I AM BEAST Cast & Crew
ELLIE / BLAZE
BEAST LEAD PUPPETEER / SCOTT HAVOC
MICHEAL/ DR OBLIVION / CLARK CLARKSON
ANNABELLE / YOLANDA / PUPPETEER
SAM / CAPTAIN LIGHTNING / PUPPETEER
MUSICIAN
DIRECTOR
WRITER
MUSIC DIRECTOR
STORY
LIGHTING DESIGN
PUPPET DESIGNERS
UV DESIGN AND ART WORK
SET DESIGN
COSTUME
SET BUILD TEAM
GUEST MOVEMENT DIRECTOR
FIGHT DIRECTOR
PRODUCED BY
FINANCE
TOUR BOOKING
STAGE PHOTOGRAPHER
MAIN IMAGE CREATION TEAM
MAIN IMAGE MODEL
MARKETING DESIGN
MARKETING AND PRESS
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT DEVISORS
BIOMEDICAL COLLABORATORS
Hannah Lawrence
Nicholas Halliwell
Owen Bevan
Louisa Ashton
Tom Stacy
Lawrence Illsley
Shelley Knowles-Dixon
Louisa Ashton
Lawrence Illsley
Created by Sparkle and Dark
Claire Childs
Shelley Knowles-Dixon and Peter Morton
Shelley Knowles-Dixon
Lily Faith Knight
Lenka Kupkova
Peter Morton, Lily Faith Knight, Anna Shuttleworth, Lawrence Illsley
Ailin Conant
Dan Styles
Sparkle and Dark
Lawrence Illsley
Louisa Ashton
Idil Sulkan
Natalie Allison, Patrick Collier, Lee Howell Photography, Rebecca Pitt
Chloe Gaffney
Rebecca Pitt
Catrin Lowe
Emma Shaw
Lizzie Muncey, Gilbert Taylor, Dylan Tate, Richard Booth, Elaine Hartley, Emily Essery, Peter Morton, Lizzie Bourne, Cassandra Bond, Mackenzie Scott, Gemma Greaves
Nick Barnes, of the Haringey Adolescent Outreach Team, Noelle Adames of Grief Encounter, Drama Therapist Helen Yates, Jasmine Kroll and Chiara Nosarti of Kings College University
Special Thanks to the teenagers from Haringey who attended weekly workshops and helped us to explore ideas and perceptions behind death and loss.
Shelley Knowles-Dixon
Director, Puppet Designer, UV Artwork
Shelley originally trained as a fine artist at Falmouth College of Art but has since found her home in theatre and more specifically puppetry. She is now Director and chief designer for Sparkle and Dark’s Travelling players which she founded with Louisa Ashton in 2009. Shelley is also a published illustrator and musician.
Lawrence Illsley
Musician, Music Director
Lawrence is a musician and composer who creates all the original scores for Sparkle and Dark’s shows and interactive storytelling sessions. Also an accomplished writer, his most recent epic poem Astra and Sebastian was published in 2011 and Troika 63-83 published in 2012.
Claire Childs
Lighting Design
Louisa Ashton
Writer, Puppeteer
Louisa originally trained in musical theatre at The Urdang Academy in Covent Garden and now spends her time bouncing between puppetry, physical theatre and writing for Sparkle and Dark. Her previous scripts include the award-winning 'The Clock Master' and 5 star epic hit 'The Girl With No Heart', both of which have toured the UK. Performing Credits include 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' (Little Angel Theatre), 'Boris & Sergey' (Flabbergast Theatre), 'The Magician's Daughter' (Little Angel Theatre) and 'The Mintzers' online series filmed at Ealing Studios.
Nicholas Halliwell
Lead Beast Puppeteer, Scott Havoc
Nicholas Halliwell trained both in Edinburgh and London, formerly in Acting and Performance at Telford and latterly in European Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford. During his time at Bruford he spent 5 months training in Prague where he discovered the magical world of puppetry. Since studying, he has toured with Third Arrangement's“Pages From the Book of…” in Edinburgh, Bratislava, Moscow and Krakow and worked on a number of productions with Future Cinema/Secret Cinema in London. Since meeting Sparkle and Dark he has worked on their previous production of "Killing Roger", with Around the Glove puppetry on "Angeleta and Etelvina" and been involved with two short films, "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Michael".
