Cast & Creative

Richard Hawley

Music and Lyrics

Richard Hawley

Music and Lyrics
Richard Hawley is best known for his work as a musician, as a solo artist and with the bands Pulp and The Longpigs. He released his ninth album Further in 2019. Richard Hawley’s music and lyrics are used for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National and Sheffield Theatres, which won Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards 2019 and South Bank Sky Arts Theatre Award for Best Musical 2020. Music collaboration credits includes with Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, the Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers, Duane Eddy, Lisa Marie Presley, Martin Carthy, Noma Waterson, Robbie Williams, All Saints and Texas. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge (also for Sheffield Theatres) Film and TV: Denmark, Funny Cow, The Simpsons and Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film.
Chris Bush

Writer

Chris Bush

Writer
Chris Bush is an award-winning playwright, lyricist and theatre-maker. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Pericles and A Declaration from the People at the National Theatre; The Changing Room for National Theatre Connections. Other productions include: The Band Plays On, Steel, What We Wished For, A Dream, The Sheffield Mysteries, Rock/Paper/Scissors and Standing at the Sky’s Edge for Sheffield Theatres; Jane Eyre at the Stephen Joseph and the New Vic; Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World on UK tour; Hungry for Paines Plough; Kein Weltuntegang / (Not) The End of the World at the Schaubühne, Berlin; Nine Lessons and Carols: Stories for a Long Winter at the Almeida; Faustus: That Damned Woman for Headlong, the Lyric Hammersmith and Birmingham Rep; The Last Noël at Attic Theatre and on UK tour; The Assassination of Katie Hopkins at Theatr Clwyd; Scenes from the End of the World at The Yard and Central School of Speech and Drama; and Larksong at the New Vic, Stoke-on-Trent. Film: Mars
Robert Hastie

Director

Robert Hastie

Director
Robert Hastie is Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres. Theatre: For the National: Standing at Sky’s Edge For Sheffield Theatres, work includes: Much Ado About Nothing (co-produced with Ramps On The Moon / UK tour), ROCK / PAPER / SCISSORS, She Loves Me, The Band Plays On, Coriolanus, Guys and Dolls, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The York Realist (co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse), The Wizard of Oz, Of Kith and Kin (co-produced with the Bush Theatre) and Julius Caesar. Other productions include: Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe; Breaking the Code at Manchester Royal Exchange; Henry V at Regent’s Park; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for Theatr Clwyd; My Night with Reg and Splendour at the Donmar Warehouse; Carthage and Events While Guarding The Bofors Gun  at the Finborough Theatre; Sixty-Six Books at the Bush Theatre; and A Breakfast of Eels at the Print Room. TV: Sex Education – Romeo and Juliet stage direction
Ben Stones

Set and Costume Designer

Ben Stones

Set and Costume Designer
Ben Stones’ designs span theatre, ballet, comedy, fashion and hip-hop dance. Training: Ben Stones trained in stage design at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge and The Suicide Other productions include: Rock, Frost/Nixon, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, She Loves Me, The Band Plays On and KES Reimagined for Sheffield Theatres; Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester; Happy Meal at the Traverse; The Watsons at Chichester and the Menier Chocolate Factory; Sylvia at the Old Vic; The Bear/The Proposal at the Young Vic; Swive at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse; HIR at the Bush; Frankenstein, Breaking the Code, Doctor Faustus, ATaste of Honey and The Producers at the Royal Exchange, Manchester; Good With People for Paines Plough and at 59E59, NY; The Dazzle, Bug, and Fool For Love for Found111; Hobson’s Choice and Twelfth Night at Regent’s Park; Way Upstream at Chichester; Creditors at the Donmar Warehouse and Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY. Dance: Productions include: Mixtape Celebrating 20 years of ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, Message in a Bottle for Universal Music and Sadler’s Wells; Some Like It Hip Hop and Into The Hoods for Sadler’s Wells and on UK tour; The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the Royal Opera House and the RoundHouse. Opera: Productions include: The Merry Widow for English National Opera.
Lynne Page

