The Jungle Book

Rudyard Kipling (30 Dec 1865 – 18 Jan 1936) was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in India, which inspired much of his work. Kipling's works of fiction include the Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), the Just So Stories (1902) and many short stories.

Jessica is an Olivier award winning playwright, film-maker and director. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and Exeter University.

She was listed in Variety Magazine’s Top Ten Brits to Watch in 2019 for her forthcoming work in film and inducted into BAFTA.

As a playwright, her first play Blue Stockings (Shakespeare’s Globe) won her a nomination for Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright and is now on the GCSE Drama syllabus. Her second play Nell Gwynn (2016) transferred from Shakespeare’s Globe to the West End starring Gemma Arterton and won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

Theatre
Plays include All’s Will That Ends Will (Bremen Shakespeare Company); Thomas Tallis (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse); The Playhouse Apprentice (for Dulwich College at Shakespeare’s Globe); adaptations of Sense & Sensibility; Far From the Madding Crowd (Watermill); The Secret Garden; Stig of the Dump (Grosvenor Park/Storyhouse); The Jungle Book (UK Tour); The Mission (Arts Ed).

Jessica is an Associate Artist with NGO Youth Bridge Global, author of a best-selling series of drama games books and she is also involved in Times Up UK, actively campaigning for greater equality and diversity across theatre and film.

Film
In 2012 she won a place on BAFTA’s JJ Screenwriting Bursary Scheme, on which she wrote Summerland (writer/director). Produced by BFI and Embankment (£4.5m budget) this was her directorial debut and was released by Lionsgate UK in 2020.

Other Film projects include Merv (Amazon, MGM, Lightworks) – Feature Film – as Director – In Production; Horrible Histories: The Movie (writer) for Altitude/Citrus TV, released July 2019; Nell Gwynn (writer) for Working Title (in development); Persuasion (writer) for Fox Searchlight (in development, dir. Mahalia Belo).

TV
Sense & Sensibility (as writer) for Lookout Point; Ten Percent (Director Eps 3 & 4) for Amazon/Bron/Headline; A Knight’s Tale (as writer) for Left Bank Pictures/Sony

Short Films
Leading Lady Parts (writer/director) for Rebel Park/BBC/You Tube (2018) – a short film to support Times Up which went viral with 25 million views in the first month.

As well as his distinguished performing career, Stilgoe has carved out a parallel career as a songwriter and composer, known for intricate wordplay and classic melodies. He began his songwriting career with an International Song Competition Award for ‘To Be Decided’ in 2012. Since then he has written for his own albums and for iconic performers in the jazz world including Liane Carroll, Guy Barker, Claire Martin and Curtis Stigers.

In 2017 he was asked to write songs for a new adaptation of The Jungle Book, written by Jessica Swale and directed by Max Webster. The show was created for the Royal & Derngate in Northampton and subsequently toured with great success. The show had more development during its run at Chichester Festival Theatre including two new songs, which was when Daniel Evans asked Joe to write the songs for David Walliams’ The
Midnight Gang, which he adapted with Bryony Lavery in 2018.

In 2019 Joe was brought in to rewrite Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s ZOG for a new UK tour. He wrote all new songs and the show continues to tour (returning in 2025). Subsequently he wrote another Donaldson/ Scheffler musical - Zog and The Flying Doctors, which toured throughout 2022 and 2024. With Freckle Productions he has just written the songs and music for the latest Donaldson/ Scheffler book The Baddies,
adapted with renowned playwright David Grieg. This opened at The Lyceum Edinburgh in 2024 and then tours through 2025 including a London season.

In 2021 Chichester Festival Theatre commissioned a workshop of a musical from Joe’s new partnership with Hadley Fraser. This musical, A Greener Garden about a group of misfits who change a jaded corner of the city into a glorious community garden, spent two weeks in development and rehearsal and is currently being developed for a future life.

