Munsbach Summer School

Graeme was first invited to teach at the summer school in 1994 and he has since returned to this wonderful event on a regular basis.

His work includes writing, directing, musical directing, acting and teaching. He has been at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester for the past 9 years as musical director for their Pantomimes. Other theatre work includes:

The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui (currently in rehearsal with director Janice Dunn) and Oh What a Lovely War, also at the Mercury Theatre. Graeme was the musical director on both shows and additionally played Sir John French in Oh What A Lovely War. Graeme has also been in shows at the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, the Liverpool Everyman, the Crucible Theatre Sheffield, New Perspectives Theatre Company, Salisbury Playhouse, Solent People's Theatre, Norwich Playhouse, Forest Forge Theatre Company, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, and at the London Palladium Graeme was in the cast of Showboat .He is co –founder and director of In FieriTheatre with ex summer school director Mike McCormack,

On film and television he has been in many programmes including Truly Madly Deeply, Inspector Morse, Holding On, Streets Apart, Henry Pratt, Casualty, The Blonde Bombshell,Family Affair, Micawber,Chucklevision and most recently Murder City.

Graeme’s directing credits range from professional, student and amateur productions including several community plays: Open Arms by Rib Davis, his own adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and two of his own plays : Taking Its Toll and It’s Hard To Resist. Recent professional directing credits include From Fetlock To Forecourt and with students TheThreepenny Opera. The Natural History Museum in London commissioned a new play for children called the Beast Feast which he also directed. Recently he wrote some music for a production of Not About Heroes, for the Classic Theatre Company.

Graeme lectures in drama at London Metropolitan University from where he holds a master’s degree. He is also continuing his research there for a Ph.D. He is also currently head of singing on the 3-year acting course at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

Mike trained as an actor at Central School in the 1970's and has performed in regional theatres throughout Britain, played Shakespeare in Regent's Park and in 1990 led his own company on a world tour of Lyall Watson's Cage. He has directed numerous productions throughout Britain and Europe and was the founding Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre, London. He is also a puppeteer, mime and magician and has directed a number of large scale actor/puppet productions for Parasol Theatre for Children, most recently Snow White in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. He is co-founding Director [with Graeme] of In Fieri Theatre for whom he played Macbeth earlier this year. Mike has taught since 1982 and was a member of the Board of Directors of British Theatre Association Training. Mike is Senior Lecturer in Drama at John Moores University, Liverpool.

Life-long theatre director specialising in classical work and in new writing, with parallel careers as a drama school and university teacher in the UK and United States, plus extensive broadcast drama. Sometime Vice-chair of the Directors’ Guild of Great Britain, Anthony in recent years has returned to a senior academic post in the Department of drama and Dance at Tufts University, Massachusetts, renewing a long-standing connection begun as Director of Studies and Artist in Residence.

Over the last 15 years Janice has worked with a wide variety of groups, in a selection of settings. This work has ranged from directing and choreographing professional companies, students and youth theatres as well as education work in schools.

Janice was associate director at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from 1996 to 1999, where she was responsible for all the community, education and T.I.E output. Janice also directed several main house and studio shows there including Chicago and Guys and Dolls, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Boyband, Road and It’s alovely Day Tomorrow.

More recently in a similar role at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Janice has continued with all these strands of work. For the main stage there she has directed Babesin the Wood and three other Pantomimes which she also choreographed: Jack and theBeanstalk, Dick Whittington and Cinderella. She also wrote the latter two and Aladdin. She has also directed Coward’s Present Laughter, The Europeans by Howard Barker, Oh What a Lovely War, The Triumph of Love, Road and The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui (currently in rehearsal) at the Mercury, Sound of a Hammer at Birmingham Rep, Goldfish at the Liverpool Everyman and The Force of Change at the Royal Court. She also wrote and directed a new writing project in the Mercury studio entitled Slammers.

