creative team

BIOGRAPHIES - What have they done?

Before joining M6 Theatre Company Dot taught in a multi-racial, Rochdale school for 10 years where creative play was the major teaching method. She joined M6 as Education Officer in 1982 and later became Artistic Producer.

Dot has pioneered a wide range of developments at M6 including bi-lingual theatre, early years theatre installations and powerful new writing commissions. In 2005 Dot received an MBE for her contribution to Drama in the North West.

As an actor, deviser and director in children’s theatre, Andy has been involved with many of the main children’s theatre companies in Scotland, and was a founder member of Visible Fictions TheatreCompany. His directing credits include work for Catherine Wheels, Scottish Opera, Macrobert Arts Centre and Polka Theatre. In October 2006 he worked as a Drama Artist for Starcatchers at North Edinburgh Arts Centre creating showsfor the very young where he created Little Light and My House. In March My House performed at the Visioni di Futuro, Visioni di Teatro festival in Bologna and will be performing in Madrid in October and then in Salzburg in January 2009.
This is his second show for M6 having directed One Little Word earlier in the year.

Mary worked as a journalist before starting writing plays; now she has written nearly thirty for stage, radio and television. Recent credits include plays for Clean Break Theatre and Tutti Frutti Productions. She has also written for Eastern Angles, Red Ladder, Theatr Powys, Theatr Clwyd, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Sheffield Crucible, Action Transport and Watford Palace. Her stage play for M6 Theatre Company Breathing Space was performed at the Toronto Young People’s Theatre Festival in May 2003 where it was nominated for a DORA award.

Recent credits include: Jaz and Flo and Danny King of the Basement for M6 Theatre Company; Beauty and the Beast for the Dukes in Lancaster; Dick Barton, Union Street, Albert Nobbs, Women on the Verge of HRT, Wind in the Willows (Winner of an M.E.N. award for Best Family Production 2005 and nominated for Best Design) A Little Local Difficulty and Mail Order Bride for Oldham Coliseum.

Alison also has a wide experience of designing for Theatre For Young Audiences and small scale touring, particularly for new writing. Productions include Hue Boy and My Place for Tutti Frutti and Silly Billy and Jack for Tutti Frutti/York Theatre Royal. Also Night Train, Fly Away Peter, The Bomb and Scorcher for Action Transport. Other work includes costume designs for the dance shows Dance Passion and Apassionata on board the QM2, QE2 and Queen Victoria Cunard ships for Belinda King Productions.

Gill trained at the laban Art of Movement Studio from 1974-76 and Goldsmiths College, London 76-78. After leaving college Gil joined Ludus Dance Company as a dancer before leading up the Ludus Community Dance Project in 1983. After leaving Ludus, Gil worked as Movement Director in numerous theatres including The Dukes, Lancaster, Library Theatre, Manchester and M6 Theatre Company. Gil also choreographed two major projects with the Liverpool Philharmonic and won the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post Award in 1994 for Best Dance Event.
Following six years as Dance lecturer at St Martin’s College, Lancaster, Gil returned to Ludus Dance as Head of Touring.

Mark is a freelance composer and sound designer for theatre, dance and film. Recent credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Dukes Theatre, Lancaster), Are You Sure? (Handstand Film Productions), Fizz and Friends (Children’s Audio Book Series), Fly Away Peter (Action Transport Theatre), In Search of Fabulous Beasts (Unity Theatre/Fuse Theatre, Liverpool), Freedom Showcase (Apples and Snakes), and Losing It (Lime Art Films, Manchester).
Upcoming work includes Sleeping Beauty at The Dukes, Lancaster.

Recent Credits include: Odd Socks (M6 Theatre Co), Carnival Messiah (Harewood House), Beauty and the Beast and Trouble (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Beneath the Waves (Tell Tale Theatre), I Love the Witch, Dice, Silas Marner and Frankie and Johnny (Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah).
Katie has also filmed commercials for Morrisons and Friends Of The Earth. Through work she has toured to New York, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Nepal and India.

James was a member of Chicken Shed Theatre Company from the age of nine before working for them professionally from the age of seventeen. He has appeared in a range of their productions including Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cinderella, playing The Prince on Top of the Pops. He went on to study dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. After graduating he worked for two years with Ludus Dance, touring the UK in Issue Based plays for young people.
Recent credits include: Augustine (Darkin Ensemble), 2 site-specific pieces in Liverpool and Manchester for Axial Dance and Collision Dance. A new costume drama for ITV.

Holly always wanted to be a dancer. Her imagination was brought to life as a little girl by working within the community in Youth Groups. She trained as a professional dancer and went on to work with Scottish Dance Theatre on numerous creative dance pieces. Other work includes conceptual theatre pieces in Vienna. Recently she has been Project Co-ordinator at Ludus Dance as well as Community Dance artist.

Dot Wood (M6's Artistic Producer)

Andy Manley (Director)

Mary Cooper (Writer)

Alison Heffernan (Designer)

Gil Graystone (Movement Director)

Mark Melville (Composer)

Performers
Katie Matthews (Mum)

James Dunbar (Billy)

Holly Warren (Mudge and Pip)