Cast in order of appearance
Beggar Woman – Ami Sawran
Blood Wedding marks a rather festive first anniversary for Ami at KDC. Since drowning the stage with tears as both Hamlet and Electra and leaving little to the imagination in Stag Nation, she is pretty excited to take on an even more sinister role this season. She is starting to worry about being typecast as murderous, bloodthirsty loners, but at least this one doesn’t indulge in incest. When she’s not lurking about on stage, Ami tends to the cosmopolitan farm animals of London, muddles through a PhD, co-edits Reprobait magazine and tweets about how tired she is @ayemiy.
Mother – Emma Knott
Emma first performed with KDC back in 2007 as the mildly violent teenager Helen in The Cripple of Inishmaan. Over the years she’s morphed herself into a variety of soldiers, spurned women and spinsters in plays such as All’s Well That Ends Well, Dangerous Corner and Crimes of the Heart. Having spent some time on the other side of the fence directing The Libertine, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Lying Kind, Emma returned to the stage last year in KDC’s Halloween season.
Bridegroom – Mark Ewins
Mark is delighted once again to be performing with KDC and that his last performance in KDC’s What the Dickens didn’t scare people away! By day Mark works as a Food Product Technologist but by night he is a collector of talents. He plays clarinet in a community orchestra (CLO) and sings with Sustain choir or ‘we’ll sing for cake’. As a keen ice skater Mark lives on the edge and enjoys a good cast ice-breaker and post-performance pint…..you’re buying 🙂
Neighbour – Su Vigus
Su came to acting a few years ago through singing in amateur opera productions and this is her second venture with KDC, having played the nurse from hell in the 2012 production of Dracula. Roles with other companies include Agnes in Dancing at Lughnasa (Tower Theatre), Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (SEDOS) and Lucetta in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Cheltenham Rococo Players). Su also has Musical Director/Composer credits for Bazaar and Rummage (Network Theatre) and Murder in the Cathedral (CP Theatre Productions).
Wife – Asma Mani
Asma’s acting debut (aged 4) as the improbably-cast Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk has led to her playing an eclectic mix of characters, including traffic wardens, queens, maids, hookers, lords, goddesses and thwarted nearly-nuns. Her longest dramatic engagement was a two-year stint pretending to be a teacher (audiences were – eventually – receptive). By day she now pretends to understand tax and computers, a career choice entirely informed by The West Wing. Afraid of being type-cast by her previous roles, she is exploring the uncharted territories of being a wife and mother in Blood Wedding.
Mother-in-Law – Helen Jackson
Helen moved to the big smoke from oop north many moons ago and has treaded the boards with KDC on several occasions, playing everything from a mischievous fairy to an angry chav. Past productions include A Clockwork Orange, The Tamer Tamed and Electra. She is looking forward to eating all the wine-cakes.
Leonardo – Govind Hodgson
This is Govind’s fifth season with KDC and subsequently fifth rather standard biog – and this one promises to be no different. Govind has been lucky enough to play many lovely parts with KDC, and has loved every moment of this one.
First Girl – Ciara Robley
This is Ciara’s third involvement with KDC. Not so long ago she was otherwise known as ‘Hoodie’ and/or ‘Despair’ in KDC’s Twisted: The Modern Plays. Oooh. She cannot wait to play a less typical role that involves her other loves: Song and Dance (olé!) and she’s equally looking forward to not having ‘blood’ dripping from her face every night. That said, given the title, she may have just spoken too soon…..!
Servant – Ade Gbinigie
Ade has been performing since she was a child and has been training for as long in dance, singing and acting. This is her second time in Blood Wedding; having been previously cast as Beggar Woman/Death, she is looking forward to being less creepy overall. She has also been in shows such as Metamorphoses, The Cripple of Inishmaan and Clybourne Park to name a few plays. She is heavily involved in Musical Theatre as well, having recently been in A Chorus Line where she played Kristine. She hopes you enjoy the show and looks forward to her next foray onto the stage and/or screen.
Father – Jimi Odell
Jimi spent his innocent years performing with The St Albans Youth Music Theatre where he learnt to crack his knuckles, knit a scarf, and hide behind synchronised dancers. Now in his wild years, he can be found singing and playing guitar in various musical collectives. A scriptwriter and occasional online columnist, he has written articles as diverse as ‘The Top Twelve Non-Existent Sequels’ and ‘How To Get Rid of a Badger’. Blood Wedding is his third KDC outing, having previously acted in Dracula and written a script for the recent Halloween 2013 plays.
Bride – Valerie Antwi
Valerie is delighted to be joining the wonderful cast of Blood Wedding for her first production with KDC.
Valerie has performed in a variety of productions, most recently she could be seen as ‘Soldier (behind tree)’ and ‘Soldier (who rapidly dies)’ in Macbeth for SEDOS. Some past favourites include Duckling in Our Country’s Good (TBTL), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Salisbury Playhouse Studio) and Karolka in Jenufa (Arcola Theatre).
Second Girl – Manisha Hirani
After graduating with a Law degree in 2010, I decided to follow my dreams and pursue my passion in acting. I have been in 2 feature films (only small roles) and completed a number of short films and commercials. I also love sports and adrenaline and have taken part in a triathlon and a half marathon in the past 3 years – and would love to face more challenges in the future (and hopefully not break my legs or my back doing so). I hope to continue carrying on with my work and move on to bigger projects in the next few years, and being in Blood Wedding is definitely a stepping stone in my career.
Guest – Darren Evans
Ever since I was a teenager, people have often said that I had a very vivid imagination and I should go into drama. I did not believe it at the time, as I thought they just appreciated the joke or impersonation that I did. In 2009 I decided to do Beginners Acting at the City Academy. I received so much genuine encouragement that I continued with City Academy to do the intermediate course. My favourite actor of all time has to be Morgan Freeman, and my favourite type of film – outside the comedy genre – is a film that makes you think. When I was at school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to be or what I was good at. Twelve years on and I am finally realising what I am naturally good at. Better late than never.
First Youth – Graeme Thompson
Graeme is pleased to be back with KDC after an absence of 4 years, spent sunning himself in Belfast, though strangely he never got as tanned as most of the locals. This is his first experience of Lorca, and of dancing in front of people who have to watch; Graeme would like to apologise to each of you.