David Assall
HR & Finance Manager Alison Ward
Graphic Designer & Brand Manager Jamie Jenkin
Assistant Producer Clare Carlucci
Marketing Manager Iain Christie
Workshop Manager John Kavanagh
Social Media Officer Clara Mbirimi
Head of Technical & Production Sean Gannon
Resident Stage Manager Andrew Lock
Scenic Art Manager Jen Baron
Chief LX Jamie Haining
Box Office & Sales Manager Lauren Macauley
Assistant Box Office Manager Laura Lees
Head of Community Engagement Miriam Mussa
Well Being Training Manager Maria Schumann
Costume Supervisor Marie Jones
Finance Administrator Izzie Litwin
Venue Administrator Phil McLoughlin
Youth Theatre Coordinator Vannessa Park
Later Life Coordinator Jay McWinen
Assistant Producer - Talent Development Harvey Robinson
Daytime Technician Gary Currin
Studio Technician Phil Dickinson
LX Technician Martyn Case
HR & Payroll Administrator Gilly Taylor
Executive Assistant Joe Morris
Box Office Assistants
Erica Drummond, Finn Goulden-Jennings, Carl Lees, Scarlet Lees, Anna Miller, Pat O’Neill, Susan Segar, and Angela Simms
Fire Officer Sven Key
Stage Door Allan Dodd
Royal Court Supporters
Kitchen
Head Chefs Kyle Wardale
Chefs Thomas Alexander, Daniel Ambrose, Billie Chisam, Jay Quinn, Josh Eglin, Harrison Mclaughlin, Jake Stephenson, Jack While and Nick Watson
Kitchen Porters Hezekiah Abramson, Ryan Charnock, Debbie Chisam, Louise Dodd, Luke Dunn, Harry Lawlor and Ellis McNeil
Front of House
FOH Manager Kathy Hutson
Assistant FOH Managers Paul Imrie and Brendan Wright
Shift Supervisors Sammy Hunter and Mohan Welstand-Keryk
Bar Supervisors Jordan Barkely
Floor Supervisors Michael Hall and Katie Sherman
Front of House Staff Hebron Abraha, Beth Baccino, Unisa Bangura, Jordan Barkley, Hazel Bawden, Jacob Bee, Cameron Brown, Denise Byrne, Louis Carney-Smith, Sinead CullenBarret, Azize Dia, Holly Evans, Charlotte Freyne, Michael Hall, Lauren Heywood, Samantha Hunter, Lily Hutson, Leighton Jenkins, Callum Johnstone, Elizabeth Kendrick, Michael James, Charlotte Kendrick Jones, Raia Kiernan, Jackie Kirton, Cherry Kim, Takunda Kudzunga, Hansol Lee, Phil Lyne, Sam Massen, Lukas Matuzevicius, Faye McCutcheon, Joseph McGee, Phil McLoughlin, Alison Myers, Isabella Renshaw, Aiden Scott, Theo Stock-Best, Joseph O’Neil, Emma Phythian, Christiano Samuel, Katie Sherman, Charis Stead, Mohan Welstand-Keryk and Samantha Woolley.
Cleaners
Cleaning Supervisor: Debbie Chisam, Billie Chisam, Joanne Kinsella, Claire Wilson and Julie Wright.
And a big thank you to all of our freelance and security staff for their hard work throughout the year.
The Elizabeth Rathbone Charitable Trust The Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust
LIVERPOOL’S ROYAL COURT