Choreographer

Lynne Page

Choreographer
British choreographer Lynne Page works internationally in film and television, opera, theatre and musical theatre. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge, The Cherry Orchard, The Merchant of Venice, Never So Good, Saint George and the Dragon In London’s West End: Ink (also Almeida and on Broadway), Funny Girl, The Grinning Man, Tell Me on a Sunday and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Other productions include: The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the RSC; Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Assassins and Company for Sheffield Theatres; Tammy Faye, Spring Awakening, There Came a Gypsy Riding and The Late Henry Moss at the Almeida; The 47th at the Old Vic; American Psycho at the Almeida and on Broadway; Noyes Fludde at Theatre Royal Stratford East; La Cage aux Folles and A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory and on Broadway; Little Shop of Horrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory; Opera: Productions include: Death in Venice at the Royal Opera House; Marnie and Medea for English National Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera, NY; Les Troyens at La Scala, Milan; and Andrea Chénier at the Bregenz Festival. TV: The Crown, Four Weddings and a Funeral and So You Think You Can Dance. Film: Judy and Fred Claus. Music choreography: Includes for The Pet Shop Boys (as director and choreographer) for Inner Sanctum and Dreamworld tours and Glastonbury, Stormzy and Jess Glynne at the BRIT Awards, Kanye West, Ellie Goulding, Imogen Heap and Duffy. Dance: In 2020 Lynne Page choreographed Lyssa, her first work for the Royal Ballet featuring Nadine Shah. Awards: La Cage Aux Folles – Tony Award nomination, Drama Desk Award nomination and an Olivier Award nomination, American Psycho – Drama Desk Award
Tom Deering

ORCHESTRATOR & ARRANGER
ORIGINATING MUSIC SUPERVISOR

Tom Deering

ORCHESTRATOR & ARRANGER
ORIGINATING MUSIC SUPERVISOR
For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge and wonder.land Training: Tom Deering studied at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and The Royal Academy of Music. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge and wonder.land Other productions include: The Boy in the Dress for the RSC; Standing at the Sky’s Edge at Sheffield Theatres; Tammy Faye at the Almeida; Abomination: a DUP Opera at the Southbank Centre; Carousel and On the Town at Regent’s Park; Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park, the Lyric Opera, Chicago and on US tour; The Grinning Man at Bristol Old Vic and Trafalgar Studios; and In the Heights at King’s Cross and Southwark Playhouse. Work as a composer includes: The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Takes Oral Evidence on Whitehall’s Relationship with Kids Company at the Donmar Warehouse; Pity at the Royal Court; and Little Red Riding Hood at the Stag and Theatre.
Mark Henderson

Lighting Designer

Mark Henderson

Lighting Designer
Mark Henderson is a lighting designer with over 40 years’ experience working extensively for all the major theatre, dance, and opera companies in the UK. Theatre: For the National: Dancing at Lughnasa, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Paradise, Peter Gynt, Young Chekhov, The Hard Problem, 50 Years on Stage, The Last of the Haussmans, Antigone, Detroit, 13, The Kitchen, Emperor and Galilean, One Man, Two Guvnors, Rocket to the Moon, After the Dance, Really Old, Like Forty Five, The Habit of Art, Burnt by the Sun, Gethsemane, Fram, Never So Good, Much Ado About Nothing, Chatroom/Citizenship, A Matter of Life and Death, The Alchemist, The Life of Galileo, Playing with Fire, The Present of an Empty Room, The UN Inspector, The False Servant, The History Boys, Mourning Becomes Electra, Democracy, Edmond, His Girl Friday, Henry V and All My Sons Other productions include: The Boy in the Dress for the RSC; Standing at the Sky’s Edge for Sheffield Theatres; The Bodyguard and Girl From the North Country on UK and international tours; Oklahoma at Chichester; Sweet Charity at the Donmar Warehouse; Light in the Piazza at the Royal Festival Hall; Into the Woods at Theatre Royal, Bath; and Newsies at the Troubadour, Wembley Park. Opera: Includes designs for English National Opera, the Royal Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North and Glyndebourne. Dance includes designs for English National Ballet, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, the Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, Rambert. Other work for performance includes Kate Bush Live: Before The Dawn. Awards: The History Boys – Tony Award,,Sweeney Todd – WhatsOnStage Award, Showtime at the Millennium Stadium Cardiff – Welsh BAFTA, Olivier Award wins in 1992, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2010 and 2016
Bobby Aitken

