Alumni News Roundup - Spring 2022

This roundup celebrates a selection of Central graduates’ news and successes, including alumni award wins and nominations, and their numerous contributions in all areas of stage and digital theatre, television and film, as well as in the wider community.

If you’re a Central graduate and have some news that you’d like to share with us, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Please email alumni@cssd.ac.uk, or complete our ‘Update Your Details’ webform. 

Awards, Nominations & Recognition

Nicole Acquah was shortlisted for The Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2021 for her play Sankofa, which will next be performed at The Bread and Roses Theatre from 15 to 19 February. 

Riz Ahmed was the recipient of the Richard Harris Award, which is presented annually by the British Independent Film Awards to recognise an actor or actress who has contributed significantly to British films.

Deelee Dube was awarded Best International Jazz Collaboration at the 2021 Mzantsi Jazz Awards, which recognises excellence in Jazz music in South Africa.

Susie Ferguson won gold at New York Festivals Radio Awards for a podcast that she created and presented called The Unthinkable, made for RNZ (Radio New Zealand).

Dino Fetscher has been nominated for a What’s On Stage Award in the category of Best Supporting Performer in a Male-Identifying Role in a Play for his performance in National Theatre’s The Normal Heart. 

Andrew Garfield won a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actor — Motion Picture — Musical/Comedy for his performance as Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick…BOOM! (Pictured). He has since been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Male Actor in a Leading Role.

John Higgins was a finalist for a Digiday Award in the category of Leader of the Year for his work with OS Studios, a creative agency he founded dedicated to pushing the boundaries of live content, gaming, and esports. 

Hei Tung Kwok was named one of the twelve recipients of the 2021 Linbury Prize, widely recognised as the most prestigious prize for emerging stage designers.

Elise Lamb wrote The Australian Girl, a screenplay which made Coverfly’s Red List for Top Rated Drama Shorts. It also won Best Short Screenplay and was awarded Grand Jury Prize at the Female Voices Rock Film Festival in New York.

Clara Larrain was awarded a Promising Producer Award at the Marche Du Film Festival de Cannes. 

Cat Mahari won a 2021 3Arts / Walder Foundation Award in Dance, which recognises the contributions of Chicago’s women artists, artists of color, and Deaf and disabled artists. Cat was recently featured on Central’s blog talking about her upcoming projects, and her practice as a creator, choreographer, director, composer, and visual and scenographic artist.

Deirdre McLaughlin was awarded the Young Vic’s 2021 Genesis Future Directors Award. Deirdre will now be able to develop a fully resourced production at the Young Vic as part of this artistic programme.  

Jacob Sparrow has been co-nominated for two casting awards by the Casting Directors’ Guild in the category of Best Casting in Musical Theatre (inside M25), for Carousel at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Singin’ in the Rain at Sadler’s Wells.

Tom Stuart was shortlisted for the 2021 George Devine Award for writing play, Burn Baby Burn.

Vanessa Redgrave has been made a dame in the New Years Honours 2022.

The Offies Award 2022 nominations include; Ben Jacobs and Will Thompson, both nominated for their work on lighting and sound design respectively, for their work on Southwark Playhouse’s production of Salomé; Igor Memic, nominated for Most Promising Playwright for his play Old Bridge at Bush Theatre; and nominated in the categories of Idea Production and Idea Performance was alumni theatre company, Dante or Die’s production of Skin Hunger, which included performance from Rachel-Leah Hosker, with movement direction from Ayse Tashkiran, and is led by Daphna Attias and Terry O’Donovan.

To celebrate The Stage 100 turning 25, The Stage produced a list of 25 theatre-makers to watch out for in 2022 and beyond, including Chris Foxon with Papatango Theatre Company and alum Clem Garritty with Swamp Motel.

Stage & Digital Theatre

Opened in November

Andreas Ayling was production manager for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, running at Northern Stage, Newcastle, from 27 November to 31 December. 

