Tower Theatre Company : Othello

Othello

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Lily Ann Green

Tuesday 8th -
Saturday 12th December, 2015

The Tower Theatre performing at the Bridewell Theatre

Photography by David Sprecher

Photography by David Sprecher

Cast
Iago : Martin Maynard
Roderigo : Ahmed Green
Brabantio : Ian Hoare
Othello : Ray Johnson
Cassio : Alistair Mackay
Lodovico : Simon Boughey
Duke of Venice : Nigel Oram
Desdemona : Amy Wackett
Emilia : Emily Carmichael
Montano : Michael Fife
Bianca : Sharita Oomeer
Servant : Tom Salyers

Ensemble :

Ken Thomson
Mai Le Dinh
Nicolas Holzapfel
Michelle-Louise Wright

Production Team
Director : Lily Ann Green
Set Design : Michael Bettell & Nicole Figini
Costume Design and Creation : Lynda Twidale
Lighting Design : Alan Wilkinson
Sound Design : Nicholas Spencer

Stage Manager : Karen Sheard
Assistant Director : Lucy Bloxham
Assistant Director & Deputy Stage Manager : Stephanie Urquhart
Assistant Stage Managers : Jennifer Kohn, Maiken Fjellstad
Lighting Operator : Sarah-May Gould
Sound Operator : Lucy Bloxham or Lily Ann Coleman
Wardrobe Assistant : Sage Bowman
Make-up and Hair : www.makeitup.org.uk
Set Construction, Get-in and Rigging : Keith Syrett, Michael Bettell, Max Batty, Jude Chalk, Rosie Shipman, Phillip Ley, John McSpadyen, Stephen Ley, Laurence Tuerk, Adam Taylor, Robert Irvine
Fight Co-ordinator : Lindsay Royan
Publicity Co-ordinator : Kathryn Nash
Publicity Photos and Graphics : David Sprecher & Max Batty

This is Martin Maynard's first performance with the Tower. He trained at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama and has worked in TV, Film, Theatre and Radio. He starred as Paul Hammill (the guy who wrote the 'dodgy dossier') in triple BAFTA winning The Government Inspector as well roles in Hustle, The Bill, Casualty, Dream Team, Life Begins and others. After some time away from acting, he is very excited to be 'treading the boards' again!

Ian Hoare has been involved in more than twenty Tower productions since joining the company in 2002. He is delighted to be appearing in a Shakespeare play for the first time in several years, and to be working again with Lily Ann Green, who directed him in The Diary of Anne Frank in 2006.

Ray Johnson is making his debut with the Tower, although he is no stranger to either the Bridewell Theatre - having appeared in Jane Eyre back in 2008 - or Shakespeare, having appeared in Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor and, most recently, Titus Andronicus, to name but a few. Ray's last three roles have been very varied, with appearances in the musical Parade, the comedy The Ladykillers, and the very wordy Speaking in Tongues.

Alistair MacKay makes his debut with the Tower Theatre as Othello's eager lieutenant. Earlier this year he played Macbeth at South London Theatre, and previous to that, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Before he lived in London, he did play other parts that weren't Shakespearian soldiers, earning his stripes in the provinces with roles such as Roland Maule in Present Laughter, Valentine in Arcadia, and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is open to playing civilian roles again in future.

This is Amy Wackett's second show with Tower - her first was King Lear during the summer when she wielded a sword as a small but fearsome knight. Previous acting experience includes productions with KDC theatre in London and the Studio Theatre Club in Oxford.

Othello will be Emily Carmichael's sixth appearance in a Tower show - or seventh, if you include her recent audience participation in One Man, Two Guvnors. Other performances with the Company have been in Bloody Poetry, The Deep Blue Sea, Dying For It, Largo Desolato and The Turn of the Screw earlier this year as the Governess. During 2015, she has also played Lavinia in Titus Andronicus (Greek Theatre Players) and Jo in Little Women (Woodhouse Players).

Simon Boughey has been a Tower member since 2009 and has appeared in about half a dozen shows for the company. He was last seen as a notorious war criminal in Marching Song in 2014, and is delighted to be doing some Shakespeare again. Favourite Tower roles include the title role in Macbeth, Alastair in Whipping It Up and Major Voysey in The Voysey Inheritance. He lived for 13 largely blissful years in the USA, where he trained at HB Studio in New York, performed Off-Broadway, regionally and, for three wonderful months, toured coast to coast in The Three Musketeers. On a relatively recent visit to the USA, he managed to come back to England with a wife, who has transformed his life for the better.

Nigel Oram's early acting experience included productions with Bournemouth Shakespeare Players (Salerio in The Merchant of Venice, Rosencrantz in Hamlet, Roderigo in Othello). Since moving to London in '89, he has sung with Chorus of ASMF, Opera del Mar (Carmen/The Magic Flute), Figaro Opera (Masetto/Don Giovanni), Harrow Opera (Ribbing/A Masked Ball, Masetto/Don Giovanni), Imperial Productions (Father/Prodigal Son) and Midsummer Opera (Monk/Don Carlos). He appeared as a Victorian industrialist/businessman in the Pandemonium sequence of the Olympic 2012 Opening Ceremony. He currently sings with New London Chamber Choir, specializing in contemporary music. This is his second acting role with the Tower, having previously appeared in Farragut North.

