CAST | Embracing Arts

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'Chrimblesense' Cast & Creatives

CAST

DARCEY O'ROURKE - Frosty (Team Frosty)

Darcey O’Rourke (she/her) is an actor, singer, writer and facilitator trained at Rose Bruford College. Recent performance credits include Breathe (Half a String), The Littlest Yak (LAStheatre), Antigone (Get Out of My Space), The Snowsmith and Under the Frozen Moon (Half a String).

Darcey works regularly as a theatre and music facilitator for theatre companies across London including Montage Theatre Arts, Haringey Shed and White City Youth Project.

Darcey is thrilled to be working with Embracing Arts for the first time this year on Chrimblesense!

EWAN S PIRES - Ewan (Team Frosty)

Ewan (they/he) is a non-binary actor, musician (double bass, guitar, percussion and voice) and creative. Passionate about transdisciplinarity, and devising, they are quickly excited by work that explores connection, especially through the lens of music and sound.

Recent credits include a national tour of The Whispering Jungle with Concrete Youth, Fairyland and Winter Wonderland with Whippersnappers, Backyard Sessions with Bamboozle, Run to The Nuns at the Brighton Fringe, a tour of Macbeth with the Primary Shakespeare Company, and a collaboration between Rose Bruford and the King's Head Theatre, an R&D of Verdi’s La Traviata.

Inspired by the transformative power of the arts, he is dedicated to creating moments of joy, connection, and magic.

ROBYN OLIVIA - Joy (Team Frosty)

Inclusivity, playfulness and community engagement is central to all aspects of her work. She also works regularly as an access consultant.

Recent highlights include:

Actor/Puppeteer: Handmade Theatres Tell Me a Story, Make a Scene's Esther's Journey, Nikki Charlesworth's What Happened to You?, Embracing Art's Chrimblesense

Director: Oxford Playhouse Primary Playmakers and Kiln Youth Theatre

Assistant Director: New International Encounters The Snow Queen

PEARSE DONOGHUE - Frosty (Team Joy)

A graduate of MTU Cork School of Music, Pearse is an Irish actor-musician and theatre maker who has been working in family and children's theatre for close to ten years. A singer-songwriter who has worked in musical theatre, radio and voice over, they try to keep music and storytelling at the heart of all their work.

Having just finished a run of Tim Crouch's I, Banquo Pearse also works in schools in Ireland and the UK as a facilitator and drama teacher. Pearse also devises and performs adaptations of prescribed texts to school children aged 13 and up.

Pearse has written and developed two musicals, and three plays. They will be releasing their first studio album in the new year as a concept album for a new work.

LAURA KAYE THOMSON - Joy (Team Joy)

Laura is an actor, singer and theatre maker who loves comedy, musicals theatre and clowning. She's been working in sensory theatre for six years, first working with Christmas for Kids in 2018. This is the third tour she has done with them and has also written their 2022 live show and 2023 digital show.

She's passionate about making theatre / the arts / life as inclusive as possible and is so grateful to be working with this beautiful Chrimblesense team.

NAOMI HALLIDAY - Naomi (Team Joy)

Naomi is an Actor/Singer/Musician based in York who trained at ALRA North. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, Naomi performed regularly with York Theatre Royal including their Olivier award winning show The Railway Children, Blood & Chocolate and The Legend of King Arthur.

She has sung with The National Youth Choir of Great Britain at The Royal Albert Hall and The Birmingham Symphony Hall. Recent credits include: Don Alahambra/Luiz in the U.K. tour of The Gondoliers, Lucy in the U.K. tour of Wherever Home is, Robin in Robin Hood and various characters in Radio Plays and Audiobooks with Behear.

Naomi is delighted to be doing her first show with Embracing Theatre Arts.

CREATIVE TEAM

CLAIRE SUNDIN - Director

Claire has worked as a professional actor, singer and drama facilitator for nearly 20 years. She is the Artistic Director of Embracing Arts.

Her journey began with C4K in 2009 and is a founding member of the team. Having performed in numerous hospice shows, she tried her hand at directing and producing them and hasn't looked back. She has so far directed three digital shows for C4K as well as numerous in-person shows.

