The Cast >
Anna Tippelt
Woman #1 - Claire
Anna was born and raised in Surrey and has been treading the boards for as long as she can remember. Her passion for musical theatre in particular developed whist studying at the University of Southampton. She studied Psychology but may have spent more time in rehearsals for and producing numerous theatre productions.
Since graduating, Anna has worked as a special needs teacher and tuition centre manager whilst continuing to perform and produce theatre productions. She is very excited to be taking part in Personals; her first production with Creative Minds.
Previous credits include: Mabel in Fame, Erma in Anything Goes, Mama Noah in Children of Eden and Woman #2 in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
>The production team
Maria Langford
Simon Reeves
Polly King
Matthew Curnier
Steven Graham
Man #3 - Typesetter / Episodes
Steve is currently working as an English and Drama teacher in a Surrey school. Born and educated in Northern Ireland, he graduated in English and Drama from Queen’s University in Belfast and went on to study his PGCE in Aberdeen. After teaching in Aberdeen for two years he moved to his current school in Surrey. He has worked professionally as an actor playing Larry in Closer (2010) and Brendon in The Weir (2010). Other roles include Roger in Rent (2006), Kenickie in Grease (2006), Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire (2006 and 2012), Bluenose in Jack the Ripper: The Musical (2011) and Rizzolli in Stephen Sondheim’s Passion (2012).
Eddie King
Woman #2 - Kim / Elaine
Polly is a co-founder of Creative Minds and is thrilled to be taking part in Personals - the first of the Theatre-Dinner events.
Originally trained as a Contemporary dance teacher at Roehampton University before going on to teach for the Guildford School of Acting, Polly now works for the Guildford Theatre School and is currently completing her Licentiate Diploma in Musical Theatre (Teaching) with Trinity College London.
Polly has experience in performance, choreography and direction enjoying a varied theatrical career.
Professional credits include; Lawrence (Bridewell Theatre - 2013), actor-musician in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (two national tours), ensemble performer in annual pantomimes (Wycombe Swan and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford), A Chorus Line (New Player’s Theatre, London) and acting ensemble for the Moscow City Ballet, Ballet Creations and Kirov Ballet Company.
Other credits from 2013 include: The Bakers Wife in Into The Woods, Maeve Brennan in Larkin with Women, Director/Choreographer for A Christmas Carol, Choreographer for Whistle Down The Wind, Mary in Memory of Water,
Polly will be choreographing a production of Oklahoma in May and appearing as Emma Carew in Jekyll & Hyde later this year.
Woman #3 - Louise / Rene
Maria is delighted to be working with Creative Minds and the launch of the company's theatre-dinner events. Currently employed as a Head of Performing Arts in a Hampshire secondary school, Maria was born and raised in Surrey, her love of music and theatre was nurtured and encouraged throughout her school life.
With the clarinet as her first instrument, she went on to graduate in Music from the University of Southampton. Whilst there, she participated regularly in the Drama Society productions, including sell out performances of Alan Bennet's Me, I'm afraid of Virginia Woolf at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Maria qualified as a teacher in 2006 and has a postgraduate qualification in Special Needs, specifically social and emotional difficulties.
Maria has produced, directed and been vocal coach for a variety of shows including We Will Rock You (schools edition) (2012/2009) Grease (2011), Footloose (2010).
In 2013, she returned to the stage as the Witch in Into the Woods with Simply Theatre.
Man #2 - Louis / Chuckie
Matthew has lead a varied and eclectic life. Born in Paris from a French father and British mother he was raised bilingually in the leafy suburbs of Surrey.
Matthew has always had a passion for performance but his academic pursuits lead him to study Marine Zoology and Marine Mammology at the University of Wales, Bangor and Quebec, Canada. It was only after a career in whales and dolphins that Matthew returned to the UK shores to train with the Actor's Company in London after which he was fortunate enough to play in the West End's Charing Cross Theatre.
Matthew is also a qualified secondary science teacher and has taught for the last 4 years but has recently hung up his mortar board and gown to tread the boards once again. The call of the stage is simply too strong!
Matthew is thrilled to be part of Creative Minds' new venture and thanks the team for their incredible hard work and vision.
Man #1 - Sam
Simon graduated from the Guildford School of Acting with a degree in Musical Theatre before starting out in the world of professional theatre.
