People: The Company

Mike Alfreds, Katie Mitchell OBE, Ian Rickson

Pippa Davies, Alexander MacKenzie, Pennant Roberts, Simon Groves

Robert Bowman- Joint Artistic Director

He began his career at Ireland's National Theatre - The Abbey - and went on to work at the Gate Theatre as part of Stephen Daldry's award winning season of foreign plays where he was later nominated for a Carling Fringe Theatre Best Actor Award for his role in The Crackwalker. He has worked as an actor in over thirty professional productions including Eric in An Inspector Calls (RNT/Tour), Mali in Haroun and the Sea of Stories (RNT), Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Mr Friendall in The Wive's Excuse and Ithocles in The Broken Heart (RSC). He was a member of the Young Vic Ensemble playing numerous roles in Grimm Tales and More Grimm Tales, Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (RSC/YV), Cash in As I Lay Dying and Malvolio in Twelfth Night. After taking a year out to study directing he went back to the RNT in Ted Hughes' version of The Orestia and The Royal Court in Rebecca Gilman's Spinning into Butter. He then went on to play Ranger in William Wycherley's Love in a Wood and Roman in David Edgar's The Prisoner's Dilemma (2001/2002 RSC Season), Dr. Lvov at The Royal National in Ivanov and Kurt in Living Pictures' production of The Nest. Television, as an actor, includes The Whistleblower, The Falklands Play, Spooks (BBC), Life and Debt (ITV wales) and Charles II (BBC). Most recent theatre includes Reverend Hale in Dominic Cooke's production of The Crucible (RSC/Geilgud Theatre) and the title role in Cyrano De Bererac at the Bristol Old Vic. He is currently in Sherman Cymru's production of Deep Cut @ The Tricycle Theatre.

Directing work includes co-director Andromache (Living Pictures), Macbeth (Ways and Means TC), The Memory of Water (RSC Fringe) in Stratford/London and a workshop at the RNT Studio of Robin Hooper's The Anatomy Lesson. Since 2004 he has directed Robin Hooper's Free from Sorrow (Living Pictures), The Seagull, Ghosts (Bristol Old Vic), Small Family Business and The Seagull (RWCMD) and The Blue Room (Ustinov Studio, Bath Theatre Royal). He was Artistic Associate at the Bristol Old Vic for 2007 and he was given an Arts Council Wales Grant to use his time at Bristol Old Vic as a training opportunity to further his skills as an Artistic Director.

Robert teaches acting at Trinity College, Carmarthen.

Elen Bowman - Joint Artistic Director

Elen trained at RADA and has worked with companies such as Shared Experience and the RNT as an actress. She went on to train as a director, studying a three year course of a contemporised version of the Stanislavski technique at the School of the Science of Acting. She then assisted director Mike Alfreds with his company Method & Madness. Also during this time, Elen taught directing methods to directors at the Royal Court Theatre and became a personal tutor to Katie Mitchell, Ian Rickson and others. Elen's work has formed part of Katie Mitchell's new book on directing.

In 1999, Elen formed Living Pictures Productions with her partner Robert Bowman. Productions she has directed for the company are Andromache and The Nest.

Since 2002, Elen has been an Associate Director at Sgript Cymru and her production of Amdani won the Theatre in Wales Best stage production award 2003. When Sgript Cymru and the Sherman Theatre merged she became an Artistic Associate at Sherman Cymru Theatre in Cardiff and currently holds that post. She will be directing Gary Owen's new play Amgen in the spring this year for them.

She is a freelance television and film director with two Welsh BAFTA nominations. The first in 2002 for her short film 'What?', and the other in 2006 for A470, a twelve part series which she produced and co-directed for ITV Wales.

Elen teaches acting at Trinity College, Carmarthen.

David Schneider - Writer, Director and Actor

David researched a doctorate in Yiddish drama at Oxford University before becoming a professional actor, writer and director.

His first play, The Eleventh Commandment, about Jewish intermarriage and assimilation, was performed at the Hampstead Theatre, where it was a sell-out success. His first screenplay, All the Queen's Men, commissioned by Atlantic Streamline, was made into a major feature film starring Matt Le Blanc, Eddie Izzard and Edward Fox.

A well-known figure in the Anglo-Jewish community, David translated the Yiddish classic The Dybbuk by Anski for the Royal Shakespeare Company directed by Katie Mitchell. He has run semi-professional Yiddish theatre groups in London and in 2004 directed the world Yiddish premiere of the 1930 play Jacob Jacobson, by Arn Tsaytlin. For Living Pictures Productions, David translated their highly successful tour of German Playwright Franz Xaver Kroetz's The Nest.

