L I V E R P O O L ’ S
Show Programme
R O Y A L
C O U R T
Talent Development
Liverpool’s Royal Court continues on its journey to work towards talent development across the city
Maurice Bessman
Music Access All Areas
Boisterous Stage Write
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.
Mentoring This is a pilot programme supported by PH Holt Trust and Curious Minds – eight mentors from the creative industries have been paired with mentees – providing support, guidance and shadowing opportunities in acting, marketing, production, directing, writing, set design, and music skills. This talent development initiative will support eight young black, asian and minority artistes and creatives develop their skills as they progress through the industry.
Programming Our Boisterous Theatre strand of programming brought us a main house production of Bouncers, in August and September introducing four new actors to the main house stage – and new audiences to the theatre. The Alternative Black Cabaret Showcase – now a regular bi-monthly show presenting some of the best black comedians and singers on the circuit and with a platform to showcase emerging and existing local talent. Co-production with Red Ladder in September/October, with a cast of professional actors and 20 members of our community choir. Stagewrite – our new writing classes/workshops to encourage and support new writers to develop their work to full production. We continue on our journey with a number of other talent development initiatives in progress as a matter of priority to ensure we remain accessible, adaptable and continually listen and learn. It will take time and investment and with your continuing support for all we do. We will make a difference.
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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 Liverpool’s Royal Court presents
Cast Charity Bedu-Addo Charlie De’Ath Jamie Peacock Angela Simms
The Plays Christmas Delivery by Jacqui Dunne Donkey Show by Liam Gillies The Half Angel by Janine Hammond Mother of Jesus by Michael Hartless The Face of Christmas by Ste Mc Christmas is for Kids by Stewart McDonald Last Christmas by David Sindall
Company Nicole Behan
Director
Marie Jones
Wardrobe Supervisor
Jen Baron
Designer
Sean Gannon
Production Manager
Phil Dickinson
Lighting & Sound
Snowzie Rose
Stage Manager
Jamie Jenkin
Video Designer
Steph Carter
Rehearsal Assistant
Set by Liverpool’s Royal Court Sean Gannon
Head of Technical
John Kavanagh
Workshop Manager
Jen Baron
Scenic Art Manager
Mick Gunnigle
Carpenter
Jonathan Defty
Carpenter
Mike Gray
Carpenter
Dave Davies
Carpenter
Cast Biographies Charity Bedu-Addo
Jamie Peacock
Charity Bedu-Addo is thrilled to be back home in Liverpool for the
I am thrilled to be back at the Royal Court’s very own beautiful studio
Christmas period. Bedu-Addo has been living in London since 2017 and
space, having just finished a production of The Incident Room which
has worked across theatre and television.
premiered here in October. Born and raised in Liverpool, it really is
She has appeared at Regents Park in Unicorn Theatre’s production of Anansi The Spider (2021), directed by Justin Audibert. The same year, she appeared at the Unicorn Theatre’s mainstage production of The Bolds (Julian Clary). Her latest work can be found on Vera (ITV), Liaison (Apple TV) and soon to be released on Apple TV’s Criminal Minds and Channel 4’s The Gathering.
special to be able to perform in a theatre that is built for the great people of this city, and for a Christmas show as well! What couldn’t be better than spreading some good ol’ Christmas cheer in my hometown. Hope you’re up for a good laugh and maybe even a little bit of a cry, what more can I say? I’ve probably said too much already. Recent Stage Credits Include: The Incident Room (Old Fruit Jar Productions) Grass (Perception Theatre) X (Everyman Theatre) Masquerade (Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre) Twelfth Night (Old Fruit Jar Productions) Jamie, as of last year, graduated from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (2022)
Charlie De’Ath A native Londoner, Charlie has lived in Liverpool for over 25 years, but neither his accent or love for West Ham United has ever wavered... A regular face on our small screen, he has over 100 professional stage &
Angela Simms
screen credits to his name. Highlights include cult movies such as: i.d , Fatherland, Walking
Angela is thrilled to be back at the Royal Court in what will be her third
With The Enemy, Greenwich Meantime, Revengers Tragedy,
Christmas show here. Angela trained at Stella Adler New York. Her
UWANTME2KILLHIM & Where Hands Touch. Series regulars in TV
credits include Tontine ( BBC Radio 4), Rita Sue And Bob Too, Wild
shows such as A Touch Of Frost, The Last Detective, WPC56 (Twice
Youth (Copperwood Media) and several commercials.
nominated in the best male actor category, Royal Television Society),
You may recognise Angela from The Royal Court stage in productions
Eastenders, Emmerdale, Waterloo Road, Vera & Doctor Who - plus
such as Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide to Fazakerly, Special
numerous arrests on The Bill and various bedridden acting in Casualty!
Measures and The Royal which she co-wrote, amongst others.
Recent work includes: Happy Valley, Jungle, The Ipcress Files and
Merry Christmas Everyone x
Triggerpoint, due out next year. Theatre includes: The Cage (Pleasance, Edinburgh), Lullaby (Soho Theatre), Deafening Silence (Liverpool Playhouse) and Baggage (Arts Theatre, West End). Charlie is absolutely delighted to be working at the Royal Court and wants you to jingle your bells, shake your tinsels and have a very merry Christmas! XX
Company Biographies Nicole Behan
Jen Baron
Director
Designer
Nicole is a Theatre Director from Liverpool with a passion for staging
Jen graduated from the Liverpool Institue for Performing Arts in
new writing, immersive and interactive theatre which is bold, joyful
2012. She has designed sets and costumes for shows such as
and playful. She is Co-Artistic Director of Paperwork Theatre and has
Spring Awakening, Titanic, Terriers and acted as Art Director for
directed all 9 of their productions. Most recently Deep Blue- a new
a comedy pilot ‘Training Daze’ She went on to work with companies
gig theatre production at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, and Twisted-
such as Young Everyman Playhouse, Proper Job Theatre Company,
a digital performance trail staged in Liverpool Parks.
