09 May KSF Artists of Choice 2016: UK Musical Theatre Selection Panel
Today we were interviewing shortlisted applicants for KSF Artists of Choice: UK Musical Theatre Category. Below you can read about the high level industry professionals who worked with us on the selection panel to uncover some of the best new talent working in the UK Musical Theatre industry today.
Alistair David is a choreographer whose work includes Show Boat (currently at The New London Theatre in the West End); Anything Goes (also tour); Oliver!, My Fair Lady; The Way of the World; My Dad’s a Birdman and Bull for Sheffield Theatres. Other work includes Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Sound of Music for Regent’s Park Open Air; Tipping the Velvet for the Lyric Hammersmith and Kiss Me Kate for BBC Proms. He directed and choreographed Robbie Williams’ worldwide concert tour Swings Both Ways.
Killian Donnelly is an actor and singer. He is currently starring as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre), for which he received his second consecutive Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Theatre includes: Huey Calhoun in Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre), Deco in The Commitments (Palace Theatre), Tony in Billy Elliot the Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre), Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre) and Enjolras in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre).
Michael England is a musical director, conductor and composer. Musical Theatre credits include: The Phantom of the Opera; The Producers; The Pajama Game; Jerry Springer - The Opera (also screened on BBC TV) and Monty Python’s Spamalot. He was invited to conduct the opening weeks of Cameron Mackintosh’s new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables; he also conducted the new cast album and worked on the 2012 film version. He was the conductor for The Sound of Music, broadcast live on UK television.
Beverley Knight, MBE, is a recording artist and musical theatre actress who has released seven studio albums, including hit singles “Greatest Day”, “Shoulda Woulda Coulda” and “Come as You Are”. She has received three MOBO Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 at the Urban Music Awards. She has starred in The Bodyguard, Memphis (Olivier nomination); Cats, The Musical and will be returning to the Bodyguard in the West End for a limited run in July. She will be releasing her eighth studio album Soulsville in June.
Neil Marcus is the managing director of The Stable Musicals. Producing credits include: Dream Queen (Sam Wanamaker Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe); Michael Feinstein & Friends (Palace Theatre); Adam Guettel at The London Hippodrome; Maria Friedman, Kerry Ellis and Alexander Armstrong Celebrate The Great British Songbook; The A-Z of Mrs P by Diane Samuels and Gwyneth Herbert (Southwark Playhouse) and Stiles & Drewe’s Soho Cinders (Soho Theatre).
Clive Rowe is an actor and singer. His credits include: Nicely Nicely Johnson in the NT’s revival of Guys and Dolls (Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical); Enoch Snow in Carousel (Olivier nomination) ;Anything Goes (Royal Philharmonic); Kiss Me Kate (The Old Vic); The Light Princess (NT); and Harry in Company (Donmar Warehouse). He has performed in Panto at the Hackney Empire for several years and his Dame in Mother Goose was nominated for an Olivier.
Danielle Tarento is a producer and casting director. Recent theatre includes Grey Gardens, Grand Hotel - winner: Off West End Award for Best Musical Production 2015, Titanic - winner: WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production 2014 (Southwark Playhouse); Pure Imagination (St James); Taboo - winner, WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production 2013 (Brixton Club House). She won Best Producer at the Off West End Awards 2012 and was nominated for Producer of the Year at the Stage Awards 2015.
KSF Artists of Choice is a pioneering funding and mentoring initiative for UK, US and Canada based emerging artists working in theatre, musical theatre, dance or film. Epitomizing KSF’s aim of ‘sending the elevator back down’ it will provide funding, year-round support and mentoring by industry heavyweights.