Alumni News Roundup - Spring 2023

This roundup celebrates a selection of Central graduates’ news and successes, covering 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

Naomi Ackie has been receiving critical acclaim for her portrayal of Whitney Houston in the biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, and was nominated for a BAFTA rising star award.

Nonso Anozie won a Children’s & Family Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Programme for his role in Netflix’s Sweet Tooth.

Yasmine Dankwah was a Finalist in this year’s Roundhouse Poetry Slam held in June.

Deelee Dubé, Jane Boston and Duska Radosavljevic’s podcast project, Decolonising the Voice, for auralia.space was recently shortlisted as a finalist at the Music & Drama Education Awards 2023 in the category of Outstanding Drama Education Resource. 

Central’s President, Sonia Friedman, was awarded a CBE for her outstanding services to theatre, and Virginia McKenna was awarded a damehood for her services to wildlife conservation and wild animal welfare in the New Year’s Honours List.

Andrew Garfield was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for his performance in Under the Banner of Heaven.

Rebecca Lenkiewicz was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the feature film She Said.

Nyokabi Macharia has been named one of the ten finalists of the Africa Monologue Challenge Competition.

Vanessa Redgrave was honoured with a special award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her work in campaigning for financial support for the arts during lockdown. Igor Memic was also nominated for Most Promising Playwright for his play Old Bridge.

Jacob Sparrow, Amy Ball, and Christopher Worrall have all been nominated for Casting Directors’ Guild Awards. Jacob was nominated for his work on casting Oklahoma in the Best Casting in Musical Theatre (Inside M25) category, while Amy was co-nominated for her work on Jerusalem in the central London plays category, and Christopher was nominated for Best Regional Theatre Casting for his work on Rock / Paper / Scissors at Sheffield Theatres.

Ann-Louise Wolf, who is in her ninth year as an adjunct faculty member in voice and speech in UNCSA’s School of Drama, has been awarded one of their Excellence in Teaching Awards.

The WhatsOnStage 2023 award nominations included John Owen-Jones for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical, Jacob Sparrow for Best Casting Direction, Jack Knowles for Best Lighting Design, Paul Groothuis for Best Sound Design, and Finn Ross for Best Video Design.

This year’s Stage 100 recognised not only Central’s Principal, Josette Bushell-Mingo, but also the impact of various graduates, including Sonia Friedman, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Dan Bates, Chris Stafford, Christopher Haydon, Andy Barnes, James Bierman, Anna Hermann, and Michael Grandage.

The Stage Awards 2023 nominations included a nomination for Dante or Die, an alumni theatre company, in the Digital Project of the Year category for Odds On.

Stage & Digital Theatre

Opened in November

Maddison Bulleyment, Norma Butikofer, and Sonia Jalaly performed in Lyric Hammersmith’s staging of Jack and the Beanstalk, running from 19 November to 7 January, and including sound design from Nick Manning. 

Ben Caplan starred in A Sherlock Carol, running at Marylebone Theatre from 18 November to 7 January. 

Georgina Castle starred in Elf the Musical, running at West End’s Dominion Theatre from 14 November to 7 January. 

Aamira Challenger starred in The Lavender Hill Mob, running at Richmond Theatre from 14 November to 18 February.  

Bethany Gupwell was lighting designer for Here, running at Southwark Playhouse from 11 November to 3 December. 

Lucy Mewis-McKerrow was production manager, Jordan Littlewood was stage manager, and Iris Ibaňez Rojas was head of wardrobe for Jermyn Street Theatre’s production, The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary!, running from 17 November to 17 December. 

Eliana Ostro wrote and directed Make Mine Double review: Anything with a Pulse/Pickle, running at Park Theatre from 14 to 26 November. The production included movement direction from Laura Wohlwend and set design from Suzanne Emerson. 

Andy Purves was lighting designer, Gareth Fry was sound designer, and Alice McNicholas was costume designer for Oxford Playhouse’s staging of Othello, running from 8 to 12 November. Alice McNicholas also provided costume design for Cockpit Theatre’s staging of Love Goddess – the Rita Hayworth Musical, running from 18 November to 23 December. 

Lee Simpson performed in Perfect Show for Rachel, staged at Barbican Centre’s The Pit, which ran from 18 to 26 November and included lighting and video design from Rachel Sampley. 

Samuel Townsend starred in The Old Vic’s staging of A Christmas Carol, running from 12 November to 7 January. 

Opened in December

Michael Elcock and Rumi Sutton both performed in National Theatre’s production, Hex, running from 6 December to 14 January. 

Rosie Elnile was set designer for Paradise Now! running at the Bush Theatre until 21 January. 

Rina Fatania performed in The Art of Illusion, which included set and costume design from Simon Kenny, and ran at Hampstead Theatre  from 19 December to 28 January. 