Sound Designer

Bobby Aitken

Sound Designer
Bobby Aitken has been involved with theatrical sound design for over 30 years. He has worked both in the UK and around the world, designing in small-scale theatres to grand arenas, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge In London’s West End: Ghost (also on Broadway and internationally), Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia! (also on Broadway), We Will Rock You and Grease (also internationally), Show Boat, Five Guys Named Moe (also on UK tour) and From a Jack to a King. On Broadway: Lennon Other productions include: The Beggar’s Opera and Bartholomew Fair at the RSC; Tammy Faye at the Almeida; Apollo 11 on US tour; The Nutcracker at Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Albert Hall; The Divide at the Old Vic; Mackie Messer at Salzburg Festival; Sweeney Todd at the Israeli National Opera; Blast! in London and the USA; and Return to the Forbidden Planet in London, the USA, Japan and Australia. Opera: Productions include: Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Aida, Tosca, La bohème, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci at the Royal Albert Hall. Other sound design includes: Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains in London and Rome.
Cynthia De la Rosa

Wigs, Hair & Make-up Designer

Cynthia De la Rosa

Wigs, Hair & Make-up Designer
Cynthia De la Rosa is a wigs, hair and make-up designer. Theatre: For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge,Blues for an Alabama Sky and Beginning (also in the West End) Other productions include: The Color Purple at Curve, Leicester and Birmingham Hippodrome; “Daddy”: A Melodrama, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shipwreck, The Twilight Zone (also West End), Against and Boy at the Almeida; Jitney and Sylvia at the Old Vic; The Watsons (also Menier Chocolate Factory/West End) and Running Wild at Chichester; Allelujah! at the Bridge; Strange Fruit and Boys Will Be Boys at the Bush; Half God of Rainfall at Kiln; Standing at the Sky’s Edge and Frost/Nixon for Sheffield Theatres; The Convert, Twelfth Night, Yellowman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Once in a Lifetime at the Young Vic; The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses at Rambert; and Promises, Promises at Southwark Playhouse. TV: Design for TV includes: Everyone Else Burns, Dreaming Whilst Black, Stath Lets Flats and Riches. As Main Team Artist: The Great, Des, The Windsors, The Windsors Christmas Special, Killing Eve, A Very English Scandal and Guerrilla. Film: Design for film includes: Tommie’s, My Jerome, Almost London, I Am Mary, The Track and Farewell She Goes.
Stuart Burt CDG

Casting Director

Stuart Burt CDG

Casting Director
For the National: Standing at the Sky’s Edge and East is East (also for Birmingham Rep) Theatre: In London’s West End: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (also on UK tour), The End of Longing, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, & Juliet, Cabaret, The Drifters Girl and The Windsors: Endgame. Other productions include: Rock/Paper/Scissors, She Loves Me, Standing at the Sky’s Edge and Guys and Dolls for Sheffield Theatres; Sister Act on UK tour and at the Eventim Apollo; Mrs Doubtfire at Manchester Opera House; Singin’ in the Rain on UK and international tours and at Sadler’s Wells; The Da Vinci Code on UK tour; The Two Character Play at Hampstead Theatre; Romeo and Juliet at Regent’s Park; Herding Cats at Soho Theatre; Terror, The Seagull and A Doll’s House at the Lyric, Hammersmith; The Rocky Horror Show on UK and European tours; Hogarth’s Progress at the Rose, Kingston; The Madness of George III, Skellig, The Memory of Water and Kindertransport at Nottingham Playhouse; The Choir at the Citizens; and The Spoils and Buried Child at Trafalgar Studios. As casting director for the Jamie Lloyd Company work includes: The Seagull, Cyrano de Bergerac (also at Theatre Royal, Glasgow and the Brooklyn Academy of Music), Betrayal (also on Broadway), Pinter at the Pinter (as Season Casting Director) Doctor Faustus, The Maids, The Homecoming, The Hothouse, The Ruling Class, Richard III, Macbeth, East is East and The Pride in the West End. TV: Dance 100, Locked Up Abroad and Dr Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!. Film: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
ELIZABETH AYODELE
ELIZABETH AYODELE

Joy

ELIZABETH AYODELE

ELIZABETH AYODELE

Joy
Elizabeth Ayodele trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Prior to her time at RCSSD, she was part of the first cohort of Open Door. Her work in theatre includes Small Island at the National Theatre; How to Save the Planet When You’re a Young Carer and Broke for Boundless; Playboy of the West Indies at Birmingham Rep; Hot in Here on UK tour; and Steel Magnolias on UK tour. Film includes Me, You, Us, Them and Walk Out to Winter.
JOEL HARPER-JACKSON
JOEL HARPER-JACKSON

