Sweet Dreams by Mike Kenny

Heather is Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine. Having trained at Alder Hey and Melbourne Children’s Hospitals, Heather now leads the sleep service at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, managing a comprehensive range of sleep conditions including complex sleep apnoea and narcolepsy. She was awarded the position of Professor of Child Health at Sheffield Hallam University in 2014, in recognition of her collaborative work in research and innovation.

Heather is passionate about improving sleep for children and parents and studying the mechanisms linking sleep with mental health and wellbeing. In her spare time she loves to play her clarinet in the Sheffield and Amaretti Chamber orchestras, as well as to walk and cycle with her family.

Helen Rutherford is a trained Specialist Sleep Practitioner, has worked with children with additional needs for over 30 years and is a Family Liaison Officer for a special educational needs school in Worcestershire. She managed the Local Authority Portage Service for 12 years before becoming a sleep practitioner and trainer.

Helen has been lead practitioner on a number of projects including NHS England funded ‘Sleep Support for Children with Autism’ (that went on to win a National award for The Children’s Sleep Charity) and Sleep Support for children with ADHD funded by BBC Children in Need.

Helen trains both parents and professionals.

When not working, Helen is a busy mum to four free-spirited children, an avid Dragonboat racing enthusiast, runner and stand-up paddle boarder.

Mike Kenny is one of England’s leading writers specialising in young people’s theatre. He was included in the Independent on Sunday’s list of Top Ten Living Playwrights and his plays are performed regularly throughout the UK and all over the world. His Olivier Award-winning adaptation of THE RAILWAY CHILDREN for York Theatre Royal, has had several successful revivals at Waterloo and Kings Cross stations, as well as at the National Railway Museum. In Canada it won the People’s Choice Award following its record-breaking run in Toronto. Mike won the 2015 Writers Guild Award for Best Play for Younger Audiences with THREE WISE MONKEYS and the DeutscherKindertheaterpreis in 2012 with ELECTRIC DARKNESS. In July 2013, Mike was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Nottingham for his work in theatre for young people.

Mike’s recent productions include Batley Variations, a community opera for Batley, and Random Selfies for Ovalhouse, London (Nominated for an Off West End Award) His play The Vulture Song was a co production between Blah Blah Blah in Leeds and Yellowcat, in Delhi. Last Year he wrote This is Not For You, working with Graeae and Forces Veterans on a large outdoor piece inspired by the disabled of the First World War. This was a 14-18-Now commission.

Polly Thomas is an award winning audio drama director and producer, with a track record in theatre and short film. Polly worked in house for BBC Radio Drama in Manchester for 10 years and has been freelance since 2008.

She specialises in new, bold dramatisations and original work for BBC Radio 3 and 4; her other work includes exec producer of Sound Stage, a new audio digital platform for Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in association with Naked Productions; producer of 24 Hours of Peace, a 24 hour non stop audio and stage performance piece by Neil Bartlett, for Royal Exchange Theatre, Resonance FM and Thomas Carter Projects; facilitating Experimental Stories, science meets radio drama workshops for Wellcome Trust/BBC Radio 4; curating Hunger for Trade, a global theatre project, for Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester; directing Hidden Stories by Anjum Malik, community tour for Cartwheel Arts and shows in Dubai.

BSc, MAppSci, PhD, DSc(Med), CPsychol, CSci, FBPsS, FRSM, FAASM

Paediatric Sleep Physiologist

After graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Physiology from Edinburgh University, Ruth stayed on to undertake a PhD in Sleep Disorders and their effect on daytime function. Her career then took her to New Zealand to conduct further sleep research. She finally settled in Sheffield in 2002 where she works as a Paediatric Sleep Physiologist at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Ruth enjoys running and loves getting out exploring the Peak District with her family.

Vicki is the CEO and Founder of The Children’s Sleep Charity. She set up the charity to support children to get a good night’s sleep so that they can meet their full potential. The charity has won a number of national awards and regularly appears in the media. Vicki is on the Board of British Paediatric Sleep Association and was awarded the Duke of York Community Initiative for Outstanding Leadership.

Prior to setting up the charity Vicki worked as a teacher in various roles across Yorkshire. She lives in Doncaster with her husband Nick, two sons Joe and Daniel and their various pets!

The Sleep Charity Ambassador and Podcast Presenter

Zoe Salmon is the award winning Television Presenter who hails from Bangor, Northern Ireland. Zoe qualified as a lawyer but then landed one of the most coveted jobs on TV as a presenter on the BAFTA Award winning BBC’s Blue Peter, the world’s longest running children’s television show, making her a household name.

Artistic Director, Chair of PYA England

I have held the position of Artistic Director at tutti frutti since 2005 and have directed all but one production in partnership with York Theatre Royal, touring nationally and internationally and co-producing the Little Feet Festival of Children’s Theatre and the First Words writers’ development programme

Before working with tutti frutti I was Artistic Director of Red Ladder Theatre Company, and previous to this; Merseyside Young People’s Theatre Company in Liverpool. Over the years as a freelance director work has included; Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Crucible Theatre Sheffield, Hope Street Ltd, Oxford Stage Company, Unity Theatre Liverpool, European Stage Company, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Contact Theatre Manchester. I currently live in Leeds with my partner Mark and two sons Louie and Eliot.

Bay Bryan is a performance artist based in Manchester originally hailing from the small town of Golden, Colorado (USA). Since graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow (2012) Bay has worked across the industry as an actor, singer, musician, dancer and composer.

Hannah Victoria is delighted once again to be working with tutti frutti productions, after landing the role of Ivy in Sweet Dreams by Mike Kenny.

Hannah’s theatrical performances include Gerda in Snow Queen and shortly after joined The Little Mix Tribute Show. She has recently just finished the UK and international tour of Madagascar The Musical as Gloria The Hippo.

Whilst in training she was cast as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act and Crystal Gordon in Bad Girls, The Musical. Hannah graduated from Edge Hill University in 2018 with a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre. She would like to thank her family for their support and encouragement. Twitter @HannahVictor1a.