Theatre Royal Stratford East Senior Management

KERRY MICHAEL Artistic Director

Kerry was appointed the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Theatre Royal Stratford East in September 2004 after being the Associate Director for the past 6 years. Kerry has vowed to uphold the theatre's commitment to develop new work and to provide a platform for those voices underrepresented in the ever-changing communities of the East End of London. His debut play as Artistic Director was The Battle of Green Lanes written by Cosh Omar. Set amongst London's Cypriot community, it provided an early example of Kerry's commitment to those unheard voices. More recent Stratford East credits include numerous Christmas shows, various new plays including Jamaica House by Paul Sirett, which had a site specific performance on the top floor of a tower block in Stepney, new musicals Make Some Noise and One Dance Will Do, Sammy and Come Dancing by Ray Davies. Other credits include co-directing the Jonzi D hip hop show Aeroplane Man and an adaptation of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. His recent directing credit, The Harder They Come has obtained wide critical acclaim transferring to the Barbican Theatre, West End and Internationally. In 2007 the theatre won an Olivier Award for ‘Boy Blue Ent's Pied Piper' and in the same year the theatre was also nominated for ‘presenting a powerful season of provocative work that reaches new audiences'. In 2008 Kerry's production of Cinderella was also nominated for an Olivier. Kerry's other credits include work at the Edinburgh Festival; the King's Head, the Gate Theatre, a season of new work at Theatro Technis, programming the re-opening season at Greenwich Theatre and a residency at the Contact Theatre in Manchester. He is a board member of Stratford Renaissance Partnership; a trustee of Discover, which provide creative, play and learning opportunities for children and their carers in Stratford; and a member of Equity's International Committee for Artists Freedom.

VANESSA STONE Executive Producer

Vanessa joined Theatre Royal in September 2006. Prior to this she was Associate Producer for theatreshare plc, alongside a range of freelance production and business development roles in theatre, television and film. Previously, she was Business Affairs and General Manager for Pola Jones Associates; a commercial theatre, comedy and television production company, and General Manager for Oxford Stage Company - and has worked with a number of other theatre companies including Soho Theatre and Greenwich Theatre. Through her career, she has developed work and produced theatre across the UK and internationally. Vanessa is also a Trustee of Create; a charity which uses the creative arts as a tool to help transform lives.

DAWN REID Associate Director

Dawn's association with Theatre Royal Stratford East has included assisting and casting on such shows as One Dance Will Do, Aeroplane Man and two twenty-minute musicals: Windrush and Things Change. Dawn has produced festivals at the theatre; including Gateway to the Arts, a festival of shows for - and by - young people and also produced Spoke-Fest, a festival of two-weeks of spoken word, performances, workshops and a Spoken Word UK Slam Championship. Dawn has also produced Boy Blue's sold-out show The Book of Koraka; and produced and directed Club V. She has directed for Theatre Royal Stratford East, Funny Black Women on the Edge, Ade Ikoli's Diary of a Single Man, DRD's Dis is How We Do It, Speechify: Four Men on Family, Kat Francois one woman show Me, Myself and 7, Da Mic Sounds Nice, Summit and co-directed The Harder They Come. Dawn was the Assistant Director on Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin and Red Riding Hood, and directed Sleeping Beauty and The Snow Queen. She has also directed rehearsed readings for Brit Asia and New Voices part of the Theatre Royal's work with new writers, and rehearsed readings for Hear My Voice. She also directed Theatre Royal's Youth Theatre in 2002 and 2004 as part of Contacting the World Youth Festival organized by Contact Theatre in Manchester. Dawn also directed Llewella Gideon's premiere of Fruit Salad at the Greenwich Theatre, and was the Associate Director for Avenue Q in the West End. Dawn won the Carlton Multicultural Achievement Award for Direction.

BARRY BURKE Head of Sales and Marketing

Barry joined Theatre Royal in October 2002. He previously worked for Bates UK Advertising Ltd as an Account Director, handling relationships with existing clients and leading on pitches for new business. His accounts included DFS, Woolworths, Roche Pharmaceuticals, and Energise Batteries. Prior to that, he had a long career working in the marketing department of the Royal Mail, working his way up to UK Marketing Manager, where he led on the well- known campaign “I saw this and thought of you.”, and the Christmas Card to the Nation campaign, reminding people of last posting dates for Christmas.

JAN SHARKEY-DODDS Head of Youth Arts & Education

Jan started her professional life as a youth worker in 1984 with responsibility for developing drama work. She specialises in participatory theatre structures for learning and understanding. Jan worked freelance until landing a fulltime job with Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre, where she worked as an actor/teacher, TIE Director, Trainer, Youth Arts Worker and Education Officer over 14 years. She then moved to Oval House as Head of Arts in Education until taking up her post at Theatre Royal Stratford East in August 2004. She has worked extensively as a trainer providing Continued Professional Development in the arts, community and education sector. Her training work has taken her to the Czech Republic, Taiwan, India and Lewisham.

PAUL CANOVA Head of Finance

Paul joined Theatre Royal in October 2003 from VPL, a licence fee collecting society set up by the record industry, where he was employed as Financial Accountant. Previously he had spent 17 years with the UK subsidiary of the Japanese electronics company Casio, where he started as Management Accountant and was responsible for the installation of the company’s first computerised system. As the company expanded he managed the regular hardware and software upgrades and was appointed Casio UK’s first IT Manager. Paul was raised and educated in Hackney and is a graduate of The Open University. He is a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians.

ALI FELLOWS General Manager

Ali Fellows is the newest member of the Senior Management Team - she joined in September 2008. In 1990 she graduated from Middlesex University with a Degree in Drama before working in stage management for several years for companies such as Trestle Theatre Co., Actors Touring Company, LIFT, London Mime Festival, Laban School of Contemporary Dance, Forest Forge Theatre Co etc. In 1999 she stopped touring and took up the role of Assistant Production Manager at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, and in 2003 she went on to become Production Manager and then Head of Production & Operations at Watford Palace Theatre. She is thrilled about taking on the role of General Manager, from a career development point of view, but also because Stratford East and the work it does is so very exciting - particularly in this period as we head towards 2012.