In the 'House Seats'

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After training at the  London Studio Centre and then a successful performing career, Nikki went on to direct and choreograph for productions including: Hairspray (Pimlico Opera); Barrie Humphries Weimar Cabaret (Barbican); Sweet Charity (Pimlico Opera); Anton and Erin (2015 thru 2020 tours); Les Miserables (Pimlico Opera); Porgy and Bess (Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen); Ballroom to Broadway Tour (Anton Du Beke – 2014 Tour); The King’s Speech (Wyndhams Theatre & UK tour); Backbeat (Duke of Yorks/Toronto/Los Angeles ); Rigoletto (Opera Holland Park); La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, Tosca and Dialogue Du Carmelites (Grange Park Opera); Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre); Wuthering Heights (UK tour); Marguerite (Haymarket Theatre, London and Japan); Kismet (English National Opera); The King And I (UK tour), Nymph Errant (Minerva, Chichester); The Vivien Ellis Awards (Her Majesty’s Theatre London), Breathless (ITV Drama).

She has also been associate director on: Joseph and the Amazing technicolor Dreamcoat (London Palladium);Unmasked (The Other Palace); Chess (English National Opera)

As a director, assistant director, assistant choreographer and rehearsal director, Nikki’s credits include: Gypsy (Chichester Festival Theatre - 2015); Ballroom to Broadway Tour (Anton Du Beke – 2014 tour); West Side Story (Pimlico Opera); She Loves Me (Chichester Festival Theatre); Madame Butterfly (Grange Park Opera) and Shoes (Saddler’s Wells/Peacock Theatre). 

Additionally Nikki works as a mass movement choreographer and her credits include: Glasgow Commonwealth Games (2014); Opening and Closing Ceremonies (Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games); Opening and Closing Ceremonies (London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games); Ajyal Youth Film Festival, Doha and The Big If (Hyde Park, London).

Bio courtesy of Global Artists

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Dr John Rigby studied orchestral conducting at the University of Huddersfield and the Royal Northern College of Music. He gained his PhD from King’s College London having researched the cultural resonances of Franz Lehár’s ‘Berlin’ operettas during the Weimar Republic. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Arts from Edge Hill University in recognition of his work in musical theatre and conducting.

As a musical supervisor his credits include: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Palladium); SCHOOL OF ROCK (London, US Tour, Australia, Korea); THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (25th Anniversary UK and US Tours); JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (World Arena Tour & DVD); LES MISERABLES (Korea); MISS SAIGON (London, cinema release & DVD); THE PRODUCERS (UK Tour) and THE KING AND I (UK Tour). As a musical director his West End credits include: Christopher Wheeldon’s AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (Dominion & cinema release) BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED (Lyric); THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Novello); THE KING AND I (Palladium); THE LAST EMPRESS (Apollo, Hammersmith); MARGUERITE (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); LES MISÉRABLES (Palace & Queens); THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Her Majesty’s); PETER PAN (Savoy); THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (Savoy); THE PRODUCERS (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and SINATRA (Palladium). Additionally, he was musical director for the German productions of MISS SAIGON (Stuttgart) and STARLIGHT EXPRESS (Bochum). He also recently conducted and supervised the workshops for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2018 reworking of STARLIGHT EXPRESS at The Other Palace, London.

His opera credits include: Judith Weir’s THE BLACK SPIDER(Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival); CARMEN JONES (Royal Festival Hall); CAROUSEL (Opera North); DIE FLEDERMAUS (Opera Holland Park); MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Lyric Opera, Dublin); and most recently CHESS (English National Opera).

John is extremely active on the concert platform as both a conductor and presenter and the numerous orchestras he has worked with include: the Berliner Symphoniker, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, CBSO, Dublin Concert Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra, Manchester Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, RSNO, Scottish Concert Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra and the orchestras of both Welsh National Opera and Opera North. He has appeared as a conductor of BBC Radio 2’s FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT and is also conductor of the famous CLASSICAL SPECTAUCULAR concerts for Raymond Gubbay. He recently conducted the sell-out concerts of 2 CELLOS at the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall, as well as ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S 70th BIRTHDAY CONCERT with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Future plans include supervising the Russian premiere of CHESS in Moscow in October 2020, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical, CINDERELLA, which will open in London in spring 2021, and the return of JOSEPH to the London Palladium in summer 2021.

