Biographies

Cast and Contributors

Pete Baynes (Ariel) | Paddy Burton (Caliban)(Musical Sound Sculptures)| Mark Cronfield (Ferdinand)
Bidi Iredale (Stephie) | Chantal Loiseau (Miranda) | David Napthine (Prospero)
Shelley O’Brien (Trinnie) | Nina Hajiyianni (Director) | Paul Harman (Director) | Ali McCaw (Designer)
Simon Henderson (Stage Manager) | Paddy, Jack & Tom Burton (Pre-show music)|
Suzy Galbraith (Costumes - school children & volunteers)
Paul Belcher (Artist - mask design for school children)
Jane Crawford (Artist - mask design for school children) | Rachel Clarke (Web Designer)
Helen Ward (Photographer) | Robert Galbraith (DVD Design) | Valerie Proud Auntie Val (Marketing)
Ashley Bell (Technical Support) | Bowes Museum Education Department (School Bookings)
Diann Allenby & Ann Alderson, CTC (School Bookings)
Other Company Members
Chris Pryce | Harrison Philips

Pete Baynes (Ariel)
An actor, musician, writer and director specializing in Movement and Physical Theatre, having trained with Philippe Gaulier and Monika Pagneux in Paris.
In a previous incarnation Pete served the Great Bard a pint in the bar at Paddington Station while he was waiting for the15.33 slow train to Stratford. His big break came when later he became a bowler hat and was purchased by Dostoevsky, acquiring total recall of the great man's novels and shopping lists. Er, when are we doing War and Peace?
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Paddy Burton (Caliban)(Musical Sound Sculptures)
Paddy lives in Sunniside near Tow Law and is a founding member of County Durham-based Jack Drum Arts. Performances this year have included The Sheriff of Nottingham for Jack Drum's "Robin Hood" (with Shelley O'Brien as Maid Marion), a gallery of Elizabethan characters for North Country Theatre's "Lady Caroline's Cargo" and a tree in a touring mime show in Nicaragua. Paddy played Lysander and Flute in The DREAM and is delighted to be working with Mad Alice again. Paddy creates outdoor musical sound sculptures from wood and aluminium, some of which will be heard throughout the performance.
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Mark Cronfield (Ferdinand)
Lives in North Yorkshire with his wife and three children and a cat called Billy.Sadly Golden The Hamster died shortly before rehearsals but happily Flopsy The Bunny survived, having escaped the pot for eating all the flowers in the garden for the second year in a row.It was a nice garden once. Mark advises parents not to succumb to kids' commands to have rabbits for pets...they are a bit rubbish! He is very happy to be working with Dame Shelley's Company again, particularly as she has not scheduled any performances on the eve of The World Cup Final Match and is looking forward to visiting some fine hostelries in the area!
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Bidi Iredale (Stephie)
When her mates called round and asked her to come and play again in the park Bidi skipped out the door. Little did she know what she was letting herself in for. But, having enjoyed playing Hermia and indeed WALL in last year’s DREAM, having also tripped around Alnwick Castle as Celia in NTC's 'As You Like It', cavorted with a Welsh lilt as Maria in 'Twelfth Night' and even been allowed out as far as France and Belgium with CTC to play Juliet, Bidi feels she is most certainly ready again for the park!
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Chantal Loiseau (Miranda)
Originally from Darlington, studied English Literature and Drama at the University of Manchester, where she developed a great fondness for Scrabble. Later while attending the RSAMD in Glasgow, Chantal became a Master of Acting and learnt to play the haggis. She has been working in Children and Young People’s Theatre since 2004. With CTC Theatre, she has answered phones, stage-managed a princess with a golden heart, Taken Off (twice) and been Mrs Cook. Most recently she has co-devised a play for young children, ‘Soft as a Brush’, with Paul Harman. This is her first outing with Mad Alice.
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David Napthine (Prospero)
Since appearing with the Moscow State Circus where he played second performing giraffe in their acclaimed version of “Whoops, Vicar, there go my trousers” David has swum the channel whilst wearing a Stella McCartney frock and translated “I belong to Glasgow” into Aramaic. He is delighted to be working with Mad Alice again, especially now the old dear has bought some new jigsaws, and is looking forward to playing nice with his chums in the woods and showing off his new electronic security tag given to him by the jolly policeman who arrested him last year. David’s Bottom delighted hundreds of people in The DREAM. Certainly a Bottom never to be Forgotton!
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Shelley O’Brien (Trinnie)(Producer)
Trained as an actress at the Academy Of Live & Recorded Arts (ALRA), London. Since graduating 14 yrs ago she has performed with numerous theatre companies in Britain and abroad, but for the last few years her work has been concentrated in the North East. Set up Mad Alice Theatre Company 3yrs ago, playing Helena and Quince in THE DREAM. Since last year she has been stretched on a rack as Maid Marion in Robin Hood, eaten by a wolf as Red Riding Hood and relished the role of Mary Hymer, who was blamed for the spread of cholera, all for Jack Drum Theatre Company. She is currently enjoying a long run of her one-woman show as Josephine Bowes (directed by Nina Hajiyianni) for CTC at the Bowes Museum. So successful she is seriously thinking of setting up home there. She is looking forward to discovering the delights that lie waiting under Patrick Burton’s gaberdine and doing some serious method acting research for Trinnie and Stephie with Bidi by drinking lots of Shiraz wine.
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Nina Hajiyianni (Director)
Associate Director of Ctc Theatre, where she has directed many plays. Trained at Northumbria University . Nina's other work ranges from large scale community plays to site specific youth performance projects. Co-directed THE DREAM for Mad Alice and is looking forward to working on its '06 production of The Tempest and of course the long awaited 0'7 tour of THe Wizard Of Oz with its inevitable successful runs in '08, 0'9 and beyond.
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Paul Harman (Director)