He is best known in the UK for his comedy work, as an actor/writer on such award winning programmes as The Day Today, Knowing Me, Knowing You - Bafta winner for Best Comedy and Friday Night Armistice - Winner of the Silver Rose of Montreux and The Royal Television Society Best Entertainment Award.

He has also appeared in several shows at the Royal National Theatre, and in numerous films from Mission Impossible to A Knight's Tale, 28 Days Later, Hallmark's reworking of the Moses' story, The Ten Commandments and Woody Allen's upcoming movie Scoop.

He has recently finished appearing in and writing ITV's comedy series for children Uncle Max. David is currently working on his new play Making Stalin Laugh about the Moscow Yiddish Theatre (see Projects in Development) and a narrative comedy for the BBC.

Sandy McDade - Actor

Sandy is a recipient of The Evening Standard Best Actress Award 2003 for her performance of Fay in Iron at the Royal Court Theatre.

Sandy appeared in the award winning Pioneers at Ingolstadt at The Gate in the early 1990's before joining the RNT ensemble. Her work there over the years includes Peer Gynt, Fuente Overjuna, Ghetto, The Good Person of Sechuan and lead roles in The Skriker and A Prayer for Owen Meany. She has appeared in her native Scotland with Communicado Theatre Company playing Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Roxanne in Cyrano de Bergerac. In 1994 Sandy received an Olivier Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress as Janice in The Life of Stuff at the Donmar Warehouse directed by Matthew Warcus.

She has also worked at the Young Vic playing Maria in Twelfth Night and Addie in As I lay Dying. She played Angustias in Shared Experiences' production of The House of Barnada Alba and also played Angustias in Howard Davies' production of the same play at the National. She played Iris in Erica Whyman's production of Tears from a Glass Eye at the Gate Theatre. She received rave reviews for her performance as Fay in Iron at The Traverse, Winner of the Stage Edinburgh Fringe Best Actress Award 2002 and it's subsequent transfer to the Royal Court Theatre. She has appeared in numerous television shows including; Holby City, The Bill, Taggart, Dr. Findlay, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased, Hamish Macbeth, Judge John Deed, Shandy Lil in My Uncle Silas and Secret Smile. Film work includes: Heading Home, Restoration and Mrs Hendersen Presents.

Recent work includes: Howard Davies' production of Period of Adjustment at the Almeida and Masha in Katie Mitchell's production of The Seagull at the Royal National Theatre.

Simon Allen - Composer

Simon Allen is a composer and multi instrumentalist whose work is heard in theatre, dance, radio, TV and film. His work includes Waves, Seagull, Dreamplay, The Tempest (all RNT), Not The End Of The World, Seagull (Bristol Old Vic), The Blue Room (Bath Theatre Royal), The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre Royal Plymouth/Thelma Holt), Diwrnod Dwynwen, Buzz (Sgript Cymru), The Nest, Andromache and Free from Sorrow (Living Pictures Productions), The Memory of Water (RSC fringe), Twelfth Night (ACTER), The Libation (Japan Festival). He has composed music for short films Stealing Up (Urban Fox), Stalk and the award winning Sea Change (Slinky Pictures). Also pieces for: Mark Baldwin Dance Co, Impressions (Radio 3 Jazz), The Dangerous Kitchen, Gemini and a solo CD Queasy Listening. Co-arranger and performer for the Young Vic on Grimm Tales, More Grimm Tales, Twelfth Night and As I Lay Dying.

As musician he has worked on numerous productions at the National Theatre, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Featured musician in film scores such as Beloved, Pandemonium, The Warrior, The Brothers Grimm and numerous contemporary scores have been written for him. Notable performance credits include the UK premiere of Feldman's 4.5 hour trio for Philip Guston. Simon's arrangements and realisations of works by Cage, Wolff and Brown can be heard on radio and CD. Commissions as an instrument maker include building an instrumental resource with Palestinian children in Bethlehem, and collaborations with sculptor Gamal Abdel Nasser on exhibitions and performances at Delfina Studios & Espace Karim Francis (Cairo).

Central to his involvement in Development and Human Rights, is the role of creative director for Seeing In The Dark an ongoing disability awareness multi media project in Bangladesh and India, as featured in the Department for International Development journal Developments No.27.