He has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts from Edge Hill University in recognition of his work in musical theatre and conducting.

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Nikki Belsher was trained at the Jeannine Greville Dancing Academy.

At 11 she made her West End debut in the musical Annie at the Victoria Palace. By the time she was 15 she had followed this with two further seasons in Annie, a season with Kids International at the Dominion and the leading role of Morgana in Tin Pan Ali at the Edinburgh Fringe.

She left school at 16 to join the cast of 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where she understudied both female leads - Peggy Sawyer and Anytime Annie - and remained there for two years. Nikki left 42nd Street having already started rehearsals for Cats playing the part of Jemima and understudying Jellylorum and Gumbie Cat.

Her other credits include: Pearl in ‘Starlight Express’ (Australasia Tour), Ensemble in ‘Can Can’ (Strand Theatre), ‘Ashley’ and Dance Captain in ‘Starlight Express’ (Apollo Victoria), ‘Sue’ and Dance Captain  in ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’ (UK Tour), Ensemble in ‘Carousel’ (National Theatre), ‘Candi’ in ‘Oh What a Night’ (Opera House, Blackpool), Ensemble in ‘Fame’ (Scandinavian Tour), ‘Marty’ in ‘Grease’ (Scandinavian tour), ‘Delores’/’Miss Cashdime’ in ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (National Theatre), Ensemble and Dance Captain in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (UK Tour), ‘Nickie’ in ‘Sweet Charity’ (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Barelli Sister in ‘The Rat Pack’ (Haymarket Theatre), ‘Sheila Bryant’ in ‘A Chorus Line’ (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield).

Nikki assisted Peter Darling on the choreography for the original West End production of ‘Billy Elliot the Musical’ in London. She then joined Peter in New York to stage the show on Broadway, after which, she then re-joined the show in the West End as Resident Choreographer.

Nikki also assisted Peter with the choreography of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, the Musical, which opened in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.

More recently she has worked with Peter as Tap Dance Advisor for the West End and Broadway Productions of ‘Groundhog Day’, and the workshop for the Broadway Production of ‘

She has also been Resident Director for ‘Rainbow Rocks, My Little Pony Musical’ (Asia Tour 2016). Resident Director/Choreographer on ‘Me and My Girl’ (UK tour), ‘Footloose the Musical’ (UK tour and Playhouse Theatre in the West End), ‘The Rat Pack live from Las Vegas’ (Haymarket and Strand (now Novello) Theatres.)

Nikki's TV appearances include:  ‘Agony’ (Live TV), ‘2.4 Children’ (BBC), ‘Dramarama’ (ITV), ‘Campion’ (ITV), ‘The Eurovision Song Contest’, 1991.

Nikki is an adjudicator for DWC. She has taught guest workshops at home and Internationally. 

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Gareth is a Welsh composer, arranger, conductor and musical director. He has worked extensively in London's West End on musical productions and also conducted orchestras worldwide including the BBC Concert Orchestra, Welsh National Opera Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Pasdeloup orchestra, RPO Concert Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, ENB Sinfonia, Orchestre de chambre de Paris and many others. After graduating from the Royal College of Music, London, he studied with Sir Peter Pears at Aldeburgh.

As Musical Supervisor his theatre credits include:  Kiss Me Kate, Chichester Festival Theatre; Crazy For You, Open Air Theatre and the Novello Theatre; INTO THE WOODS, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (captured by Digital Theatre); End of the Rainbow, Royal & Derngate, Trafalgar Studios; Strictly Gershwin, ENB, Albert Hall and the Coliseum; Sondheim At 80 Concerts – Merrily We Roll Along and Company at the Donmar Warehouse; The King and I, Royal Albert Hall; Wicked, Apollo Victoria; Acorn Antiques, Haymarket Theatre and UK Tour; Porgy & Bess, Savoy; Sinatra, London Palladium; Aladdin, The Old Vic; Children Will Listen, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; Musicality, Channel 4; Anything Goes, RNT and Drury Lane; My One & Only, Piccadilly. As Musical Director his credits include: Kiss Me Kate, Victoria Palace; Merrily We Roll Along, Donmar; Chicago, Adelphi London, Madrid, Gottenburg, Moscow and Japan; Damn Yankees, Adelphi; Nine, Donmar; Camelot, Covent Garden; Company, Donmar; Kiss of the Spider Woman, Shaftesbury; Miss Saigon, Drury Lane; The Baker’s Wife, Phoenix; Cats, New London; Closer Than Ever, Vaudeville; Kiss Me Kate, RSC; Cabaret, Aldwych; 42nd Street, Drury Lane.