Sharita Oomeer joined the Tower Theatre in 2008 and has appeared in a number of productions, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Changeling, Calendar Girls, On Religion, Tartuffe, Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead and The Habit of Art. This year, she also performed in Night Night Sleep Tight, as part of KDC Theatre's new writing season.

Tom Salyers is making his second appearance with the Tower after playing the Fool in King Lear earlier this year. Last year he performed in Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro) and Henry V (the Archbishop of Canterbury, Constable of France) with South London Theatre. He has played various roles in almost a dozen other Shakespeare productions for several companies over the last fifteen years. Contrary to appearances, though, he does occasionally act in things written by people who lived in the last century, with a particular favorite role being Don in The Universal Language. He has an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter, but promises to only talk about it if you really want to.

Born in Greece, Michael Fife came to London to become an actor but the money ran out and he got a real job. This is his second Tower production - he appeared in Sons of Paradise last year. Earlier this year he was in Hand in Glove (by Eddie Coleman) at the South London Theatre.

This is Ken Thompson's first show with the Tower Theatre and he is excited and proud to be involved with such a passionate dramatic company. Other credits include Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Love & Money, The Investigation and Shopping and Fcking.

Mai Le Dinh is very excited to be a member of the Tower Theatre Company, and a part of the cast of Othello. She has previously appeared in title role of More Light* , and as part of the Chorus in What Was Yet to Come (after Seneca's Trojan Women), both with the City Lit Rep Company. Mai is also a writer and her first play, Season's Greetings, recently debuted at the Southwark Playhouse.

Nick Holzapfel is pleased to be making his second appearance with the Tower Theatre Company. Previous performances have included Orlando in As You Like It, Yasha in The Cherry Orchard, Bertram in All's Well That Ends Well and Judas in The Man Born to be King.

Michelle-Louise Wright trained as an actress through LAMDA and this is her debut for the Tower. She has appeared for KDC in The Arsonists and Tiger at the Gates. Other recent performances have been Fluellen in Henry V and Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing (SLT). Michelle-Louise also works as a teacher of English and Drama, shamelessly indoctrinating her students into a love of Shakespeare.

Ahmed Green's previous work includes an advert for Maltesers and background extra hobbit #34 in Lord of the Rings. He is also a singer-songwriter. Recently arrived from New Zealand, this is Ahmed's first time ever treading the boards and is honoured to be a member of the Tower and of the Othello Company.

For the Tower, Lily Ann Green has directed The Talented Mr Ripley, The Memory of Water, The Diary of Anne Frank, Torch Song Trilogy, Art, Jake's Women and Sons of Paradise. Elsewhere she has directed Three Sisters, Daisy Pulls It Off!, Enchanted April, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 4Play and Hand in Glove. She's a Trinity Speech & Drama Teacher, as an actor trained professionally at the Drama Studio London and appeared for the Tower as Annie in All My Sons, Emilie in Les Liaisons Dangerous, Aggie in Steward of Christendom and Olivia in The Odd Couple (female version). She has worked with KDC, Questor's and SLT but finally appeared on the Bridewell stage for the first time this summer in Americana for SEDOS. She is also an award winning and published playwright under the name L.A. Green.