Angelina Chudi performed in Nottingham Playhouse’s production of A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story, which included puppetry design from Matthew Forbes, running from 2 to 20 November. 

Jessica Dives performed in The Rock ‘n’ Roll panto Robin Hood, running at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, from 27 November to 15 January. 

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu directed Sundown Kiki (pictured), which was created with, and performed by, Queer young artists from the Global Majority at the Young Vic on 12 November. The production included Dylan Verley as assistant producer, as well as lighting design from Pablo Fernández Baz, and set design from Khadija Raza. 

Joshua Gadsby was lighting designer, and Beth Duke was sound designer, for Bristol Old Vic’s production of Robin Hood: Legend of the Forgotten Forest, running from 25 November to 8 January. 

Bethany Gupwell was lighting designer for little scratch, running at Hampstead Theatre from 5 to 11 December. 

Chi-San Howard was movement director for both Theatre 503’s production of Milk and Gall, which ran from 3 to 27 November, and Aladdin, which included sound design from Nick Manning, and ran at Lyric Hammersmith from 19 November to 2 January. 

Georgina Makhubele was movement director and Lex Kosanke was sound designer and composer, for The Girl Who Was Very Good At Lying, running at Clapham’s Omnibus Theatre from 2 to 21 November. 

Ingrid Mackinnon was movement director, Owen Donkin was production manager, and Jacob Sparrow was casting director for Theatre Royal, Stratford East’s production of Red Riding Hood, running from 27 November to 31 December. 

Tom Macqueen was associate director for Yes So I Said Yes, which ran at Finborough Theatre from 23 November to 18 December, and included sound design from Jack Baxter. 

Nessah Muthy wrote How to Save the Planet When You’re A Young Carer and Broke, which was produced by Boundless Theatre and ran at various theatres, including Theatre Peckham from 9 to 20 November, and included performance from 2021 graduate, Elizabeth Ayodele. 

Adrienne Quartly was sound designer, Simon Kenny was set and costume designer, and Ben Ormerod was lighting designer for Footfalls and Rockaby, running at Jermyn Street Theatre from 4 to 21 November. 

Kamari Roméo starred in Southwark Playhouse’s production Straight White Men, which ran from 10 November to 4 December, and included movement direction from Christina Fulcher and stage management from Chloe Wilson. 

Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez performed in Jack and the Beanstalk, running at Hackney Empire from 20 November to 2 January. 

Dominic Rye performed in Treasure Island, running at Derby Theatre from 26 November to 31 December. 

Ewan Somers performed in Cinderella, running at Perth Theatre from 26 November to 31 December. 

Samuel Townsend and Nick Hart both starred in Jack Thorne’s production of A Christmas Carol, which ran at The Old Vic from 13 November to 8 January. 

Colette Zacca performed in Pleasance Theatre’s production Humane, which ran from 3 to 21 November. 

Opened in December

Naana Agyei-Ampadu starred in National Theatre’s production, Trouble in Mind, which included set and costume design from Rajha Shakiry, and stage management from Mica Taylor, and ran from 2 December to 29 January. 

Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea starred in Almeida Theatre’s production of Spring Awakening (pictured), which included video design from Finn Ross and lighting design from Jack Knowles, and ran from 7 December to 22 January. 

Nathalie Armin performs in Force Majeure, running at Donmar Warehouse from 10 December to 5 February. The production includes lighting design from Lucy Carter and sound design from Danato Wharton. 

Seb Cannings was production manager for London Palladium’s Pantoland at The London Palladium, running from 4 December to 9 January. 

Madeline Charlemagne and Michael Elcock both performed in National Theatre’s Hex (pictured), a new musical based on Sleeping Beauty, running from 4 December to 22 January. 

Matt Daw provided lighting design for Lin Manuel-Miranda’s Bring It On The Musical, running at South Bank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 8 December to 22 January. 

Tom Gibbons provided sound design, and Louise Quartermain provided technical, for The Young Vic’s production of Best of Enemies, running from 4 December to 22 January. 