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At 18 Laurretta joined English National Ballet under the Directorship of Wayne Eagling.  After 6 months she had the opportunity to dance the Principal role of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis in Mary Skeaping's Giselle at the London Coliseum.  Following the success of this role Laurretta got to perform the Pas de Trois in Suite En Blanc along side Vadim Muntagirov and also participate in the new creation of the ballet Firebird, choreographed by George Williamson, dancing the roles of the Firebird and the Purist Lady.

In 2013 under the new directorship of Tamara Rojo, Laurretta got the opportunity to dance the prestigious role of Odette/Odile in Derek Deane's Swan Lake ‘in-the-round’, at the Royal Albert Hall.  Following this she travelled to Beijing where she competed and won the Gold Medal, in the 2nd International Beijing Ballet and Choreography Competition, being coached by HuaFang Zhang and partnered by James Forbat, both from the ENB Company.

At the end of the 2012/13 season Laurretta got promoted from Artist to First Soloist, one of the biggest promotions made at the Company.  From this Laurretta started to dance many Principal roles.  In January of the 2015/16 season she finally got promoted to her dream rank of Principal on stage at the London Coliseum.

In September 2017 she also joined the Bayerishes Staatsballett in Munich as a Principal under the directorship of Igor Zelensky, and in 2018 she decided to continue in Munich full time.

Over her career she has performed in many countries, Australia, China, Columbia, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia,The Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and Ukraine.

She has also been a Guest for Acosta Danza, Roberto Bolle and Friends, The Kremlin Palace Ballet, The Shanghai Ballet, The Kazan Opera Ballet, The National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Mongolia and The Satratov Opera Ballet Theatre.

For more information see https://summerscales.org

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Matthew Cole is an OLIVIER AWARD NOMINATED Choreographer and is the founder of LONDON THEATRE RUNWAY. A musical theatre training and connectivity programme for industry professionals. www.londontheatrerunway.com

His forthcoming productions include: FOOTLOOSE UK Tour - 2021, IDENTICAL (based upon The Parent Trap) Directed by Trevor Nunn, Music by George Stiles and Lyrics by Anthony Drewe - 2021, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF UK TOUR - 2021, BERLIN BERLIN German and International Tour - 2021 and MEMPHIS UK and International Tour - 2022.

Choreography: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Olivier Award Nominated for Best Choreographer and Best Revival, dir. Trevor Nunn,The Menier Chocolate Factory, The Playhouse Theatre West End); OKLAHOMA (dir. Jeremy Sams, Chichester Festival Theatre); LOVESICK (dir. Chris Renshaw, Theatre J Washington DC); BERLIN BERLIN (German/International Tour); AMOUR (The Charing Cross Theatre);  THE BEAUTIFUL GAME (NYMT); THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (The Royal Academy of Music); THE NIGHT PIRATES (UK TOUR); THE PRODUCERS (China and Asian Tour); LOVESICK (New York City workshop); CINDERELLA (Milton Keynes); FLASHDANCE (UK and international Tour); EM (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama); FOOTLOOSE (UK and International Tour); LOVESICK (Berkely Repertory Theatre); ALADDIN (Theatre Clwyd); SIDE SHOW (Southwark Playhouse); THE MGM STORY (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (UK TOUR); RAGS (The Royal Academy of Music); FOOTLOOSE (UK Tour); PURE IMAGINATION - The Songs of Leslie Bricusse (The Other Palace); BETTE  MIDLER AND ME (Edinburgh Festival and UK Tour); AMOUR (The Royal Academy of Music); JERRY’S GIRLS (The Other Palace, Jermyn Street Theatre); THE RETURN OF THE SOLDIER (Jermyn Street Theatre); ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MUSICAL (UK and Australian Tour)

Associate choreographer credits include: Guys and Dolls (Chichester Festival Theatre and Phoenix Theatre).

