Biographies
Lightning Ensemble performs in different environments creating subtle interventions and close-up theatre. The company creates space for its audience to act as participants or spectators. Formerly a theatre ensemble, the company relaunched in 2006 with Marie McCarthy, one of its founding members, as director, and her co-artistic director, Sarah Weatherall as writer. The company have recently produced a raft of commissions in informal settings including an improvised daily radio soap-opera recorded on location in Harlesden, street performance for National Poetry Day and a site-specific play in a working pub in Leeds.
Marie McCarthy, formerly an actor, won the Sir Peter Cheesman award for achievement when retraining as a director at Birkbeck, University of London two years ago. Marie's directing credits include: Lizzy, Darcy & Jane (Tabard Theatre),The Chess Players & National Poetry Day 07 (Wandsworth Arts Festival), The Mayday (Site specific revival in Leeds) Dissonant World, (WAC, Performing Arts and Media College), National Poetry Day 06, (Wandsworth Arts Festival), Like Love, (European and American tour of a live advert on behalf of Visit London), Love and Understanding (Library Theatre Company, Manchester), The Mayday 1 (Wandsworth Arts Festival), Tartuffe (White Bear, London), Losing It, a devised piece (Soho Studio), Work/Life (Wandsworth Arts Festival), Slip Road (Bridge House Theatre, Warwick) Two plays for radio: Brent Life, (Life FM), and Out catching Criminals (Resonance FM).
Writer Sarah Weatherall went to the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London where she won the Slade Prize. After graduating she worked as a research assistant for Stephen Poliakoff whilst writing and directing her own short films, winning a silver plaque at the Chicago Film Festival and the Southern Arts Award for How I Became Indian, later broadcast on BBC2. She worked then as Assistant to the Artistic Director at Shakespeare's Globe. She's written two plays Private View, The Mayday, a radio play and devised an improvised radio soap-opera, Brent Life.
Gareth Abel (Chris/Rat) started his acting career working for several Theatre-in-Education companies. Since, he has played Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Freddy in Pygmalion, both at the Eye Theatre; an RAF pilot in Hamburg (Edinburgh Fringe) and a randy bellboy in The Fall Guy (Royal Exchange Manchester). TV work includes being a drug addict in both Casualty and The Bill. When not acting, Gareth enjoys water polo and tending to his allotment.
Tim Block (Maurice) trained at East 15 Acting School; his work has taken him to the West End (The Man Most Likely To..., Arturo Ui) and leading Repertory theatres round the country including: Dale Harding in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest for the New Vic Company; George Loveless in The Wrong End Of The World and Osip in Wild Honey at Salisbury Playhouse; Ron Walker in Pork Pies at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and many more. He has been a member both of the National Theatre Company and of Shakespeare's Globe, recently playing Marcellus in Hamlet. Tim's many TV appearances include The Chief, Poirot, Dr. Who, Casualty, The Monocled Mutineer, Bergerac, Shoestring. Tim also does much radio work - plays and commercials.
Steve Dorsett (Tufty) is an actor/musician who has performed all over the UK and Europe. He works in everything from musical theatre to stand-up comedy to tribute bands to Shakespeare - basically, he'll do anything for money! Recent parts include Claudius in the European tour of Hamlet - Prince of Rock, Santa Claus, and the Town Crier at the Regent's Park village fete.
Mira Dovreni (Abi) has just played the lead in award-winning new comedy The Bitches Ball (director: Mick Barnfather). Other experience includes time on the BBC Radio Rep, theatre all over the UK including new writing at Soho Theatre (Genetics for Blondes), shows at Birmingham Rep, Sheffield Crucible, Liverpool Everyman, as well as numerous tours, commercials and short films. This is not Mira's first experience in cyberspace; she is also the proud (and slightly surprised) owner of a BAFTA - Best Interactive Drama - for her role in the internet series Online Caroline.
Jenny Lee (Ruby) toured earlier this year playing Miss Havisham in Great Expectations for Prime Productions. West End credits include Your Own Thing (Comedy), Birds of Paradise (Garrick), Squire Jonathan(Royal Court Upstairs), The Normal Heart (Royal Court at the Albery), Hurricane Roses (National Theatre Studio), The Slab Boys Trilogy (Young Vic) and Anne of Green Gables at the Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadlers Wells. She's worked in many of the smaller theatres round London, Including Southwark Playhouse, Warehouse Croydon, New Wimbledon Studio, and the Old Red Lion. Jenny devised and performed the one-woman show Jessie Kesson - A Good Crack At Life, (RSC Summerhouse, Edinburgh Festival and Scottish tours) also broadcast on BBC Radio 4. TV includes The Unknown Soldier, Extras, Taggart, Roughnecks, Eastenders, The Bill, Doctors and Casualty, Sybil in Hope It Rains and Aunty Liz in three series of Monarch of the Glen. She is a familiar voice on radio. Film includes Blood Red Roses, Creatures of Light and the nokia shorts award-winner Have I Passed?