	This is Martin Maynard's first performance with the Tower. He trained at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama and has worked in TV, Film, Theatre and Radio. He starred as Paul Hammill (the guy who wrote the 'dodgy dossier') in triple BAFTA winning The Government Inspector as well roles in Hustle, The Bill, Casualty, Dream Team, Life Begins and others. After some time away from acting, he is very excited to be 'treading the boards' again!			Ian Hoare has been involved in more than twenty Tower productions since joining the company in 2002. He is delighted to be appearing in a Shakespeare play for the first time in several years, and to be working again with Lily Ann Green, who directed him in The Diary of Anne Frank in 2006.
	Ray Johnson is making his debut with the Tower, although he is no stranger to either the Bridewell Theatre - having appeared in Jane Eyre back in 2008 - or Shakespeare, having appeared in Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor and, most recently, Titus Andronicus, to name but a few. Ray's last three roles have been very varied, with appearances in the musical Parade, the comedy The Ladykillers, and the very wordy Speaking in Tongues.			Alistair MacKay makes his debut with the Tower Theatre as Othello's eager lieutenant. Earlier this year he played Macbeth at South London Theatre, and previous to that, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Before he lived in London, he did play other parts that weren't Shakespearian soldiers, earning his stripes in the provinces with roles such as Roland Maule in Present Laughter, Valentine in Arcadia, and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is open to playing civilian roles again in future.
	This is Amy Wackett's second show with Tower - her first was King Lear during the summer when she wielded a sword as a small but fearsome knight. Previous acting experience includes productions with KDC theatre in London and the Studio Theatre Club in Oxford.			Othello will be Emily Carmichael's sixth appearance in a Tower show - or seventh, if you include her recent audience participation in One Man, Two Guvnors. Other performances with the Company have been in Bloody Poetry, The Deep Blue Sea, Dying For It, Largo Desolato and The Turn of the Screw earlier this year as the Governess. During 2015, she has also played Lavinia in Titus Andronicus (Greek Theatre Players) and Jo in Little Women (Woodhouse Players).
	Simon Boughey has been a Tower member since 2009 and has appeared in about half a dozen shows for the company. He was last seen as a notorious war criminal in Marching Song in 2014, and is delighted to be doing some Shakespeare again. Favourite Tower roles include the title role in Macbeth, Alastair in Whipping It Up and Major Voysey in The Voysey Inheritance. He lived for 13 largely blissful years in the USA, where he trained at HB Studio in New York, performed Off-Broadway, regionally and, for three wonderful months, toured coast to coast in The Three Musketeers. On a relatively recent visit to the USA, he managed to come back to England with a wife, who has transformed his life for the better.			Nigel Oram's early acting experience included productions with Bournemouth Shakespeare Players (Salerio in The Merchant of Venice, Rosencrantz in Hamlet, Roderigo in Othello). Since moving to London in '89, he has sung with Chorus of ASMF, Opera del Mar (Carmen/The Magic Flute), Figaro Opera (Masetto/Don Giovanni), Harrow Opera (Ribbing/A Masked Ball, Masetto/Don Giovanni), Imperial Productions (Father/Prodigal Son) and Midsummer Opera (Monk/Don Carlos). He appeared as a Victorian industrialist/businessman in the Pandemonium sequence of the Olympic 2012 Opening Ceremony. He currently sings with New London Chamber Choir, specializing in contemporary music. This is his second acting role with the Tower, having previously appeared in Farragut North.
	Sharita Oomeer joined the Tower Theatre in 2008 and has appeared in a number of productions, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Changeling, Calendar Girls, On Religion, Tartuffe, Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead and The Habit of Art. This year, she also performed in Night Night Sleep Tight, as part of KDC Theatre's new writing season.			Tom Salyers is making his second appearance with the Tower after playing the Fool in King Lear earlier this year. Last year he performed in Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro) and Henry V (the Archbishop of Canterbury, Constable of France) with South London Theatre. He has played various roles in almost a dozen other Shakespeare productions for several companies over the last fifteen years. Contrary to appearances, though, he does occasionally act in things written by people who lived in the last century, with a particular favorite role being Don in The Universal Language. He has an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter, but promises to only talk about it if you really want to.
	Born in Greece, Michael Fife came to London to become an actor but the money ran out and he got a real job. This is his second Tower production - he appeared in Sons of Paradise last year. Earlier this year he was in Hand in Glove (by Eddie Coleman) at the South London Theatre.			This is Ken Thompson's first show with the Tower Theatre and he is excited and proud to be involved with such a passionate dramatic company. Other credits include Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Love & Money, The Investigation and Shopping and Fcking*.
	Mai Le Dinh is very excited to be a member of the Tower Theatre Company, and a part of the cast of Othello. She has previously appeared in title role of More Light , and as part of the Chorus in What Was Yet to Come (after Seneca's Trojan Women), both with the City Lit Rep Company. Mai is also a writer and her first play, Season's Greetings, recently debuted at the Southwark Playhouse.			Nick Holzapfel is pleased to be making his second appearance with the Tower Theatre Company. Previous performances have included Orlando in As You Like It, Yasha in The Cherry Orchard, Bertram in All's Well That Ends Well and Judas in The Man Born to be King.
	Michelle-Louise Wright trained as an actress through LAMDA and this is her debut for the Tower. She has appeared for KDC in The Arsonists and Tiger at the Gates. Other recent performances have been Fluellen in Henry V and Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing (SLT). Michelle-Louise also works as a teacher of English and Drama, shamelessly indoctrinating her students into a love of Shakespeare.			Ahmed Green's previous work includes an advert for Maltesers and background extra hobbit #34 in Lord of the Rings. He is also a singer-songwriter. Recently arrived from New Zealand, this is Ahmed's first time ever treading the boards and is honoured to be a member of the Tower and of the Othello Company.
	For the Tower, Lily Ann Green has directed The Talented Mr Ripley, The Memory of Water, The Diary of Anne Frank, Torch Song Trilogy, Art, Jake's Women and Sons of Paradise. Elsewhere she has directed Three Sisters, Daisy Pulls It Off!, Enchanted April, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 4Play and Hand in Glove. She's a Trinity Speech & Drama Teacher, as an actor trained professionally at the Drama Studio London and appeared for the Tower as Annie in All My Sons, Emilie in Les Liaisons Dangerous, Aggie in Steward of Christendom and Olivia in The Odd Couple (female version). She has worked with KDC, Questor's and SLT but finally appeared on the Bridewell stage for the first time this summer in Americana for SEDOS. She is also an award winning and published playwright under the name L.A. Green.

		Othello by William Shakespeare Directed by Lily Ann Green
		Tuesday 8th - Saturday 12th December, 2015	The Tower Theatre performing at the Bridewell Theatre