Mary MacDonagh

Trained at the Nesta Brooking School of Ballet in London and worked as a dancer and actress.  Television credits include RTE, BBC and UTV. Mary now works extensively in theatre, and the music industry in Ireland and Europe as Director and Choreographer.  She is founder and Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer with Storm Dance Company.  She is also Artistic Director and Principal Teacher at the Chapel Lane School of the Performing Arts, of which a large number of students are currently working in theatre, film, television and the music industry. 

Mary is founder/Director of The Fun Company of which she is very proud and which funds talented students from all genres of the entertainment world to undertake full time professional dance and theatre training. Recent credits include, A Tale of Two Cities, Crazy for You, 42nd Street, Chess, Jekyll & Hyde, Witches of Eastwick, Beauty & The Beast, Oliver!, Les Misérables, CATS, All Shook Up, Oklahoma! and Jesus Christ Superstar.  For Lyric Opera she choreographed Aida, Rusalka, The Marriage of Figaro, HMS Pinafore and The Mikado and H.M.S Pinafore for The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, (UK). 

Mary is also Entertainments Director at the world famous Bunratty Castle.  Multi-award winner Mary also coaches professional dancers and in this respect has worked throughout Europe and as far afield as Japan.

Annalene Beechey

Annalene trained at The Bull Alley Theatre Company in Dublin where she played Feste in Twelfth Night and Adele in Lorca’s The House of Barnarda Alba.

Annalene started her professional career at the age of 18 understudying Cosette in the First National Touring Company of Les Miserables in Dublin/Edinburgh and later went on to play the role at the Palace Theatre London for two years. Annalene was then invited to perform Cosette in the concert version on three occasions, at Hylands Park Chelmsford opposite Ruthie Henshall and Frances Ruffelle, Cardiff Castle with Peter Karrie and more recently at The New Odyssey Arena in Belfast opposite Jeff Leyton and Joanna Ampil.

Over the last few years Annalene has starred in numerous concerts with the with the highly acclaimed conductor John Wilson and his own hand-picked John Wilson Orchestra. Touring the UK over the years with the Orchestra and starring in the Hooray for Hollywood BBC Prom in 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall and broadcast on BBC 2. In 2012 Annalene starred as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, the first ever fully staged production of a musical at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with Anthony Andrews, Alun Armstrong and Sian Phillips. She has also performed the role of Kathy Selden in Singin in the Rain at the Royal Festival Hall in London and Dublin. Another notable appearance was as Susie Dean in the BBC Radio 3 broadcast of the Andre Previn musical The Good Companions.
Her recent theatre credits include Miss Chasum in the World Premiere of Alan Ayckbourn/Dennis Kings’ Awaking Beauty (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Annette in the World Premiere of Boublil/Schonberg/Legrand’s Marguerite opposite Ruthie Henshall (Theatre Royal Haymarket, London), Pat Collins in the World Premiere of Moon Landing (Derby Playhouse), Standby Glinda in Wicked (Apollo Victoria, London), Cinderella in Into the Woods (at the Derby Playhouse), Alice in Carl Davis’ version of Alice in Wonderland (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Molly Cassidy in the World Premiere of The Ha’penny Bridge (The Point, Dublin), Belle in Disney’s’ Beauty and the Beast (National Tour, including The Point in Dublin) and previously at the Dominion Theatre London with Gemma Craven. She has played Anne Egerman in Stephen Sondheims’ A Little Night Music and Dorothy in the RSC version of The Wizard of Oz (both at Leicester Haymarket), Johanna in the Celebrated Anniversary Concert of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (Royal Festival Hall, London) opposite Len Cariou, Davis Gaines, Judy Kaye and Pia Douwes, Belle in A Christmas Carol (Theatre Royal, Nottingham) opposite Anton Rogers, the alternate Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s’ Theatre, London) and Sadie Sears/understudy Julie Jordan in Royal National Theatre’s Carousel (Shaftesbury Theatre, London).

Annalene made her BBC Radio 2 Friday Night Is Music Night debut in 2007 opposite Maria Friedman and Matt Rawle with Sarah Brightman as guest compere. This special evening celebrated the shared Birthday’s of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim. She has appeared in numerous broadcasts ever since. Annalene has starred as a soloist with some of the best orchestras in the country including Northern Sinfonia, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Philharmonia Orchestra.

