Creative Team
Emma Reeves
Writer
Emma has won Best Children’s TV Episode at The Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards twice, and been nominated on two other occasions. Her work has won a national RTS award, an RTS Scotland award, and been nominated for two BAFTA awards and two Broadcast awards.
Wendy Harris
Artistic Director, Chair of PYA England
Wendy has held the position of artistic director at Tutti Frutti since 2005, touring nationally and internationally, co-producing the Little Feet Festival of Children’s Theatre, and leading on the development programmes and arts engagement work.
Delicia Sorhaindo
Jerwood Resident Designer
Delicia Sorhaindo made her debut as Assistant Designer with Leeds Playhouse on Nine Night. She previously worked with Leeds Playhouse on a wardrobe department placement during her time at Nottingham Trent University before returning as a freelance postgraduate. While on placement Delicia worked on R&D for So Much.
Sara Burns
Lighting Designer
Sara Burns is of Nordic descent and is a Lighting Designer working within the theatre, television and live production industry. Recent theatre includes; Olivier nominated
10 Nights Graeae/Tamasha/Bush Theatre;
Hello and Goodbye (Athol Fugard/York Theatre Royal) Previous work for Tutti Frutti includes;
Yellow is the Colour of Sunshine; The Boy Who Cried Wolf; Rapunzel. Sara also lectures in technical theatre design and specialises in textures and invoking the emotion beyond the light.
Shannon David
Casting Director
Shannon is a freelance Casting Director and Writer from the West Midlands. Elise Casting was formed in 2020. Alongside her freelance practice Shannon works for the Royal Shakespeare Company in the Company & Stage Management Team and prior to that in Production for Derby Theatre, and Advisory Board Member for Anansi Theatre Company.
Stuart Bowden
Puppetry/Movement Director
Stuart Bowden trained in acting at Contact Theatre, Manchester, then gained a first-class degree at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Stuart is a regular workshop leader & performer with Bakehouse, who specialise in site-specific theatrical productions. He recently choreographed The Jungle Book (Oldham Coliseum), which Sarah Punshon directed.
Catherine Chapman
Set and Costume Designer
Catherine has been a freelance designer for fifteen years. Her designs have travelled the world with audiences seeing her work in Toyko, New York and Kong Hong. She first worked with Tutti Frutti in 2005 and over the years has designed many shows for the company including Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel, Hare and Tortoise, Monday’s Child, and The Princess and The Pea.
Christella Litras
Musical Director
Christella Litras is a songwriter, musician, composer, vocal arranger, record producer, creative support officer (Leeds Playhouse) and founding member of Caution Collective. She composed the musical score for Windrush: Movement of the People by Phoenix Dance Theatre, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush.
Calum Clark
Production Manager
Calum is an experience technical stage manager. Recent escapades include Slung Low's Fairy Portal Camp (RSC), The White Whale (Leeds Dock), 59 Minutes to Save Christmas (Sheffield Theatres), Emergency Story Penguin (UK Tour), Underneath a Magical Moon (Tutti Frutti), and Ugly Duckling (Tutti Frutti).
Becky Lennon
Assistant Director
Becky Lennon is a York born and based Creative Practitioner: Community facilitator, Producer, Director, Co-Founder & Artistic Director of Think-It Theatre. Since graduating from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2020, Becky has delivered over 10 responsive projects with organisations, partners and communities. Currently, Becky is undertaking a year of development, supported by the Arts Council England, looking at how to create accessible and inclusive theatre for young audiences.
Touring Team
Ali Bakewell
Ali has been a touring stage manager for small and midscale productions since 2003 after gaining an HND in technical theatre. She specialises in work for younger audiences and those with additional needs. Tours have taken her across England and Wales and occasionally to Europe. Hopefully, you won't see her during the performance.
Matthew Nicholson
Matthew studied Acting and Performance Practice at Newcastle College. His theatre credits include two UK tours with The Three Inch Fools (Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Gunpowder Plot, Robin Hood), and performances with Kitchen Zoo (Hey Diddle Diddle), Northern Stage (Sorcerer's Apprentice), Northumberland Theatre Company (Alice in Wonderland), and Alphabetti Theatre (Bacon and Biros).
Jazz Harbour
Jazz Harbour is an Actor Musician and Graduate from Rose Bruford, specialising in banjo, melodion and guitar. Theatre credits include : Nora (A Dolls House), Maid Marion (Robin Hood), Bird Girl (Seussical the Musical) and most recently Dolly Wild/Tee in Joe Carstairs at the Clapham Omnibus.
Hope Yolanda
Hope Yolanda is a Mancunian actress, represented by Narrow Road; she is a Royal Exchange Young Company graduate and a previous student at Mark Hudson’s Manchester School of Acting.
Her credits include: Senses of Responsibility by Lekhani Chirwa and Nadia Eman, Frozen Peas in an Old Tin Can by Joe Walsh, Beltane by Billie Collins, Channel 4’s Ackley Bridge, and H.E.R Productions’ Taming of the ‘Shrew’.
