The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Written and Adapted by the Tower Theatre Company.
Additional contribution by Lucy Moss
Directed by Angharad Ormond
Wednesday 10th - Saturday 13th July and Tuesday 16th - Saturday 20th July, 2019
At the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
Photography by Robert Piwko
Cast List
Sandra Clark, a Librarian : Sarah Bower
Dani Weaver, a Handywoman : Emily Carmichael
John Nunn, a Priest : Paul Graves
G.Chaucer, a Writer : Arabella Hornby
Alice Bath, a Matchmaker : Deborah Ley
Alexandra Knight, a Soldier : Toñi Madja
Justin Mann, a Lawyer : Alistair Maydon
Harriet Bailey, a Train Guard : Alexa Wall
John Squire, a Musician : Paul Willcocks
Robin Mills, a Bookie : Ryan Williams
Production Team
Director : Angharad Ormond
Set and Costume Design : Rachel Elfassy Bitoun
Lighting Design : Samuel Littley
Assistant Lighting Designer : Catja Hamilton
Music and Sound Director : Rosie Hayes
Contributing Writer : Lucy Moss
Assistant Directors : Ian Hoare, Brenda Naso
Stage Manager : Steph Siraut
ASM : Shelly Cordner
Lighting Operator : Sarah Dunworth
Get-In and Rigging : John McSpadyen, Laurence Tuerk, Wendy Parry, Phillip Ley
Foley Consultant : Ruth Sullivan
Puppetry Consultant : Isaac Insley
Operatic Consultant : Gareth Johns
Fight Director : Richard Kirby
Sarah Bower first joined the Questors Theatre in Ealing as a novice participant in the "Acting For All" workshop series in September 2008. She has been enthusiastically supporting productions at Questors and the Tower ever since then, with participation in Encore (2016), Countryman's Wife (2016), Cinderella (2017), Pygmalion (2018), as Front of House, ASM, and small acting parts, in order to gain more experience alongside skilled acting members.
Recently she has been a member of the City Lit College "Foundation in Drama" (2018/2019), a one year part time introduction to acting.
The Canterbury Tales will be Emily Carmichael's ninth production with the Tower Theatre. Her last appearance on its stage was as four different characters in the ensemble family saga, Table. Emily trained at the London School of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2011, and is currently studying counselling skills in the hopes of qualifying as a CAMHS practitioner. An English Lit graduate and a lover of music, puppetry, physical theatre and foley, she couldn't resist the chance to appear in this fresh take on Chaucer's classic and to work with such a talented and compassionate team.
This is Paul Graves's third production with the Tower Theatre following on from his performances as Renton in Trainspotting and Winston in 1984. With Putney Theatre Company he has played Sebastian in The Tempest (2018) and Touchstone in As You Like It (2017) and was a set designer on SEDOS's immersive production Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On which won the 2017 NODA prize for innovation. He has also appeared on stage with improvised comedy troupes Yesterday's Comedy Made Awesome and Impropotamus. Between working on productions he has taken acting courses with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the RSC and Punchdrunk.
This is Arabella Hornby's first performance with the Tower Theatre Company. Arabella graduated from the University of Leeds in 2018, having studied History of Art. Since graduating she has performed as Marianne in a production of Constellations at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in London. She then went on to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018 in a new piece of writing entitled The Insignificant Life and Death. Last year Arabella also co-founded her own theatre company named '3-Hive'.
Deborah Ley last performed at the Tower in The Thrill of Love earlier this year and before that in The Return of the Marionettes (2016). She first appeared on the stage with ENTENS, in productions of The Dresser, Pack of Lies, Gaslight and Habeas Corpus. Deborah joined the Tower in 1991 and enjoyed performing in both plays and musicals from The Changeling to Underneath the Arches.