She has appeared twice as a soloist in the RTE Bank of Ireland Proms in Songs From the Oscars and Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and has also appeared as a soloist with The Royal Air Force Massed Bands across Britain, including performing at The Royal Albert Hall in London and with West End International in Birmingham, Paris, Glasgow and Sweden. Annalene has been a guest soloist on numerous occasions with the RTE Concert Orchestra at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
Television credits include Roisin O’Brien in The Bill (Thames TV), the Euro ’96 Closing Ceremony at Wembley Stadium and Annalene was part of the Opera Chorus in the Phantom of the Opera Movie directed by Joel Schumacher.

Original Cast Recordings include Marguerite by Boublil/Schonberg/Legrand, Moon Landing by Stephen Edwards, and The Ha’penny Bridge by Alastair McGuckian. Other recordings include Ballerina in The Attic by Mark Carroll, Greta in The Ratcatcher by Phil Henderson and Michael Ward, Lucy in Bernard J Taylor’s’ Nosferatu and Narrator/Girlfriend in Inconnu by Andrew Cox. Annalene has also recorded Demo tracks for The Lord of the Rings Musical by A.R.Rahman, Hooker by Ryan & Readman and early work on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman In White. Annalene also guests on Acoustic Overtures – The Songs of Dougal Irvine and All Things in Time with Stuart Matthew Price both on the SimG Records label.

In 2009 Annalene released her debut album Close Your Eyes. Featuring an enchanting selection of songs by leading British and American songwriters including Scott Alan, Stiles & Drewe, Grant Olding, Maltby & Shire, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Richard Taylor, William Finn; beautiful new arrangements by Peter White, Jonathan Williams and Richard Taylor; West End guests Julian Ovenden (‘Marguerite’), Rebecca Lock (‘Phantom’) and Simon Greiff (‘Saturday Night Fever’); and a special album foreword by acclaimed American composer Scott Alan.

Workshops include The Ratcatcher (London Welsh Centre), Casanova (Criterion), Charlotte: Life or Theatre? (Drill Hall), The Third Person (King’s Head), Going Once (The Venue), Green Violin and Seagulls Dance (Soho Laundry), and Sacred Flame (Palladium & Royal Opera House Studio).

Owen Gilhooly

Owen Gilhooly studied with Jean Holmes at the Limerick School of Music and subsequently at the Royal College of Music and National Opera Studio, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, the Belfast Classical Music Bursary, the RVW Trust and the Sibyl Tutton Trust.

He made his Royal Opera House debut singing Fauré Requiem for the Royal Ballet and in 2007 represented Ireland at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.

Having had a significant career as a high baritone, his voice has now developed into the tenor range with focus on lyric repertoire including Macduff Macbeth, Don José Carmen, Lensky Eugene Onegin, Cavaradossi Tosca. Owen made his operatic tenor debut as Borsa Rigoletto for Opera Theatre Company.

He is currently pursuing Doctoral studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music where he was recently appointed to the Vocal Faculty.

Significant performances include Robert in the world premiere of Luke Bedford’s Through his Teeth (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden); Emilio Il cappello di pagila di Firenze (Wexford Festival Opera); Escamillo Carmen (Opera Theatre Company); Valentin Faust (Everyman Theatre, Cork) and Beethoven’s Christus am Olberge in Spain with Camerata Ireland.

He has appeared in principal roles with Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, English Touring Opera, Lyric Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North, The Opera Group and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He has made frequent appearances at Wexford Festival Opera, Lismore Music Festival, Buxton Festival Opera, Les Azuriales Opera and Musikverkstatt Wien.

In concert, Owen has performed with both national and international orchestras, including the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestras and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with whom works have included – Berlioz L’enfance du Christ and The Bridegroom The Vanishing Bridegroom, Bill Bobstay HMS Pinafore and Konecký Osud at the BBC Proms.

