About
“It is testament to their influence among the next generation of theatremakers that they are regularly named as being an inspiration by graduating companies making new work”
DAVID BYRNE, ARTISTIC & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NEW DIORAMA THEATRE
Rhum + Clay is an award-winning theatre company led by co-Artistic Directors, Julian Spooner and Matt Wells.
Rhum + Clay began with friendship. Founding members Chris, Julian and Kris decided to form a company and, one anarchic show later, a name change, the addition of Matt and away we went! We rehearsed our first shows in various parks and bandstands. We’ve since graduated from parks to theatres, to bigger theatres, to theatres in other countries. What hasn’t changed is our desire to make work that ignites the audience’s imagination. There are also some spectacularly talented people who now work with us...
Everything that Rhum + Clay produces is developed collaboratively; from set designers to writers, performers and sound artists, everyone is together from day one to offer opinions and build the show together.
Off-stage, our education programme is an extension of that creative process, celebrating the unique skills of each participant whilst giving them tools to create better theatre, collaboratively. Our hope is that many of the workshop participants will become future collaborators.
We are Artistic Associates of New Diorama Theatre and Redbridge Drama Centre who have supported and challenged us creatively and practically and over the long-term. We’ve also been supported by Arts Council England since 2012. We couldn't have done it without any of them and we are enormously grateful.
“It is testament to their influence among the next generation of theatremakers that they are regularly named as being an inspiration by graduating companies making new work”
DAVID BYRNE, ARTISTIC & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NEW DIORAMA THEATRE
Rhum + Clay THE TEAM
Co-Artistic Director - Julian Spooner
Julian is a multi-award winning actor, director, writer, and co-Artistic Director of Rhum + Clay. He studied Drama at the University of Bristol before training for two years at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris where he co-founded Rhum + Clay.
Julian has co-created all of their productions. Most recently he has co-directed Rhum + Clay’s critically-acclaimed production, 64 SQUARES, directed the multi-award winning, TESTOSTERONE and performed in the company’s version of Dario Fo’s MISTERO BUFFO for which he won the Stage Award for Acting Excellence. In 2019 he co-directed THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, which will embark on a mid-scale tour of the UK and the US in 2021. Julian is also a keen filmmaker, having co-created the award-winning comedy short film, Toby (2018), and is currently developing a feature film screenplay. He’s also an Artistic Associate of Hoipolloi, and devised The Ladder with Shôn Dale-Jones and Stefanie Mueller in 2019.
Co-Artistic Director - Matt Wells
Matt is an actor, movement teacher and co-Artistic Director of Rhum + Clay. He studied Performance at the University of Western Sydney before training for two years at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris where he first joined the company.
Since 2010 he has been the co-Artistic Director of Rhum + Clay, co-creating all of the company’s productions. He co-directed and provided movement direction for the critically-acclaimed 64 SQUARES and was Movement Director for TESTOSTERONE and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.
Matt is also passionate about teaching, having created and led workshops all over the world, most recently in Kazakhstan, Canada, Brazil, Venezuela and Australia. Since 2004 Matt has choreographed work for Australia’s farthest-reaching touring theatre company, Brainstorm, a company that performs to over 350,000 young people each year.
Senior Producer - Felicity Paterson
Previously, Felicity was Senior Producer for Omnibus Theatre, where she was part of the original team that opened the venue in 2013, after which she spent 9 years developing this fledgling arts centre into the multi-award-winning theatre it is today. During this time, she launched Engine Room, Omnibus’ flagship artist support programme, programmed new work and produced the theatre’s in house-productions, co-productions and tours. She also led Omnibus’ Producing and Participation team.
Felicity is an experienced fundraiser and has raised over £600k for arts projects.
In 2022 she received a distinction in her MA in Arts Policy & Management where her research interests were cultural democracy, cultural labour and inclusive models of artist development.
Rhum
Intoxicating alcoholic liquor. Best experienced in the form of a 3-Euro bottle from the supermarket.
Clay
The stuff of life. To be stretched, kicked and pulled into absolutely anything.
Rhum + Clay
Embracing the magical, the comical and the surreal, but getting down in the earth and the dirt where the real stories are found.
