Production Team

Producer Emma Allison

Emma is a first year Music Student at York studying Piano as her principal
instrument. She also plays saxophone in a number of bands. She has experience
performing in the bands of many musicals including Wizard of Oz and Songs for a
New World. After seeing her first musical (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour
Dreamcoat) at a young age, Emmas love of musicals never left her and she
continues to be fascinated by the music and production of such shows. Emma
has experience helping with the running of choirs and is often found behind the
scenes making sure everyone is organised. This would be the first large scale
musical that Emma would be producing, and she is extremely excited to have the
opportunity to produce a musical.

Directors Callam Neville & Vicente Magalhaes

Callam studied Drama and Theatre Studies to A-level, specialising in Brechtian
Technique and Direction. He Co-wrote/Directed the 2011 ArtsBox Award
nominated play Domino and has since directed several small scale productions of
plays such as Lysistrata and The Cauacasian Chalk Circle. He most recently took
on a role as Assistant Director/ Technical Director in York Universitys production
of The Threepenny Opera.
Vicente is a second-year music student. He Co-directed the two productions of
the student-written play, Down the Rabbit Hole, alongside Joe Willis at the drama
barn in York and Matthew's Yard in Croydon. As a repetiteur he has accompanied
many rehearsals for different ensembles, from choirs to small orchestras both in
England and in Portugal.

Musical Director Oliver Pickup

Ollie is a second year jazz trombonist and composer whose works infuse
contemporary classical composition with elements of jazz and improvisation.
Ollie started playing with both the Lancashire Youth Brass Band and the
Lancashire Youth Jazz Orchestra, whilst at St Marys College, Blackburn where he
studied jazz and composition with Carl Raven (Apollo Saxophone Quartet, House
of Bedlam). As a performer, Ollie has played lead trombone with various jazz
groups including the Nostalgia Swing Band, New Kings Big Band, the University
of York Jazz Orchestra, Dysfunktion and the Sam Johnson Big Band. He has also
played for many musical theatre productions including Phantom of the Opera,
Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Hairspray and Wicked. Ollie is also the Assistant
Musical Director for the 2015 CHMS Summer Showcase and has conducted the
East Lancashire Concert Band as well as his own wind band as part of the World
War One Conference in March 2015. Ollie is the current Musical Director and
Trombonist for York based function band Dysfunktion and brass quintet 5 Men 1
Tuba.

Vocal Director & Costume Olivia Moss

Olivia performs regularly as a classical, jazz and musical theatre singer. Her most
recent theatrical performance was in the University of York Music Department's
production of The Threepenny Opera playing Polly. Olivia also enjoys performing
with Opera Society and has been a chorus member in Cendrillon and taken part
in showcases. Stage appearances prior to university include Truly Scrumptious in
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Eva Peron in Evita and one of the Bird Girls in Seussical,
all for local productions. Olivia trained for a year with the LIPA weekend academy
and in local amateur dramatic groups previously. She has also undertaken
extensive choral training, for example with the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth
Choir, with which she performed in several major works at the Liverpool
Philharmonic Hall and performed in the 2012 Olympic Closing ceremony. Now in
her second year studying music at the University of York, Olivia is a keen
member of University and Chamber choirs and has this year taken over as a
conductor for Vanbrugh Voices. Along with Vanbrugh Voices, Olivia has directed
other musical groups through school, taught piano for several years and has
assisted in directing shows with younger children. Olivia is excited to extend her
directive experience in a larger production, particularly with a show that she
loves!

Technical Director Chris Roberts

Musicals have formed a large part of Chris life for a number of years. He has
performed and recorded as a member of the Welsh Musical Theatre Orchestra,
played for the Cardiff Youth Orchestra in Porgy and Bess and Miss Saigon as well
as directing sound for this same orchestra. Chris has also produced many EPs,
singles and other works across genres, while one of his original compositions,
written, recorded and mastered with band Dartmoor, received airtime on Nation
radio

Choreographer Hannah Takats

Hannah is a first year music student from Hertfordshire studying the flute as her
principal instrument. She also sings and plays piano and saxophone. She has
played and performed in various orchestras and concert bands at home including
performances at the Ritz in London and at the location of Downton Abbey. She
spent a year with a musical theatre academy taking part in workshops with West
End professionals and this love of musical theatre is still with her. She has
danced since the age of 8, doing most styles including ballet, tap, modern,
contemporary and street, performing three times a year in dance shows, and
played the lead role in Snow White in March 2014. Having spent the past few
years choreographing and teaching dance during her A Levels, she is excited to
be choreographing here in York.

Stage Manager Fred Stanford

Currently in his second year of music, Fred has often worked backstage in
entertainment; either playing in the pit or as a member of the backstage team.

He currently works part time at the Barbican Centre, which includes shifts
moving equipment and rigging backstage. He was on the backstage team for
CHMS presents The Witches of Eastwick and so understands how to organise
props and set, as well as delegating to members of the cast if need be. He is very
much looking forward to once again helping in the inner workings of another
CHMS production.

Assistant Stage Manager Charlie Chester

Charlie is a first year Management student from Eastbourne who plays the
trombone and bass.

Press and Publicity Eleanor Dunsdon

This is Eleanors first time taking on the role of Press and Publicity for a
production; however she is no stranger to the role. Earlier this year, she was
elected for Press and Publicity officer for both the universitys Music Society and
Gilbert and Sullivan Society both of which she maintains an active role with. At
the start of this academic year, Eleanor was appointed Press and Publicity
assistant for the Music Departments project The Threepenny Opera, in which
she created a website, Facebook and Twitter pages, filmed video diaries and
documented the productions rehearsal process through photography. Further to
this, Eleanor has experience in publicising herself as a musician, utilising all
social media outlets and designing and creating a website for herself.

Finance Sarah Pendleton

Sarah is a first year music student who has a passion for musical theatre. She
has was a member of a youth musical society for 3 years before coming to york
and so has a good understanding of musical theatre and what's involved in
putting on a show. With A level maths and physics, Sarah has a good
understanding of numbers and is well placed to assist with finances.

Fundraising Lizzie George

Lizzie is a first year music student and a principal flautist as well as a keen
saxophonist. She has experience performing in various bands both in York and at
home in Suffolk. She has a lot of fundraising experience after raising over
15,000 on the school charity team and fundraising for her gap year. She is
currently fundraising to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in September. Although this
would be the first musical Lizzie would be involved in without being a member of
the band, she is incredibly excited for some creative fundraising!