Appearances include Mozart Requiem, Jenkins The Armed Man RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Mozart Requiem Culwick Choral Society, Mozart Mass in C Minor Carlow Choral Society, Lensky Eugene Onegin, A Nations Song 1916-2016, Military Bands of the Defence Forces, the concert premiere of the new opera The Nightingale and the Rose, El Rememdado Carmen, Messiah with the Irish Baroque Orchestra & Verdi Requiem at the Cork International Choral Festival & Maynooth University.

Current & future performances include Gaston La Traviata for Lyric Opera Productions,a return to the National Concert Hall with Irish Songmakers for ‘Songs of a Gypsy Life’ featuring music by Brahms, Dvorak and Haydn.

Beethoven Missa Solemnis with Oxford Harmonic Choir, Opera Gala at St John’s Smith Square for Irish Heritage, the opening gala of The Cork International Choral Festival 2018, Danilo The Merry Widow, Sun in the world premiere production of The Nightingale and the Rose at the Everyman Theatre, Cork and Borsa Rigoletto for Cork Opera House.

Eoin Cannon

Eoin began his training in Ireland by attending the Gaiety School of Acting, following which he crossed the water and went to train at the Guildford School of Acting. Upon graduating he played the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (Hall for Cornwall, Truro) alongside Ken Dodd.

Eoin’s West End début soon followed when he was chosen by Trevor Nunn to appear in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest musical The Woman in White (Palace Theatre). In his time with the original cast he played the lead role, Walter Hartwright, alongside such musical theatre greats as Maria Friedman, Michael Crawford and Michael Ball. After this he took to the road with Riverdance where he performed as the lead male singer in their European Tour.

In Dublin he was part of the Irish premiere casts of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! (Andrew’s Lane Theatre), and Song’s For A New World (Pavillion Theatre).

Eoin’s favourite role was yet to come in Beauty and the Beast (World Tour). The Beast was a role that he had always dreamed of playing and it really was a dream come true to play the part – especially in Athens where he had to sing in Greek! Over the past few years, Eoin has been very busy across Ireland. He played the role of Frederick alongside June Rodgers in The Pirates of Penzance (Helix), the duel role of Jekyll and Hyde in the musical Jekyll and Hyde (National Concert Hall), The Devil in the controversial Jerry Springer – The Opera (Grand Canal Theatre) Dublin and on a less serious note he starred in the pantomimes Sleeping Beauty (Cork Opera House), Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast (Helix). Eoin’s most noted role was that of Michael Collins in Bryan Flynn’s Michael Collins – A Musical Drama (Cork Opera House and the Olympia).

Killian Donnelly

Killian Donnelly is an Olivier-nominated Irish actor who is best known for his roles in the West End of London, including Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, The Commitments, Memphis the Musical, and Kinky Boots, as well as his role as Combeferre in the 2012 film version of Les Miserables.

He is currently starring as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables in London’s West End.

www.killiandonnelly.net

Robert Scott

Robert recently composed the score for the awardwinning documentary Cruel Separations. For the theatre in the UK, he has composed for plays including Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills and the stage version of Stephen King’s Misery.

As a musical director he is currently conducting the UK and Ireland tour of the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Jerry Herman’s Mack and Mabel starring Michael Ball. Robert has supervised and conducted many major musicals both in the West End and in the United States, including Singin’ in the Rain, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and on Broadway, the critically acclaimed 2008 revival of Funny Girl at Chichester, Annie, Cabaret, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, White Christmas, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver!, Me and My Girl, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Crazy For You, the award-winning revival of She Loves Me at the Savoy Theatre and Carousel, also
for Chichester Festival Theatre.

Last year Robert toured Ireland with Aileen in the world premiere of A DATE WITH DORIS written and directed by Brendan Cull playing to sold out houses and standing ovations. Robert trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Linda Hutchison

LINDA HUTCHISON AGSM is a member of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama vocal department working with jazz singers and a yearly Music Theatre project. She does a specialized session on teaching contemporary styles for the teaching skills strand. In her private studio she works with professionals from the world of music theatre, classical and jazz. Her students come from many European countries –several of them flying in just for the lessons – as well as from as far as America, South Africa and Australia. 

She is involved in the multidisciplinary world of voice. She works extensively in voice, breathing and rehabilitation. She is in demand as a teacher, vocal consultant, presenter, lecturer and competition judge. She has been a singing advisor in NHS Voice Clinics since 1997. 

