Patrons and Supporters
'The Tristan Bates Theatre is a key lifeline for all theatre artists seeking a space and an organisation dedicated to the promotion of new writing. As such, it deserves all the help going from every moneyed source on the theatrical planet.'
Trevor Griffiths
'A noted venue for dynamic new work, in fine productions fielding wonderful casts to afford the work in question its best possible first outing.'
Simon Callow
The Creative Panel
We have a creative panel that is involved in developing the strengths and focus of the Tristan Bates Theatre, and contribute to our programming policy.
Matthew Dunster:
Matthew is an Associate Director of The Young Vic.
A founding member of The Work, Matthew has had a long and active association at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
He is currently directing the world premiere of David Edgar's new play TESTING THE ECHO for Out of Joint. He recently directed the American classic THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING at the Young Vic:
"Beautifully directed by Matthew Dunster" (Micheal Billington, The Guardian)
"Dunster's atmospherically charged production" (Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard)
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He has just written a play YOU CAN SEE THE HILLS - to be presented by Royal Exchange Manchester on 2008; a Short Play THE BAND for the National Youth Theatre and is nearing completion of another full length play I KNOW WHERE THE DEAD ARE BURIED.
Directing includes: LOVE AND MONEY, Young Vic and Royal Exchange (nominated for Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre); CRUISING, The Bush; PROJECT D: I’M MEDIOCRE, The Work; SOME VOICES, Young Vic; PORT AUTHORITY, Liverpool Everyman.
Writing for Stage includes: YOU USED TO, Contact; TELL ME, Contact and Donmar Warehouse; TWO CLOUDS OVER EDEN, Royal Exchange.
Writing for Radio includes: DEPTH OF FIELD (winner Best Radio Drama Mental Health In Media Awards); POOR ECHO.
As an actor recent theatre includes: Toast, Plasticine, Under The Whaleback, Harvest (Royal Court); The Daughter-in-Law (Young Vic); The Permanent Way (RNT/Out of Joint); Project C: On Principle.
Televison includes: Murder Prevention, Conviction, No Angels, Coronation Street, Gimme Gimme Gimme, True Voice of Rape, Vincent, Silent Witness, Heartbeat, Always And Everyone, Golden Collar, Into the Fire, Walking On The Moon, Doctors, Casualty, Spring Hill, Peter Kay’s Driven To Distraction,
Film includes: Peaches, Hello You
Ria Parry:
Ria is a Creative Producer at Watford Palace Theatre and a National Youth Theatre Associate Artist. She is currently setting up a production company ‘Iron Shoes’ which will be based in Middlesbrough from 2009.
Producing work includes TYPO by Theatre Trash at the Tristan Bates Theatre; Open Mind and Battery Operated Birds by Theatre Trash at the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh Festival; Short NYTs, a season of new work at the Lyric Hammersmith; Easter Bites, a new writing festival at the Lowry, Salford; a tour of Keeping It Safe by the National Youth Theatre; and Larkin About in Hampton Park for Richmond Council. She is the producer and programmer of SPICE, a new work event mixing comedy, music, theatre and spoken word previously at the Pleasance and Arts Depot.
Directing work includes The Buzz for Box Clever Theatre, Nine Days Crazy by Chris Goode (Co-Director), Tobias and the Angel (Assistant Director) for the Young Vic, The Master and Margarita (Assistant Director) at the Lyric Hammersmith, and False Faced by Paul Charlton at Hampstead Studio. She will be directing The Tempest for Box Clever Theatre next year. She regularly runs workshops and courses for the National Youth Theatre and the Young Vic.
Ria was a member of the first year of Step Change in 2007, a cultural leadership programme steered by BAC, the National Theatre, the Young Vic and the Royal Opera House. Her relationship with the Tristan Bates Theatre began last year with Theatre Trash’s production of TYPO. She is pleased to be continuing an association with the theatre through her work on the Creative Panel.
Ken Christiansen:
Ken Christiansen is the Artistic Director of Operating Theatre Company, the resident new writing company for the Actors Centre, responsible for the development and dramaturgy of many award-winning new works. Directing credits include: Singing!Dancing!Acting! at Soho Theatre and Cariad at the Tristan Bates Theatre. He is Administrative Director for the JMK Young Directors’ Trust.