Michael Fox performed in Kerry Jackson, running at National Theatre from 7 December 7 to 28 January. 

Dawn French starred in Jack and the Beanstalk at the West End’s Palladium, running from 10 December to 15 January. The show included production management from Seb Cannings. 

Nicolai Hart-Hansen was set and costume designer for The Human Voice, running at Charing Cross Theatre from 23 December to 30 January. 

Peter Rice was sound designer for Almeida Theatre’s staging of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, running from 17 December to 4 February. 

Bijan Sheibani directed Sons of the Prophet, which included lighting design from Jack Knowles, running at Hampstead Theatre from 3 December 3 to 14 January. 

Opened in January

Sarah Beaton was set designer, and Daniel Balfour was composer and sound designer for Finborough Theatre’s production, One Who Wants to Cross, running from 31 January. 

David Carr performs in Hampstead Theatre’s production, Linck and Mülhahn, which includes lighting design from Matt Daw and movement direction from Natasha Harrison. The production runs from 27 January to 4 March. 

Coulter Dittman performs in the UK touring production, The Shawshank Redemption, which includes lighting design from Chris Davey and ran at Richmond Theatre from 30 January to 4 February. 

Gareth Fry was sound designer for On the Ropes, running at Park Theatre from 7 January to 4 February. 

Caroline Harker, Harriet Thorpe, and Elizabeth Ayodele, all performed in the UK touring production Steel Magnolias. 

Carly Hook provided stage management for Tits and Teeth, running at Shoreditch Town Hall from 25 to 28 January. 

Jamie Lu was sound designer for IPHIGENIA; or, the sacrifices of a young woman in nine movements, running at The Hope Theatre from 10 to 28 January. 

Hector Murray was lighting designer for Crucible Theatre, Sheffield’s production of Birds and Bees, running from 25 January to 11 February. 

Zoë Wanamaker is currently starring in Broadway production, Pictures from Home, running at New York’s Studio 54 from 13 January to 30 April. 

Natasha Ward is costume designer, and Adrienne Quartly is Sound Designer for The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of The Tempest, running from 26 January to 4 March. The production includes performance from Peter De Jersey, and assistant stage management from Cheryl Firth. 

Finty Williams stars in National Theatre’s UK and Ireland’s touring production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. 

Opening in February

Polly Bennett is movement director for National Theatre’s production, The Lehman Trilogy, running at the West End’s Gillian Lynne Theatre from 8 February to 20 May. 

Teresa Cendon-Garcia and Laura de Marchis both perform in La Casa de Bernarda Alba, running at from 20 February to 1 April at Cervantes Theatre, London’s first venue dedicated to showcasing Spanish and Latin American plays. 

Sami Fendall was costume and set designer, and Jamie Lu was sound designer, for Southwark Playhouse’s production Smoke, running from 1 to 25 February. 

Matthew Forbes has been playing the role of Zazu in the UK touring production of The Lion King, which has included Helena Chivers as sound assistant, Nick Hughes as stage/automation assistant, and Amy Clement as assistant stage manager. The production has been running at Manchester’s Palace Theatre since October, and will soon be moving on to other venues. 

Natasha Harrison is movement director for Winner’s Curse, running at the Park Theatre from 8 February to 11 March.  

Rebekah Hinds stars in Sonia Friedman’s production of OKLAHOMA!, which was cast by Jacob Sparrow, and runs at West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre, opening on 16 February and running until 2 September. 

Ingrid Mackinnon is movement director National Theatre’s production of Phaedra, which includes performance from Paul Chahidi, and runs from 1 February to 8 April. 

Deirdre McLaughlin directed Live to Tell: (A Proposal for) The Madonna Jukebox Musical, running at Omnibus Theatre from 7 to 18 February. 

Baker Mukasa and Faith Omole both star in National Theatre’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which includes dialect coaching from Shereen Ibrahim, and runs from 9 February to 25 March. 

Ben Ormerod provided lighting design for The Beekeeper of Aleppo, running at the Nottingham Playhouse, and including casting from Christopher Worrall. The production runs from 8 to 25 February. 

Kibong Tanji performs in Titus Andronicus at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The production features set and costume design from Rosie Elnile, and runs from 3 February to 15 April.  

Chloe Wilson is the stage manager for Southwark Playhouse’s production, Windfall, running from 8 February to 11 March. 

Many of our graduates, students and staff have been involved in shows at this year’s VAULT Festival. Visit Central at VAULT Festival 2023 for the full list. 

Screen

Nina Ayres has been working as a costume designer on the second season of Amazon Studios’ Carnival Row.

Gael García Bernal stars in Cassandro, a biopic about the gay Lucha libre wrestler Saúl Armendáriz.

Lucas Button appeared in the Christmas improvised special episode of BBC’s Casualty and Netflix’s mini-series The Witcher: Blood Origin.

