Alison Cowling (Servant)
Alison has been involved with many plays, musicals and Shakespeare productions in her hometown of Saffron Walden and credits include; Wendla (‘Spring Awakening’); Mrs Potts (‘Beauty and the Beast’) and Carol (‘Blitz’). She has worked with Frantic Assembly several times and on a devised production called ‘For You/About You’ performed at The Junction in Cambridge in 2012.
She is also a member of National Youth Theatre and in 2011 performed in a site specific performance ‘White City/Black Country’ at the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Birmingham. She loves to play music and plays a variety of string and woodwind instruments as well as writing and recording her own songs. This is her first production with KDC Theatre and she is looking forward to performing one of the great Greek tragedies!
Lisa Firechild (Aegisthius)
The past year has been an emotional roller coaster for Lisa Firechild. From playing the Countess in ‘Snow White’ the panto (South London Theatre) to two Shakespeare tragedies at the same time: roles of Page/Servilius/Phrynia in ‘Timon of Athens’ (SLT) and role of Catesby in KDC’s ‘Richard III’. Followed immediately by happy, 20s style cuteness and Charleston-ing as Fay in SLT’s ‘The Boy Friend’, before performing in tragic ‘Electra’. She has also been choreographing and dancing her own classical ballet and Isis wings solo dances for rock bands and charity events. She looks forward to her next projects which include a film about trafficking and recording her own melancholy dream pop music.
Alex Hedges (Orestes)
This is the second KDC show in which Alex has been cast as a man. She previously played King Ubu in ‘Ubu Rex’, as well as the (for once female!) pub landlord Urania in ‘She Ventures and He Wins’. Before joining KDC, she performed in a number of university productions, including ‘King Lear’, ‘Macbeth’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Alex is excited to be treading the boards once more as Orestes, having taken a short break from acting to train as a teacher and to try her hand at directing.
Helen Jackson (Chorus)
Helen first graced the stage as a tree in a nursery school performance of ‘There Was A Cabin In A Wood’, failing to sit down with the rest of the forest at the appropriate moment. Nothing much has changed since then, except for discovering a surprising love of anchovies and adding a few more theatrical notches to the belt. Previous highlights include performances as a biker named Sue Zuki, a rapping monkey, a husband tamer and another showstopping tree cameo.
Katherine Kilshaw (Chrysothemis)
Kat studied drama at university and since graduating in 2009 has taken acting courses at Birkbeck College and City Academy. At university she acted in scenes from Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Measure for Measure’. She currently works as a TA in a primary school. This is her first play with KDC and she’s greatly enjoyed the experience.
Kate Moore (Chorus)
Kate has been performing with KDC for nine years now, but this is her first venture into Greek tragedy. She is particularly pleased that such an epically emotional play has been adapted into a very manageable 75 minutes, leaving plenty of time for gin-and-tonics in the bar afterwards. Her previous roles include Beatrice-Joanna in ‘The Changeling’, Bartley in ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ and – most recently – Florrie in KDC’s inaugural Halloween production of ‘Dracula’. Kate has invented an entire back story for her chorus character, “Maria”, and would be happy to recount all the soap-style ups and downs of her life over afore-mentioned gin beverages after the show.
Paula Leigh Mount (Clytemnestra)
Paula is excited to be playing the part of kick-ass Queen, Clytemnestra. Not least because she gets to die on stage (oops, she hopes that hasn’t spoilt the ending?!). She’s found it a pleasure working with such a talented bunch and wishes everyone a fun and successful run.
Ami Sawran (Electra)
Taking a short break from fixing the farm animals of Hertfordshire, this is Ami’s second KDC production, after spending last season hanging out of a pair of Ninja Turtle boxers in ‘Stag Nation’. Being cast as Electra has done Ami a favour in many ways; she has stopped bothering to spend time and money on makeup because she only cries it off, plus she gets to shout at people without any fear of retribution. The downside of the role is that she gets no loo breaks, or at least opportunities to snaffle a mid-show Curly Wurly. This, we all know, is an utter travesty – here is an actress who truly knows suffering. Follow Amy’s Tweets @ayemiy
Sinead Vaughan (Chorus)
A stranger to the world of theatre since her teenage years, this is Sinéad’s first performance with KDC.
Bethan Haycock (Director)
Bethan traditionally comes from an acting background so directing this play has been a thoroughly enjoyable departure for her. She spent her early years in Wales performing open-air Greek theatre and honing her skills in storytelling. This play has been a journey back to her very Welsh roots. Her feminist wiles have driven a female-dominant perspective on Electra’s bloodthirsty tale which she hopes you will enjoy.
Phil Hooks (Assistant Director)
Phil is a director, writer and actor. Recent credits include the following;
Directing: ‘The Babykillers’, Etcetera, Camden. ‘My Fair Lady’, Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds. ‘Sweeney Todd’, Royal Holloway, University of London
Writing: ‘Stop the Press!’, Etcetera, Camden. ‘The Babykillers’, Etcetera, Camden. Contributor to ‘News Revue’, Canal Cafe theatre,
Performance: ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Scrooge), Alexandra Palace theatre. ‘They Said it Would be Just Like Margate’, Victoria Park, Hackney.
