CREATIVES
Howard Gray
Musical Director | Director | Composer
Howard is both the Theatre Director and Musical Director for Alterean Media. He worked on 'The Sunderland Story' (Sunderland Empire) ‘Celtic, the Musical’ (SEC Armadillo, Glasgow and Pavillion Theatre, Glasgow) ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ (Royal Court, Liverpool) and ‘One Night In Istanbul’ (Echo Arena, Liverpool).
For the Royal Court, Liverpool. Director on,’80 years of the Royal Court’, ‘Scouse of the Antarctic’ and ‘Pharaoh Cross the Mersey’.
Musical Director on over 35 shows including, ‘Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels’ on all five outings, ‘Our Day Out’, ‘Lennon’, ‘Red and Blues, the Musical’, ‘Scouse Pacific’, ‘Merry Ding Dong’, ‘Sons of the Desert’, ‘Eight Miles High’, ‘Little Scouse on the Prairie’, ‘Golden Oldies’ and composer on ‘Macbeth’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. He will also be returning as Norman in ‘Council Depot Blues’ in the New Year.
He has been an Associate artist of the Bolton Octagon and was MD on, ‘Blonde Bombshells of 1943’, which was a co-production with Hampstead Theatre and awarded the Manchester Evening News Award for best production in 2006. Other work at Bolton. Other work at Bolton includes: ‘Looking for Buddy’ (Co-pro with Live Theatre, Newcastle), ‘The Rise and Fall of Little Voice’, ‘Oh What a Lovely War’, (Nominated for the MEN Best production 2008) ‘Once Upon a Time in Wigan’, ‘Eight Miles High’, ‘I Just Stopped by to see the Man’, ‘Song of Singapore’, ‘Danny the Champion of the World’ (Composer).
For Oldham Coliseum Theatre Musical Direction/Composition: ‘Bread and Roses’, ‘Oh What Lovely War’, ‘Our Gracie’, ‘Hot Stuff’, ‘Our Day Out’, ‘Close the Coalhouse Door’ (Nominate for MEN Best production 2012) , ‘Blonde Bombshells of 1943’ (Co-Pro with New Vic Theatre) ‘Curtain up at the Coliseum’, ‘Satin ‘n’ Steel’, ‘Stepping Out’, ‘Private lives’, ‘The Road to Nab End’,’Up on the Roof’, ‘Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis’, ‘Dick Barton’, ‘Quartet’, ‘Union Street’, ‘Feed’, ‘Brassed Off’, ‘Sweet Charity’, ‘Return to the Forbidden Planet’’ From a Jack to a King’, ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’, ‘Feels Like the First Time’, ‘Women on the Verge of HRT’, ‘Wake up Little Susie’ and four Pantos.
For The Royal Exchange, Manchester, ‘Accrington Pals’
For The New Vic, Stoke:’ Spring and Port Wine’, ‘The Admirable Crichton’, ‘Bus Stop’ and ‘A Taste of Honey’,
For Harrogate Theatre: ‘Up on the Roof’, ‘Of Mice and Men’, ‘Tears of a Clown’, ‘Uncle Vanya’ and various pantos.
He has worked on many re-incarnations of, ‘The Blonde Bombshells of 1943’ including the first at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and National and International tours.
He co-wrote and was Musical Director on, ‘Puss in Blue Suede Boots’ and ‘Alice in Boogie Wonderland’ (Liverpool Everyman Theatre)
In a previous life, Howard was an Actor worked in most theatres up and down the Land.
He was also in Dave Kirkby’s film, ‘Reds and Blues’.
Howard is a visiting Practitioner at Arden.
Anita Gilbert
Voice & Accent Coach
Training: ALRA (3yr Professional Actor Training) The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (MA Dist. Professional Voice Practice)
Anita can provide her expertise on set or in the rehearsal room. She continues to develop her extensive research on the connection between authenticity and clarity for actors working on screen.
She is available for workshops & 1:1s in all aspects of Voice, Accent work & Public Speaking.
Voice/Accent Coaching Credits include:
Abi, What Fatima Did, One Man Two Guvnors & Treasure Island (Derby Theatre) Directed by Sarah Brigham
Under The Greenwood Tree (Hammerpuzzle Theatre Co)
Sold, Pentecost, Raving, Don Juan in Chicago (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire)
Vici Wreford-Sinnott
Writer / Director
Vici is an award winning British disabled theatre writer/director, screenwriter, activist and equality strategist whose work tours nationally and internationally, and now digitally. She is Artistic Director of Little Cog, a disabled-led theatre company based in the North East of England and is a leading figure in the UK Disability Arts movement.
Vici is currently under commission from ARC Stockton where she is an Associate Artist, Northern Stage, DadaFest and Home Manchester for an exciting new digital broadcast project to be announced soon. She also has new stage work in development with Live Theatre and ARC Stockton.
In 2020 Vici was commissioned by Home Manchester and ARC Stockton to create a short film – Siege - which is a 12-minute character piece focusing on Mim, a wannabe cabaret artist trying to get a gig, starring Philippa Cole. This was followed by a Northern Stage, ARC and Arts Council funded digital broadcast piece called Funny Peculiar starring Liz Carr, Mandy Colleran, Bea Webster and Vici herself. It was hugely successful and has transferred to digital on demand platforms at The Space, Thespie and British Council, after being screened at three international film festivals.