Actor in small parts at repertory theatres in Coventry, Colchester, Watford, Edinburgh and Liverpool from 1963. Soon got bored being told what to do and having to act in dark halls in the evenings. From 1970, has founded and run successful theatre companies specialising in professional theatre for children and young people touring into schools. Has directed over 100 shows, including plays from Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Sweden, France and Holland, some of which he translated himself. Artistic Director of CTC THEATRE, Darlington, since 1993. Likes being outdoors and shaking up Shakespeare. Also directed The DREAM for Mad Alice.
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Ali McCaw (Designer)
Lives contentedly with Douglas the longhaired Dachshound. Recently acquired Ella, The Bassett Hound. Ali is a wonderful theatre designer, enjoys going into schools and torturing children in the art of puppetry and mask making. So far all participants have enjoyed the experience. Has pulled the main sheet up Sir Napthine’s bottom in the ‘Sound Of Mull” and lived to tell the tale. He responded by weeping. Ali also designed The DREAM for Mad Alice. Is currently working for Creative Partnerships exploring performance & story telling in outdoor spaces with exceedingly small children. She is also planning outdoor performance events along The Solway Coast.
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Simon Henderson (Stage Manager)
Originally from Wimbledon moved to the North East to study at Newcastle College a HND in Theatre and Media Production and graduated in 1995. Simon has stage managed and toured extensively in Britain and abroad. He has worked for a number of theatre companies in the North East, which include Live Theatre and Northern Stage. This is the first time Simon has worked for Mad Alice Theatre Company and hopefully not the last.
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Susi Galbraith (Costumes - school children & volunteers)
I am married, a mother of two fine young men and a retired teacher. Over the past 3 years I have been developing a new career in the 'Arts'. I have had the privilege to be involved in many exciting projects and artists and found myself 'playing many parts'. Drama facilitator, costume maker and co-coordinator, mask maker, artist and performer. Recently I have become a member of Castle Players and had lots of fun taking part in the winter production 'Shakespeare The Cabaret'. Susi also designed the young people and volunteers’ costumes on The DREAM.
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Paul Belcher (Artist - mask design for school children)
Paul has had a varied career and nothing much to do with the art world apart from some amateur painting over many years until his wife fulfilled his life ambition to become an artist and let him go back to school. Now with a degree in Fine Art and a complete lifestyle change he works as freelance visual artist and the occasional park keeping duties.
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Jane Crawford (Artist - mask design for school children)
Is an actress, artist, writer, video and drama workshop facilitator.
Under the banner of Daisy ARTS, she works all around the North in schools, colleges, community centres and agencies, working with various age groups and abilities. She is founder of WASH Youth Theatre, based in the North East, which has Investing in Children status.
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Rachel Clarke (Web Designer)
Since 2001 Rachel has been collaborating with artists, theatre practitioners, scientists and anybody else she can coerce to work with her. She creates animations, video projections, internet projects and performances in the north east and beyond. She has recently formed digital media company Twisted Digits in the high hills of Co Durham where she works, rests and plays.
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Helen Ward (Photographer)
Is a lens based media artist living and working in rural County Durham. She uses photography (traditional and digital), digital video, and image manipulation as her medium along with use of the spoken and written word. She has experience both as a practising artist and as a participatory artist working with community groups, schools, youth groups etc. Since April 2001 she has been a member of Jack Drum Arts based in the Wear Valley, which has allowed her to explore her own work particularly within the context of film in theatre.
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Robert Galbraith (DVD Design)
Has spent the past 2yrs studying Moving Image at New College Durham and has gained a vast knowledge in media production. He has made a TV Debate Show, Promo and Music Videos and Short Films, some of which were through Jackass Youth Theatre where he has been a very active member since 1999. Rob also made The DREAM DVD for Mad Alice.
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Valerie Proud Auntie Val (Marketing)
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Ashley Bell (Technical Support)
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Bowes Museum Education Department (School Bookings)
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Diann Allenby & Ann Alderson, CTC (School Bookings)
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Other Company Members

Chris Pryce
Since birth Chris has been growing and growing. Now matured and fully developed, he enjoys nothing more than dressing up and playing in the park with his friends. He enjoys saying the words polyp, tang, snaith and the number four. His main talent lies in animal mimicry and is the main source of his work. Theatre and TV includes: Donkey under Yvette Fielding, Seaview for ITV (1987), John Merrick in Nellie's Return (West End), Skippy's Galah in Skippy goes to Tow Law for OZ Films (1992), Alpha Male in Lions: Proud, Dangerous ... or Both? for TBS Wildlife (Lambton Safari Park Training Video) and Third Chameleon in Who Goes There? (Open University Research Video on Medieval Lizards). At the tender age of eight (big boned), Chris is reallu blossoming and is proud to play a fairy.
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Harrison Philips
Philip Harrison, born Middlesbrough 1963, son of a weevil baiter. Took up acting to avoid conscription. Trained under the the Ken 'Golden Voice' Parkin in Billingham, before trying his hand in London at A.R.L.A. Didn't like that so came back and after two weeks as an unemplyed cat flap fitter, was a founder member of Target Theatre. Did some other jobs and finished up here as a Fairy Queen! Life! It's a funny old thing.
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