Cast and Crew Biographies

Adam Paul Hollingworth
 
Adam is a first year English student at Magdalene college, and is very much looking forward to touring shakespeare again after his participation in the hugely successful ETG production "Julius Caesar." Other credits at Cambridge include "Entertaining Mr Sloane" (ADC), "Snippets: The Footlights Spring Revue" (Footlights) and "The Union Flag" (HATS) which he wrote and directed.
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Megan Prosser
 
Megan began performing aged 8, and since arriving at Cambridge in 2004, has done little else. She has enthusiastically gathered over 40 credits including 'Martha' in 'Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?' and the leads in 'Bugsy Malone' and Brecht's 'Baal'. She did two European Tours (acting in 'The Taming Of the Shrew', designing 'Macbeth'), performed 'G&S' at the 'Cambridge Arts and 'The Minack Theatre' in Cornwall, spent two incredible summers at the Edinburgh Fringe ('BatBoy!', 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'), performed 'Songs From The Shows!' at the 'Cambridge Corn Exchange', directed 'Play' by Beckett, 'South Pacific', and 'A State Affair' by Robin Soans, and recently choreographed five shows. She has also soloed at bar nights and events at Trinity, Kings, Homerton and St. Johns, favouring Nina Simone, The Commitments and Irish Songstress 'Camille'. She currently works full time at The ADC Theatre in Cambridge, dreaming of taking up a drama school place in 2009.
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Edward Rowett
 
Edward is a 2nd year English Student at Fitzwilliam College. His previous acting credits include John Proctor in The Crucible (ADC, Round Church), A Midsummer Night's Dream (ADC, ADC Theatre), Yerma (BATS, Fitzpatrick Hall), Angelo in Measure for Measure(The Heywood Society, Peterhouse Deer Park), The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe (ADC, Edinburgh Fringe), Cymbeline (The Marlowe Society, Cambridge Arts Theatre), An Inspector Calls (BATS, Fitzpatrick Hall), I Scream Scoop!(Alcock Players, ADC Theatre), Anthropology (Geologic Players, ADC Theatre), American Eagle (REDS, Corpus Playroom), Talking Heads (Abingdon Touring Theatre Company).
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Finn Beames
 
Finn is a first year student of English at King's College and a rising star in the world of Cambridge drama. His Cambridge theatre credits include 'Attempts on her Life' and 'The White Devil' (both at the ADC Theatre) and he is currently rehearsing for 'Comus', the Marlowe Society's 2008 May Week show. He is also a skilled musician, and plays the accordion, violin, ukulele and piano to professional standards. Before Cambridge, he worked as an actor/musician in T.I.E, performing shows and leading workshops with 10-19 year olds. Finn has travelled extensively and is looking forward to exploring what Japan has to offer.
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Kamal Hussain
 
A second year architecture student at King's College, Kamal has an overflowing passion for acting. Cambridge credits include 'In the Blood' (ADC Theatre), 'Fate of the Cockroach' (Corpus Playroom) and The Marlow Society's production of 'Cymbeline' that was directed by Trevor Nunn. He has also acted extensively for the National Youth Theatre and won a place on Channel 4's 'E4 School of Performing Arts.' In his home town of Bradford, Kamal regualarly works at the Alhambra Theatre and as a drama support assistant at Dixon's academy. Kamal loves poetry, drawing, watching films, listening to music and talking to the moon. He is very excited about experiencing the taste of Japanese air, architecture, rain and water.
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Celeste Dring
 
Celeste is a first year English student at Emmanuel College. She has acted in two productions in Cambridge so far; 'The Visit' (ADC) and American Eagle (Corpus Playroom). Before this, she worked as an assistant director with Central Youth Theatre for an original production performed at The Grand Theatre in September 2007. She also toured with this company, performing at festivals in Italy, Germany and Austria with the devised piece 'I Vow to Thee My Country.' She also acted in a production of 'The Servant of Two Masters', also performed in the UK and abroad. In the two years before coming to Cambridge, Celeste attended the arts-based college Hurtwood House. There she received drama, dance and vocal training, and was involved in numerous concerts and plays.
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Scarlet Creme
 
