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Snapdragon Productions in association with Park Theatre presents

The Dead Wait

by Paul Herzberg

Snapdragon Productions | Producers

Snapdragon return to the Park Theatre following their five star multi-award nominated production of Thark in August / September.

Other productions in development include A Bill of Divorcement by Clemence Dane and a new commission with the playwright and screen writer Al Smith.

Other previous productions include the revival of A Life by Hugh Leonard, the London premiere of Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy which was named Time Out Critics’ Choice, the world premiere of Barrow Hill by Jane Wainwright, the European premiere of Michael Healey’s Generous which enjoyed two sell-out runs and was also named Time Out Critics’ Choice, the award-winning European premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Me and Juliet (all Finborough Theatre) and Anna Karenina (Arcola Theatre). Snapdragon co-produced the world premiere of Anders Lustgarten’s A Day at the Racists (Finborough Theatre and the Broadway Theatre, Barking) which was nominated for the 2010 TMA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Regional Theatre and won the playwright the Inaugural Harold Pinter Award for Playwriting.

 

Paul Herzberg | Playwright

Playwright and actor Paul Herzberg served as a conscript during the time of the Angolan war. The Dead Wait is based, in part, on his experiences and the remarkable events connected to another soldier. It was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award; and on its UK premiere at The Royal Exchange received three Manchester Evening News Award nominations including Best Play and Production, winning in the third category for Best Actor.

As a writer, Paul’s theatre work includes The Dead Wait, Where’s The Bull? (London Radio Writers Award), Be Bop The Ruler (Time Out Fringe First Nomination), Sweet Like Suga (Old Red Lion & Centaur Montreal), For BBC Radio Dreaming Up Laura, The Song Of My Father, The Crackwalker and The Wolf And Peter; and for film, Almost Heaven (Nashville International Best Feature).


Joe Harmston | Director

Joe’s theatre work has spanned a wide range of productions in London, across the UK, Europe and the USA, including Harold Pinter’s The Lover and The Collection starring the writer (Donmar Warehouse) and Laurie Slade’s Joe & I starring Peter Bowles (The King’s Head). His most recent productions include the acclaimed reappraisal of Strindberg’s The Father (The Belgrade, Coventry) and The Prodigals (UK Tour). Harmston’s focus on new writing has led him to work closely over long periods with playwrights including Harold Pinter, Sir Ronald Harwood, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Sir David Hare, Sir Peter Ustinov as well as Laurie Slade, Paul Herzberg and Rod Dungate.

 

Simon Scullion | Set Designer

Simon trained at the Wimbledon School of Art, and was a Linbury Theatre Design finalist in 1993.
His collaboration with Joe Harmston began in 2001 at the Palace Theatre, Westcliffe, where Simon created the design for the inaugural Agatha Christie Festival. This later became the Agatha Christie Theatre Company, who present an annual touring production, which Simon and Joe continue to collaborate on.

Simon's UK touring credits include The Father, Murder on the Nile, The Haunting, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, Verdict, Witness for the Prosecution, If I Were You, Girl's Night Out, Lark Rise to Candleford, Quartet, Spider's Web, Deceptions, Woman in Mind, Grass is Greener, Peppa Pig LIVE, Lazytown LIVE, I Do! I Do!, And Then There Were None, Quartermaine's Terms, Tons of Money, Sleuth, Murder on Air Radio Plays, Elizabeth and Raleigh, The Unexpected Guest, Killer Joe and The Hollow.

His West End and Off West End credits include Volcano (Vaudeville Theatre), The Leisure Society (Trafalgar Studio), Playing With Grown Ups (Theatre 503), Woman in Mind (find West End transfer venue), Potted Potter (Edinburgh, Vaudeville Theatre and Off Broadway), Daddy Cool – The Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), What We Did To Weinstein (Menier Chocolate Factory), Joe and I (The King's Head), How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (The Arts Theatre), Murderer (Menier Chocolate Factory), Fair Maid of the West (Pleasance Theatre), Zipp! (Duchess Theatre), My Sainted Aunt (New End Theatre). Simon also provided additional design support for the West End transfer of Wait Until Dark (Garrick Theatre).