This is Toñi Madja's second production with the Tower Theatre, having appeared as Bernarda in The House of Bernarda Alba two years ago. After discovering acting while taking a short course at City Lit, she successfully completed their Foundation and Access courses. Stage credits include Yerma as Dolores (Cervantes Theatre), A Dancer's Journey, as part of a flamenco ensemble (Morley College), and Judgement Day, playing a male Public Prosecutor (John Lyons Theatre). Film includes Chocolate Coloured Sweetheart (Rayowa), Every Boy in Me (Mother), Kamsa (Mom), Venison (Nurse Mary), Zeitlos (Traveller) and the web series Shrink (Dr. Okafor Williams). Toñi is currently teaching Spanish and French at a local primary school, and is particularly enjoying using drama in her lessons. She is very excited to be part of this production!
Alistair Maydon's recent roles include Archbishop Warham in Wolf Hall which toured to the magnificent Minack Theatre, Yakov in The Seagull (also as assistant director) and James Reiss in King Charles III. He is now delighted to be a fellow traveller on the road to Canterbury.
Having graduated from London School of Dramatic Art in 2016, Alexa Wall performed in plays such as Roots as Beatie Bryant, Girls and Dolls as Clare and Got to Be Happy as Caroline. She then went on to become a Radio DJ for some of London's biggest internet radio stations. This is her first performance for the Tower Theatre, and her first step back into immersive theatre.
This is Paul Willcocks's second production with director Angharad Ormond, having previously appeared in Kindertransport at Theatro Technis and Upstairs at the Gatehouse. Other productions for the Tower Theatre include Arcadia (as Valentine) and Brontë (as Branwell). Paul also recently appeared as Fabian in Kwame Kwei-Armah's highly acclaimed musical production of Twelfth Night at the Young Vic Theatre.
Ryan Williams has performed with regional theatres across the UK for over a decade now; alongside furthering his studies in Vakhtangov and Method techniques. Prior to arriving in London, he acted with theatre companies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and even in the U.S., playing roles such as Brick Pollitt in A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Paul Bratter in Barefoot in The Park. This is Ryan's second show with the Tower as a performer; he appeared in Trainspotting earlier this year.
Angharad Ormond has been a Tower Theatre Company member for over four years and was the winner of the 2017 Frank Smith award which recognises the most outstanding newcomer to the Company. She has been seen on stage as Laura in The Priory, Nell in Little Nell, Daphne in Sailor, Beware! and as Cathy Jackson in the musical The Return of the Marionettes. She trained at the Drama Studio London and began directing for the Tower in 2017 with Kindertransport, shortly followed by an immersive production of 1984. Angharad also works as a Clinical Psychologist and she brings her experiences into her work as a director.
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The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer |
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Wednesday 10th - Saturday 13th July and Tuesday 16th - Saturday 20th July, 2019 |
Photography by Robert Piwko
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Cast List
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Production Team
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Sarah Bower first joined the Questors Theatre in Ealing as a novice participant in the "Acting For All" workshop series in September 2008. She has been enthusiastically supporting productions at Questors and the Tower ever since then, with participation in Encore (2016), Countryman's Wife (2016), Cinderella (2017), Pygmalion (2018), as Front of House, ASM, and small acting parts, in order to gain more experience alongside skilled acting members.
Recently she has been a member of the City Lit College "Foundation in Drama" (2018/2019), a one year part time introduction to acting.
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The Canterbury Tales will be Emily Carmichael's ninth production with the Tower Theatre. Her last appearance on its stage was as four different characters in the ensemble family saga, Table. Emily trained at the London School of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2011, and is currently studying counselling skills in the hopes of qualifying as a CAMHS practitioner. An English Lit graduate and a lover of music, puppetry, physical theatre and foley, she couldn't resist the chance to appear in this fresh take on Chaucer's classic and to work with such a talented and compassionate team.