In 2022 Bolton Octagon commissioned Joe to write a new musical with Jason Manford. This show, featuring them both as performers, is called Remember Me and is currently in development. Joe is also writing a TV project with Jamie Minoprio for Hera Productions, starring Hannah Waddingham, and a new stage musical project with Gary Barlow.

Kash is a freelance theatre director, originally from Scotland and now based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. He is former Associate Director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. His production of 10 Nights by Shahid Iqbal Khan at the Bush Theatre was nominated for an Olivier Award, 3 Off West Awards and the Asian Media Awards for best stage production.

His recent directing credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RADA) Around the World in 80 Days (Bolton Octagon), These Majestic Creatures (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough) Cinderella (Beck Theatre, Hayes) An Adventure (Bolton Octagon) Oliver Twist (Chester Storyhouse) 10 Nights (Graeae/Tamasha/Bush Theatre) Silent Statues (National Youth Theatre)13 and Love and Information (ALRA) Guards at the Taj (Theatre by the Lake) Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile and BD Stories (Freedom Studios) Airplays (Leeds Playhouse), Selfies Kill More People Than Sharks (Oldham Coliseum), Memories of Partition (Manchester Royal Exchange),

Kash is a proud trustee of Hubbub Theatre Company and an equally proud member of the Arts Squad Advisory Board for Northern Broadsides.

TK is a theatre designer based in the UK.

Recent credits include My Father’s Fable (Bush Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Octagon Theatre Bolton, Theatre by the Lake, Hull Truck Theatre, Ipswich New Wolsey), Brenda's Got a Baby (Nouveau Riche & New Diorama Theatre), Mayflies (York Theatre Royal), Beginning (Royal Exchange Theatre), Constellations (Stephen Joseph Theatre), The Making of a Monster (Wales Millennium Centre), and The Apology (New Earth Theatre).

He was Best Designer at The Stage Debut Awards (2022) and won the Linbury Prize in 2019. More can be found on his website: tkhay.design

Simeon has worked as a Lighting Designer since he graduated from Mountview Academy in 2010. He works across theatre, dance, musicals, ‘gig theatre’ and devised work. He enjoys contributing to new writing, especially socially and politically conscious work which amplifies oppressed and radical voices.

Selected recent credits include Brace Brace (Royal Court), Follow the Signs (UK Tour), After Sex (Arcola), Silence (UK Tour), Brief Encounter (Royal Exchange Manchester), Cowbois (RSC & Royal Court), The Book of Will (UKI Tour), Jekyll & Hyde (Derby Theatre, Queens Theatre Hornchurch), Ruckus (UK Tour), Project Dictator (New Diorama Theatre), An Adventure (Bolton Octagon), Metamorphoses (The Globe).

His full portfolio and credits can be found online at www.simeon.lighting

Roly (they/them) is a theatremaker, composer/sound designer and performer, and is an Associate Artist of The PappyShow and Emerging Associate of the National Youth Theatre.

Theatre as composer/sound designer includes Playfight (Roundabout), Gunter (Royal Court), Dear Young Monster (Bristol Old Vic), Hir (Park), Gwyneth Goes Skiing (Pleasance), Truth & Tails (Chichester Festival Theatre), Tambo & Bones [additional music] (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Shut Up, I’m Dreaming (National Theatre/School’s Tour), The Ultimate Pickle, A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain, Half Empty Glasses (Paines Plough), Orlando (Jermyn Street), BOYS (Barbican, Southbank Centre, touring), Coming To England (Birmingham Rep), WILD (Unicorn), Blowhole (Soho), Milk & Gall (Theatre503), Brother (Southwark Playhouse), and Warheads (Park, Olivier Nominated for Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre).

Matthew Malone (Music Supervisor, Orchestrations, Additional Arrangements & Tracking).

