The Boards – 22nd February 2013

Barnaby Thompson

Barnaby is currently starring in the UK touring production of Cats.

Barnaby trained at Laine Theatre Arts.

Theatre credits include: Mungojerrie in Cats (UK Tour), Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon (Lost Musicals, Sadlers Wells), Bob Barking in Me & My Girl (Sheffield Crucible), Candide (Hyogo, Japan), Gotta Sing Gotta Dance (UK Tour), Potty Pierre in Beauty & the Beast (Wyllotts Theatre, Potters Bar), Tommy Djilas in The Music Man (Chichester Festival Theatre), Lost Boy in Peter Pan (Birmingham Rep), Cover Amos/Mary Sunshine in Chicago (Cambridge Theatre), Cover Nelius in Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre), Pepper in Mamma Mia (International Tour), Sailor in Anything Goes (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Ensemble in We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Cover Mary Sunshine in Chicago (UK Tour) and Eugene Cover Doody/Roger in Grease (UK tour) and Charlie Bates in Oliver! (London Palladium).

Television credits include: The IT Crowd (Channel 4), The Slammer (CBBC).

Film credits include: Beyond the Sea.

Music video credits include: Paul McCartney – Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Alexander Wolfe – Stuck Under September.

Choreographic credits include: Coco (Lost Musicals, Sadlers Wells).

Collette Coleman

Collette is currently starring in the UK touring production of Cats.

Training: Bird college, graduating with a first class BA (HONS) in dance and
theatre performance.

Theatre includes: Swing (1st cover Victoria) in Cats (UK and European tour, David Ian
productions), ensemble in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (The Lowry
Theatre, Michael Rose LTD), Handmaiden, covered and played Narrator and
Mrs Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (European
Tour, Bill Kenwright LTD), ensemble in A Day at the Races, A Night at
the Opera (Bronowski productions), Temperance Lady in The Ripper (New
players, London) and ensemble in Through the Door (Trafalgar studios,
London).

Film includes: Ballet student in StreetDance 3D

Ben Palmer

Ben is currently starring in the UK touring production of Cats.

Theatre: Munkustrap: CATS (UK Tour),Ensemble cover Billy Lawlor & Pat Denning: 42nd STREET (UK Tour), Ensemble cover Curly: OKLAHOMA! (UK Tour) Louis and Clarence: WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (Aldwych Theatre, West End), The Beast: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Redhill, Catford & Leeds)

Film: Ben: CONNECTED, MCN Productions

Simon Hanson

After graduating from London University with a B Mus (Hons) degree, Simon has worked as Musical Supervisor and Musical Director on various theatre productions from 1994 to present day including: Wind In The Willows (also composer) for Octagon Theatre Yeovil (1995) and National Tour (1996-99); Alice In Wonderland (also composer) for National Tour (1996-99); Pinocchio (also composer) for National Tour (1996); The Tales Of Hans Christian Andersen (also composer) for National Tour (1998-99); Peter Pan (2004), Cinderella (2005), Snow White, Beauty and the Beast for Evolution Productions, Kent (2007); Hits of the West End for Spotlight Productions, London and Glasgow (2008); Be My Baby, Dick Whittington (2009) and the 2010 relaunch of the Durham Mystery Plays (also composer) for Gala Theatre, Durham. While in Edinburgh he has also been Musical Supervisor and arranger/orchestrator for the world premieres of two new Scottish musicals, MacPhersons Rant, and John Paul Jones (in association with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra).

Simon works regularly with youth theatre groups including the Scottish Youth Theatre and the Edinburgh Playhouse Stage Experience project, directing and overseeing the music for productions of High School Musical, Annie, Anything Goes and Fame (Edinburgh Playhouse). He was appointed as Musical Director for the 2010 project being run at the Palace Theatre, Manchester and has worked with the Gala Theatre Stage School (Durham) on productions of Rent, Footloose and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Together with James McCutcheon, he runs JS Music Solutions, an Edinburgh-based partnership delivering creative music solutions to the arts. Services offered to clients throughout the UK and abroad range from musical direction to arrangement and transcription services to professional quality backing track creation.

Marley Kajan

Marley is a student studying in the third year of the Acting for Stage and Screen programme at Queen Margaret University. She was born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada near Toronto and is very happy to be on exchange in Edinburgh for the school year. Next year she intends to return to complete her fourth year and final year at Brock University in Canada where she studies Theatre Performance as well as Vocal Music. This year abroad has been a wonderful experience for her and has allowed her to travel and also to see some great musical theatre both in Edinburgh and in London’s West End.

Abbie Davidson

Abbie has always had a passion for performing arts, and fell in love with the theatre from a young age. Having completed a degree in Musical Theatre, Abbie decided to hone her skills in acting and is currently studying a degree in Acting for Stage and Screen at Queen Margaret’s University. During her time studying she has enjoyed taking on many lead roles in shows such as, ‘Nine the Musical’, ‘Songs for a New World’ and other Cabaret based productions. Abbie hopes to continue her love for Musical Theatre through any future projects.