James Albrecht:
James Albrecht is an actor and a director. Acting credits include 18 months with the RSC, Garry Lejeune in the RNT/ATG production of Noises Off on tour and in the West End, Antonio in Philip Frank’s production of the The Duchess of Malfi at the West Yorkshire playhouse, and his one man show John Wayne, Mom, Apple Pie and Other Myths at the Gate, The Live Theatre and the Tristan Bates.
For the past 12 months he has focused on directing, a journey which has taken him from directing a reading of The Trojan Trilogy at British Museum and the Tristan Bates, to the Market Theatre in South Africa for six weeks to associate direct Dream of the Dog by Craig Higginson and back to the Tristan Bates and the Komedia to direct Bottle by Richard Dyball.
The Tristan Bates has played a central role in much of James’ work as both actor and director. It is a vital and unique venue in the heart of London which has shown its worth for large scale performances with 14 actors, to devised theatre, to new writing and comedy. Aside from the projects described above, he appeared in Mark Wing Davey’s production of Passion Play, he devised Gerontology, he directed the first reading of Dream of the Dog with Janet Suzman as part of the Operating Theatre’s Writers Block week of readings, and he created and performed in Rosie Smith – Speed Coach with Emma Swinn – all at the Tristan Bates.
Sophie Stanton:
Sophie is an actress whose TV credits include Silent Witness, Fingersmith, The Mayor of Casterbridge and Prime Suspect. Theatre credits include Market Boy (NT), Dying for It and Cloud Nine (Almeida), Bright (Soho) and Sleeping Around (Donmar Warehouse). She appeared as Leah in the original production of Beautiful Thing at the Bush Theatre and Donmar Warehouse, and as Sandra in the recent revival at the Sound Theatre, and in 2005 performed in Cariad at the Tristan Bates Theatre which she also wrote.
Mary Roscoe:
Mary Roscoe was born in Zimbabwe and came to England to train as an actress at the Rose Bruford College in Kent where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Arts. She has worked extensively as an actress in theatre, television, radio and film. Her latest film “Unrelated” was shown at the London Film Festival recently and won the coveted Fipresci International Critics Award. It is due for commercial release in September 2008.
Her work as a producer began while she was playing Olive Oyl with the highly successful “Popeye” for the David Glass Ensemble. She brought it to the Arts Theatre, London in 1994, after sell-out shows on the South Bank. It ran for 6 weeks, broke even, and fortunately closed the day the set collapsed due to the highly physical nature of the performances.
She formed Roscoe Productions in 2000 when she was invited to create a show for the Red Pear Theatre in Antibes, France. “Hell is Other People” opened the season there in October 2000. She then produced and directed a one-man show for horror icon Doug Bradley “An Evening with Death”, which has successfully toured America every Halloween since 2001.
In October 2004 she produced Robin Hooper’s new play “Free From Sorrow” for Living Pictures Productions, which premiered at the Actor’s Centre Tristan Bates Theatre. Since then she has been actively involved in plans for the creative life of the TBT, and during the Ignition Project she brought together Robin Hooper, Sian Thomas, Joan Oliver and herself, to work on an unperformed 16th century play about Cleopatra. Probably the first time a live snake has found itself on stage in that small, but potent space.
She is on the board of directors for Look Theatre, which recently had a successful run at the Arcola Theatre with Robin Hooper’s “Not the Love I Cry For” directed by Paul Miller.
A founder of New Company, which aims to produce innovative work, involving new writers, designers and directors. The creative team on each project is mentored by well established professionals. Mentors include playwrights and directors, Alan Ayckbourn, Peter Gill, West End producers Peter Wilson and Thelma Holt, stage designers Bob Crowley and Michael Vale and lighting designers Paule Constable and Simon Corder.
New Company has produced 'Broken Voices' (**** The Guardian) and 'Late Fragment' ('Simon de Deney's staging grips like a malign hallucination. Unexpectedly well worth a look') at the Tristan Bates Theatre. We are currently developing a project 'Four Corners' that will explore the changing face of London through the stories of recent immigrants to the city.