Kit Harington stars in the thriller Baby Ruby, which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. He also appears in Apple TV+’s new series, Extrapolations, which features intimate, interconnected stories about how upcoming changes to our planet will affect love, faith, work, and family.

Hannah John-Kamen stars as Maya in the folk horror film Unwelcome.

John Lynch stars in the second season of HBO Max’s series The Head.

Kadiff Kirwan and Kristin Scott Thomas both star in Apple TV+’s new series, Slow Horses. Kadiff also plays Andrew in Channel 4’s new sitcom Everyone Else Burns.

Sarah McGuinness recently worked as a dialect coach on Netflix’s Wednesday and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, as well as the feature film She Said. She also worked on Bank of Dave, which includes performances from Hugh Bonneville and Angus Wright.

Siobhan McSweeney appears in Hulu’s new superhero comedy, Extraordinary.

Jemma Moore appears in Netflix’s new show Lockwood & Co.

Cerris Morgan-Moyer was the ADR voice artist for the feature films Spirited, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, and Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder.

Ita O’Brien was the lead intimacy coordinator for Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the latest film in the Magic Mike franchise. Rebecca Gausnell was also a dialogue coach on the film, and Evie Bearman was the junior costume coordinator.

Rufus Sewell starred in Netflix’s Kaleidoscope, an eight-part series centered around the largest heist ever attempted and the vengeance and betrayals that surround it.

In our Community

James Aitken has founded On Voice, a London based collective of voice teachers offering accent and speech sessions for native and non-native English speaking actors, and other professionals. All of the coaches hold a MA in Voice Studies: Teaching and Coaching from Central.

Emma Bentley is a contributor to the new Routledge Anthology called Notelets of Filth, A Companion Reader to Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s Emilia. The piece was originally developed as part of an Archiving Unit at Central with Farokh Soltani and Lior Lerman. Proceeds from the book are donated to the Clean Break Theatre Company.

Maria Cuervo, former producing coordinator at Theatre Peckham, is now the engagement producer at LIFT Festival, working on the premiere of The Second Woman at the Young Vic in May. She is also working as Producer with Upswing Aerial and Maya Productions.

Mark Down, the founder of Blind Summit Theatre, has published A Practical Guide to Puppetry, a comprehensive guide to performing, directing, teaching, practicing, designing, and writing for puppets that he has learned in his 25 years of practice.

Mandy Gordon has been recently appointed as Head of Movement at Arts Ed.

Lyndsey Harvey is currently Head of Reading at an international primary school in Italy.

Katy Hoste was awarded a DYCP grant to develop a life-size albatross puppet and was part of Bristol’s 48 Hour Puppet Film Challenge, where she designed and built four full-scale set pieces in less than 48 hours. She is also a support artist for Bath Carnival.

Joy Lanceta Coronel is a voice and dialect coach at the Milwaukee Rep in Wisconsin. 

Nikica Markot-David has been promoted to Executive Director, Production at Acamar Films, the company that produces the hit preschool animation show, Bing, which is televised on CBeebies in the UK and in over 130 territories globally.

Chizuru Matsumoto is now a producer for the performing arts section of The Museum of Art, Kochi in Japan.

Mannini Mokhothu has launched an incredible Art Residency in the mountains of Lesotho. The residency is located in the picturesque village of Semonkong and is called Bonnini Homestay & Art Residency. Mannini’s vision is to bring tourists and artists to this breathtaking corner of the world, to share the local art, culture, and nature with visitors. The residency provides a unique opportunity for artists to work in a stunning natural environment. 

Stephanie Osztreicher is now Head of Skills: MOVE at Fourth Monkey.

Khai Ramli is producing a mental health audio-theatre series called Hear Myself Think, which is directed and includes dramaturgy from Kaleya Baxe.

Nic Redman, an award-winning podcaster, voiceover and voice coach, is releasing her first book in March called On The Mic, a guide to speaking on the microphone for voiceover artists, podcasters, speakers and presenters.

Jack Shillito has created a podcast about the life of his great-great aunt, Mabel Constanduros, who was taught by Central’s founding Principal, Elsie Fogerty, and became one of the UK’s most famous and beloved comedians on the BBC.

Evan Silver, a writer, director, composer, and performer, is named as one of thirty resident artists of Cell Theatre, and he is currently developing a triptych of new music theatre works as Tiresias, queer oracle of the Underworld.

Jess Tucker Boyd is now a Movement Lecturer at University of West London.

Andrew Visnevski led the Kalamata Drama International Summer School 2022, the fourth annual intensive acting training course in Kalamata, Greece, which he founded in 2019. He was also invited to run a seven-day program of masterclass seminars for the Acting and the Theatre Directing students of the Drama School of the Greek National Theatre.

Emma Webb is now Co-Director of Oxford People’s Theatre.