MEET THE TEAM

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After studying for a degree in English Language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford, Eliot trained as an actor at the Guildford School of Acting. Over the past 30 years he has worked as an actor in Theatre, Film, T.V. and Opera while also creating his own work, devising and developing projects as a Theatre-maker and working as a freelance Theatre Director. As Artistic Director of Dragonboy Productions, he brings this experience together to focus on creating and developing new work for the theatre.

Recent work for Dragonboy Productions includes In and Out of Chekhov’s Shorts, which he adapted from some of the best of Anton Chekhov’s short stories. Eliot performed in and directed the show which toured to 27 theatres across the country before enjoying a short and critically acclaimed run at Southwark Playhouse where the production was awarded an OffComm. He wrote and directed Tales from a Thousand and One Nights which toured nationally and prior to this, Eliot played the role of Prospero in The Tempest - which he adapted and created with the Spanish company, Le Tendre Amour. The show opened the International Festival of Theatre in Malaga and subsequently played in France at the Théâtre de L'Oulle, Avignon and the Palace of Versailles as part of Festival Mois Moliere. It was performed at the Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg as part of the British Council's Shakespeare Lives programme and at the International festival of theatre in Alaca, Madrid, the Teatro Real Coliseium Carlos III in El Escorial, the Auditori l´Atlàntida in Vic and at the Auditori Sant Cugat in Barcelona. The production was subsequently nominated for the Gran Premio de España de Artes Escénicas. 

Other acting credits include William Hawkins in The Hamlet Voyage (Bristol Harbour Festival/Bridewell Theatre), Witness for the Prosecution (London County Hall), Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End and tour), playing the title role in The Beekeeper (Blackeyed Theatre/Waterloo East) for which he received an OFFIE Best Actor nomination, Alice in Wonderland (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Alarms and Excursions (Chipping Norton), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Liverpool Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse), Il Turco In Italia (Royal Opera House); Measure for Measure (Thelma Holt Productions); A Small Family Business(Watford Palace Theatre); Don’t Look Now (Lyric Hammersmith); The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare's Globe); Twelfth Night (Royal Exchange Manchester); Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Horse & Carriage (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Black Dahlia, Buried Alive, The Cherry Orchard, Demons and Dybbuks (Method & Madness); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Nuffield Theatre Southampton); The Government Inspector (Salisbury Playhouse); Man for Hire (Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough); The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe (Library Theatre Manchester); Oxygen (Tricycle Theatre).

TV work includes Mind Games (ITV) and Egypt (S4C) and Film work includes Slow Horses (Apple TV) Nine (Lucamar/ Weinstein); Night Swimming (Tri-Star); DIY Hard (British Film Foundation); Cake (Subrosa Films); The Security Control Room (Pukka Films)

Eliot directed Blackeyed Theatre's productions of Frankenstein, (which won the IKE Award for outstanding theatre), The Great Gatsby, Dracula and Not About Heroes, all of which toured nationally. For Armonico Consort he directed Baroque Around the Block and Monteverdi's Flying Circusas well as a production of West Side Story that played at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. Other directing credits include The Imperfect Pearl for Latimer Productions about the life of the Baroque composer Domenico Zipoli, the world premier of Knackerman by Rosanna Negrotti (White Bear Theatre) and Stephen Sharkey’s minaturist piece Retrospective (Arcola Theatre).

What was you first role and what first attracted you to theatre?

My Archangel Gabriel in the School Nativity play, aged 5 was, I’m reliably informed, a sight to behold. I think I probably realised from an early age that acting was something you could do to show off without getting into trouble! I also had a really inspiring English teacher at school - Dave Smith - who suggested that I audition for the National Youth Theatre. I did audition, got a place and had a wonderful summer performing and after that there was no looking back.

What shows and performances have you most enjoyed?

As a young actor, Complicite’s The Street of Crocodiles and Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch’s Shockheaded Peter were productions that blew me away and changed my perceptions of what theatre could achieve. In the last few years, Conor McPherson’s Girl from the North Country and the Old Vic production of Fanny and Alexander were both stunning productions while The Inheritance by Mathew Lopez was a tour de force that I felt grateful to have seen.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?

