Mike Shearer - J.B

Mike trained at Mountview, during which time he played roles including Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Sam in Personals and Fidel in Witches of Eastwick. Other experience includes Freckles in Peter Pan, Jamie in The Diary of Me and vocalist for performances of both West End Rocks and Perfect Pitch’s recent showcase in Maidstone.

Mike is delighted to be part of this cast of Departure Lounge.

Luke Kempner - Pete

Tim Edwards - Ross

Training: Guildford School of Acting Conservatoire.

Theatrical credits: ‘Montgomery Winterton’ in The Buccaneer (Finborough Theatre); ‘James’ in James and the Giant Peach (Nuffield Theatre); ‘Curly’ a Lost Boy & u/s ‘Peter Pan’ in Peter Pan (Birmingham Rep. directed by Rachel Kavanagh); ‘Orvin’ in Orvin (Champion of champions); (National Youth Music Theatre, directed by Alan Ayckborn); ‘Fyodor’ in Boris Gudunov (English National Opera, directed by Francesca Zambello); ‘The Boy’ in The Juniper Tree (Almeida Opera Company, directed by David McVicar); Naughty Boy in Oliver (London Palladium); ‘Flute’ in Das Klagen Die Liede  (London Philharmonic Orchestra).

Hayley Angel Wardle - Sophie

Hayley trained in musical theatre at the London Studio Centre, and studied improvisation at the innovative Anna Scher Theatre. She began acting by appearing in well known programmes such as Holby City, Casualty and the Bill, and later featuring in dramas such as 'The Robinsons' for the BBC and 'The Stretch' for Sky One.  Hayley went on to play a lead actress in the Channel Four series 'Totally Frank'.

She recently completed a feature film called 'Flick', starring opposite Hugh O' Conor and Faye Dunaway, and can also be seen on the new comedy show 'Fur TV' for MTV One

Dougal Irvine - Writer

Dougal gained a BSc in Psychology and Sports Science from the University of Birmingham then trained as an actor at Mountview Academy. He has been an actor for seven years, with lead West End Theatre credits, in addition to work in TV and film.

He trained in playwriting at the Royal Court. His first musical Departure Lounge won the inaugural Perfect Pitch new writing Festival, and was subsequently given a short run at the Arts Theatre under the title Unzipped! He showcased new material at the second Perfect Pitch festival and has performed a cabaret of his own songs at the New Players Theatre. He has also written the short films Beautiful Eyes and Blind Date which were both screened at Cannes; and The Green Fairy, which went to the LA short film festival. He is currently writing a sit-com and a new musical. He is grateful to all who support and encourage him in his writing, including his beautiful fiancé.

Pip Minnithorpe - Director

Pip grew up in Plymouth and read Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham.

Pip’s productions of musical theatre include Two’s a Crowd and Jesus Christ Superstar, plus the Anglo-Indian epic The Far Pavilions at the Shaftesbury Theatre (resident director) and the smash Brummie musical Wallop Mrs Cox at Birmingham Rep (assistant director).

For Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Pip has directed tours of Showstopper (also off West End) and A Night at the Theatre! (which he also co-wrote) in addition to readings and workshops of plays from the Georgian era. In 2007 he returned as director of the 19th Century farce Box and Cox, and associate director of the naval melodrama Black Eyed Susan for the reopening of the venue following a £5m restoration.

Pip was assistant director at Birmingham Rep 2001-2002, working on Tender, Of Mice and Men, The Wind in the Willows and Getting to the Foot of the Mountain, and returned in 2003 to direct the premiere production of Descent. Further productions of new writing include End Of The Night, Snow, Heads Talking (radio), Locked and Did Shakespeare Have It This Easy?, plus rehearsed readings for the Royal Court Young Writers Project, Hampstead Theatre Start Nights, Menagerie and Birmingham Rep. He assesses scripts for ACT Productions and Sonia Friedman.