Recent credits include Spend, Spend, Spend (Co-Orchestrator; Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester), Brassed Off (Music Supervisor, Arrangements & Orchestrations; UK Tour), Bhangra Nation (Orchestrations; Birmingham Rep), Brief Encounter (Music Supervisor, Arrangements & Orchestrations; Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester), Treason (Orchestrations & Arrangements; UK Tour), The Book Thief (Musical Supervisor, Arrangements, Orchestrations & Musical Director; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry/Curve), A Christmas Carol (Musical Director, Arranger & Orchestrator; Octagon Theatre, Bolton), Coming To England (Musical Director & Additional Arrangements; Birmingham Rep), Peter Pan (Musical Director & Additional Compositions; Octagon Theatre, Bolton), Carousel (Assistant Musical Director & Additional Orchestrations; Regents Park Open Air Theatre, London), The Boy In The Dress (Additional Orchestrations; The Swan Theatre, RSC), Standing At The Sky’s Edge (Assistant Musical Director & Additional Arrangements/ Orchestrations; Crucible Theatre, Sheffield).

Movement directing credits include Olivier nominated 10 Nights (The Bush/Tamasha/Graeae), An Adventure (The Octagon) and Around the World in 80 Days (The Octagon) all directed by Kash Arshad. Beryl (Oldham Coliseum), Constellations (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough) and Children of the Night (Cast, Doncaster).

Jenn is co-director of Hubbub Theatre's actor company. They are an integrated ensemble of learning disabled and non disabled performers creating devised physical theatre. She is passionate about using movement to tell stories in interesting or unusual ways.

She is an ultra runner and a cross-stitcher, but not at the same time.

Kaitlin is resident Stage Combat teacher at Manchester School of Theatre and Rose Bruford Wign, a teaching and examining member of The Academy of Performance Combat and works internationally as one of only three women on the Equity Register of Fight Directors.

For Theatre By The Lake: Guards at The Taj

Theatre includes Anastasia The Musical (Det Ny Teater, Copenhagen), Singin’ In The Rain (Kilworth House Theatre), The Whitby Rebels, Dracula: The Bloody Truth, Comedy of Errors (more or less) (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Sweat, A Taste of Honey (The Royal Exhange, Manchester), Macbeth (RSC), Jeeves & Worcester in Perfect Nonsense (Salisbury Playhouse/Bolton Octagon), Macbeth (an undoing), Life is A Dream, The Scent of Roses (Edinburgh Lyceum), Red Ellen (Northern Stage/Nottingham Playhouse/Edinburgh Lyceum), Constellations,
The Famous Five, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty (Theatr Clwyd), Lucrezia Borgia (English Touring Opera), The Gangs of New York, Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat, The Snow Queen, Faustus: That Damned Woman, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo & Juliet, The Great Gatsby (Storyhouse, Chester), A Skull In Connemara, Jack & The Beanstalk, Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood (Oldham Coliseum), Tom, Dick & Harry (The New Vic, Stoke-On-Trent); The Chester Mystery Plays 2023 (Chester Cathedral), Habibti Driver (Bolton Octagon), As You Write It, LEAR
(Shakespeare North Playhouse), Frankenstein (Tilted Wig Productions), Kin, Around the World in 80 Days, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood (The Dukes, Lancaster) The Girl on The Train, The True Adventures of Marian & Robin Hood (The Barn, Cirencester), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Our Country’s Good (The Tobacco Factory, Bristol), Robin Hood, The Doncastrian Chalk Circle (Cast, Doncaster), The Little Mermaid, Cherry Jezebel (Liverpool Everyman), The Netherly Hillbillies (The Royal Court, Liverpool), Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth (The Epstein, Liverpool), The Comedy of Errors (Greenwich Playhouse), Killer Joe (The Pleasance Theatre, London).

Film & TV includes So Awkward Series 3 & 4 (CBBC), Crimewatch (BBC), Blank... (KenMor
Films).

Maia is a Director, Designer and Maker of puppetry and in 2018 was selected for the Old Vic 12 as their first Puppetry Consultant.

Puppet Director credits include The Artist (Theatre Royal Plymouth), Bear Snores On (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), The Jungle Book (Theatre by the Lake), There’s A Rang-Tan In My Bedroom (Little Angel & UK tour), My Cloud (National Theatre of Qatar), Our Teacher’s A Troll (Ruined Theatre), The Butterfly Lion (The Barn Theatre), A Dickensian Christmas (The Old Library), Look Up (National Tour), A Stone’s Throw (Edinburgh International Festival).