Harry

JOEL HARPER-JACKSON

JOEL HARPER-JACKSON

Harry
Joel Harper Jackson’s work in theatre includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the National Theatre on UK tour; Kinky Boots (as Charlie Price) on UK tour; Pieces of Sting at the Mercury Theatre; Little Women at Hope Mill; Evita (as Ché) at Ljubljana Festival; Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park; Cock (as M) at the Ambassadors; Chess (as Freddie) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane; and Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (original London cast) at the Aldwych. Film includes Matilda.
SHARLENE HECTOR
SHARLENE HECTOR

Grace

SHARLENE HECTOR

SHARLENE HECTOR

Grace
Sharlene Hector is a soul, RnB and pop vocalist, who was a lead vocalist for Basement Jaxx. Work in theatre includes Dreamgirls on UK tour; A Strange Loop at the Barbican; and Hairspray at London Coliseum. Work as a featured vocalist includes ‘Step It Up’ with Riva Starr and Armand Van Helden; ‘Saviour’ with Dimension; ‘Throw Your Soul Down’ by DJ Will Clarke; and ‘Therapy’ by Duke Dumont. Sharlene Hector has provided backing vocals for artists such as Alicia Keys, Muse, Emeli Sandé, Sam Sparro, Primal Scream, Rebecca Ferguson, Lala Hathaway, Tinie Tempah, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. TV includes Derren Brown’s ‘Showman’, Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow – Name That Tune, The X Factor, Top of the Pops and Later with Jools Holland. Sharlene Hector has performed at Glastonbury, V Festival, Bestival and Wireless.
SAMUEL JORDAN
SAMUEL JORDAN

Jimmy

SAMUEL JORDAN

SAMUEL JORDAN

Jimmy
Samuel Jordan’s work in theatre includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge at Sheffield Theatres and the National Theatre. TV includes Masters of the Air, Wolfe, All Creatures Great and Small, The Window and Sex Education.
MEL LOWE
MEL LOWE

Connie

MEL LOWE

MEL LOWE

Connie
Mel Lowe’s work in theatre includes the Fair Maid of the West for the RSC; Good King at HOME, Manchester; A Billion Times I Love You at Liverpool Everyman; Hungry at Soho Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Gypsy at the Royal Exchange, Manchester; A Christmas Carol at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds; The Importance of Being Earnest at the Octagon, Bolton; The Cat in the Hat at Leicester Curve and on UK tour; Me and My Girl at Chichester; and Orlando at the Garrick. TV includes The Midwich Cuckoos.
BAKER MUKASA
BAKER MUKASA

George

BAKER MUKASA

BAKER MUKASA

George
Baker Mukasa trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He is a 2022 Ian Charleson Award nominee. Work in theatre includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge at Sheffield Theatres and the National Theatre; The Comedy of Errors, The Winter’s Tale, Troy Story, Swingin’ the Dream and Festive Tales for the RSC; Brief Encounter at the Royal Exchange, Manchester; Henry VIII and I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe; The Last King of Scotland at Sheffield Crucible; Peter Pan for Hull Truck; The Hartlepool Monkey for Fuel, Stratford Circus Arts Centre and on UK tour; The Beggar’s Opera and Alice in Wonderland at Storyhouse Chester; Beasty Baby on UK tour for Theatre Rites; and Tina: The Tina Turner the Musical at the Aldwych.
ALASTAIR NATKIEL
ALASTAIR NATKIEL

Marcus

ALASTAIR NATKIEL

ALASTAIR NATKIEL

Marcus
Alastair Natkiel trained at the Manchester School of Theatre and is continuing to train with Impulse Theatre Company and Mixing Networks. His work in theatre includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge at Sheffield Theatres and the National Theatre; The Red Lion at the New Wolsey, Ipswich; Rock/Paper/Scissors for Sheffield Theatres; The Merchant of Venice at Stafford Shakespeare Festival; Closer Than Ever / Early Birds / Our Boys at Edinburgh Fringe 2018; What Every Woman Knows at the Royal Exchange, Manchester; Laughter in the Rain – The Neil Sedaka Story on UK tour; After the Blue at Jermyn Street; The Importance of Being Earnest at Baron’s Court; Dangerous Corner at the Landor; and Muswell Hill (Off West End nomination for Best Actor) at the White Bear; Shrek the Musical at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Playhouse, West End; Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud; and The Go-Between at Trafalgar Studios. TV includes Line of Duty (seasons five and six), Silent Witness, Casualty, Coronation Street, The Marchioness Disaster, Hollyoaks, The Machines That Built the World and MINT (voiceover). Films include RUN, The Testing Point, Mad to Be Normal, The Innocent, Make Aliens Dance and Two Sides (Internal Film Festival nomination for Best Actor). Radio includes Silver Street.  
LAURA PITT-PULFORD
LAURA PITT-PULFORD