Claire's lighting design credits include 'Just So Stories' at the LOST Theatre and Pleasance, 'Venus/Mars' at the Old Red Lion Theatre, 'Magnyfycence' at Hampton Court Palace, 'NowHere' at various UK theatres, 'The Girl With No Heart' at Bedlam Theatre and UK tour, 'Blavatsky's Tower' at Barons Court Theatre and 'Spare' at New Diorama Theatre. www.clairechilds.co.uk
Peter Morton
Puppet Designer
Lily Faith Knight
Set Designer / Costume
Lily is a London based costume and set designer graduate from UAL Wimbolden College of Arts. Her resent body of work includes, The Godess, POV Feature, The Inner life of Veronika Zabe & Lets Eat Cake. http://lilyfknight.wix.com/design.
Peter is a puppet maker and performer who specialises in intricate puppets and visual performance. He trained at the University of Kent in a Masters in contemporary performance and has since worked with a number of companies including Stuff and Nonsense, Little Cauliflower Theatre, and HandHeld Arts whilst also training with the National Theatre’s War Horse. Peter is also Joint Artistic Director of Knuckle and Joint Theatre Company who create fun, dynamic puppetry performances ranging from large outdoor shows to cabarets. www.peter-morton.co.uk
Patrick Collier
Associate producer
Natalie Allison
Assoicate Producer
Natalie is a London-based theatre and events producer. Over the past 10 years she has worked with a variety of artists and businesses, helping to promote and celebrate talent and entrepreneurship. From working on performances, tours, product launches, wrap-parties,showcases, workshops, seminars, and festivals right down to after work drinks:
Natalie continues to develop her passion for detailed collaboration and
storytelling through the delivery of dynamic, inspiring and shared experiences. She holds an LLB in Law from The University of Aberdeen and has also trained as an actor/writer with The Fourth Monkey Theatre Company. Natalie is thrilled to be supporting Sparkle and Dark as an associate producer with Patrick Collier Creative Productions.
Patrick is a London based theatre producer. Other recent work includes Theatre Témoin’s The Fantasist (Touring 2011-2013), Access All Areas 'Eye Queue Hear' (Rich Mix 2013), Theatre Témoin’s Nineveh (Riverside Studios London, 2013), Theatre Re’s The Little Soldiers (Cockpit Theatre London, 2013), Metta Theatre’s Monkey & Crocodile (Touring 2013), The Rub for the New York's Tremor Theatre Collective (US, 2012), and Iris Theatre’s As You Like It (Covent Garden Open Air Theatre, 2012). Patrick trained at Trinity College Dublin and the Oxford School of Drama, and is a recipient of the Natwest Young Producer’s Bursary.
Tom Stacy
Sam/ Captain Lightning/
Puppeteer
Tom Stacy graduated from Rose Bruford in Acting (BA Hons). Since graduating Tom has performed across the country including shows such as ‘Tiny Tempest’ (Brighton Dome) ‘Twelfth Night’ (Dionysia Productions) and ‘Earthquakes in London’(Greenwich Theatre). Most recently Tom was in the acclaimed production of ‘The Marked’ (The Pleasance) which was rated the best physical theatre show at the Edinburgh Fringe 2016. Tom is also one half of comedy sketch duo Joseph & Stacy, who can be seen in shows across London, Brighton and the South East (www.josephandstacy.com). Other work includes ‘Dig & Delve’ (Half Moon Theatre). Tom is thrilled to be working with Sparkle and Dark.
Hannah Lawrence
Ellie / Blaze
Hannah trained in acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Since graduating, in August, she has performed inDreamless Sleep (Arts Theatre), Romance (Theatre503), and, most recently, in Glitter Punch, with Some Riot Theatre, at both TheatreN16 and the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. She has acted in a number of new writing nights, including Short(s)Waves, and Encompass Productions, at the Seven Dials Club. Hannah also has a degree in English Literature, from the University of Exeter. She is incredibly excited to be working with Sparkle and Dark.
Michael / Dr Oblivion / Clark Clarkson
Owen Bevan
A graduate of Bretton Hall in 2003, Owen has enjoyed varied success in a number of stage, film and television projects, touring the U.K and further afield. He also had a successful stint in Toronto, Canada. Owen is very excited to be broadening his horizons with the fascinating work of Sparkle and Dark.