Tom Lyall-Cottle (Alastair) trained at Manchester Metropolitan University and graduated in 2002. Theatre credits include Love and Understanding at the Library, Skittish at the Royal Court, and O161 the musical at the Contact Theatre, Manchester. TV credits include The Bill, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, The Forsyte Saga, Island at War, and 'Cutting it'. Tom's just finished filming a feature film awaydays, out next year. He is a stand-up comic, comedy writer and performer in his own sketch show 'The Presidential Selection', and 'The Bingo Jesus Group'.
Robin Samson (Rev Peter) has worked in regional theatre all over the country, West End, London fringe, small scale touring and at the National; in classics, new writing, musicals and children's theatre. Recent theatre: The Duke in Measure for Measure (Reckless Endeavour/New Players), The Mobsters' Orchestra and The Mayday (both Lightning Ensemble). Favourite theatre also includes Our Country's Good (Chester Gateway), Diane Samuels' Turncoat (Theatre Centre), Keith Dewhurst's King Arthur (Shapeshifter/Arcola), Of Mice and Men (Fervent), The Crystal Den (New End) and several plays by Les Smith. Television includes Rat Man in the Rat Man episode of Afterlife (ITV), Ferdy's priest in This Life (BBC) and TheBill@21 advert (BBC/UK Gold).
Saka Matsushita (Designer) Saka was born in Japan and raised in NYC, Tokyo and Toronto. She trained at Wimbledon School of Art and Motley Theatre Design Course. Recent work includes: Set and Costume Design for Allu (Rambert Dance Company, The Place), The Chess Players (St. George's Hospital), and Timon of Athens (Camden People's Theatre). Costume Design for Land Gold Women (Feature film), Jingo-A Farce of War (Finborough Theatre) Sofia's Diary season 1 and 2 (Channel 5/BEBO) and National Poetry Day 07 (Lightning Ensemble).
Daniel Harvey (Lighting Designer) Daniel started early in life with his passion for theatre after watching many shows at his local: The New Vic - Newcastle Under Lyme. He went on to work there on a casual basis resulting in a choice to study lighting design at Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Whilst at Central, Daniel widened his skill base working as a Lighting Designer and Production Electrician in producing house theatres, site-specific theatre, live events, touring theatre and corporate events. Recent work includes Under Milkwood (Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn), Sarajevo Story (Lyric Studio, Hammersmith), Best of the West End (Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham).
Ben Saunders (Sound Designer) Ben recently graduated in sound technology. Last year for Lightning Ensemble, Ben recorded and designed Brent Life, a radio soap opera on location in Harlesden.
Matthew Llewellyn Smith (Stage Manager) Matt's stage management credits include Become A Man, Hackney Empire and City Hall, London; Michael Frayn's Copenhagen, Lizzy, Darcy & Jane and Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West all at the Tabard Theatre, London; Angel Exit's The Black Curtain which toured the UK; and Merchant of Venice, Bridewell Theatre, London.
Vik Sivalingam (Movement Director/Choreographer): Breaking the Silence (Nottingham Playhouse), Tell Me... Lies (Arts Theatre), Jack & The Beanstalk (Stafford Gatehouse Theatre), Romeo In The City (Theatre Centre), Firebrand (Royal & Derngate Theatres), Travels To Myself (Teatro Technis), The New World Order (Brighton Festival), A Respectable Wedding (The Young Vic), How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found (Sheffield Crucible), Aladdin (Northcott Exeter), Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest, Private Lives (New Wolsey Theatre).
Vik holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from Birkbeck, University of London. As Director: Three Sisters (Impact Centre), Jack & The Beanstalk (Stafford Gatehouse Theatre), When The Lights Went Out (Tara Arts), Broom- Just Say No, Parklife: Achieving Liberty, Head Over Heels (Pulse Festival, Ipswich), Travels To Myself (Teatro Technis), Human Rights (Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich), Blue/ Orange (New Wolsey Theatre Studio), Girlfriends (co- directed with Pete Rowe, BAC), Day Trippers (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich & Theatr Clwyd), Swingin' In Mid- Dream! (Albany, London). Forthcoming projects include Assistant Director on Romeo and Juliet (RSC).
Inspired by the spirit of SE1, Camilla McGibbon, writer and community activist, initiated this project. Camilla has written several plays for the stage including The Colours of Living (Finborough) and The Winds of '87. She also Chairs the Borough Market Trust and sits on the Tate Modern Council.