She is very excited to be back directing a new show for C4K to be played in person, and hopes everyone watching will enjoy the silliness and have lots of fun!

BROOKE BETTEY - Assistant Director

Brooke Bettey (they / them) is a theatremaker, facilitator and Creative Director of Bits & Pieces Theatre Company. Brooke graduated from the University of Kent with a first class degree in Drama and Film Studies, with a focus in directing theatre and making performance. They are currently working with local transgender and non-binary creatives to create original theatre in the South East and Kent area.

Brooke has previously directed their own original plays, and works as an Assistant Practitioner for Learning and Participation at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. They are passionate about inspiring young people to find their own confidence and identity through theatre, and believe in the importance of inclusive and accessible theatre for both audiences and participants.

KATIE HECHT - Production Manager

Katie has been working with C4K since 2016. As a performer she has been lucky enough to tour with the company, as well as enjoying an extensive career in Theatre, Film, TV and Radio.

Since moving to taking a mainly ‘behind the scenes’ role with C4K, Katie has expanded her repertoire into Stage & Production Manager, helping get the productions up on their feet and out on Tour. This year, she is excited to continue to use her knowledge of the Digital medium to produce Christmas for Kids shows in both digital and in-person formats.

CLAIRE GREENWAY - Musical Director

Claire Greenway trained at The Royal Academy of Music and was recently elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARAM) for her significant contribution to the profession. This now makes her Claire Greenway, ARAM PGdipRAM LRAM BMus!

She is a professional actor with 20 years experience in a variety of performing arts. Most notably, she originated the role of Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act the Musical at the London Palladium.

She has been a singing teacher and performance coach for over 20 years. She has loved working with Embracing Arts’ incredibly talented and passionate team and is proud to be part of the family!

SUE APPLEBY - Musical Supervisor

Sue is an actor, singer, musical director and singing teacher with over 20 years experience in the performing and coaching industries. She has performed in over 25 countries, at the National Theatre, The Royal Albert Hall, London's West End and in UK tours.

She runs her own singing teaching practice and also teaches on the BA course at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Sue founded Christmas for Kids in 2009 and is thrilled with the charity's expansion into Embracing Arts.

ROBYN OLIVIA - Access Co-Ordinator

Robyn is a theatre maker, puppeteer and community arts facilitator. Having trained in European Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College, she specialises in devised ensemble-based children’s and sensory theatre. Inclusivity, playfulness and community engagement is central to all aspects of her work. She has recently completed an R & D of her own show 'Under the Sea: A sensory Under Water Adventure' with support from Graeae and mentoring from Joanna Grace and Oily Cart.

MATTHEW DAVIDSON - Makaton Consultant

Matthew has been part of the Christmas for Kids family since 2017, originally joining as the character Elf in Benson's Christmas Letter.

Christmas for Kids marked the start of his journey into accessible theatre. He is now a Makaton Regional Tutor and exploring the ways in which the communication programme, and speech and language therapy strategies more generally, can be used to increase meaningful access to theatre.

RYAN MULGREW - Rehearsal Deputy Stage Manager

Ryan is a freelance stage manager and graduate of the University of Exeter and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Previous Stage Management credits include:

‘Double Act’ (The Lion & Unicorn), ‘Battersea Bardot’ (New Wimbledon Theatre Studio), ‘The Grain Store’ (The Mack), ‘Mrs Beeton Says...’ (The Mack), ‘The Little Mermaid’ (The Mack), ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ (Susie Sainsbury Theatre) and ‘Boy’ (Backstage Theatre).

SIMON ROWE - Designer

Simon was born and raised in Worcester and trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). As an actor, Simon has worked on national and international tours, regional theatre, London's West End and in television. Art credits: Scenery and props for C4K, props, puppets and poster art for Ripley Theatre Productions; 'The Little Tempest' (Edinburgh festival), 'Rumpelstiltskin', 'Jack and the Beans...talk!' (Brighton festival), set and puppets for Zara Nunn's short film 'Don't Look Behind You' and, most recently, fabrication of Macbeth's head for 'Macbeth' Epstein theatre, Liverpool.

Check out Simon's work on his website here: www.siromakes.com

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