Listening Eyes : performers and artists
Summer 2005 Tour

Directed by Fergus Early and Rachel Elliott
Choreographed by Fergus Early and Mark Smith
Music by Will Embliss
Stage Management / Music by Fiona Keats
Design by Kate Owen
Performers: Neil Fox, Jo Dunbar, Will Palmer, Kylie Sudds
Deaf Theatre Consultant: Paula Garfield

NEIL FOX (Hari, a six year old boy)
Neil was brought up in Middlesborough, and attended Beverly School for the Deaf. At the age of 26 Neil gave up work at Marks and Spencer to study Theatre for the Deaf at Reading University where he learnt a lot about Deaf Politics and Deaf Rights. He has been acting for fifteen years. His credits include Twelfth Night (Show of Hands), Flesh Fly (Graeae Theatre Co.), The Little Violin (Tricycle Theatre), Ssssh (Roundabout Theatre and M6 Theatre Co.), The With Three Names (M6 Theatre Co.), Mountain Language (In Tandem Theatre Co.) The Irish Giant (New Breed Theatre Co.) and most recently Bent with Graeae Theatre Company. His TV work includes commercials for Channel 4, See Hear (BBC) and The Mark Thomas Show (C4).

WILLIAM PALMER (Hari's Dad / Hari's Best Friend)
William began studying dance at 13 with Eve Leaueux, a former pupil of Marie Rambert. In 1998 performed with ‘Moonshine Productions’ at the Derby Playhouse and in Community Theatres in Boston USA. William trained in audio description for the visually impaired at Nottingham Playhouse and then trained at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. He joined Green Candle in the spring of 2003, performing Mina’s Story in schools all over London. More recently he has played Bob/Landlord in Green Candle’s production Jack be Nimble and a stunt zombie in the hit Rom Com Zom film, Shaun of the Dead..

KYLIE SUDDS (Hari’s Sister / Hari’s Friend)
Kylie trained at Lewisham College, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and at the Rotterdamse DansAcademie in Holland. She remained in Holland performing “Fortuna’s Follies” with the “DDDD” touring company and dancing in the “Companions” production of the Opera Rigoletto in 2001. In 2002 Kylie was a member of the original cast of “Animagique” for the opening of the new Walt Disney Studios, Paris, where she remained until 2004. Whilst in Paris she also performed for the children’s charity “Restaurant du Coeur” before returning to England. This is the first time Kylie has worked with Green Candle Dance Company.

JO DUNBAR (Hari’s Mum / Hari’s Friend)

Jo was born profoundly deaf and started her dance training in 1999 with Company Chaos in Australia. In 2002 she gained a Professional Diploma in Community Dance Studies from the Laban Centre, as part of which she came to Green Candle for a two week placement. Jo gained a MA in European Dance and Theatre Practice with distinction in 2004.

FIONA KEATS (Stage Manager / Musician)
Fiona graduated from the University of Glasgow, where she explored all aspects of theatre, and at The London School of Musical Theatre. She has played the role of trombone/ASM in a No 1 tour of Wheels on the Bus. As well as many appearances on Sky TV, Fiona spent 6 months stage crewing at the Royal Albert Hall before going on to stage manage Green Candle's production of Mina's Story. In 2004, she toured nationally with Girls Night as understudy/ASM and Hot Mikado (Ovation Productions) as singer / dancer / musician. Listening Eyes is Fiona's second tour with Green Candle.

WILL EMBLISS (Composer / Musician)
Will is a freelance musician and music educator who has collaborated with Green Candle on many education and performance projects. He plays trumpet and valve trombone with Zubop, a world beat jazz band and trumpet with the Bollywood Brass Band, an Indian style wedding band touring worldwide with their unique take on popular tunes from Indian films. Will makes tuned percussion instruments, notably for Evelyn Glennie OBE, and runs Up-Beat, a music education project. Will gained a Diploma in Musical Instrument Technology at the London College of Furniture in 1983.

FERGUS EARLY (Co-Director / Choreographer)
Fergus began his dancing career with the Royal Ballet, later studying and teaching at the London Contemporary Dance School. He was a founder member of X6 Dance Space and New Dance Magazine. In 1987, he formed Green Candle. The Company has won three Digital Dance Awards and Fergus is the winner of several awards, including a Greater London Arts Dance Award, a Lisa Ullman Travelling Bursary, and the Time Out/Dance Umbrella Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement. He has choreographed and directed 25 pieces for the company, most of them full-length productions.

RACHEL ELLIOTT (Co-Director)
Rachel trained at the Arts Educational School and the Rambert School of Ballet, and has over 20 years experience as a dance artist and educator. Rachel joined Green Candle as Education Officer in 1995. She is responsible for the company’s Education Programme including the Deaf Dance Summer School held annually in partnership with Sadler’s Wells Theatre since 1999. In 2000 Rachel directed forWard motion! the company’s pioneering production for children in hospital. She is currently co-chair of the Dance Educators’ Group and is on the advisory steering group for London Schools Arts Service (LONSAS).

MARK SMITH (Choreographer)
Mark is a choreographer, dancer, teacher and actor. Born deaf, he trained in all forms of dance, from the age of four, studying at the Royal Ballet School and London Studio Centre. Recently Mark performed his one-man show Signdance at The Place’s Resolution! and acted in Graeae Theatre Company’s Bent. He is in the process of setting up his own company called Parafraze Dance Company. This is Mark’s first co-choreography project with Green Candle. Mark was a guest tutor for the Deaf Dance Summer School 2004.

KATE OWEN (Designer)
Kate is a theatre professional with considerable experience of theatre production in a variety of contexts; from Birmingham Rep. to Cardboard Citizens. She has designed over 150 theatre productions, interiors and sites, specialising in Design for New Writing. Kate has designed the first productions of many new now published plays, and observed at close hand the working methods of a wide variety of UK, European, and American directors and choreographers.

PAULA GARFIELD (Deaf Theatre Consultant)
Paula founded Deafinitely Theatre in 2001 to produce theatre created, written, directed and performed by Deaf people for both Deaf and hearing audiences. She aims to spread awareness of BSL as a professional artform and to train the Deaf directors, actors, writers and stage crew of the future. Paula has toured with Trestle Theatre, worked at Derby Playhouse, with Graeae Theatre, and directed ‘Vagina Monologues’ at the Cochrane Theatre. Her last production was ‘Children of a Greater God’ which headlined the Xposure 2004 Festival of Deaf and Disabled Theatre.