In education he has worked internationally with projects in Bangladesh, India, Ireland, Sweden and Netherlands.

Simon has recently produced and co-composed an album Father's Footsteps for a multi media exhibition at Waterloo Gallery. Currently he is producing an album for double bassist Nathan Thomson and working on a film score for the director Phil Dale.

Dan Barnard - Directors Acting Associate

Dan trained as a director with Living Pictures, attending workshops with Lilo Baur, John Wright, Dominic Leclerc, Rosemary Brandt, Elen Bowman, Ian Rickson, Rufus Norris, Paul Hunter and Katie Mitchell.

Dan is joint artistic director of fanshen theatre company. For fanshen he has directed Meetings by Mustapha Matura (Arcola) and produced Full Circle by Kobus Moolman (Oval House). He is directing fanshen's next production, Shooting Rats by Peter Turrini.

Dan's freelance directing work includes Begin Again by Elinor Cook (Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays), Trouble in the Works by Harold Pinter (Kings Head Theatre) and Pale Horse by Joe Penhall (Extract, Graeae/Young Vic co-production).

In 2008 Dan was selected to participate in the Cheek by Jowl Summer School which resulted in an exhibition at the Barbican in January 2009. In 2008, he was also a runner up for both the JMK and Jerwood directors' awards.

Dan as previously worked for Living Pictures as Workshops Assistant and Project Manager. He continues to facilitate the Living Pictures Book Clubs and teaches on the acting course at Trinity College, Carmarthen.

Ranya Weisteen - Future Projects Partner

Ranya is of Norwegian origin, studied at Oxford Univeristy, and now works as a director in England and Sweden. She has studied directing through Living Pictures with teachers Elen Bowman, Katie Mitchell and Mike Alfreds. In Sweden, Ranya works extensively with new writing (Malmö Dramatic Theatre, Månteatern) and has also directed contemporary Swedish works (The 25th Hour, Enqvist, AF Theatre) and modern classics (Krapp's Last Tape, Inkonst, Malmö).

Following being Artistic Associate on Ghosts at Bristol Old Vic, Ranya will be directing a collection of Pinter shorts and poems (Inkonst, Malmö) and The Shape of Things (Helsingborg Playhouse). In England, her credits include: The Trial, The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oxford Playhouse); The Birthday Party, The Crucible (Stella Mann College). She has also worked as assistant director at Opera Island (for Jonathan Miller), the Norwegian Opera (for Stein Winge), Malmo Dramatic Theatre (for Aslak Moe). Ranya has also worked as a choreographer and as a translator between English, Swedish and Norwegian.

Ben Webb - Project Manager Directors Acting 2009

Ben is a theatremaker and choreographer. His directing credits include Acker Out Loud, The Kathy Acker Mobile Library and So little of you left, for Risking Enchantment; Godfather Death for Warhorse Theatreworks; Und by Howard Barker and Newsrevue at the Canal Cafe; Less by Jack Williams at the King's Head; The Taming of the Shrew national tour for British Touring Shakespeare; He Do The Police, Salome and The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant for Tooth & Nail productions at the Alma Tavern, Bristol.

Ben trained at Bristol University and with Living Pictures. He is Artistic Director of Risking Enchantment, a theatre company dedicated to exploring and expanding the possibilities of theatre art through collaborative effort.

Francesca Seeley - Assistant Project Manager Directors Acting 2009

Francesca is co-Artistic Director of Nameless Theatre. Francesca has directed Comp by John Shea (Tristan Bates Theatre), Now I Wonder What You Are by Sean Tyler (Greenwich Playhouse) and Room 1336 by Sean Tyler (Lost Five Minute Festival, Tabard Theatre). She has assisted on The Long Road by Shelagh Stephenson (Soho Theatre) and Tagged to a Number by Simon Bennett with prisoners and ex-prisoners for Synergy Theatre Project (schools tour and BAC).

Nameless Theatre produce One Night Stands - a monthly series of rehearsed readings of new writing, so far Francesca has directed The Collapse of Something Pleasant by Sam Haddow, Pink Like Paris by Maria Borland, Barefoot Rascals by Heather O'Shea, One Day I Wasn't There by David Lane and English for Foreigners by Philip Landon.

Francesca has an English Literature and Italian degree from the University of York and has trained as a director with Ian Rickson, Robbie Bowman, Paul Hunter, Dominic Cooke, Elen Bowman, Joe Hill-Gibbons and attended the Young Vic Summer School.