Imogen Bond, Director
Imogen read English at Bristol University. In 2005-06 she was a Trainee Director at the Orange Tree Theatre. In the summer of 2007 she was invited back to be Assistant Director, responsible for directing short plays, play readings and education projects which supported the theatre’s Female Playwrights Season. As part of this season, she directed De Monfort by Joanna Baillie, her first main season production.
Other recent work for the Orange Tree includes: Judy Upton’s The Girlz, Arthur Miller’s Clara, education tours of King Lear, The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing and rehearsed readings, including Fanny Burney’s The Witlings and St Joan as part of the theatre’s Shaw and His Contemporaries Season.
Past directing credits include Cigarettes and Chocolate for The Convent Productions at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Twelfth Night, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore and Into the Woods, whilst at Bristol University.
As a Trainee Director at the Orange Tree Theatre, Imogen assisted, amongst others, Sam Walters, Auriol Smith and Christopher Morahan, on The Women of Lockerbie, Monkey’s Uncle, The Linden Tree, The Merchant of Venice, A Journey to London and Tosca’s Kiss. Previously, Imogen assisted Chris Honer at The Library Theatre, Manchester and Gareth Tudor Price at Hull Truck Theatre.
Imogen also enjoys working in education, and has delivered a wide range of workshops to students of all ages, for the National Theatre’s Education programme, The Orange Tree Theatre and St Mary’s University College.
Adam Canavan, Writer/Director
The son of an Irish window cleaner and a Northern baker, Adam was born in 1964 in the Lancashire town of Preston.
After leaving school Adam went from job to job, window cleaner, pizza chef, postman, stagehand, all in Preston, until he settled down as a civil servant. At the same time he joined the Preston Drama Club Amateur Dramatics group.
It was with this group that Adam started to write by adding jokes and sketches to the yearly pantomime. He also helped with the devising of one-act plays.
His first full-length play, "Third Finger, Left Hand" is based around the death of his mother and older sister, and the effect they had on the family, especially that of his remaining sister. It is often brutal and realistic in it’s depiction of a family slowly decaying, but is still filled with hope and broad Northern humour, a bit like the author himself.
About his writing Adam says: "I base my writing on things that I am passionate about, or on people who have influenced me. That is why they tend to have a heavy Northern slant to them. I’m just an average Northern bloke".
Paul Knight, Musical Director
Paul studied at Chethams School of Music, Colchester Institute and The Royal College of Music. His Musical Director/Arranging credits include: Goodnight Mr. Tom, Applause, Jacques Brel is…, Little Shop of Horrors, Marry Me a Little, Into the Woods, and Godspell. He has also worked on many pantomimes and revues. He was Musical Director for five national tours for David Wood’s Whirligig Theatre Company. He was Musical Supervisor and Arranger for Spot’s Birthday Party and the musical Shout in the West End. Film and TV credits include Night on the Town, Handel’s Resurrection, Campion, BBC’s Pebble Mill and The Late Show.
As a writer/composer Paul’s output includes the ballet City Slick, Bunter, Ello Ello Ello, Dinosaur (Calgary), Prisoner of Panto (Calgary and London), Esther (Palace Theatre), Shake the Nation, The Happy Prince, as well as eight Christmas shows for Oxford Playhouse Productions, and scores for Caucasian Chalk Circle, Othello and The Winter’s Tale.
Chris Pickles, Director
Chris’s work spans many genres. He directed the UK tour of The King and I (with Stefanie Powers and Marti Webb) and re-directed the West End production of Taboo (with Boy George). He was also an Associate Producer/Director with Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company. During his time with the company, theatre productions included Uncle Vanya (with Richard Briers, Sian Thomas and Peter Egan) and Coriolanus (with Kenneth Branagh, Iain Glen and Dame Judi Dench) and films included Much Ado About Nothing, Peter’s Friends and Swan Song (with Sir John Gielgud.)
His recent work includes critically acclaimed productions for Oxford Shakespeare Company of The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth (400th anniversary production in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace), The Taming of the Shrew and The Importance of Being Earnest. For Classical Acting Company in Dallas he has directed Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare’s Keeper (which he also wrote). Other productions for which he is also writer are The Silent Treatment (Finborough) A Christmas Carol (Shaw) and Treasure Island(Christmas 2007 at the King’s Head).
He was resident Director at The Royal Opera House, New Sadler’s Wells Opera, and resident Stage Director/Producer for a BBC TV/Brent Walker series which included Ruddigore (with Vincent Price and Keith Michell), A Night on the Town (with Anne Reinkin, Elaine Paige and Eartha Kitt), The Yeomen of the Guard (with Joel Grey), The Sorcerer (with Clive Revill), Treasure Island (with Lord Miles), Orpheus in the Underworld (with Dennis Quilley, Honor Blackman and Christopher Gable) and Princess Ida (with Frank Gorshin). His opera work has taken him from Opera North, the Wexford Festival to The Australian Opera. His work as Opera Consultant on Stephen Poliakoff’s new film Capturing Mary was completed in June 2007.
Katie Read, Director
Katie studied at Leeds University and the Drama Studio London before being awarded a year’s bursary at the National Theatre Studio.
Directing credits include: Red on Black (Hen and Chickens); Pains of Youth (National Theatre Studio/Battersea Arts Centre); The Country Doctor (National Theatre Olivier); Blue Remembered Hills and The Libertine which was nominated for Time Out Critics’ Choice (Battersea Arts Centre); Remote Controlled (Etcetera Theatre); After Miss Julie, Miss Julie, The Battle and Epitaph for George Dillon (National Theatre Studio).
As Assistant Director: Hitchcock Blonde (Lyric/Royal Court); The Coast of Utopia (National Theatre Studio) and The Walls (National Theatre Cottesloe).
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