Simon is thrilled to be taking part in his first production for Creative Minds. He has known Eddie for over 15 years and it is a pleasure to be directed by him after all this time.
Simon works locally in IT and enjoys playing football and poker.
Previous credits include: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Young Soldier in Parade, Adam in Children of Eden, Fred Anderson in A Christmas Carol.
Harriet Oughton
Eddie King - Director
Eddie is a co-founder of Creative Minds Productions and is looking forward to directing Personals as our first Theatre-Dinner production.
Eddie has enjoyed working on and off stage for a variety of theatre companies as Performer, Director or Technical Manager (Lighting, Sound or Stage). He is the Theatre Manager at a Secondary School in Surrey and works part-time for the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford as a member of the Lighting team. He was pleased to be able to join the staff at The Electric Theatre again this year for their "Electric Works" Summer School running the lighting department.
Eddie is a professional member of the ALD (Association of Lighting Designers), a member of the ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) and a member of the ASP (Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians).
Direction credits include: Stepping Out - The Musical, BoneChiller and Personals.
Harriet Oughton - Musical Director
Harriet has worked as a musical director, vocal coach, composer and pianist in a variety of stage productions over the past seven years. Her experience to date includes working at the National Theatre with Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck, and performing alongside Catherine Tate at The Bush Theatre.
Born and educated in Surrey, she graduated in Music from Southampton University in 2010. During her time there she was Assistant Conductor of Southampton University Symphony Orchestra and worked outside of her degree as Musical Director for the Nuffield Theatre Company’s The Wind in the Willows (2009). With them, she has also performed in The Borrowers (2011) Aladdin (2008) and Peter Pan (2007). The Nuffield Theatre also commissioned her to write the musical Missing Since Monday (2009), which won her a Curtain Call Award.
In January 2012, she began work for the international theatre project ‘Theatre Express’, and spent 5 weeks directing and writing shows in Perm, Russia, and Termoli, Italy. She has also spent two years working with new writing organisation ‘Perfect Pitch’, developing the musical Pieces of String, which is expected to begin a UK tour next year. She also worked for three years as a staff vocal coach at GSA Saturday School, and on residential courses as Composer/Musical Director for Youth Music Theatre UK.
This September, she began a PGCE in musical education at the University of Cambridge, and continues to balance her theatre commitments alongside her studies.
Theatre credits also include: 66 Books (The Bush Theatre) Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre) Pieces of String (Waterloo East) The Kissing Dance (Jermyn Street Theatre) Dames at Sea (The Union) Alice in Wonderland (Chichester Festival Theatre) Little Shop of Horrors (The Electric Theatre) Return to the Forbidden Planet (Rhoda McGaw) Whistle Down the Wind (Walton Barn) West Side Story (Rhoda McGaw).
Directed by Eddie King
A Creative Minds Production
Contact bookings@creativemindsproductions.co.uk
for more information
An amateur production by arrangment with Samuel French Limited.
Abbey Addams - Choreographer
Abbey originally trained in Ballet, appearing with youth companies in her native Westcountry. She then relocated to London to refocus on Choreography and Musical Theatre.
She has taught all ages and abilities, choreographing musicals, directing theatre (for students with English as a Foreign Language) as well as re staging music videos for live performances whilst putting several pop stars through their paces (along with appearing as a backing dancer and vocalist herself!) and as choreography consultant and dance captain to various cabaret shows across Europe as well as lecturing on the History of Musical Theatre at several colleges in the UK.
Along with her work on a Creative Team, Abbey has also performed in her own right in varied genres from Edinburgh Fringe, Pantomimes, appearances with the Welsh National Opera, a long stretch as part of the Combat Education Team at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, numerous TV appearances, voice over work for several websites and telephony systems, demo recordings and sessions vocalist for many award winning composers of musicals and chart singles, along with backstage, walking cover/ rehearsal swing for several West End Shows.
Having taken a step away from Professional work, in 2007, Abbey has since worked with several amateur theatre companies in Surrey on and off stage. Her next appearance will be reprising the role of Lucy Harris in Jekyll & Hyde the Musical.
Abbey currently works as both a fitness instructor and an Education Specialist for Zumba and has represented the brand at Fitness Conventions worldwide.
‘Personals’ is a personal favourite of hers,(having been introduced to it by the choreographer of the original London version!) and she is excited to be working with Creative Minds once again.
Harriet Oughton
Abbey Addams