Television credits include: Assistant Choreographer on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing (BBC).

Directing credits include: The Drive In London, Artistic Director; PIPPIN, Director/Choreographer; The Secret Garden, Director/Choreographer; Co Director CARMEN LA CUBANA, (Sadlers Wells); SWEET CHARITY, Director/choreographer; Resident Director on The Railway Children (King’s Cross Theatre); Resident Director on West Side Story (ATG UK Tour).

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Aria Entertainment was founded in 2012 by Katy Lipson. In 2017, Katy was awarded the Best Producer award by the Off-West End Awards and is a recipient of the Stage One Bursary and Start Up Award. She made “The Stage 100” in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for her work at Hope Mill Theatre and in 2021 for her work as a solo producer.

Katy produced the UK Premiere Tour of The Addams Family and the 50th Anniversary production of HAIR at the London Vaults, which she originally co-produced with Hope Mill Theatre in 2016, where she was the Producing Artistic Director for all in-house musicals from 2016 – 2019. HAIR (The Vaults) won the award for Best Off-West End Production at the 2018 Whatsonstage Awards and completed a major UK Tour in 2019. Their transfer of Pippin, which played at the Southwark Playhouse, was nominated for a record number of Off West End Awards. Their production of Spring Awakening won the award for Best Regional show at the 2019 WOS awards. In 2012, the bicentenary year of Charles Dickens’ birth, she produced a revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Arts Theatre, West End. This was followed by a transfer to the same venue in 2017 of new musical The Toxic Avenger following runs at The Edinburgh Festival’s Pleasance Theatre and the Southwark Playhouse.

Katy set up the From Page to Stage festival to support new musicals at all difference stages of development. In 6 years FPTS has given platform to over 100 new musicals of which many have gone on to have full productions and be licensed worldwide and now they run a full-time literary department for new musicals.

Other productions include: Mame (UK Tour), which was nominated for 7 WhatsOnStage Awards and starred Tracie Bennett; Unexpected Joy(Southwark Playhouse and York Theatre, Off-Broadway); It’s Only Life (Union Theatre); Mame, The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit, Rags, Putting it Together, The Return of the Soldier, Pippin, Spring Awakening, Aspects of Love, Little Women, The ToyBoy Diaries, Yank!, Parade and HAIR (Hope Mill Theatre); the London transfers of Pippin (Southwark Playhouse) and Yank! (Charing Cross Theatre); Rags and tick, tick…BOOM! (Park Theatre); The Last 5 Years, Aspects of Love, The Toxic Avenger and Promises, Promises (Southwark Playhouse); Vanities The Musical (Trafalgar Studios); The House of Mirrors & Hearts(Arcola Theatre); See What I Wanna See and The Return Of The Soldier (Jermyn Street Theatre); The Adventures of Pinocchio, Lizzieand The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre), Marry Me A Little, Jerry’s Girls and Forever Plaid (St. James Studio); Bar Mitzvah Boy, That’s Jewish Entertainment, Bette Miller and Me, The Jewish Legends, The Great Jewish American Songbook and The MGM Story (Upstairs at the Gatehouse and The Radlett Centre).

Other current projects include: The Osmonds (UK Tour); C-o-n-t-a-c-t (Various Worldwide Productions); Sammy (Lyric Hammersmith); The Addams Family (UK Tour) and Elton John: It’s A Little Bit Funny (UK Tour).

Twitter: @AriaEnts
Website: aria-entertainment.com

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Michael England was born in Colchester and went on to study at Huddersfield University. Since then he has embarked on a highly successful career as conductor, composer and musical director.

In London’s West End, Michael has been Musical Director for Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Spamalot, The Producers, Jerry Springer – The Opera (also BBC TV) and Doctor Dolittle. On tour he has been Musical Director for The Sound of Music, Evita, Les Misérables, Aspects of Love and Grease. He has also been Assistant MD on Cats, Miss Saigon and West Side Story.

