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ACS Random presents
The Knight From Nowhere / The Bells
Lucy Foster | Director
Andrew Shepherd | Writer
Leopold Lewis | Writer
Zahra Mansouri | Designer
Jo Walker | Sound Designer
Ben Cowens | Lighting Designer
Cagla Temizsoy | Technical Operator
Annie Cavanagh | Production Manager
Lucy Foster | Director
Up and coming writer / director Lucy Foster began her career in 2008, when she wrote her first full length play under the guidance of playwright Matt Charman, a rehearsed reading of which was performed at the NT Studio. Her early directing credits include If Only to Dream(co-director, Warwick Arts Centre 2011), as well as writing and directing two plays for the student festival "Freshfest", one of which won the Warwick "Oscar" for Best Play. She joined ACS Random in 2013, and was the Assistant Director for Hamlet at Park Theatre (2014). Most recently, she joined the Royal Court Writers' Programme (2014), and has directed two short plays for Short(s)wave (Bread and Roses, 2015) and Bare Essentials (Amersham Arms, 2015).
Andrew Shepherd (The Knight From Nowhere (script) The Bells (adaptation)) | Writer
Writing credits include The Shakespeare Conspiracy (Chelsea Theatre), The Trial of Sir Henry Irving (Lately Deceased) (Courtyard at Covent Garden), Cloning Adam (Barons Court Theatre/C Venues/Los Angeles Community Theater), Messenger (C Venues), Whispers in the Wood (C Venues, Edinburgh transferring to St Mark’s Theater, New York), & Therapy (Gulbenkian Studio Theatre, Newcastle). He also co-wrote the award winning short film adaption of Hans Christian Andersen’s Big Claus & Little Claus starring Stephen Fry and the feature film Showreel with Matthew Kelly, Patrick Ryecart & Jeany Spark. Andrew originally trained as an actor at LAMDA after completing a Law degree at Newcastle University. He is also the Artistic Director of ACS Random and Development Manager of Young Actors Theatre Islington.
Leopold Lewis (The Bells (script) | Writer
Leopold Lewis was originally a solicitor before translating and adapting Erckmann-Chatrian’s French melodrama. A rising young actor called Henry Irving saw the opportunity of the role of Mathias, where others had dismissed the play, and stipulated it as part of his contract of employment at the Lyceum Theatre. The lessee at the time, Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman, was on the verge of financial ruin when Irving saw his moment and the play was swiftly mounted. It opened to a small house on 25th November 1871 but his performance made Henry Irving an overnight star, leading to his ascension as the greatest actor of the 19th century and the story of The Knight From Nowhere. Leopold Lewis didn’t cope with the staggering success of the play, developing an irrational belief in his writing being key to its triumph instead of Irving despite the failure of his other writing efforts. He died of drink and despair in 1890. Irving would play the role of Mathias until his death in 1905 when his son added it to his own repertoire. Such was the play’s popularity in its time that rep companies down on their luck would remark: “If the coffers are low, dear, there’s always The Bells!”
Zahra Mansouri | Designer
Zahra graduated from Central Saint Martins in BA(Hons) Theatre Design for Performance. Her most recent collaboration has been with Fourth Monkey Theatre Company as resident designer undertaking the exciting challenge of designing and executing 15 shows within 6 months at Jacksons Lane and Trinity Buoy Wharf, presenting Shakespeare seasons, classics and contemporary at the Edinburgh Festival and a Grim season at The Space UK. Also in 2015 with Blackshaw Theatre Company Alice in Wonderland (Wandsworth Arts Festival & Battersea Library) new writing piece Character (Tristan Bates). Other work includes for ACS Random Hamlet & Much Ado About Nothing (Park Theatre), The Shakespeare Conspiracy, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chelsea Theatre) and The Elephant Man UK Tour Autumn 2014-Spring 2015. Earlier work with Fourth Monkey includes The Peculiar tale of Pablo Picasso and the Mona Lisa (The Brockley Jack) nominated for two Off West-End Awards for Best Set and Best Costume Design. Opera Finding Butterfly (UK and Japan transfer) The Great Gatsby (Wiltons Music Hall) Being Tommy Cooper (The Old Red Lion - Offie nominated: Best New Production). www.zahramansouri.com
Ben Cowens | Lighting Designer
Ben trained at The Academy of Live & Recorded Arts in stage management and technical theatre specialising in lighting design for theatre, events & dance. Since graduating he has designed productions internationally and re-lit productions around the United Kingdom. Lighting design work includes: iCoDaCo (Aberystwyth Arts Centre/Cardiff Dance House/Suzanne Dellal Centre); Showtime (Bridlington Spa); The Domino Heart (The Finborough Theatre); We Happy Few (New Diorama); Conversations with Dystonia (The Place); How to Find Us (Soho Theatre); The Story Projects 5 (The Arcola) Is It Getting Cold in Here?... (Theatre503) Relight work includes: My People (Tour of Wales); Bird (Tour of the UK); Speed (The Tristan Bates); Snap. Catch. Slam. (The Plough Arts Centre); The Snow Spider (The Tristan Bates)
Jo Walker | Sound Designer
Jo is a London based Sound Designer and graduate of Central School of Speech and Drama from the BA Hons Theatre Practice: Theatre Sound Course. He is a multi-instrumentalist and specialises in devised work. His recent works include: In Our Hands by Smoking Apples Theatre (On Tour) Pioneer by curious directive (Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Edinburgh Festival and on Tour),The Kindness of Strangers by curious directive (Norfolk and Norwich Festival and on Tour), The Engineer's Thumb by Dotted Line Theatre (Little Angel Theatre), Hamlet by ACS Random (Park Theatre) After the Rainfall by curious directive (Edinburgh Festival and on Tour), Goodnight Mrs Calabash by Ovation (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), In The Image Of You by curious directive (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Your Last Breath by curious directive (Edinburgh Festival and on Tour). He was also the assistant sound designer and sound technician for Odyssey by The Paper Cinema (Battersea Art Centre and on their European and International Tour). Jo is also the tour manager and front of house engineer for Alex Horne and The Horne Section. www.jowalkersound.co.uk