CHRIS CHILTON (Director/Actor)

that Drama thing's first project, THE WIZARD OF OZ, will be directed by professional actor/director Chris Chilton.

Chris trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

His theatre credits include: To Kill a Mockingbird (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Birmingham Rep & UK Tour), Bouncers (Theatre Royal Wakefield), Arabian Nights & Can't Pay? Won't Pay! (Derby Playhouse), Afterbirth (National Theatre Studio & Arcola Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (Crucible Theatre Sheffield), The Tempest (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & UK Tour), The Mousetrap (West End), Lords of the Ring (Soho Theatre & Gilded Balloon Edinburgh), Mojo (Assembly Rooms Edinburgh), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Oxford Stage Company), Tartuffe (Mobil Touring Theatre), Lulu, What the Butler Saw, Romeo and Juliet (Harrogate Theatre).

Film & TV credits include: Casualty (BBC), The Queen's Nose (BBC), The Waiting Time (ITV), Peak Practise (ITV), Family Affairs (Channel 5), The Honeytrap (Filmhouse), Open Faces I & II (OUP).

Chris has worked as a director on a variety of projects, including work with Battersea Arts Centre, Harrogate Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, The Assembly Rooms and Gilded Balloon Edinburgh, Latchmere Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, Horla, The Really Youthful Theatre Company, Songtime Theatre Arts and Sylvia Young's Theatre School.

 

RICHARD WARD-RODEN (Musical Director)

Classically trained in 'cello, piano and conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, he gained his Graduate and Post Graduate Diplomas in Advanced Perfomance. He was awarded a Lawrence Atwell Scholarship for Advanced Study and took part in masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Bruno Shrecker and Leonid Gorokhov. In 1991 he was invited to be principal cellist with British Youth Opera at Sadlers Wells during their summer season and UK Tour.

During his career he has worked with many of the UK’s leading orchestras and extensively in Musical Theatre. In the West End, on productions such as: Miss Saigon, Mack and Mabel, Oliver, Killing Rasputin, Beauty and the Beast, Joseph, Cats and currently Les Miserables. On tour throughout the UK, Ireland and Cyprus: Les Miserables, Cats, Joseph and Evita. Richard has made many TV and Radio appearances and has worked with artists such as Elaine Paige, Petula Clarke, Jools Holland, Philip Quast and Patti LuPone.

Musical Director credits include, Carousel ( Garrick Theatre ), Calmity Jane ( Blackmore Theatre ), and Spend, Spend, Spend ( Chequer Mead Theatre ) for which he was nominated for a 'Best Musical Director Award' at the 2006 DEBRA Awards. He has conducted several Youth Orchestras and is the founder and Musical Director of “The ShowBiz Pops Orchestra”.

KATHERINE TAYLOR (Choreographer)

Katherine trained in Dance at The London Dance School, Bretton Hall Performing Arts College and The Laban Centre London.

Katherine recently Choreographed Will Young  in his first ever stage production “The Vortex” at The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, & where she also worked with Matthew Kelly last year in the musical play of “Mirandolina”. She has also choreographed for Cabaret Star Immodesty Blaize (west end/ Faking It), Frances Rafelle (Dream Team – Sky), and a rather bemused Martin Bell in a pop video for UNICEF.

As Choreographer and movement coach she has worked for The Royal Shakespeare Company, Greenwich and Watermill theatres and international Choreographic credits include: Canada’s Dancing On the Edge Season and Malta’s leading Theatre Company, Masquerade Theatre co.

She is artistic director of XS Dance Theatre who have performed extensively around the country and is currently working on a production of “Little Voice” at The Watermill Theatre. She most recently won a British Independent Film Award for her dance film ‘What’s The Pointe?” and was a choreographic part of Chris Chilton’s award Winning “Really Youthful” Theatre Company production of “Godspell” many years ago!