He has been Musical Supervisor for productions of Company; The Drowsy Chaperone; the all male productions of H.M.S. Pinafore (Hackney/UK tour), Iolanthe (Wilton’s), Patience (Union Theatre) and The Pirates of Penzance (Australia Tour/Sydney Theatre).

He has worked as an accompanist in London, Paris, Sydney and New York and has been musical director for John Barrowman, Tony Award winner Liliane Montevecchi and Olivier Award winner Ruthie Henshall.

In 2010 Michael was invited to conduct the opening weeks of Cameron Mackintosh's 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables, he conducted the new live cast album, and worked on the recent film version.

Orchestral conducting credits include The Philharmonia Orchestra, (Buckingham Palace), Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, the National Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Sinfonietta, and the Slovenia Radio Symphony Orchestra (televised).

He has worked as Cover Conductor for the Royal Ballet productions of The Rite of Spring; Giselle; Chroma; Concerto; The Judas Tree; Monotones; La Valse and Marguerite & Armand.

He has composed music for film, TV, theatre, and the concert platform, as well as writing and conducting orchestrations for Ruthie Henshall's album, Pilgrim. He has also orchestrated The Ballad of Little Jo, Company and the new production Judy & Liza. He attended the Film Music Institute Orchestration Course in Los Angeles and composed the score for the film Night Junkies, released in the USA in 2007.

Michael has twice composed music for the Royal Ballet, Draft Works (Clore) and New Works (Linbury). His 40 minute ballet, La Destinée, commissioned by the Royal Ballet School, premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in July 2013.

www.michaelengland.info

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Sarah Ingram is a London-based actress whose musical theatre credits include Miss Jane in Floyd Collins (Wilton's Music Hall), Paulette in Legally Blonde (South Korea for The Curve) Grand High Witch in The Witches (The Curve and Tour) Medium / Aunt in See What I Wanna See (Jermyn Street Theatre), Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd (Twickenham Theatre), Stella in Follies (Opera de Toulon), Josie in Taboo (Brixton Club House), Mrs Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank (York Theatre Royal and Tour), Miss Hannigan in Annie (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Road Show (Menier Chocolate Factory), Hannah Owens in Flashdance (Shaftesbury Theatre, West End), Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls (Kilworth House Theatre, Leicester), Mrs Blair in Inherit The Wind (Old Vic Theatre), Ursula in Much Ado About Nothing (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Sarah/Naomi in Imagine This (New London Theatre & Plymouth Theatre Royal), Mrs Pearce in My Fair Lady (Singapore/Kuala Lumpa), Lina Lamont in Singing in the Rain (Hereford Court Yard), Marge McDougal in Promises Promises (Sheffield Crucible), Mrs O'Brian in Showboat (Royal Albert Hall), Felicia in Murderous Instincts (Savoy Theatre), Dinah Murphy in South Pacific (Royal National Theatre), Sonia Walsk in Neil Simons' They're Playing Our Song (The English Theatre of Frankfurt), Therese Talien in the original West End production of Napoleon (Shaftesbury Theatre), Mrs Cratchitt in A Christmas Carol (Derby Playhouse), Maddie in Women Laughing (Not The National Theatre Tour), Sarah's own one woman show Portrait of a Lady (New End Theatre, Hampstead), The Dressmaker in Spin (Royal National Theatre Studio), Sylvie in Oklahoma! (Royal National Theatre and Lyceum Theatre), Anya in A Brief Affair (The Bridewell Theatre), Catherine in Martin Guerre (Prince Edward Theatre), Mona in Chicago (Leicester Haymarket), Maggie in Yakety Yak, and Rosie in Cabaret (The Sheffield Crucible). 

National tours include Scrooge with Anthony Newley, Minnie Faye in Hello Dolly with Dora Bryan, Alternate Laurey in Oklahoma! and Anytime Annie in 42nd Street.  

Film and television credits include: Daphne in Open Air, Come Home Ginger for Mentorn Films, Sylvie in the film of the Royal National Theatre's production of Oklahoma! and Sarah/Naomi in PBS’s production of Imagine This.

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Some thoughts for the year ahead and wishing everyone hope and joy for 2021.