Debo Adebayo
Producer
Debo is the Lead Producer at Tamasha Theatre Company.
Previously, Debo worked with Tangle Theatre Company as their Communications Director; with Nitrobeat (formerly Nitro Black Theatre/The Black Theatre Co-Operative); and with The Red Room. He has also worked with companies such as Talawa, Utopia Theatre and Collective Artistes as an independent marketing consultant or producer. He collaborates regularly as producer and sound designer/music supervisor with playwright Mojisola Adebayo.
When he’s not producing theatre, Debo runs Mix ‘n’ Sync, the music publishing and supervision company he founded in 2012. He has founded independent record labels and has been a DJ since his youth.
Theatre credits include: For Tamasha: A Stranger in a Strange Place by Mel Pennant (2021); 10 Nights by Shahid Iqbal Khan (2021); Under the Mask by Shaan Sahota (2021); We are Shadows (2020); Approaching Empty by Ishy Din (2019); Does My Bomb Look Big In This? by Nyla Levy (2019); I Wanna Be Yours? by Zia Ahmed (2019).
I Stand Corrected (producer and music supervisor, Oval House/London, 2012, Artscape/Cape Town, 2012); Muhammad Ali And Me (producer and music supervisor, Oval House/London 2008, Albany/London, 2016); Mof of the Antartic (Assistant Composer, Oval House/London 2008, British Council Tour of Africa, 2008, Lyric Hammersmith/London, 2007). TV: Invisible (Music Supervisor, Random Acts, Channel 4, 2012).
Mark Dakin
Technical Director
Mark Dakin has worked in opera, theatre and dance companies worldwide including The Young Vic, English National Opera, Bristol Old Vic, Sydney Theatre Company, Cameron Macintosh and The Really Useful Group.
He joined the Production Management team at the National Theatre in 1992. He became Head of Production in 2003 and Technical Director in 2011.
From 2015-2022 he was Technical Director at The Royal Opera House, joining when the £40m Open Up project was commencing, which included the refurbishment of The Linbury Theatre. In 2022 he joined TAIT as Managing Director for Neasden & Haverhill, overseeing local business operations, teams and clients, whilst working closely with the Global Executive Group.
Mark is a Co-Director of Stage Sight, a fellow of the Association of British Theatre Technicians and an Associate of Tangle.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH MARK ABOUT HIS ROLE IN OUR AMPLIFY SCHEME
Tony Gayle
Sound designer
Tony’s credits include Shoe Lady, Poet in da Corner (Royal Court & UK Tour), The Wild Party (The Other Palace), Lazarus (Kings Cross) and numerous productions at Urdang Academy and Bird College. Associate Sound Designer credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, Matilda, My Neighbour Totoro (RSC/Joe Hisaishi at the Barbican), The Book of Mormon and Tangle’s 2022 Richard the Second.
Founder of The Audio Cartel, Tony won the Black British Light & Sound Recognition Theatre Award in 2019 & 2021. He is a London Borough of Bromley Youth Mentor, Co-Director of StageSight, a Trustee of Wise Children and a qualified Inline Hockey Referee.
Aidan Grounds
Producer
Aidan is currently Associate Producer and General Manager at Greene Light Stage. Current productions include & Juliet and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. He was previously Executive Producer at Curve Leicester where he produced the critically acclaimed streamed productions of Sunset Boulevard (‘a game changer’) and The Color Purple; a 5 star revival of West Side Story; the world premiere stage adaptation of Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Laundrette with original music by the Pet Shop Boys; and Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees’ Giraffes Can’t Dance. He has worked in his hometown of Southampton at both Nuffield Southampton Theatres and MAST Mayflower Studios as well as the Young Vic, Air-Edel, and with producer Thelma Holt CBE. He was the inaugural Executive Director of Reading Rep which he joined at its inception while studying at Oxford University.
Aidan has been supported by UnLtd and EY’s Accelerate Programme for social entrepreneurs. He is a Trustee for Stage One. He is proud of his Vincentian and Indian background.
Alysha Laviniere
Production Manager
Alysha is Deputy Production Manager at Kiln Theatre. Previously, she has held positions at Mountview Academy and some of London’s most prestigious venues: Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Court and the Young Vic.
Alysha is a member of Stage Sight and is currently developing a Production Management Mentorship Scheme with English Touring Theatre. She is passionate about creating space for the next generation of theatre professionals and providing accessible opportunities for those of the Global Majority.
When she isn't wearing a hard hat and steelies, she enjoys practicing yoga and smashing the patriarchy.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH ALYSHA ABOUT Her ROLE IN OUR AMPLIFY SCHEME
Mildred M Moyo
Lighting Designer
Mildred is a Zimbabwean lighting designer currently on scholarship at Rose Bruford College (MA Light in Performance). Recent credits include: Associate Lighting Designer for The Famous Five Musical (Clwyd Theatre/Chichester); Shadow LD Patrick Woodroffe Elf Musical (Dominion Theatre); LX Technician at The Royal Opera House. In 2011 she founded the first female-owned lighting company in Zimbabwe called the Phenomenal Lighting and Power Solutions. In 2019, she Established the first Lighting Masterclass series in Zimbabwe for young people, with a particular focus on disadvantaged girls.