Pip's touring productions include Romeo And Juliet and As You Like It for the British Shakespeare Company, and Chekhov's The Sneeze, as co-director. Further productions include We Happy Few, Fen, Judith, The Maids, Henna Night, Reader and Attempts On Her Life, plus assisting on Othello, Jane Eyre and Pride And Prejudice.

Peter White - Musical Director

Peter has just graduated from the Musical Director’s course at the Royal Academy of Music. Prior to that, he studied Music and English at the University of Birmingham and he has also trained with NYMT and British Youth Opera.

Recent credits include working as Assistant to Jason Robert Brown on the Donmar Warehouse production of ‘Parade’ and Assistant Musical Director on the 2007 UK Tour of ‘Fame’. He has also played keyboards for ‘Wicked!’ and ‘Fame’ in the West End and accompanied Katherine Jenkins on the ‘Viva La Diva’ South Bank Show special.

Other credits as Musical Director include: Jack and the Beanstalk (Royal Victoria Hall, Southborough), The Ladies Who Lunch (Jermyn Street Theatre), A Night at the Theatre! (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Unzipped! (Arts Theatre), Aladdin (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), The Music is the Hero (Players Theatre), Jekyll and Hyde (Beck Theatre, Hayes), Pirates of Penzance (Golden Hinde), Blues Brothers…Live! (Birmingham Guild Theatre) and Little Shop of Horrors (Derngate Theatre, Northampton).

A graduate of Northern Ballet School and later Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Cressida’s credits as a choreographer include: Into The Woods – Greenwich Theatre, Before The Night Is Through – Millfield Theatre, Hot Mikado – Chelsea Theatre, Dick Whittington – Harlow Playhouse, Spear – Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Peter Pan – Millfield Theatre,  Unzipped! - Arts Theatre, Godspell – Chelsea Theatre, The Witches Of Eastwick – Albany Theatre, Departure Lounge - Upstairs At the Gatehouse, Nunsense - St Peter’s Church, Vauxhall, Have A Nice Life - Edinburgh Festival, West Side Story – BAC, Lucky Stiff - New Wimbledon Studio Theatre, The Diary Of Me - Harlow Playhouse, Godspell – BAC, Passage Of Dreams - Bridewell Theatre, Closer Than Ever - Judi Dench Theatre, Kids From Shame - Upstairs At The Gatehouse, Jesus Christ Superstar - Kings Theatre, Portsmouth, Espresso Trasho - Arts Theatre, Dorian - Greenwich Theatre, Children Of Eden - Watersmeet Theatre, The Clearing – Tramway Theatre, Glasgow I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change - Judi Dench Theatre, Stepping Out - Greenwich Theatre, Still Life - Bridewell Theatre, Where Angels Fear To Tread - Tramway Theatre, Glasgow,  
Cressida also directed Sondheim’s Marry Me A Little at the Etcetera Theatre.

Touring and West End credits as a performer include West Side Story, Miss Julie, Chess, The King and I, Sweet Charity, Women Behind Bars, Pig, A Chorus Line, Buster, The Women, 20th Century Musicals, Soho Story, Once Upon A Mattress, Pacific Overtures, Calamity Jane, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Carousel. She has also toured extensively with Urban Dance Theatre as a principal dancer.

Cressida is one third of Lucky Stuff Productions Ltd who  recently produced the premiere of Before The Night Is Through, a new murder mystery musical.  She also teaches at many of the top London drama schools and from 2004-2006, was Deputy Head of Dance at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

John Brant - Assistant Director

John trained on a scholarship at the American Academy of Dramatic in New York receiving on graduation the prestigious Jehlinger award for excellence in acting.  He spent a season with the American Academy Company playing Anton Chekhov in 'Chekhov in Yalta', Henry In 'The Real Thing' Jack in 'Racing Demons' and originating the role of Jack in 'The Dew Point' before staring Off-Broadway as Michael in 'Someone who'll watch over me'.

