Crew
TAI LAWRENCE – Artistic Director
Tai Lawrence studied English at Oxford University before training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was a founder member of The Oxford Imps and performed with them for two years including at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004.
Theatre credits include: The Comedy of Errors (Metropolitan Arts Theatre, Tokyo), Wild Fruit (Oval House Theatre), Blood Wedding (Southwark Playhouse), Too True To Be Good (Finborough Theatre), The Snow Queen (Theatre Royal Margate), and Pub Rock (Lyric, Hammersmith/Cartoon de Salvo).
Film includes: Smile Emily (London Film Academy), Jolly (Master Founder/A Flock of Condors), Love After Sunrise (London Film School), and I do (Monumental Studio) which was selected for the Revelation Short Film Corner at Cannes 2010.
TANROH ISHIDA – Associate Director
Tanroh Ishida trained in Japanese Kyogen Theatre and has performed more than 400 times including in The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare’s Globe. He came to the UK seven years ago and has worked in western theatre ever since. He co-wrote and performed Kyogen – Raw and Uncooked at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006 (5*, The Scotsman).
His latest film credits include “47 Ronin” (dir. Carl Rinsch) and “Gambit” (dir. Micheal Hoffman)
After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he founded the Tea Leaf Theatre Company which brings together theatre techniques from the East and the West.
Photo by www.davidnoles.com
ALEXANDER CHARD
Alexander Chard a member of the performance ensemble of the Tantrum Youth Theatre (Newcastle, Australia) between 2004-2006. During this time he was selected for the Australian Theatre for Young People’s National Actors Studio. In 2006 he joined the performance ensemble of St. Martin’s Theatre Company (Melbourne, Australia). Since moving to London over 3 years ago he has worked in film and theatre and featured in the monthly MonologueSlam. He also has extensive experience as a singer/songwriter.
He is co-founder of the production company Little Flea.
NANOU HARRY
Nanou Harry studied Acting in Paris before training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was Artistic Director of Compagnie de Ciel et des Epices on their 3 productions and taught drama in Ecole Florent.
Theatre includes Les Plaideurs (St. Honore, Paris), Jalousie en 3 fax (La Jonquiere, Paris), Mantryoshka (Landor Theatre, London), Le Malade Imaginaire (European Tour), M. Ibrahim et Les Fleurs du Coran (European Tour).
AVENA MANSERGH-WALLACE
Avena hails from Ireland and no, she has never seen a Leprachaun dance, to be sure to be sure. Graduating from the London School of Dramatic Art she played Polly in Fawlty Towers, founded The Flying Penguins and co-wrote “Fame or Fries” a mad comedy about a girl named Brenda and a town called Mud-lick, which played in London and subsequently The Adelaide Fringe (4*) and Edinburgh Fringe throughout 2010.
Other credits include: Lady Anne in Bardathon (The Scoop), Clara in End of Romance (Bournemouth), and Lily in Absolution (Theatre 503). She understudied Lisbeth in Beautiful Bodies at The Leicester Square Theatre and is a member of In The Gutter- playing Little Lost Lady in Dr. Scops and his Travelling Library. Film includes Blood of Remorse, Sorry Signs, and Return to Sender. She is with Corporate company SimPatiCo.
JONATHAN PECK
Jonathan Peck was born by his mother and then grew up in Cambridge with the rest of his family. After training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama he performed in a variety of plays and films in a variety of places until ultimately finding The Improsarios. Credits include Martin in First Impressions (Theatre Royal Margate), Hamlet in Wotcha Will (Stratford Circus), Sir Tremendous in Three Hours After Marriage (The Union) and 3 leading roles in productions at the Edinburgh Festival. Useful skills include: British Sign Language, reading and acting.
NEIL CONNOLLY
Since graduating from Rose Bruford (BA Hons Acting) Neil has appeared in the West End, the London Fringe and toured the UK as well as internationally. He is a consumate deviser, having devised and wrote over 45 shows and is delighted to be treading the boards with The Improsarios. Neil was nominated for an Off West End Award for his one man show Matador, and has also won awards in his home city, Dublin. Neil is a skilled street theatre performer, stilt walker, and fears nothing (except spiders).
Hetty Burton
Hetty Burton studied Performing Arts Drama at Middlesex University with John Wright and other inspiring folk, then to France for more training with Phillipe Gaulier, then there are the series of workshops with the likes of Keith Johnstone, Angela Di Castro and Mick Barnfather. . . .
She is part of Gideon Reeling’s troupe, who she regularly performs with, and she has been producing her own shows of Esmerelda Meak for three years. Other credit include work with Punchdrunk, The Clod Ensemble and touring productions in Spain, Italy and Belgium, plus the odd advert. Her work is mainly devised and interactive and comic and that.
Felix Woods
An Australian actor, Felix starred in the critically acclaimed two-hander Adventures of Butt Boy and Tigger (dir; Steven Dawson)from 2007 to 2011, with seasons in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide,Perth, Edinburgh (official sell-out show, Fringe First nominee),Dublin and Manchester.
Felix spent a number of years in Melbourne theatre, primarilyworking with companies that shared his passion for new writing.It is his firmly held belief that if there’s one thing the world needsmost, it’s unlikely to be another production of A Midsummer Night’sDream or Death of a Salesman.
His screen credits include guest roles on Australian televisiondramas Satisfaction and Rush, as well as various short filmsand a shameful yet lucrative number of TV commercials. He andhis moustache make their feature film debut in the Australianbushranger epic Moonlite (dir; Rohan Spong) later this year.
Felix trained at St Martins Theatre in Melbourne and is a proudmember of Australian Actors Equity.