In 2020 due to COVID-19, the classes were moved to Zoom and hosted some of the most renowned lighting designers from all walks of life like Paule Constable UK, Hansjorg Schmidt UK, Michael Curry USA, Bamanye Yeko SA and Erich Bertti Brazil among others. In 2021 Founded a lighting workshop themed ‘Lights Out’ touring Zimbabwe which culminated in the inaugural Lighting Festival themed “Let there be light”. Member of the ALPD. Find out more.
Jai Morjaria
Lighting Designer
Jai Morjaria trained at RADA and won the 2016 Association of Lighting Designers ETC Award. He has worked with many world-renowned companies including Complicité, The National Theatre of Kuwait, Hampstead Theatre and The Orange Tree Theatre.
He is of Indian and Kenyan descent and has been working consistently since graduating from drama school. Not only working hard, but also being dyslexic has meant the journey has been extra challenging.
Jai would love to work with someone who is looking to advance their skills and explore exciting performance spaces.
Alison Pottinger
Stage Manager
Ali Pottinger is a stage manager, BSL/English Interpreter and tutor at Rose Bruford College with nearly 30 years experience in the theatre industry. She started her career at Theatre Royal Stratford East where she has worked many times; also at the Tricycle (now Kiln) and Royal Court. She has worked with Graeae Theatre, Deafinitely Theatre, Clean Break, and with the Ramps On The Moon initiative.
In 2019 she was part of the Stage Management team for the all women of colour production of ‘Richard II’ at the Globe Theatre directed by Adjoa Andoh and Lynette Linton.
Alison believes passionately that technical theatre is a creative and rewarding career path and seeks to increase awareness of its potential within the d/Deaf community, and BSL users in particular, and set up the Technical Theatre BSL Project to create a glossary of technical theatre terms in BSL. She is a member of Stage Sight, the SMA and ABTT.
Tariq Rifaat
Managing Director
Tariq spent over 30 years working in the theatre industry both in the UK and touring Internationally. He began his career in stage management before moving into full-time production management in 2008 at the Royal Court, then later joining the National Theatre in 2015. As a Production Manager, Tariq gained extensive experience leading and collaborating with technical and artistic teams, overseeing the creation of numerous productions. His projects as a freelance Production Manager allowed him to work in many of London’s most renowned producing venues including the Young Vic, Kiln Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe as well as theatres across the West End.
In 2021 Tariq embarked on an exciting new challenge, joining Steeldeck Rentals Ltd as Managing Director. Here he is learning new skills in running a company, managing, and leading all aspects of the business such as operations, marketing, and HR, whilst continuing to develop Steeldeck’s client base across a range of industries including Theatre, Events, Festivals, Film and TV. Tariq is committed to continuing to build a sustainable business with Steeldeck and further diversifying its workforce.
Tariq is on the board of trustees at Reading Rep Theatre, where he is also a member of the Health and Safety executive team.
Tariq is passionate about encouraging and guiding theatre and events professionals in all stages of their career, with a keen focus on applying transferable skills. He continues to mentor and lecture in Production Management and Technical Theatre.
Owing to his love for music, Tariq spends his free time going to gigs and raiding London’s second-hand record shops.
Julia Reid
Stage Manager
Julia Reid trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama graduating with a Higher National Diploma in Stage Management. With a career spanning a quarter of a century, she has worked in a wide variety of freelance stage management roles as an ASM, DSM, SM and CSM. She has worked in Regional Theatre, the West End and toured the U.K. extensively. Her international work has taken her to America, Canada and Europe.
Affiliations: Professional member and Board member of the Stage Management Association UK. Member of the Stage Managers’ International Relations Cohort USA and member of Equity UK.
Daniel Roach Williams
Stage Manager
Daniel trained at University of Bedfordshire in Stage Management and Production Strands, graduating in 2014 with an Upper Second-class Honours degree. Daniel is particularly interested in supporting stage managers moving from ASM to DSM positions, and also those with learning conditions such as dyslexia.
Stage Manager on book includes ‘Surveillance’ Newham Unlocked-Conundrum’ (Crying in the Wilderness)
Rehearsal DSM: ‘Richard II’ (Tangle Theatre Company)
Assistant Stage Management includes ‘Mandela The Musical’ (The Young Vic Theatre), ‘Chasing Hares’ (The Young Vic Theatre), ‘Henry V’ (The Donmar Warehouse), ‘Camp Seigfried’ (The Old Vic Theatre), ‘The Death Of a Black Man’ (The Hampstead Theatre), ‘Dr Seuss’s The Lorax’ (The Old Vic Theatre), ‘Me For The World’ (Young Vic), ‘Anansi The Spider’ (The Unicorn Theatre), ‘Alice in Canning Town’ (Newham council), ‘Mapping Brent’ (Kiln Theatre), ‘Philoxenia’ (The Bush Theatre)
Assistant Stage Manager Dep include ‘Get Up Stand Up: Bob Marley the Musical’ (The Lyric Theatre)