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|
|
|
This is Paul Graves's third production with the Tower Theatre following on from his performances as Renton in Trainspotting and Winston in 1984. With Putney Theatre Company he has played Sebastian in The Tempest (2018) and Touchstone in As You Like It (2017) and was a set designer on SEDOS's immersive production Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On which won the 2017 NODA prize for innovation. He has also appeared on stage with improvised comedy troupes Yesterday's Comedy Made Awesome and Impropotamus. Between working on productions he has taken acting courses with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the RSC and Punchdrunk.
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|
This is Arabella Hornby's first performance with the Tower Theatre Company. Arabella graduated from the University of Leeds in 2018, having studied History of Art. Since graduating she has performed as Marianne in a production of Constellations at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in London. She then went on to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018 in a new piece of writing entitled The Insignificant Life and Death. Last year Arabella also co-founded her own theatre company named '3-Hive'.
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| Deborah Ley last performed at the Tower in The Thrill of Love earlier this year and before that in The Return of the Marionettes (2016). She first appeared on the stage with ENTENS, in productions of The Dresser, Pack of Lies, Gaslight and Habeas Corpus. Deborah joined the Tower in 1991 and enjoyed performing in both plays and musicals from The Changeling to Underneath the Arches.
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This is Toñi Madja's second production with the Tower Theatre, having appeared as Bernarda in The House of Bernarda Alba two years ago. After discovering acting while taking a short course at City Lit, she successfully completed their Foundation and Access courses. Stage credits include Yerma as Dolores (Cervantes Theatre), A Dancer's Journey, as part of a flamenco ensemble (Morley College), and Judgement Day, playing a male Public Prosecutor (John Lyons Theatre). Film includes Chocolate Coloured Sweetheart (Rayowa), Every Boy in Me (Mother), Kamsa (Mom), Venison (Nurse Mary), Zeitlos (Traveller) and the web series Shrink (Dr. Okafor Williams). Toñi is currently teaching Spanish and French at a local primary school, and is particularly enjoying using drama in her lessons. She is very excited to be part of this production!
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|
|
|
Alistair Maydon's recent roles include Archbishop Warham in Wolf Hall which toured to the magnificent Minack Theatre, Yakov in The Seagull (also as assistant director) and James Reiss in King Charles III. He is now delighted to be a fellow traveller on the road to Canterbury.
|
|
Having graduated from London School of Dramatic Art in 2016, Alexa Wall performed in plays such as Roots as Beatie Bryant, Girls and Dolls as Clare and Got to Be Happy as Caroline. She then went on to become a Radio DJ for some of London's biggest internet radio stations. This is her first performance for the Tower Theatre, and her first step back into immersive theatre.
|
|
|
|
This is Paul Willcocks's second production with director Angharad Ormond, having previously appeared in Kindertransport at Theatro Technis and Upstairs at the Gatehouse. Other productions for the Tower Theatre include Arcadia (as Valentine) and Brontë (as Branwell). Paul also recently appeared as Fabian in Kwame Kwei-Armah's highly acclaimed musical production of Twelfth Night at the Young Vic Theatre.
|
|
Ryan Williams has performed with regional theatres across the UK for over a decade now; alongside furthering his studies in Vakhtangov and Method techniques. Prior to arriving in London, he acted with theatre companies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and even in the U.S., playing roles such as Brick Pollitt in A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Paul Bratter in Barefoot in The Park. This is Ryan's second show with the Tower as a performer; he appeared in Trainspotting earlier this year.
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Angharad Ormond has been a Tower Theatre Company member for over four years and was the winner of the 2017 Frank Smith award which recognises the most outstanding newcomer to the Company. She has been seen on stage as Laura in The Priory, Nell in Little Nell, Daphne in Sailor, Beware! and as Cathy Jackson in the musical The Return of the Marionettes. She trained at the Drama Studio London and began directing for the Tower in 2017 with Kindertransport, shortly followed by an immersive production of 1984. Angharad also works as a Clinical Psychologist and she brings her experiences into her work as a director.
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