Royal Court Youth Theatre and The Comedy Trust, designing sets,
In 2024 she will direct My Beautiful Launderette for Leicester
and working alongside their young people running sessions for Prop
Curve followed by a national UK tour with the National Theatre’s
Making and Scenic painting.
Theatre Nation partnership.
Jen currently holds the position of Scenic Art Manager at the Royal
Nicole has previously worked as a Supported Artist of Octagon
Court, working on all shows on the main stage as well as the Studio,
Theatre Bolton where she directed You, Me + the Goalpost for the
working on and overseeing all aspects of set finishes including Scenic
first Reveal Season.
Art and set dressing.
Associate credits include: Ghost Caller written by Luke Barnes starring David Morrisey & Leanne Best, Directed Holly Race-Roughan for Headlong.
Phil Dickinson
Assistant credits include: Tree Created by Kwei-Armah & Idris Elba
Sound & Lighting Designer
for London’s Young Vic, and Manchester International Festival. She is an established Youth Theatre Director and has co directed large
Phil first started working at the Royal Court as a casual backstage
cast, main stage productions for Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse’s
worker on the crew of Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels (2007) before
YEP (Soapbox, Crowd, and Until They Kick Us Out)
joining the technical department as the operator of the Rawhide
Stocking Fillers is her first role with Liverpool’s Royal Court and she’s
comedy club and running the sound for many main house shows
delighted to be bringing these these 7 new festive plays to life.
including Our Day Out - The Musical. After leaving Liverpool to spend the next 15 years in sunny West Yorkshire as an outdoor pursuits instructor, followed by a few years as a drama technician in a Bradford Academy, Phil is delighted to be back in his home-town and back at the Court in a full time role as technician of the renovated Studio venue. Stocking Fillers is his first official credit as sound and lighting designer but in the past year he has also supported with the technical elements of many shows in the Studio, including the critically acclaimed shows Storm In A Teacup and The Incident Room.
Jamie Jenkin
Marie Jones
Video Designer
Wardrobe Supervisor
Jamie is the in-house graphic and video designer at Liverpool’s Royal Court.
Marie studied fashion and then moved on to theatre costume
Starting as marketing assistant at the theatre in 2005, he has been part
interpretation at Mabel Fletcher College. Marie’s work as a freelance
of the Royal Court since it’s rebirth as a theatre in 2006. He now designs
costumier has included costumes for Oldham Coliseum, The Royal
artwork for all Royal Court productions alongside working on video content
Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Jimmy McGovern’s film Liam,
for the Royal Court stage and beyond.
Beyond Friendship for Mersey Television and the many pantomime
Video Designs for Theatre include: Alan Bleasdale’s Boys From The Blackstuff by James Graham, A Thong For Europe, Willy Russell’s Our Day Out - The Musical, A Fistful Of Collars, Lennon, Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide to Fazakerley, Ladies Night, Canoeing for Beginners, The Scouse Nativity, The Scouse Dick Whittington, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, A Miracle On Great Homer Street, Home, Going Halves, The Royal, The Scouse Cinderella, My Fairfield Lady, Bingo Star, Two Of Us, Royal Court Selection Box, Macca & Beth, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery, The Scousetrap, The Scouse Jack & The Beanstalk and Girls Don’t Play Guitars (Liverpool’s Royal Court); Masquerade, Knee Deep In Promises, Hey Bunny Get Loose, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio); Cured (Liverpool’s Royal Court in association with DaDaFest & Unlimited); The Dream Team and VR Family (Liverpool’s Royal Court Youth Theatre); Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Liverpool Shakespeare Festival); Scouse: A Comedy Of Terrors (Dome Liverpool); Judy & Liza (National Tour); YNWA (Alterean Productions, international tour); The Big I Am (Liverpool Everyman); Celtic The Musical (Alterean Productions, Pavilion Theatre Glasgow and SEC Glasgow); Something About George (Something About Productions, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and national tour); The Salford Docker (Salford Community Theatre, Lighthouse Salford); Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre); and Peter Pan (Storyhouse Chester). Jamie was also Sound Designer on Hey Bunny Get Loose, Offered Up, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio) and Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre).
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. 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.
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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 Iain Christie Executive Chef David Assall Finance Officer Alison Ward Graphic Designer & Brand Manager Jamie Jenkin Assistant Producer Clare Carlucci Marketing Manager Kofi Ohene-Djan 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 Theatre Engagement Miriam Mussa HR & Wellness Officer Maria Schumann Participation Project(s) Manager Uma Ramanathan Costume Supervisor Marie Jones Finance Administrator Izzie Litwin Venue Administrator Phil McLoughlin Production Assistant Stephen Petit Youth Theatre Leader Zain Salim Youth Theatre Coordinator Vannessa Park Later Life Coordinator Jay McWinen Assistant Producer - Talent Development Harvey Robinson Daytime Technician Gary Currin Studio Technician Phil Dickinson HR & Payroll Administrator Abishek Devadas Box Office Assistants Erica Drummond, Finn Goulden-Jennings, Carl Lees, Scarlet Lees, Amelia Maguire, Anna Miller, Joe Morris, Pat O’Neill, Susan Segar, and Angela Simms Fire Officer Sven Key Stage Door Allan Dodd & John Evans
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