As a young actor, playing Bucky Bleichert in Mike Alfred’s production of The Black Dahlia was a huge challenge. It was a wonderful rollercoaster of a role; 2.5 hours on stage without an exit. Waiting in the wings on the first night was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been! Getting used to the physical and mental stamina of performing that role every night of the week and week in-week out was a challenge that I relished.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the fun, the camaraderie and the friendships that are forged and the fact that no two days are ever the same. The life of an actor or a director is always a series of ups and downs. I believe the trick is to relish and embrace that sense of unpredictability rather than dread it! I love the process and challenge of creating a piece of theatre and being challenged by others to do that as well as possible. It keeps you young or at least allows you to cling on to the illusion that you are still young! Being around talented, passionate and creative people is good for the soul. In many ways acting isn’t really a job for grown-ups at all. But it is fun. I’ve also been very lucky to have been able to travel and perform in different countries around the world as well as visiting towns and cities the length and breadth of the UK. Being paid to do that still feels like a privilege.

If you could pick any theatre company to work with on your next project which would it be?

I’ve had the great good fortune to have performed at Shakespeare’s Globe as an actor. I adore Shakespeare so if I could wave a wand I’d love to act there again or direct a show there; there’s something about the space with the actors sharing the same light as the audience that just has a bit of magic about it.

Which director do you most respect?

I hope I’ve learned something from everyone I've worked for, but I'd say that Mike Alfreds was an important influence on my directing work. I had the good fortune to work with him for a couple of years as an actor in his Method and Madness company and learned a great deal about the rigours of Directing and the mechanics and techniques of storytelling and narration.

What ambitions do you have?

I think my ambition has always been the same; to do good work with good people. Everything and anything else flows from that really.

If you weren’t an actor and a director what job would you like to do?

I’ve spent at least 35 years pondering this very question! I haven’t come up with an answer yet which is probably why I’m still doing it!

Chris trained at the Court Theatre training company. Since graduating in 2021 his Theatre credits include, Tales from a Thousand and One Nights (Dragonboy Productions UK Tour), Peter Grimes, Lohengrin, Aida and The Marriage of Figaro (Royal Opera House), Play With Speeches (Hen and Chickens Theatre) BU21(Corbett Theatre), The Kennedys, (Etcetera Theatre), Baggage(Bread and Roses)

What or Who inspired you to want to become an actor?
My school teachers encouraged me to perform when I was 10/11, as I had a booming voice for my age. I then fell in love with being on stage, and was lucky to attend a great school where the arts were actively encouraged.

What was your first experience of acting and what shows/performance/s have you most enjoyed?

My first proper acting performance of a play was Mojo by Jez Butterworth, and still, to this day, I think it’s one of my favourite plays, so gritty. I played Potts, who funnily enough was originally played by Andy Serkis - who is one of my favourite actors, - at the Royal court theatre in 1995.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date and what ambitions do you have?

My biggest challenge was probably having my final year of drama school affected by Covid. We had to perform three of our final year shows over zoom. It was a huge struggle, especially being so restricted. However since covid, I’ve been very lucky to have had a great year in the industry and I hope to be performing on stage and screen throughout 2023 and beyond. I’ve got a lot to prove and can’t wait to get stuck in to a variety of projects.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the excitement of what’s to come, the endless plays and characters that I can get stuck into and just making an impression on peoples lives, making them come out of a theatre, laughing or crying or just having been transported to that world of the character or play. And it’s endless fun! And of course, all the many friends I meet on the way!

If you weren’t an actor/actress what job would you like to do?

I think something creative still, perhaps a singer as I have a huge love of music.  Painting is another huge passion of mine. Both my parents are artists, and I still love to paint when I find the time.

Verity is an actor-musician originally from the North-East, now living in London. She is very excited to be working with Dragonboy Productions again after touring the UK in their production of Tales of a Thousand and One Nights
 

Credits include: BBC One Inside Out: North East and Cumbria, Atrocities in Arkham (Drayton Arms Theatre), Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (UK Tour), Santa Must Die (Leeds Playhouse).

What or Who inspired you to want to become an actor?

I have always loved performing. School productions helped me see that and the chance to combine music and drama has always excited me and spurred me forwards.

What was your first experience of acting?

My first experience of acting was at school probably playing Camel no.2 in the school nativity. The costume was very flattering, I’m sure…

What show have you most enjoyed?

The show that I have most enjoyed is Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay Abaire - an amazing script!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

There’s so many things to enjoy about my job. But getting to meet amazing people all doing things they love has to be at the top of that list.

If you weren’t an actor what job would you like to do?

If I wasn’t an actor, I’d be a violin teacher. But apparently at age 4, I wanted to be a professional unicorn jockey, so there’s always that!