Janice’s own company, Mad Half Hour, performed her own show Camped Out at the Edinburgh Festival in 2002 and has toured schools with various issue-based pieces.

She has run workshops in the U.K. and abroad, most recently working with MA students at Essex University on Grotowski. She has been responsible for the planning and delivery of the Mercury’s twice-yearly development programme for the professional company involving specialist and in-depth work in various areas of performance and practice.

Following her initial training at Bretton Hall College, Janice has trained with a variety of practitioners including dance therapy with Wolfgang Stange, mask work with Geese Theatre, physical theatre with Odin Teatret, Denmark, Grotowski and directing with Eugenio Barba and movement/mask with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Sue Lefton.

Noel Greig has worked in theatre since 1966, as an actor, writer, director and dramaturge. He also teaches on a regular basis in schools and colleges, universities and on special courses.

Companies with whom he has been centrally involved include:

The Brighton Combination : in 1968 the Combination was the first alternative theatre company to have its own building. Noël was one of the three co-founding directors and its director of productions. The Combination launched the first Brighton Festival fringe. The company later transferred to Deptford in London where it set up the Albany Empire.

The General Will : from 1973-77 Noel was writer and director for this foremost touring political theatre group.

Gay Sweatshop : 1977-87 Noël wrote, directed and acted for the company, producing some of its most internationally acclaimed shows. For a number of those years he was also Administrative Director, responsible for fundraising, setting up tours and representing the company to funding bodies.

The Royal Court : Noël has spent periods of time as the resident writers' tutor for the Royal Court YPT; he also works as freelance dramaturge for the theatre and is annual tutor on its international programme.

Theatre Centre YPT : Noël has written and directed for the company since 1986. He has also held the posts of Writer in Residence and Resident Dramaturge.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre: Literary Associate and co-director of the annual Transmissions Festival of new plays.

Noël has also held posts as dramaturge and writer-in-residence at The Crucible (Sheffield) and Red Ladder ( Leeds).

International Work

Noël regularly works abroad in all capacities: Singapore, Canada, India, South Africa., Nigeria, Syria, Jordan. A major feature of his work abroad has been to create work which links groups of young people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. For example, a long-range ‘twinning’ between a school in Nottingham, UK, and a school in Singapore, resulting in a shared written text which was then produced in both schools.

Some recent work

2000 - 2004: Literary Associate at Birmingham Repertory. Also director of Transmissions: the Rep's annual festival of new plays.

2002 and 2004: Lead Artist on Contacting the World, a large-scale project, involving 6 UK and 6 International companies, coming together at the Contact Theatre in Manchester.

2003 - 2004: Writers' tutor for Authentic Voices - a long-term project in London's East End, aimed at creating original work from young people in the area, with an emphasis on young Bengali women. The work was finally produced with a team of professional actors and toured to schools.

2003: Director for Love in the 21 st Century at Leicester Haymarket Theatre. A large-scale community event, with contributions by representatives of the range of communities in the city - plays, poetry, dance, song, music.

2003: Director for Glyndebourne Opera's annual community opera.

2003: Co-director for Reality Check for Theatre Centre.

2004: Co-director for Trashed for Theatre Centre.

Some recent plays:

Trashed . (Theatre Centre YPT)

Brand New World. (Live Theatre, Newcastle)

Always the Bridesmaid. (BBC Radio 4, afternoon play)

Brave Swimmer . (BBC Radio 4, afternoon play)

In Full Flow . (Age Exchange Theatre)

Picture Me. (Red Ladder Theatre)

At Break Of Day . (Nomad Theatre)

Eye Test . ( Epping Forest Arts)

Alice . ( Nottingham Playhouse)

Noël's book, Playwriting, a practical guide , was published by Routledge in October 2004

Noel has plays published by: Goldsmith’s Plays; Cambridge University Press; G.M.P.; Methuen; Samuel French; Thomas Nelson.