Dadiow Lin was associate director for Hampstead Theatre’s Peggy for You, which included performance from Danusia Samal, running from 10 December to 29 January. 

Oliver Mawdsley performed in Gatsby, a musical inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, running at Southwark Playhouse from 8 December to 8 January. 

Ronan McMahon and Elicia Daly both performed in Christmas Dinner, running at Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, from 6 December to 2 January. 

Catherine Russell performs in Menier Chocolate Factory’s production of Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus, running from 3 December to 26 February

Kala Simpson was stage manager for Fair Play, running at Bush Theatre from 3 December to 22 January. 

Opened in January

Fisayo Akinade stars in Royal Court’s production, The Glow, running from 24 January to 5 March.

Lucas Button stars in Sheffield Crucible and Theatre Centre’s co-production Human Nature, running from 26 January to 12 February. 

Tess Dignan provides associate voice, and Anna Watson is candle consultant, for Shakespeare’s Globe’s production of Hamlet, running from 25 January to 9 April.

Emma Laird Craig performed in Fatal Attraction, running at Theatre Royal, Brighton, from 18 to 22 January, and including lighting design from Jack Knowles and sound design from Carolyn Downing. 

Anisha Fields provided design from Southwark Playhouse’s production of Romeo & Juliet, running from 12 January to 5 February.

Lucy Mewis-McKerrow is production manager for Jermyn Street Theatre’s production of Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story, running from 13 January to 5 February. 

Donnacadh O’Briain directs Operation Mincement, which runs at Southwark Playhouse from 14 January to 19 February, and includes set and costume design from Helen Coyston. 

Enyi Okoronkwo performs in Bristol Old Vic’s production of Dr Semmelweis, running from 24 January to 12 February. 

Toby Olié is puppetry designer and director of Birmingham Repertory’s production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm (pictured), which includes sound design from Tom Gibbons, as well as performance from Matthew Churcher and Matt Tait. The production runs from 25 January to 5 February. 

Rachel Summers stars in Conundrum, running at Young Vic from 24 January to 4 February. 

Joel Trill is voice coach, Donato Wharton provides sound design, and Fahmida Bakht is props supervisor, for The Old Vic’s production of Caryl Churchill’s A Number, running from 24 January to 19 March. 

Screen

Polly Bennett reprised her role as choreographer for season two of The Great, a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great, which stars Danusia Samal in the role of Lady Antonia Svenska, and includes an appearance from Jason Isaacs in the role of Peter The Great. 

Gael García Bernal plays Arthur Leander in HBO Max’s Station Eleven, an American miniseries about a post-apocalyptic world, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel. 

Fran Bradley is lighting technician for series four of BBC’s Killing Eve and The Capture. 

Gary Bradley is junior prop maker for Jurassic World: Dominion, and Marvel’s Secret Invasion, both due for release in 2022. 

Oliver Chris appeared as George Emslie in A Very British Scandal, a BBC historical drama miniseries charting events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the 1960s.

Lindsay Duncan reprised her role as Ysabeau de Clermont for the third season of A Discovery of Witches, which stars Matthew Goode, (a graduate of Webber Douglas). 

Lourdes Fabares and Bayra Bela will both appear in Amazon Studios’ production, The Power, which includes intimacy coordination from Ita O’Brien, and is based on Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel of the same name. 

Sarah Ferdinando was senior costume maker on Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci. 

Martin Freeman stars in BBC’s new police drama, The Responder (pictured). 

Alex Hassell performed alongside Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, an Apple original film.   

David Horovitch is currently filming for the role of Grand Maester Mellos in HBO’s prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon,  which is set to be released in 2022.

Cush Jumbo played Megan Pierce, and James Nesbitt played Michael Broome, in Netflix mystery drama mini-series, Stay Close (pictured). 

Ernest Kingsley Jr, a graduate of the Class of 2021, has been cast in the title role of Hulu’s limited series, Washington Black.