Mike Robertson | Lighting Designer

In 2007 Mike was the winner of the Best Lighting Design Olivier Award for his work on Sunday in the Park with George (Menier Chocolate Factory and Wyndhams Theatre). In 2010 he was nominated for a What's On Stage Design award for his design for On The Waterfront (Theatre Royal Haymarket). He is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and now works in most sectors of the lighting industry from plays to opera and events to architecture also winning the best design award for The Ideal Home Show in 2008.

As well as a plethora of west end and regional credits, Mike has also enjoyed international success in America, Hong Kong and Zimbabwe. He also regularly collaborates with Steven Berkoff on projects such as On The Waterfront and Oedipus. Outside of theatre, Mike was also part of the team that designed the lighting for the new fleet of Virgin Atlantic aircraft and for the largest passenger plane to date, Airbus A380. He has also worked with the likes of Imagination, Pearce & Company and Equation on their architectural lighting design.
Mike has also recently created the 'New Colour Blue' series for Lee Filters that has become the 8th highest selling gel colour in the world.

Recent credits include The Billie Holiday Story (Charing Cross Theatre), Parade (Old Vic Tunnels), Gibraltar (Arcola Theatre), Dear World (Charing Cross Theatre), Fragile (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), Volcano (Vaudeville Theatre and UK Tour), The Father (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), Funny Peculiar (UK Tour), Riccardo Primo (Royal College of Music), The Producers (Arts Ed), Six Actors in Search of a Director (Charing Cross Theatre, Directed by Steven Berkoff), Death & Gardening (UK Tour, Edinburgh Festival), Dry Rot (UK Tour), Murder on the Nile (UK Tour), Verdict (UK Tour), Oedipus (Nottingham Playhouse and Edinburgh Festival), Third Floor (Trafalgar Studios), Company (Southwark Playhouse), Billy Liar (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Larkrise to Candleford (UK Tour), On The Waterfront – for which he was nominated for a What’s On Stage award (Theatre Royal Haymarket and UK Tour), Cabaret (Wilton’s Music Hall), Guys & Dolls (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Educating Rita (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), Wolfboy (George Square Theatre, Edinburgh), New Boy (Trafalgar Studios), Hair (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Too Close to the Sun (Comedy Theatre), My Fair Lady (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Anything Goes (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Five Guys Named Moe (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Sunday in the Park With George , for which he won the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design (Menier Chocolate Factory and Wyndhams Theatre), Othello (Birmingham Stage Company), Sit and Shiver directed by Steven Berkoff (Hackney Empire), Deathtrap (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Seesaw (Arts Ed), The Spring Proms (Royal Albert Hall), Fascinating Aida (UK Tour), The Glee Club (Bolton Octagon and Cochrane Theatre) and The Wood Demon (Playhouse Theatre).

 

Matthew Bugg | Sound Design and Original Composition

Matthew trained as both a dancer and musician and has been working as a composer and choreographer since graduating from the University of Birmingham.

In January/February 2011 Matthew’s first musical, Miss Nightingale, was presented at the Lowry Studio, Salford and the King’s Head Theatre, London.

He has also been commissioned to compose classical music for the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra, Polish National Radio, the Royal opening of the Hillsborough disaster memorial garden and Breathe for Cambridge Youth Orchestra performed at the Edinburgh Festival.

Matthew's West End lighting design credits include Volcano (Vaudeville Theatre) and The Secret of Sherlock Holmes (Duchess Theatre).

His touring credits include Go Back for Murder, Handyman, Angelina Ballerina, Barefoot in the Park, Star Quality, Murder on the Nile, Quartet and My Brilliant Divorce.