Scarlett is in her second year studying English at Trinity College. Previous acting credits include 'Attempts on her Life' (ADC Theatre), 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' (ADC Theatre),'Antigone'(Robinson), 'Uncle Vanya' (Corpus) and 'The Country Wife' (Trinity). Her production credits include Publicity Assistant 'Cymbeline' (Cambridge Arts Theatre) and Company Stage Manager 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (ADC - Edinburgh Festival 2007). She won the Footlights Harry Porter Prize for her play 'DAD' which she also directed. This will be her first visit to Japan.
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Sophia Sibthorpe
 
Sophia, a first year English and Education student, is very excited about acting Shakespeare in Japan! Having just finished playing Titania with her own London-based theatre company 'John's Players' she is looking forward to getting her teeth into the character of Hermia. Sophia trained at Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is an active member of the National Youth Theatre. She has acted in London theatres ranging from The National Theatre to The Bridewell Theatre, and has also done various radio work. At the moment Sophia is interested in exploring plays in their original language and is working towards a showcase of French plays. During her GAP year she taught school children theatre skills and is looking forward to working with Japanese students. In her spare time she enjoys writing shorts, practicing yoga and throwing dinner parties.
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Nick Beck
 
Nick is a first year student of English at Queens' College. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' will be the second play he has been in since arriving in Cambridge, he also appeared in the ADC production of 'The Visit' last November. He has also appeared in several plays endeavours back home in Exeter. Nick is very much enjoying university life, partly because of the incredible opportunities Cambridge has to offer - such as this tour of Japan. Nick will be studying Shakespeare this term, so looking at one play in such great detail through the rehearsals and performances should be very useful. Nick is very pleased to be part of such an exciting project.
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Tom Cane
 
As the token Pembrokian of the cast, Tom is delighted to be touring to Japan this year. He is also looking forward to doing some more Shakespeare, having previously only appeared as Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet. His other acting credits include Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance (CUGS, Cambridge Arts Theatre), Nick Piazzo in Fame! The Musical (CUMTS, ADC Theatre), Britney Spears in We Will Rock You (THMS, Trinity Hall), Gene Gorman in Saturday Night (MMPS, Magdalene College), Greebo in Maskerade (BATS, Fitzpatrick Hall) and, most recently, Megisthes in HERO, a new musical performed at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Before arriving at Cambridge he also appeared in Gogol's The Government Inspector, South Pacific, Sweet Charity and Guys and Dolls. When not in the theatre, Tom can be found performing on smaller stages at bar nights and garden parties and occasionally turning his attention to his Engineering degree.
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James Lewis
Director
James is a 1st year English student and is taking full advantage of the theatrical opportunities that Cambridge has to offer. Last November he and Lauren co-directed Friedrich Durrenmatt's The Visit and, more recently, he directed Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane. James has a keen interest in travelling, last year he spent eight months living in rural Tanzania, where he taught English to primary school children. He also enjoys reading and watching football.
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Lauren Cooney
Assistant Director/Cast
Lauren is a first year English Student at St Catharine's College. Her first year at Cambridge has been split between acting and directing: Personal highlights include directing the University Fresher's Show 'The Visit', and acting in the Footlights production, 'Dad'. This will be her first experience of undertaking a directorial and acting role in the same production, but thinks that this is the ideal play to play around with the challenge because 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is largely about transformation. She is an active member of the National Youth Theatre and has acted in many productions with the company in various London venues, and at the Nobel Peace Prize Conference held in Stockholm. These ventures have combined theatre with both education and travel, and she is excited about exploring the relationship between theatre and education in Japan.
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Elliot Ward
Production Manager, Lighting Designer
Always looking to provide himself with a challenge, Elliott spent much of his amateur dramatics career at school on the stage rather than behind it. Since coming to Cambridge to read History however he has fostered his technical abilities, building upon his previous design and construction experience. He was the Technical Director of the Pembroke Players Committee 2007-2008, having now stepped down to explore the design element of technical theatre more thoroughly. This he started to do with the European Premier of Ed Graczyk’s Come Back to the Five & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean at Queens’ College earlier this year, expanding a substantial background of smaller-scale drama and comedy projects at Pembroke College, Cambridge’s Round Church and the Amateur Dramatics Club Theatre. In addition to learning new lighting techniques, the Japan Tour also offers Elliott the opportunity to put to good use his organisation skills in ensuring the production goes up in a new venue every night!
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Gemma Brady
Stage Manager
Gemma graduated with an English degree from Cambridge University this summer. She has stage managed a number of productions including Oliver! Faust and I'll Be Back Before Midnight. She also produced the 2007 Footlights Pantomime Once Upon a Time, and a piece of new writing ('Coat') at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
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