Poppy

LAURA PITT-PULFORD

LAURA PITT-PULFORD

Poppy
Laura Pitt-Pulford’s work in theatre includes The Light Princess at the National Theatre; Gypsy – A Musical Fable, In Concert at Alexandra Palace; Falsettos at The Other Palace; Little Miss Sunshine (as Sheryl Hoover) at the Arcola; Flowers for Mrs Harris at Sheffield Crucible and Chichester; The Gronholm Method (as Melanie) and Barnum at the Menier Chocolate Factory; Nell Gwynn (title role) for English Touring Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and on UK tour; Platinum (as Anna) at Hampstead; Side Show (as Violet), Mack & Mabel (as Mabel) and Parade (as Lucille) at Southwark Playhouse; Oliver! (as Nancy) at Leicester Curve; Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Regent’s Park; Follies in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall; The Sound of Music (as Maria) at Leicester Curve; Marry Me a Little (as Woman) at the St James; Guys and Dolls (as Sarah Brown) on UK tour; Aspects of Love (as Rose Vilbert) at Lyric, West End; The Witches of Eastwick in Concert (as Jane) at the Sondheim; A Little Night Music in Concert (as Petra) at the Palace Theatre; and Sunset Boulevard in the West End. TV includes EastEnders, Mallory Towers, Emmerdale, Casualty, Unforgotten, The Split, Free Rein and Father Brown.
LAURYN REDDING
LAURYN REDDING

Nikki

LAURYN REDDING

LAURYN REDDING

Nikki
Lauryn Redding is a writer, composer and actor. She created and starred in Bloody Elle (Stage Debut nomination for Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer) which played at the Lyric, Soho Theatre, the Royal Exchange and the Traverse, where it won the Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Fringe Award and was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award. Other work in theatre includes The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 and The Hired Man at Queen’s, Hornchurch; 71 Coltman Street and Oliver Twist at Hull Truck; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Twelfth Night at Wilton’s Music Hall; The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare’s Globe; Seagulls at Bolton Octagon; Educating Rita on UK tour; Treasure Island at the New Vic; Bead and Roses, Up n’ Under, Oh! What a Lovely War and Dreamers at Oldham Coliseum; Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain at the Garrick, Sydney Opera House and on Australasia tour; UK tours of Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Horrible Histories – Awful Egyptians and Ruthless Romans; Horrible Christmas at The Lowry; Frankenstein at Salisbury Playhouse; Romeo and Juliet at the Watermill; and The Worst Witch at the Vaudeville. TV includes The Midwich Cuckoos, Doctors, EastEnders, Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show and Emmerdale. In 2022 Lauryn Redding was selected to join the BBC Studios Writers’ Academy and has stage and screen projects in development.
RACHAEL WOODING
RACHAEL WOODING

Rose

RACHAEL WOODING

RACHAEL WOODING

Rose
Rachael Wooding has worked extensively in the theatre. Recent work in theatre includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge at Sheffield Theatres and the National Theatre; Well-Behaved Women (as Mary Magdalene) at Cadogan Hall; Fat Friends the Musical (as Joanne) on UK tour; Wonderland (as Alice) on UK tour; Another Night Before Christmas (as Karol) for Bridge House; Street of Dreams (as Rita Fairclough and Ida Barlow) at Manchester Evening News Arena; Bright Lights, Big City at Hoxton Hall; Evita (title role) on UK tour; Grimm – Hard Core Fairytales for Mammoth Music Workshop; Love Shack on UK tour; Pretty Woman at the Savoy; We Will Rock You at the Dominion; Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward; Hairspray (original West End cast) at the Shaftesbury; and Saturday Night Fever at the Apollo. TV includes Girlfriends, Doctors, Coronation Street, Al Murray’s Happy Hour and The Royal Variety Performance.
Further cast to be announced.

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