Biographies

Meera Syal

Meera Syal | Ambassador

Meera Syal CBE, graduated Manchester University with a double first in English & Drama. Her many acting credits include Beatrice in the RSC’s Much Ado About Nothing,  Zehrunissa in David Hare’s Behind The Beautiful Forevers (National Theatre) and The Nurse in Kenneth Branagh’s production of Romeo and Juliet. She was also writer-performer in the multi award winning comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars At Number 42. Her screenplays include Bhaji On The Beach, Anita And Me and My Sister Wife. Her first novel Anita And Me won the Betty Trask Award and is on the national schools curriculum. Her other critically acclaimed novels, Life Isnt All Ha Ha Hee Hee and The House Of Hidden Mothers she adapted for television. Meera is the recipient of several national awards including 2 British Comedy Awards, 2 International EMMYS, a BAFTA nomination, the Whats On Stage Award for Best Solo Performance for Shirley in Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine, 2 AFA, 2 RIMA awards and the Women In Film And Television Award for Creative Innovation. She holds honorary doctorates from SOAS and Manchester and Birmingham Universities and was visiting Professor Of Drama at Oxford University in 2012. She was awarded the CBE for Services To Drama And Literature in 2015.


David Horovitch

David Horovitch

David Horovitch has had a long and distinguished career. He has played leading parts all over the country, most notably at The Royal Exchange, Manchester where his many appearances have included Prospero in The Tempest and Undershaft in Major Barbara. More recently he has played opposite Alison Steadman in Losing Louis (Hampstead and Trafalgar Studios); appeared in two Ayckbourn plays in The West End – Absurd Person Singular (Garrick) and Bedroom Farce (Duke of York’s); Mary Stuart (Donmar and The Apollo); two plays by Ronald Harwood - Taking Sides and Collaboration (Chichester and The Duchess); Life is a Dream (Donmar) and When We Are Married (Garrick). At the RSC he has played the title role in Cymbeline and at the Royal Court has appeared in Spinning into Butter and Seven Jewish Children.

 

On television he is best remembered for his performance as Inspector Slack in the Miss Marple series with Joan Hickson and has also appeared in many other programmes including Foyle’s War; Midsomer Murders; Piece of Cake; Just William; The Sculptress; Deceit; and Ivanhoe.

His films include Max; 102 Dalmatians; and the Oscar nominated Solomon and Gaenor.


Celia Imrie

Celia Imrie

Described as "one of the greatest Britsh actresses of recent decades" Celia Imrie began her prolific career in the early 1970s. Her comic timing and sympathetic performances have made her a fixture on our screens, where she is known for her television performances in Sparkhouse, Acorn Antiques, Mr Harvey Lights A Candle and Kingdom ‐ and, on film, in Calendar Girls, Bridget Jones’s Diary and St Trinian’s. On stage she has performed extensively at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company and won an Olivier Award for her performance in Trevor Nunn’s Acorn Antiques the Musical.


Sean Mathias

Sean Mathias

Sean is a British theatre director, film director and writer. He has worked at the Royal National Theatre and in the West End, the Kennedy Centre, The Mark Taper Forum, Off-Broadway and also several times on Broadway, as well as Paris, Sydney, Cape Town and Los Angeles.

Sean has written a number of plays including the award winning A Prayer For Wings, and the screenplay for the award winning BBC film The Lost Language Of Cranes.

In 2009/2010 Sean was the Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Haymarket and his legendary production of Waiting For Godot played two seasons at the theatre, as well as touring the UK and internationally.


Hattie Morahan

Hattie Morahan

Hattie Morahan is an award-winning actress of stage and screen. Her work in theatre includes The Real Thing (Old Vic); The Seagull, Three More Sleepless Nights, Time and the Conways, ...some trace of her, Iphigenia at Aulis and Power (National Theatre); The Family Reunion (Donmar); The City (Royal Court); See How they Run; Arsenic and Old Lace (West End). Her work outside London includes Plenty (Sheffield Crucible); Twelfth Night (WYP); and for the RSC, Night of the Soul, The Prisoner's Dilemma, Hamlet, Love in a Wood and Huis Clos.

 

She’s shortly to be appearing as Nora in Simon Stephens’ new adaptation of A Doll’s House at the Young Vic.

Her extensive TV and Film work includes her recurring role of Jane in Outnumbered; Eternal Law; Money; Lewis; Bodies; Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye; The Peacock Spring; The Bank Job; The Golden Compass; the forthcoming Summer in February; and her award-winning portrayal of Elinor Dashwood in the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.

As a North London local for the past ten years, she’s hugely excited about Park Theatre and everything it represents.


Tamzin Outhwaite

Tamzin Outhwaite

Tamzin is an award winning actress who has performed successfully across the media of theatre, film and television. She trained at London Studio Centre and began her career in musical theatre, where she performed in a great number of productions including Carousel (National Theatre), Grease and Oliver (both West End) – plus a season of plays at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. More recent theatre credits include Breathing Corpses and Flesh Wound (both at the Royal Court), Boeing Boeing (West End), Sweet Charity (Menier Chocolate Factory & West End) and Di, Viv & Rose (Hampstead Theatre).

 

Bringing her musical theatre experience to television, Tamzin has performed on Over the Rainbow and appeared on the judging panel for Don't Stop Believing. She is most known on television for her four year long portrayal of Melanie Healy in Eastenders. Other television includes leads in Red Cap, Final Demand, Walk Away and I Stumble, Hotel Babylon and The Fixer – plus guest leads on Hustle, Law and Order and Silent Witness. Film includes Out of Control, Great Expectations, Backwaters, Radio Cape Cod, 7 Seconds and Cassandra’s Dream. Tamzin was awarded an Honorary Degree for Services to The Arts and Entertainment Industry by the University of East London. She is delighted to be championing a new theatre on her doorstep.