Graeme trained at the Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre work includes: In and Out of Chekhov’s Shorts(Dragonboy Productions), Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor (Park Theatre), The Secret Garden (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End and National Tour) Measure for Measure (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Let The Right One In (Royal Court/Apollo Theatre/St Ann’s Warehouse NYC/U.S tour), Elsie Thatchwick (Edinburgh Fringe/Theatre 503), Rope (Brighton Fringe, Rialto Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Iris Theatre, Covent Garden), Macbeth (Trafalgar Studios), Der Ring Des Nibelungen (Royal Opera House), On Golden Pond (Middle Ground/National tour), To Kill A Mockingbird (York Theatre Royal/National tour), The Snow Queen (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Old Vic New Voices: 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic), Huck (Chipping Norton/Southwark Playhouse/ National tour), Treasure Island (Northern Broadsides/National tour), Treasure Island (Birmingham Stage/National tour) and Oliver! The Musical (New Vic, Newcastle- Under-Lyme).

Television includes Doctors and Hollyoaks. Film includes Home for Christmas

What or Who inspired you to want to become an actor?

I was inspired by a particularly wonderful teacher - Mr Robinson - who taught us Drama at school. He inspired us to read all the classic plays and took us on monthly theatre trips to the Citz in Glasgow. We saw some really cutting-edge productions, often involving sex and swearing which we all loved, and we would talk about the shows and dissect them the next day in class. Forefront was an amazing after school drama club that really got me into performing. We did big proper productions, and Naidha Thompson the head, helped me prepare my speeches for drama school; I learnt the importance of professionalism and strict discipline to my craft from her and I really don’t think I would have got in to Drama school without her influence! When I learnt that my great uncle, Laidlaw Dalling, was an actor, I remember thinking, ‘that’s what I’m going to do too.’

What theatre have you most enjoyed?

Punchdrunk’s The Drowned Man is probably the best thing I’ve ever seen, and Ben Whishaw’s Hamlet at the Old Vic was the first proper play I saw in London and his performance is still lodged in my memory. I also saw Hamilton for $20 in a tiny New York theatre before it went huge which was incredible. Also, seeing Anne Marie Duff in Saint Joan at the National, The Ferryman at the Royal Court and Mark Rylance in Jerusalem, were all amazing theatrical experiences.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?

Probably performing Claudio in Much Ado about Nothing, my first big Shakespeare role. It was a difficult role and it was outdoor theatre which brings its own set of challenges. I found it very hard. I just don’t think I got it, which happens sometimes, but it’s a horrible feeling. I was a nervous wreck and genuinely didn’t know what was going to come out of my mouth! I got through it, but it gave me a fear of Shakespeare for a while. I resolved to never feel like that again. I’ve recently played Angelo in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and I prepared so much to avoid that fear. Thankfully it paid off and it was a great experience.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The work itself really, but also the people, the travel, the unpredictability, and the fact that I can say I’m doing something for a living that I genuinely love.

If you weren’t an actor what job would you like to do?

I’d be a Personal trainer or maybe a song writer, but I’d be equally happy teaching surfing somewhere hot, with long hair and a big beard!

Elisabeth is a Russian and English bilingual actor. Having relocated to the United Kingdom, she is passionate about telling stories from her childhood in rural Belarus and Moscow. Returning to the production of In and Out of Chekhov’s Shorts is a pleasure and a joy. Chekhov’s stories are a beautiful dissection of human interaction, and his universality is what makes his stories resonate to this day. Elisabeth’s most recent theatre credits include The Anarchist at Jermyn Street theatre, A Christmas Carolat the Painted Hall, Chekhov Bows and Leaves at Pushkin House.

What or Who inspired you to want to become an actress?

In Moscow I trained as a musician, taking part in competitions and concerts, so being on stage has always been a part of my life. And I have always loved telling stories, entertaining people and being in school productions was something I really enjoyed being a part of. The moment when I think it clicked that I wanted to pursue this as a career was when I saw a production of Gecko’s ‘Institute’ on a school trip. The incredible storytelling and the camaraderie of the actors on stage was electrifying. That’s when I finally realised that I wouldn’t be happy doing anything other than acting and hopefully making people feel the same way I felt watching that production.

What was your first experience of acting and what performances have you most enjoyed?

The first time I went on stage as an actor was in Moscow, in a school production of the Snow Queen, where I played Gerda when I was 7. I remember being absolutely terrified I’d fall over or break something. But I remember it being so much fun in the end! A show that I loved performing was a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we did at Mountview, directed by Richard Cant. I played Helena, who is such a brilliant, funny, warm character. It was also the very first time I had ever delved into Shakespeare, so it was a challenge which turned out to be a production I will never forget. Another show which has really stayed with me was an Actor-Musician production of ‘Dead Dog in a Suitcase’ which I did earlier this year. The politic of the play is incredibly relevant today and it made me realise the importance of theatre as a construct.

