HRM King Magnus I of Windsor – Jimi Odell
Jimi, experiencing his royal debut, has previously played a bumbling solicitor in Dracula, a humble esparto farmer in Blood Wedding, and wrote the segment The White Wreck for last Halloween’s What The Dickens shows. The Apple Cart is his fourth involvement with KDC, and the first in which no wedding dresses are ruined. He is a scriptwriter, researcher, rocknroll guitarist, and foreign language enthusiast. He doesn’t get nearly enough sleep.
HRH Queen Jemima of Windsor – Natalia Clark
Currently in her 3rd year of university, Natalia has been acting since she was 9, and is delighted to be able to continue performing alongside her degree. She is incredibly passionate about theatre and has spent the summer co-directing various pieces, including War Correspondents, with Helen Chadwick and The Sonneteer, a new play for the Edinburgh Fringe. Most recently she has been working as an intern at Shakespeare’s Globe, played the title role in Medea at Goldsmiths, and is in the process of applying for MA Acting programmes. This will be her first performance with KDC
HRH Princess Alice of Windsor/Amanda Postelwaithe, Postmistress General – Alannah King
This is Alannah’s first play with KDC… and her first play, although she has some experience with amateur musicals and opera. Originally from the West of Ireland, Alannah moved to London 3 years ago and is loving the many great opportunities it has to offer, KDC included.
Lady Orinthia, Mistress to the King – Ciara Robley
Fresh from playing First Girl in KDC’s Blood Wedding, Ciara takes on her third role as Orinthia with gusto, manicured claws, tongue-twisters and all. Previous theatre involvement includes Hoodie in KDC’s What the Dickens, AD for KDC’s A Number (Churchill), and composing for SEDOS’ Gormenghast (Peake). Oh, and she used to sing opera. Lots. Lucky for you – she’ll only be talking this time.
Joseph Proteus, the Prime Minister – Simon Hill
This is Simon’s third show with KDC, having appeared in War of the Waleses, as part of the RSC Open Stages project and in the Edinburgh Fringe last year, and Tiger at the Gates. In London he has also appeared at the Bridewell with SEDOS as Sepulchrave (Gormenghast) and Capulet (Romeo & Juliet), and with Network Theatre as Gloucester (King Lear).
Outside London, he has appeared regularly at the Pendley Shakespeare Festival, the Aylesbury Limelight, and the Court Theatre, Tring. Roles have included Macbeth, Macduff and Duncan (Macbeth), Oswald and Edmund (King Lear), Polonius (Hamlet, twice), Baptista (Taming of the Shrew, twice), Vincentio (Measure for Measure), Montague (Romeo & Juliet), Doctor Miranda (Death & the Maiden), the Ratcatcher (Kindertransport), Ludwig (Cabaret), Lord Illingworth (Woman of No Importance), Serebryakov (Uncle Vanya), both name parts in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and last year as Jeff in Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell.
A mystery to his employer whom he rarely visits, this City Gent and erstwhile blues singer finds pensions “exciting”.
Billy Boanerges, Business Secretary – Martin Shaw
Martin studied Drama at Liverpool University and has since worked with several Theatre Companies around the country. This is his third show with KDC following Summers Gone in 2011 and last year’s production of Hamlet playing Claudius. Recent productions include The Taming of the Shrew and As You Like It with the Tower Theatre Company which were performed on tour in Paris. As a Yorkshireman, Martin is slightly thrilled to be making use of his flat cap and whippet in this role.
Lysistrata, Powermistress General – Juliette Chrisman
Juliette has been involved in amateur theatre in London since 2001. Past productions include Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Tourvel) and Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice) for SEDOS and All’sWell That Ends Well (Helena) and Dangerous Corner (Freda) for KDC. She has also enjoyed brief forays into production (as founding producer of SEDOS’s Shakespeare in the Citystrand), direction (Shakespeare in the City: Julius Caesar (Director) and Bash (Assistant Director) for SEDOS) and administration (as Treasurer for SEDOS). Juliette is pleased to be working with Lorenzo again in her first full production since returning from a few years away from London, having first dipped her toe back in the dramatic water under his kind direction in Play in a Day: Wellington earlier this year.
Crassus, Commonwealth Secretary – Alain English
Alain English is an actor and a poet and was born in Alexandria on the coast of Loch Lomond. He was raised in Aberdeen, where he took part in many theatre shows. He moved to London in late 2005 to train as an actor. Recent credits include Hitchcock Homage and Hamlet (Baron’s Court Theatre) Beauty and the Beast (Colour House Theatre) and Nuclear Winter (Camden Fringe). Alain is also a poet and runs Paper Tiger Poetry, a monthly poetry night in Vauxhall.
Nicobar, Foreign Secretary – Will Saunders
This is Will’s first production with KDC, and marks his return to the stage after a five year break from acting. Prior to this hiatus he performed throughout his time at school and university, including in an Antonio Pappano-conducted production of Puccini’s Tosca at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and in a run of Mary O’Malley’s Once A Catholic at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has also appeared in Under Milk Wood, Aladdin, Robin Hood, The Odyssey, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Government Inspector, Twelfth Night and several devised pieces.
Pliny, Chancellor of the Exchequer – Bernard O’ Sullivan
Bernard was educated at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and the Open University. He was called to the Bar in 1971 and has been in private practice since then. He took a year out to train as an actor with the Actors Company in 2005-2006. Since then he has appeared in a number of short films and in plays, most recently in July this year as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night at the Rosemary Branch Theatre.
Balbus, Home Secretary – Abby Still
The Apple Cart marks Abby’s debut production with KDC Theatre, and she is very excited to be treading the boards on this London stage. After completing her BA Hons degree in Theatre and Performance at Plymouth University, Abby has taken various short courses at some of London’s drama schools such as Central School of Speech and Drama and the Poor School. She hopes this will be the first of many productions with KDC.
Vanhatten, United States Ambassador – Casey O’ Connor
Casey has had a passion for the arts from a very young age and left Drama School with a BA in Acting and MA in Classical theatre. She has been very privileged to have worked in this wonderful, yet frustrating industry most of her life so far and is delighted to be joining the very talented cast of The Apple Cart for her first production with KDC
Pamphilus, Royal Secretary – Katherine Kilshaw
This is Kat’s second production with KDC following 2013’s Summer show Electra. She studied Drama at university and has recently begun an MA in Dramatherapy. By day she works as a TA in a Primary School where she is currently studying the moon and the stone age. She hopes to pass her SATs and make it to Year 3.
Sempronius, Royal Secretary – Graeme Thompson
Graeme is Royally delighted to appear in this KDC production of George Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart. It constitutes a fascinating debate on the role of the monarchy in modern Parliamentary democracy, the creeping privatisation of public services, and the impact of a squabbling coalition Government; all old fashioned notions with no real relevance to a modern audience. So with that in mind, Graeme hopes you enjoy the show, and thanks you for choosing to show your support for his humble endeavours by voting with your bums on seats.
Photographs courtesy of Lorenzo Belli
Amended 7 October 2017 to remove image on request