Linda was for several years a visiting member of staff at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and a visiting lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London. She created and directed a part-time course and third year degree module at the London College of Music and Media which balanced the science of the singing voice with artistic freedom. This experience she extended into organizing the professional development course The Fundamentals of the Singing Voice on behalf of the British Voice Association and in conjunction with the City Literary Institute. Linda is also a regular member of faculty on the Association of Teachers of Singing annual summer teacher training course where she presents and deals with Anatomy and Physiology, Music Theatre and Accent Breathing. 

As a performer, her operatic career began at the age of fourteen when she sang Belinda in an open air production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she won the Sydney de Vries Opera prize. A Caird Scholarship enabled her to continue her studies and as a result of being heard in the finals of the Kathleen Ferrier Scholarship Competition was offered a contract with D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. She sang with them for several years as principal soprano. In 2010, ‘Linda Anne Hutchison, Enchantment Surely’, a biography of her by Tony Joseph was published in the D’Oyly Carte Personalities series. Her freelance career embraced opera, operetta, oratorio and solo recitals Linda has been President of the British Voice Association and has served on the Council of the Association of Teachers of Singing.

Simon Greiff

Simon trained as an Actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama graduating in 1997 with a Special Commendation, and, for over 12 years, worked in award winning Theatre, BAFTA winning Television & Film and created leading roles in the West End and across the UK. He also has 10 years experience in Casting (assisting and associating for Pippa Ailion), has worked as a Dramaturg, Acting Coach, and has experience Producing.

Since focussing on his career as a Director, predominantly developing new work, his credits include Premieres of Picture Perfect (St James Studio) which he also conceived; Payback (Riverside Studios), Stand Tall A Rock Musical (45th Street Theatre New York & Landor Theatre London); A Song Cycle For Soho (Soho Theatre) which he also co-created; The Pork Crunch (Pleasance Theatre); the Off-Broadway musical Striking 12 (Waterloo East Theatre); Rumpy Pumpy! (Theatre Royal Windsor); and more recently the showcases of Stiles & Drewe’s Anything Can Happen! which he also conceived, Van Winkle (both St James Theatre), Before After (St James Studio), plus Dancing Shadows and Beowulf In Soho for the From Page To Stageseason (Landor Theatre). Recent drama school directing includes Stiles & Drewe’s Anything Can Happen!(Royal Welsh College), Veolia Songs (Royal Central School), Merrily We Roll Along, A Little Night Music (both London College Of Music), Into The Woods, Godspell (both Trinity Laban), Just The Ticket, Bad Girls(both MTA), Spring Awakening (MasterAct), plus numerous masterclasses & workshops including Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, Royal Conservatiore of Scotland, Arts Educational London, AMTA, Guildford School of Acting, and Beijing University. Development Director on Wildwood (for ATG), The Devil’s Disciple, The Five Labours Of Harvey Fish, Stand Tall, Payback, plus Sex And The Village and Barry The Penguin (for Perfect Pitch Musicals), and Home: The Scott Alan Song Cycle which he conceived. Simon is also an Associate member of Mercury Musical Developments, having directed their star studded 20th Anniversary Gala (Novello Theatre) and produced and directed The S&S Award Gala 2014 and 2015 (St James Theatre).

Simon was the Associate Director of The Rocky Horror Show UK Tour, and had the honour of directing The Rocky Horror Show ‘Live’ (Playhouse Theatre) starring the shows creator Richard O’Brien, which was also screened live in Picturehouse cinemas across Europe and broadcast on Sky Arts. Resident Directing work on Tour includes the award-winning number-one tour of We Will Rock You, the 40th anniversary production of The Rocky Horror Show, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Funny Girl starring Sheridan Smith, and the upcoming premiere of Take That’s musical The Band (until July 2018).

Simon can be found on Twitter @SimG_Director
 

PRODUCER

Simon has his own company, SimG Productions, a champion of new theatre writing, presenting West End concerts, cabarets, plays and industry workshops, and he also runs the independent label SimG Records who have released 33 albums including West End solo artists, concept recordings and original cast recordings. For more information please visit: www.SimGProductions.com or follow on Twitter @SimGProductions