Listening Eyes : performers and artists
Summer 2006 Tour

Directed by Fergus Early and Rachel Elliott
Choreographed by Fergus Early and Mark Smith
Music by Will Embliss
Stage Management / Music by Jack Robson
Design by Kate Owen
Performers: Neil Fox, Jo Dunbar, Lee Awanah, Marie Lawrence
Deaf Theatre Consultant: Daryl Jackson

NEIL FOX (Hari, a six year old boy)

Brought up in Middlesborough, Neil attended Beverly School for the Deaf. He studied Theatre for the Deaf at Reading University and has been working as an actor for fifteen years. His credits include Twelfth Night (Show of Hands), The Little Violin (Tricycle Theatre), Ssssh (Roundabout Theatre/M6 Theatre Co.), The Cat with Three Names (M6 Theatre Co.), Mountain Language (In Tandem Theatre Co), The Irish Giant (New Breed Theatre Co.) and Flesh Fly , Bent and the National Tour of Sarah Kane's Blasted with Graeae Theatre Co. His TV work includes commercials for Channel 4 and See Hear ( BBC ) Neil is pleased to return to Green Candle for his second tour of Listening Eyes.

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

Born profoundly deaf, Jo was first introduced to dance training in 1999 by Company Chaos in Australia . In 2001 she was awarded a scholarship for the Professional Diploma in Community Dance Studies at Laban, where she continued to study gaining a distinction for her Masters in European Dance Theatre Practice. She started work with Green Candle on placement in 2002, assisted with the annual Deaf Dance Summer School at Sadler's Wells in 2003 and 2005 and performed in the first tour of Listening Eyes in 2005. In 2006 she played the part of ‘Jak' a leading role in the ground breaking BBC2 drama Soundproof.

LEE AWANAH (Hari's Dad / Hari's Best Friend)

Lee gained a degree in Performing Arts at De Montfort University, Bedford in 2005. Prior to that he worked on numerous projects with City & Islington College . Since graduating he has continued to work in the industry, leading contemporary and street dance classes and working with Raw Skills Dance Group for young men. Lee is a member of Connecting Vibes Dance Company and recently completed the One Blood tour performing at venues and schools throughout London . This is Lee's first production with Green Candle

MARIE LAWRENCE (Hari's Sister / Hari's Friend)

Marie graduated from Bretton Hall in Leeds with a 1 st Class BA (hons) Dance Degree and continued her performance training in London . She has toured internationally with companies including Sakoba, Colin Poole, Classical Fiction and has performed for TV, film and music videos alongside pursuing her own choreographic ventures. Marie first performed with Green Candle in January 2000 and is delighted to be performing on the Listening Eyes tour, her fourth production with the company.

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.

JACK ROBSON (Stage Manager)

Jack has been working as a stage and production manager, lighting designer and musician for over 25 years. He has worked with many companies in this time, including Adventures In Motion Pictures, BareBones Theatre, Dr. Foster's, Travelling Light, National Theatre and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet. He is also a member of the Celtic band The Sturdy Beggars. He lives in Devon with his partner, son, dog and cat and has four grown-up daughters. This is his first show with Green Candle.

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.

DARYL JACKSON (Deaf Theatre Consultant - National Tour 2006 )

Since gaining a BA Hons in Deaf Studies with Interpreting English/BSL and Linguistics, Daryl has worked as a sign language consultant, script supervisor, television presenter and actor to name just a few roles. His theatre credits include ‘ Motherland', ‘Dysfunction', ‘Children of the Greater God' (Deafinitely Theatre) and 'The Rule and the Exception' ( Young Vic Theatre ). He often coaches actors and deaf and hearing signers for companies including Graeae, Unicorn, Sadlers Wells, Gate Theatre, Green Candle, Almeida, Jacksons Lane and Drill Hall. He has just completed his acting role in the drama series Switch.