Since leaving acting to concentrate on Directing Johns credits include West Side Story (Millfield Theatre), 'Big' - The Musical (Arts Depot) as well as workshops of
Boys in the Front Room (Perfect Pitch)  All I want for Christmas (Perfect Pitch) and Through the Door (Laurence Mark Whyte, Hazlitt Maidstone)

Readings include:  No exit (Gene Frankel, New York), Nocturne (Gene Frankel, New York)
John is also an experienced Workshop leader (Musical Theatre, Classical Acting, Meisner and Method)  and has directed many youth theatre productions.

Currently John is directing Unidentified Baggage by Zoe Cooper for the inaugural Henley Fringe Festival  and will travel to New York at the end of the Edinburgh fringe Festival to direct Conor McPhersons 'Rum and Vodka' as part of 'First Irish 2008' at Manhattan Theatre Source.

John has recently been appointed New Works Director for Perfect Pitch (www.perfectpitchmusicals.com) and is general managing, for Chris Grady:  Musical theatre @ George Square.

John Newman - Newpalm Productions - Producer

John Newman is Managing and Artistic Director of Barry O’Brien (1968) Ltd. and Newpalm Productions, which he formed some years ago with his partner, Daphne Palmer.  Over the years the companies have grown, with continuing success, into one of the leading theatrical managements in the U.K.

During his career, John has worked extensively as an actor and director, as well as producing.  His directing credits include Stephen Sondheim’s SWEENEY TODD, FORTY YEARS ON, THIS HAPPY BREED, EQUUS, BENT, ANASTASIA, THE BOYS IN THE BAND, FUNNY PECULIAR, HABEAS CORPUS, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, BROKEN GLASS, POPCORN, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, the first repertory productions of AS IS and EXTREMITIES, and the critically acclaimed THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III.

In the West End he has directed Lulu and George Cole in PETER PAN – THE MUSICAL, and subsequently on tour with Bonnie Langford and Eric Sykes.

Barry O’Brien (1968) Ltd. and Newpalm Productions have been responsible for many National and International tours and seasons, including PIAF, DEATHTRAP, HOME AT SEVEN, ANOTHER COUNTRY, STEAMING, DEADLINE, SHOCK, GYPSY, NOISES OFF, the Hong Kong productions of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT and THE WIZARD OF OZ, the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Neil Simon’s RUMOURS, and recently presented Cameron Mackintosh’s production of LES MISERABLES – IN CONCERT at Chelmsford’s Hylands Park Arena, in Essex, where he had previously presented HEY, MR. PRODUCER and EVITA.

On behalf of the two companies, John has presented in the West End, in association with Michael Codron, the musical 70 GIRLS 70 at the Vaudeville.  He has presented PETER PAN at the Cambridge and Aldwych Theatres, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS at the Old Vic, and subsequently at the Prince of Wales, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, starring Steve Guttenberg, at the Comedy Theatre, DANGEROUS OBSESSION at the Apollo, Steven Berkoff’s EAST at the Vaudeville, THE BLUE ANGEL, presented in association with the RSC and directed by Trevor Nunn, at the Globe, and the latest West End presentations were THE GLEE CLUB at the Duchess,  DICE HOUSE at the Arts Theatre and BAT BOY – THE MUSICAL at the Shaftesbury.

Andy Barnes - Andy Barnes Productions - Producer

Andy is an independent theatre producer based in London. He trained at the Central School of Speech & Drama completing an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice.

His recent productions include The Wiz  (Hackney Empire), Dr. Foster (Menier Chocolate Factory) starring Zubin Varla & Rachel Pickup, Unzipped! (Arts Theatre, London), Dreams Come Out to Play (Birmingham Rep), Days of Hope (Kings Head) with David Burt & Siobhan McCarthy and Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Gene Frankel Theater, New York).

Andy is the founder and producer of Perfect Pitch, an event for new musicals, which will run for its 3rd year in November 2008 at Trafalgar Studios in London.

Andy received the prestigious Society of London Theatre New Producers Bursary in 2006.