What has been your biggest career challenge to date and what ambitions do you have?

The biggest challenge for me so far was probably my last year of training at Mountview. It’s not always an easy path, and that is what I have realised this last year. What ambitions don't I have is the real question! I would love to see the concept of Actor Musicianship grow in theatre, so playing a role in the development of that is something I am very passionate about.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I think what I most enjoy about my job is being surrounded by creative people and being able to play, explore and have fun with likeminded people- what a brilliant job to have! If you weren’t an actress, what job would you like to do? I find it difficult to imagine myself in another job however the obvious answer would be a musician, but to be honest, a dog walker.

Tom is an artist and producer based at Prime Studios in Windsor, UK. He is delighted to be revisiting his music for In And Out Of Chekhov's Shorts.

As a composer, his recent work includes 'Sports Change The World' film Mighty Penguins, which made the BAFTA long list for Best British Short Film. His original score for Oh What A Lovely War is currently on a national tour with Blackeyed Theatre, in a production nominated for four Off West End awards, making the final in one category.

His other work includes two albums of original jazz, The Winter Giant (Beautiful Creatures and Battle Festival), The Other Side Of Me (Alleyne Dance), Call Of The Bells (Reading Borough Council), pro-EU fanfare The Schuman Declaration (Onyx Brass), Henry V and The Tempest (South Hill Park) and Three Songs Of Charlotte Mew.

Tom's audio production work has received BBCand Jazz FM airplay; clients include Florence + The Machine support artist Sophie Henderson, an EP for Thomas Heppell which charted in the UK Blues Top 20, and recently singer-songwriter Jez Gent. Other recordings include Time To Talk (Sue Ryder and Circus Scene) and Old Heads On Young Shoulders (Greg Mayston’s Folk, Blues & Americana).

Upcoming work includes narrating Stan Tracey's Under Milk Wood Jazz Suite, writing a new play The IPCC Report, and managing The EHP Barnard Poetry Prize.

www.tomneill.ltd

Claire studied Mathematics at Oxford before starting her career as a lighting designer. Her credits include Tales from a Thousand and One Nights (Dragonboy Productions/UK Tour), the UK and international tours of Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Blackeyed Theatre), and the UK tours of I Am Beast, Killing Roger and The Girl With No Heart (Sparkle and Dark), The Snowsmith, Boulder and Under the Frozen Moon (Half a String), The Tempest (Thick as Thieves), Revenge(Crime and Comedy Theatre Company), The Shipwrecked House(Penned in the Margins) and The Just So Stories (Red Table Theatre).

Other lighting designs include 100 Years and Push (Popelei Theatre), Humane (True Name Productions), Kaj Nazar (London Armenian Opera), Invisible Me (House of Stray Cats), As One and Imoinda (Lontano), Zaryab (Toos Foundation), Mozart vs Machine (Mahogany Opera Group), Robin Hood (The Opera Story), Rudolf  (Pins and Needles), Iolanthe(Charles Court Opera), The Barrier (Earwig Arts), 1000 Songs (Pinch Punch), Venus/Mars (act up) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Cornucopia).

Lighting designs for dance productions include Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Alice - Wonderland Through the Looking Glass and Dracula - Welcome to D's (Chantry Dance Company) and NowHere and Forgot Your Password? (Divya Kasturi).

Victoria trained at Bretton Hall where she received a first class honours in Theatre design and technology.

Over the last 25 she has been lucky enough to work on various theatre productions for both touring companies, outdoor theatre, youth theatre, in house productions at South Hill Park, and a variety of Pantomimes in various theatres around England, - winning best Set design at the Great British pantomime awards.

A small selection of productions she has designed ranging from plays, musicals and pantomimes are : Dragonboy Productions: In and Out of Chekhov’s Shorts and Tales from a Thousand and One Nights. For Others: Just So, Calendar Girls, James and the Giant Peach, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Noughts and Crosses, Brassed Off, Fantastic Mr Fox, Oliver!, Henry V, House and Garden, The Wizard of Oz,The Adventures of MrToad, Summer Holiday, and Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Cinderella and Snow White. The Great Gatsby, Teechers, Frankenstein, Dracula, Not About Heroes.....

There are many others but the list will get dull to read! I have loved them all and am forever thankful people ask me to design their productions.