His credits as a choreographer include Hound of the Baskervilles, Some Like it HotterAll Quiet on the Western Front (Composer and Choreographer), Jamaica Inn (Composer and Choreographer), Northanger Abbey (Composer and Choreographer), and Government Inspector and  Canterbury Tales for Northern Broadsides.

 

Holly Rose Henshaw | Costume Designer

Holly trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Her work varies from set and costume design, to fashion design, illustration and installations.

For Snapdragon Productions, Holly was Costume Designer for Thark (Park Theatre) and A Life (Finborough Theatre). Previous work includes Untitled 13 (in production with Thin Man Films), Spring Awakening (Central School of Speech and Drama), the Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Landance South West Olympic Festival 2012, Accidental Festival 2012 (Roundhouse), True Stories (BBC2), The Kitchen (National Theatre), Transformation and Revelation (Prague Design Quadrennial 2011), Beanfield (Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter) and Rhinoceros (Northcott Theatre, Exeter).


Kate Plantin | Casting Director

Kate Plantin is a Casting Director of Film, Theatre and Television and has worked extensively for over twenty years, having previously worked in production at the BBC.

Kate's casting credits for theatre include Storm in a Flower Vase (directed by Alan Strachan), Kindertransport (directed by Andrew Hall), The Handyman (directed by Joe Harmston), Kemble's Riot (directed by Adrian Bunting), The Father (directed by Joe Harmston), Fever Pitch (directed by Paul Hodson), Of Mice and Men (directed by Alan Cohen), Touching the Blue (directed by Joe Wenborne), Broken Strings (directed by Joe Wenborne), Joan Rivers – A Work in Progress (directed by Sean Foley), On the Island of Aars (directed by Chris Larner), Haunted (directed by Paul Jepson), Lone Star and Private Wars (directed by Henry Mason), Rough for Theatre 1 and 2 (directed by Gari Jones), Teenage Kicks (directed by Paul Hodson), September Tide (directed by Ian Dickens), A Right Royal Farce (directed by Alan Cohen),  Road to Nirvana (directed by Colin McFarlane), Quiz Night (directed by David Giles), 15 Minutes (directed by Paul Jepson), Telstar (directed by Paul Jepson), The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek (directed by Raz Shaw), On Your Toes (directed by Paul Kerryson) and Follie (directed by Paul Kerryson).

Her casting credits for film include Outpost: Rise of The Spetsnaz (directed by Kieran Parker), Une Rencontre (directed by Lisa Azuelos), Gone Too Far (directed by Destiny Ekaragha), The Timber (directed by Anthony O'Brien), Dirty Weekend (directed by Christopher Granier-Deferre), Outpost: Black Sun (directed by Steve Barker), The Wicker Tree (directed by Robin Hardy), Siren (directed by Andrew Hull), Flight of the Swan (directed by Nikos Tzimas), Telstar (directed by Nick Moran), The Hide (directed by Marek Losey), Princess Ka'iulani (directed by Marc Forby), Invisible Eyes (directed by Olivier Cohen), Book of Blood (directed by John Harrison), City Rats (directed by Steve Kelly), Journal of a Contract Killer (directed by Tony Maylam), Senseless (directed by Simon Hynd) Dark Corners (directed by Ray Gower), Blind Dating (directed by James Keach), Turistas (directed by John Stockwell), 8mm2 (directed by Joe Cardone), Seed of Chucky (directed by Don Mancini), Method (directed by Duncan Roy), Chaos and Cadavers (directed by Niklaus Nilber) and Another Life (directed by Philip Goodhew).

Her casting credits for television include Ce Jour La, Tour a Change, Parallels-Relentless, Magic Grandan, Filthy Rich, Judge John Deed (2006 and 2007), New Street Law, Bernard's Watch, Dark Night, Out of the Ashes, Lexx X 24, Little Big Mouth, Tiny Planets, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Size Matters, Bus Stop, The Colour of Funny, Lily Savage, People's Princess, Frighteners, Action Man and The Higher Mortals.

She is a member of the Casting Directors Guild of Great Britain & Ireland and a member of BAFTA.