Rhys studied at Hull University; has an MA (distinction) in Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths College, London and in 1991 he won the Rose Bruford Trust Directors Award for his production Aquarium. He has taught and directed theatre in the U.K and abroad; recently in Tel Aviv, Israel directing David Edgar's Nicholas Nickleby. Other work abroad includes Shakespeare's Macbeth (Beit Zvi Theatre, Israel), Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (Ramad-gan Library Theatre, Israel), Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (Harlekin Art Festival, France) and the world premiere of The Tale of Peter Vanicek by David Bridel (Nitra International Theatre Festival, Slovakia). Productions in the U.K include Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn (Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton), the 30th Anniversary production of Steven Berkoff's Metamorphosis (The Albany, London), Dr Faustus (Latchmere, London), Road (Green Room, Manchester) Godspell (Tameside Apollo, Manchester) and world premiere's of The Immigrant Song by Mick Martin (The Albany, London), 100 Years of Enchantment by David Bridel (The Oval House/Union Chapel, London) and The Rabbit by Meredydd Barker working with Terry Hands at Clwyd Theatr Cymru.Touring productions include national tours of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner adapted for the stage from the poem by Samuel Coleridge and Aquarium a triple bill comprising Lunch by Steven Berkoff, the world premiere of The Frog Queen by Gerd Knappe and Landscape by Harold Pinter.

From 1996 to 1999 Rhys was Artistic Director of The Brockley Jack Theatre, London. Implementing a robust programme of new, classic and contemporary writing. Rhys turned this small studio space into one of the most popular small-scale venues in London. Productions included Bouncers, The Elephant Man, Sweeney Todd, The Hairy Ape, September in the Rain, East, and world premieres of work by Rhiannon Tise, David Bridel, Barney Aston and Mick Martin including the premiere of his BAFTA/TAPS award-winning play Life and Times of Young Bob Scallion.

Rhys was Resident Director at Tameside College in East Manchester from 1991-1993 where he worked alongside other specialist arts practitioners to empower and enable young people from a variety of backgrounds to engage with the imaginative and creative possibilities of the theatre. He has undertaken specialist training with Monika Pagneaux (L'ecole Le Coq) and Elke Tasche (Volksbuhne, Berlin) and has subsequently taught acting, storytelling and ensemble performance in Israel, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Turkey; most recently in Istanbul for Z1 Films on behalf of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also taught audition technique, ensemble acting and directed a broad range of work in a number of British drama schools including Webber Douglas, Guildhall, Arts Educational, Guildford School of Acting and East 15.

Helen studied the piano at the Royal Northern College of Music and Peabody Conservatory, USA. After graduating from the University of Birmingham, she worked as an accompanist and ensemble player before being seduced into the world of theatre. Since then she has been a Musical Director working on both plays and musical shows in many repertory theatres in England, in London's West End and the Royal National Theatre ; she has toured in Europe and 'Godspell'ed in Africa with David Essex. Helen has taught and coached children, adults, musicians, actors, amateurs and professionals in drama schools (Rose Bruford College, RADA, Central School), adult education establishments, youth theatres, summer school courses and privately.

Singer, performer, tutor, voice researcher and writer, Barb Jungr has performed and workshopped in Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Canada. Her innovative shows embrace performance, singing, stories and humour. During 1999 Barb presents Red Roses Blue Ladies, Girl Talk, created with Claire Martin and Mari Wilson, a continuing collaboration with director writer, Julia Pascal and Bare, her new show for the Edinburgh Festival where, in 1987, she was the first woman to receive a coveted Perrier Award. She also appears in Opera Circus' Cut With a Kitchen Knife. She is also an experienced TV performer and broadcaster and composes and arranges themes for Julian Clary's spectacular shows. Barb runs adult and children's choirs, is a respected voice tutor and writes and researches on the voice.