Vici’s original theatre work includes Butterfly (Best One Person Play 2018 British Theatre Guide, National Tour), Lighthouse (bilingual piece in English and BSL, British Premiere ARC Stockton), Another England (National Tour), The Art Of Not Getting Lost (ARC Stockton and Northern Stage), Vote for Caliban (Northern Stage), Deadly Devotchka (Edinburgh Fringe), Moll Cutpurse: A Comedy for the 21st Century (UK and Ireland Tour). Directing Credits include Ironmistress by April de Angelis and Lear’s Daughters by the Women’s Theatre Group for cirque des femmes. She directed two of the first pieces of original disability theatre in the Republic of Ireland, The Baby Doll Project by Rosaleen McDonagh (National Tour and Met Éireann Award) and Broadcast (Dublin Fringe Commission, Project Arts Centre) with Donal Toolan. Vici has directed many pieces of disability theatre written or devised by other disabled practitioners including Matryoshka and Coal Dust Whispers Song by Alison Carr, NeverNeverland and Occupation by Pauline Heath, and The Lab, Los Muertos, The Keepers, and In The Middle of Our Street by Full Circle.
Vici gained a First Class Honours for her specialist fourth year directing specialism at the University of Kent. She was invited to take part in the British Council Diverse Directors at Director’s Lab North Toronto Canada, and has shared her model for disability equality in a number of international British Council events. Vici has been shortlisted for Royal Court Northern Writers Group and undertaken Royal Court Masterclasses, BBC Writers Room & Leeds Playhouse Airwaves Shortlist and the Royal Court / Kudos Fellowship Longlist.
Vici is regarded as an authority on disability representation and equality, featuring regularly as a keynote speaker and panellist on theatre, cultural equality, representation and political work. She is currently doing a PhD is Disability Theatre and Disabled Women’s Voices.
Jen Heyes
Theatre Director
Jen is a northwest based Theatre Director, Digital Theatre Creator and Director, Film director, Specialist in Site specific Production and Creative Producer who has worked regionally, nationally and internationally directing small, medium and large-scale productions. Although perfectly at home in dedicated theatre spaces Jen specialises in multimedia, digital and site-specific theatre and always strives to use live music within her work. She is founder and artistic director of cut to the chase production company https://jenheyes.com She is the Associate Director of London Artists Projects www.londonartistsprojects.co.uk
Jen developed and directed the regional/national and the international touring production of Truth to Power Café www.truthtopower.co.uk she also created and directed Truth to Power Café Digital Theatre Adaptation streamed from: Bloomsbury Festival, London Conway Hall/ Montgomery Arts Centre USA, Singapore.
Jen is presently creating HEDDA a queer re-imagining of Hedda Gabler in collaboration with legendary avant-garde performer legend David Hoyle and composer Tom Parkinson, this unique digital theatre production is co-produced by Soho Theatre. Artistic Director of the European City of Sport 2016 Opening Ceremony Produced Science in the Stadium in partnership with Everton FC and The Open University. London Artists Projects Spider Love. Brecht’s Mother Courage with Penny Arcade and other leading NYC artists. Artistic Director of Opera North’s Switch ON Leeds. The highly acclaimed Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles which transferred to London’s West End in July 2014. creator/director of Through the Wilderness a new choral theatre work. Curiouser & Curiouser @ Tate Liverpool with creative input from Punch Drunk Enrichment. Tony Teardrop producer and director of this highly acclaimed, site-specific production Produced, directed BLOOD WEDDING at The Liverpool Playhouse. Creative Producer for the Four Corners of the City Exhibition Liverpool Culture Company WALL TALKS at The Tobacco Warehouses, Stanley Dock a large site-specific multimedia work to mark Liverpool’s 800th birthday. For The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra directing/ re- working their Spirit of Christmas Concerts with Soprano/presenter Lesley Garrett. Talking Heads – regional tour The Little Mermaid - artistic director/ co creator @ Unity Theatre, Liverpool Midriff - artistic director @ The Tristan Bates theatre, Covent Garden/Hong Kon Shed your Skin (Dance) - artistic director Mujers No Shakespeare - artistic director, Site Specific -Portugal Women in Love - artistic director @ Unity Theatre, Liverpool Yerma - artistic director @The Black room Theatre Porto, Portugal Therese Raquin - artistic director - National Tour. Winner of Best Production in the Echo Arts and Entertainment Awards A Midsummer Nights Dream - artistic director - North West Tour The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol - artistic director/producer @ Unity Theatre. Liverpool Much Ado about Nothing - artistic director - Regional Tour
Awards
2021 Truth to Power Café Digital Theatre Adaptation OFFIES finalist
2020 Truth to Power Café Digital Theatre Adaptation ONCOMM commendation award
2007 Woman of the Year Award Finalist and Commendation
2000 Liverpool Echo Arts and Entertainment Awards THERESE RAQUIN winner Best Liverpool Production
2000 Best New Talent Director Liverpool Echo Arts and Entertainment Awards