COLLABORATORS
LUCY ADAMS Technician; TWOTW
YNGVILD ASPELI Devising Performer; The Sleeper
EMILY BATES Costume Designer; Mistero Buffo
JESS BERNBERG Lighting Designer; Man in the Moone
ALEX BRENNER Photographer; A Strange Wild Song
JOLIE BOOTH Producer; Testosterone
DAN CANHAM Choreographer; Sons and Lovers
GREG CEBULA Lighting Designer; A Strange Wild Song
JASMIN COLE Stage Manager; Mistero Buffo
EMMA DARLOW Deviser; Electronica
ROB DARCH Photographer; A Strange Wild Song, Shutterland
WILLIAM DONALDSON Actor; Testosterone
SANDRA DEICKMANN Illustrator; The Man In the Moone, Strange Wild Song
LAURENCE T DOYLE Technician; Hardboiled, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
CHARLOTTE DUBERRY Deviser/Performer; 64 Squares
KATE EDWARDS Devising Performer; The Sleeper
JANET ETUK Deviser; Electronica
BETH FLINTOFF Writer/Director; Hardboiled, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
NICK FLINTOFF Lighting Designer; Hardboiled, TWOTW
LUKE FORSYTH Photographer; Testosterone, Mistero Buffo
MONA GOODWIN Devising Performer; TWOTW
BEN GRANT Sound Designer; TWOTW, Electronica
HAYLEY GRINDLE Set Designer; Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
GREG HALL Devising Performer; The Sleeper
AMELIA JANE HANKIN Set Designer; 64 Squares
DAVID HARRIS Set Designer; Hardboiled
CHRISTOPHER HARRISSON
Deviser/Performer/Writer/Director; every show up to 64 Squares
GEOFF HENSE Lighting Designer; 64 Squares, Testosterone
KIRSTY HOUSLEY Deviser/Director; Electronica
DOMINIC JEFFERY Devising Performer; The Sleeper
ALBERTA JONES Designer; Testosterone, A Strange Wild Song
JESS MABEL JONES Deviser/Performer; Hardboiled, TWOTW
SEAN JONES Performer; Shutterland
AELLA JORDAN-EDGE Technician; A Strange Wild Song
EMILY KREIDER Devising Performer; The Sleeper
STEPHEN LAUGHTON Writer, Giants
TRINI LEÓN Technician; 64 Squares, Testosterone
ISLEY LYNN Writer; TWOTW
EMMA MARTIN Marketing Consultant; TWOTW
PETE MAXEY Lighting Designer; TWOTW
FRED MCCLAREN Musician; 64 Squares
HAMISH MCDOUGALL Director; TWOTW
TOM MORTON-SMITH Writer; Electronica
PURNI MORRELL Director; Electronica
ROISIN O'MAHONY Performer; 64 squares
JOHN OUIN Musician; Mistero Buffo
NICHOLAS PITT Director; Mistero Buffo
REBECCA PITT Poster Designer; TWOTW
SACHA PLAIGE Deviser; 64 Squares
SARAH JULIE PUJOL Technician; A Strange Wild Song
RACHEL PRYCE Stage Manager; Mistero Buffo
KIT REDSTONE Devisor/Performer/Writer; Testosterone
DOUGLAS RINTOUL Associate Director; Testosterone
RHYS ROBINSON Photographer; Man in the Moone
GUY J SANDERS Designer; R&C Website, TWOTW
NEIL STARKE Production Manager; TWOTW & Sound Designer; Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Harboiled
SORCHA MAE STOTT-STRZALA Technician; 64 Squares
VINEGAR STROKES (Daniel Jacob) Deviser/Performer; Testosterone
HANNAH TOOKEY Producer; TWOTW, Mistero Buffo
PHILLIP TULL Photographer; Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
AMALIA VITALE Deviser/Performer; TWOTW
PETER WEIDMANN Performer; A Strange Wild Song
BETHANY WELLS Designer; Electronica, TWOTW
DANIEL WILCOX Deviser/Performer; A Strange Wild Song, Man in the Moone
ELIZA WILLS-CRISP Devising Performer; The Sleeper
SARAH WILSON-WHITE Producer
LAILA WOOZEER Musician; A Strange Wild Song
PAUL WHEELER Film Editor; From I to We
THE BOARD
ANTHONY ALDERSON
Anthony is Director of The Pleasance Theatre Trust. Formerly he worked as Associate Producer for Glynis Henderson Productions on STOMP and Ennio Marchetto and as Production Manager with Cheek by Jowl. Anthony has ‘made the odd film, produced the odd show and spent eight years travelling around the place’.
NADIA NEISTEROWICZ-NEWSTEAD
Nadia is currently Communications Manager at The Clore Leadership Programme. She has previously worked for The Albany, Deptford; house (Farnham Maltings); Soho Theatre and The Marlowe, Canterbury, as well as developing and running marketing workshops. Clients have included Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Theatre Royal Portsmouth, NSDF and the University of Surrey.
SOPHIE WALLIS
Sophie is currently Executive Producer at New Diorama Theatre. Sophie has run New Diorama alongside David Byrne, Artistic & Executive Director, since it opened in 2010. With extensive experience in running venues and events, Sophie now works part-time as a new mum and is responsible for managing organisational and project budgets and cash flow, alongside producing all in-house productions.
SARAH WILSON-WHITE
Sarah is an arts producer with a passion for contemporary performance, regional touring and artist development. Presently she is Senior Producer for Fuel and Course Associate on the Creative Producing MA at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Sarah is also a trustee of New Diorama Theatre and a Clore Emerging Leaders Alumnus.
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