London-based artist Peta Lily has been creating theatre works since 1983. She began her performing life as an actress in Repertory Theatre, and later became regarded as one of the UK’s leading physical theatre practitioners developing her own extraordinary breed of physical theatre which brings together the voice and body.
She directs and devises shows, plays, opera and circus. As a solo performer and with the DAVID GLASS ENSEMBLE, she has toured the UK, Europe, Mexico, Indonesia, Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Australia and Brazil, most recently with solo shows Topless and MiDRiff. She has written numerous devised shows and two play texts: The Porter's Daughter and Blame.
Last year she directed Robbie Gringras’ The Situation Comedy (four stars at the Edinburgh Fringe). She is currently working on To Be and to Have - a show by writer video animator Karla Gajda, for this year’s Fringe, as well as creating a musical Please Look at Me Now for Youth Music Theatre:UK, also in August 2005.
Peta has taught and directed students abroad at various schools including the Philippe Gaulier School and at Arts Ed, the Welsh College of Music and Drama , Mountview and at the Central School of Drama in the U.K. She also works as an executive coach. Peta’s training includes Jacques Le Coq, Gaulier, Monika Pagneaux , Carlo Bosso (Commedia dell’arte) and Mike Alfreds (direction).

Lyall was a theatre director and acting teacher for twenty-five years and directed several repertory companies including the Bristol Old Vic. He was co-founder, with Mike McCormack, of the Finborough Theatre. He has worked for the British Council, the British Theatre Association, the EEC and the Lincoln Center, New York, as well as at most major British Drama Schools, culminating in his appointment in 1987 as Deputy Principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Since leaving to write, he has had seven plays performed and his first film was chosen for the Leeds International Film Festival. He has seen his work presented at six Edinburgh Festivals, across Europe, in the House of Commons and as far away as Fiji.

Ris studied English and Theatre Studies at Lancaster University and trained at Britain's leading physical theatre school, The Desmond Jones School of Mime and Physical Theatre, where she now teaches. She is the founder of Mimus Mimandus, a touring company focusing on Brazilian themes, and performs solo as a clown/jester. She was a member of the board of Mime Action Group [now Total Theatre] with a particular interest in training and has written extensively for Total Theatre magazine. Ris recently spent six months in Rio de Janeiro working with Augusto Boal and Teatro do Oprimido and filmed his workshops both in Brazil and with the RSC in the UK.

Jen is a director, teacher and performer. She is based in Liverpool and has strong links with the Unity Theatre where she is to be Artist in Residence from Sept 2002 – Jan 2003. She was a founder member of Bare Faced Cheek Theatre Company and more recently Cut To The Chase Productions. Her directing credits include 2 award winning productions THERESE RAQUIN and WANNABE. She has taught at Liverpool John Moores University for the past 3 and a half years as well as Wolverhampton University, Hope Street Actors Centre and The Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. She has directed 2 extremely successful productions in Oporto, Portugal YERMA and WOMEN IN SHAKESPEARE for ESMAE Academy of Music and Theatre and has been invited to work with Teatro de Garagem in Lisbon later this year. She has been associate director on many community projects including OUR TOWN (Millenium Dome) and OUR HOUSE OUR HOME (Liverpool Housing Association and residents) as well as touring youth theatre productions and running a thriving youth theatre for 6 years.

Julia Mcleish is a teacher, singer, director, musical director and animateur. She trained at Middlesex University and has performed as a singer in many Musicals, concert halls and venues across the UK. She is the Artistic Director of Bedfordshire Youth Opera, being nominated for an East of England Arts Award for her 2001 production of SWEENEY TODD. Other recent productions include RIDERS TO THE SEA (JM Synge), TRIAL BY JURY (Gilbert and Sullivan), DOWN IN THE VALLEY (Weill) and INTO THE WOODS (Sondheim). Recently she has set up her own company Peculiar Productions which approaches work with an original educational concept. She has taught for eight years across the entire educational spectrum from schools and colleges to work in Higher Education at Luton University and most recently has been working as a choral animateur with under-privileged children.