Cora Kirk appears in Lionsgate’s upcoming feature film, The Devils Light, set to be released worldwide in February. 

Eric Raymond Lim appeared in Alibi TV’s crime thriller Ragdoll, which also included performance from Angus Wright.

Mingyu Lin has recently directed a number of Hollyoaks episodes.  

Yazzmin Newell has just finished filming for AMC’s upcoming sci-fi thriller series called Moonhaven, which should be released later this year. 

Liam French Robinson was voice and dialect coach on The Pact, a BBC six-part television drama series written and created by Pete McTighe. 

Cherrelle Skeete, David Avery and Ike Bennett all appear in Amazon Studios’ Hanna. 

Neil Swain was voice coach for Mothering Sunday, a romantic drama based on the novel of the same name by Graham Swift, starring Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Glenda Jackson and Josh O’Connor. 

Zoë Tapper plays Vanessa Jenkins in BBC’s Rules of the Game, a four-part thriller about sexual politics in the modern workplace.

Ben Tavassoli plays Louis Costa, and Karan Gill plays Simon Ray, in Channel 4’s Screw, a drama series revealing the reality of life as a prison officer in an all-male prison in 21st century Britain, which also includes appearance from Christopher Fulford. 

In our Community

Megan Bastable has been appointed Communities in the Lead Manager for the North Camden Zone Project (pictured), supporting residents in improving their local neighbourhood. 

Craig Bowles published Everyone Should Get It First, the first novel about Universal Basic Income.

Mig Burgess Walsh has been elected Co-Chair of The Association of British Theatre Technicians.

George Hughes recently toured as puppeteer and maker with the Festival of the Dead.

Conor Hunt has joined the Ambassador Theatre Group as the Creative Learning Producer for the West End, working across ten West End Theatres to create creative learning initiatives, and working to break down access barriers.

Sophie Jacobs-Wyburn is now Artistic Director of The Egg Assembly, a unique online community where young people can collaborate with artists and technology creators to discover new and exciting ways of mixing technology, performance and art. As Director, Sophie holds and curates the program of work, from ground-breaking co-created digital productions like ROUTES (pictured), to their boundary pushing training programmes. As part of their wider body of work at Theatre Royal Bath and The Egg Theatre, they are continuing to develop what hybrid models of creativity can mean in bold and exciting ways.

Alexandra Mackenzie (née. Staden) has published her first novel, titled Vova. 

Ingrid Mackinnon and Caroline Steinbeis will both take part in a new mentoring scheme launched by international theatre company, Projekt Europa, to support migrant artists in the UK. 

Sidhartha Mallya has published new book, If I’m Honest, a memoir about his mental health journey. 

Annie Morrison has published new book, The Moment of Speech, Creative Articulation for Actors.

Ally Poole has joined the faculty of Ohio University’s School of Theater as Assistant Professor of Instruction in Performance. 

Catherine Simons was recently appointed Assistant Director of Drama at Pipers Corner School, High Wycombe. 

Vincent Steenhoek is Founder & Managing Director of EVOKE Studios, a creative studio specialising in high-end workflow, visual design & engineering for performance, installs and high profile events.

Colin Waitt has published an anthology of short plays called Let’s Get Weird, which debuted as the #1 new release in Theatre on Amazon (US). 

Petronilla Whitfield edited new book, Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training: Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity, which features chapters by fellow alum, and Central’s Principal Lecturer in Voice, Daron Oram.

Soobie Whitfield is currently working freelance with Signdance Collective International on community engagement, and co-producing the UK leg of their 2022 tour. This work has involved engaging international artists and local community participants to create a series of short film collaborations during COVID lockdowns, co-producing the Hybrid Festival at Wycombe Arts Centre in August 2021, and research and development for their brand-new show Oriente Plus/ Power Cut, which will be starting its tour at The Cockpit from 31 March. Alongside this, Soobie is co-developing a workshop and training programme for D/deaf and disabled performers and community groups.