Puppet Design credits include The Artist (Theatre Royal Plymouth), Bear Snores On (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), The Jungle Book (Theatre by the Lake), Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book (Little Angel & National tour), There’s A Rang-Tan In My Bedroom (Little Angel), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Southwark Playhouse), Our Teacher’s A Troll (Ruined Theatre), Wind In The Willows (The Turbine Theatre & UK tour), My Cloud (National Theatre of Qatar), The Butterfly Lion (The Barn Theatre), The Further Adventures Of The Owl And The Pussycat (The Little Angel), The Slightly Annoying Elephant (The Little Angel), Great Apes (Arcola), Jack Frost (Moon On A Stick - Norwich Theatre Royal and National Tour), Baby Bear (Moon On A Stick – National Tour), Meet The Eastenders (Museum of London), Metamorphosis (Theatrical Niche – UK Tour), The Dream Factory (National Tour).

Assistant & Associate Puppet Director credits include 101 Dalmatians (Regents Park Open Air) The Everywhere Bear (Polka).

Mark Macey (they/them) is an American theatre-maker living and working in the UK. Previously they served as Executive Artistic Director of Stage East, a community theatre on the coast of Maine, USA. A graduate of Dell’Arte International’s Professional Training Program, Mark is currently pursuing an MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of London, Birkbeck.

Olivia (Liv) Barr is a Casting Director based in the North West. She recently was appointed Casting Director (Consultant) at Royal Exchange Theatre and regularly works with other northern producing theatres. She previously worked in the BBC's casting department.

She won the 2023 CDG Award for Best Casting in the Regional Theatre for her work as Casting Associate for Stuart Burt CDG on East is East (Birmingham Rep, The National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre).

Before embarking on a career in casting, she worked in theatre and event production.

Recent theatre includes A Midsummer Night's Dream (Royal Exchange Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare North and Graeae), Brassed Off (Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Octagon Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (New Wolsey, Theatre by the Lake, Octagon Theatre, Hull Truck, Theatre Royal Windsor), Animal Farm (Octagon Theatre, Hull Truck, Derby Theatre) A Passionate Woman (Leeds Playhouse); Spring and Port Wine, An Adventure (Octagon Theatre); A Christmas Carol, Pop Music, Mumsy, Teechers Leavers ’22, (Hull Truck); A Little Princess (Theatre by the Lake); Run Rebel (Pilot Theatre and UK Tour) One Man, Two Guvnors (Octagon Theatre, Liverpool Playhouse, Theatre by the Lake); Kabul Goes Pop (Brixton House and UK tour); Kes (Octagon Theatre, Theatre by the Lake).

TV credits include EastEnders, Casualty, Doctors (BBC Studios).

After ten years as a lighting designer and production manager, Joe now specialises in performer flying and rigging. Since 2000, he has worked with various theatre/circus companies, including Gecko Theatre, The RSC, Young and Old Vics, and Cirque du Soleil.

He has worked with High-Performance Productions (since 2002) in the design of aerial rigging for Touching the Void, A Monster Calls, Zorro- The Musical and Treasure Island.

Joe has also been the aerial rigger for The Play That Goes Wrong and A Comedy About a Bank Robbery.
He has provided rope access and rigging services to festivals, events, circuses, and corporate clients including the Glastonbury Festival, the BBC, Channel Four and House of Fraser.

This is Joe's third production with The Theatre by the Lake having provided aerial rigging design and training on The Climbers and The Borrowers.

Ellen is a British Peruvian Costume Supervisor and Designer. She has admired Theatre by the Lake's work for many years and is thrilled to be working on this year's Christmas show. Her credits include The Cardinal (Southwark Playhouse), The Sleeping Beauty (Royal Opera House), Beneatha’s Place (Young Vic) and My Father’s Fable (Bush Theatre).