Spontaneous Productions Performers

ANNIE ALDINGTON

Annie has been a member of Spontaneous Productions since 2010 when she played Annie Chapman in their original drama The Roses of Whitechapel about Jack the Ripper’s victims. Since then, Annie has appeared in numerous productions, including Halcyon Days, Ocelot Gymkhana, scratch nights Love Bites Again and 600 Seconds, and Frighteners 2017 and 2019. She also took part in the rehearsed reading of Jonathan Coe’s The Magnificent Death of Henry Fielding. Annie is an accomplished voice-over artist and won the RNA Narrator of the Year award in 2021 for her audiobook work.

JIMAND ALLOTEY

Jimand is a University of Kent drama graduate and has been a regular performer at Sydenham Centre since 2018.

She has worked with Spontaneous Productions on Puss in Boots, Anansi the Spider: Jamaican Superhero!, Pinocchio, Frighteners, The Snow Queen, Around the World in 80 Days, and Beauty and the Beast. Jimand has also played multiple roles in Spontaneous Productions’ scratch nights such as Frighteners 2019, Love Bites: 3rd Time Lucky, and Singular Voices, an online project.

Her other work includes theatre shows such as Crossing, The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle, The Activists, Asha & The Troll, and Highlife Romance. Jimand was nominated for Best Supporting Performance for her role in the BBC radio drama Dem Times. She recently appeared as Squeak in the UK tour of The Color Purple.

KATE BARRY

Originally from Dublin, Kate joined Spontaneous Productions in 2021 for her role as Mary Jane Kelly in The Roses of Whitechapel. She has since appeared in various productions, including Love Bytes: Futureshock, The Tales of Beatrix Potter and Frighteners 2022: Museum of Monsters, where she played a memorable zombie tour guide. Kate has also worked on other projects, including Jeanne Abadie in the film The Message of Lourdes and Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.Ka

OLIVER BYNG

Oliver made his debut with Spontaneous in 2022 as Dracula in Frighteners 2022: Museum of Monsters, before returning for Love Bytes: Futureshock in February 2023. He has also worked on other productions, including Mr. Poppers Penguins, Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows, The Ladykillers, and Henry V.

DEBBIE CHRISTIE

Debbie first collaborated with Spontaneous Productions during the second lockdown for their online project, Singular Voices, where she played Ms Henshaw’s Begonias. In March 2021, she appeared as Mother, Grandmother and The Park Ranger in Little Red Riding Hood: The Truth!

Debbie is an accomplished theatre actor, having worked on numerous productions, including Invisible Me, Joan Crawford in Bette and Joan, Moggs War, The Speech, Handbagged, and Company.

ANNABELLE DOWLER

Annabelle Dowler received her training from Bristol University and Webber Douglas in London. She has an extensive list of theatre credits, having performed in plays at Liverpool Playhouse and Everyman Theatre, English Touring Theatre, Birmingham Rep, and the National.

Annabelle’s screen credits include TV shows such as Brexit – An Uncivil War, Mother’s Day, Sense8, Lewis, Silent Witness, and Six Wives of Henry VIII, as well as films like Suffragette and Another Mother’s Son. She also plays the regular part of Kirsty in Radio 4’s The Archers.

For Spontaneous Productions, she has appeared in Jonathan Coe’s play The Magnificent Death of Henry Fielding and scratch night Love Bites: 3rd Time Lucky.

TOM FRANCK

Tom Franck has been a regular performer with Spontaneous Productions since his debut as Planchet in the company’s outdoor version of The Three Musketeers in 2010. Tom has performed in a range of productions with the company, including The Importance of Being Earnest, Love Bites, The Remarkable Race of 1913, Till the Boys Come Home, A Christmas Carol, Mr Tibbetts’ Old Time Music Hall, 600 Seconds, Frighteners, and Love Bites Again.

Tom is now a producer and director with his own theatre company, Top Cat Productions, where he stages original theatre for young audiences.

WILLIAM HASTINGS

William Hastings is an experienced performer who has worked in theatres around the world, from China to the Mediterranean and Sydenham. Some of his theatre credits include Ploutos (Thiasos), Sanditon the Musical (The Other Palace), London Calling (Museum of London), and Beauty & The Beast (Mance Productions).

William has been a prolific performer with Spontaneous Productions, having appeared in a wide range of productions such as Three Men in a Boat, 600 Seconds, Cream of Ocelot, Cinderella, The Magnificent Death of Henry Fielding, Postcards, Frighteners 2019, The Snow Queen, A Christmas Carol, Puss in Boots, The Gingerbread Man, Around The World In 80 Days, Singular Voices, Beauty & The Beast, 600 Seconds: Futureshock, The Blues Brothers Grimm, Love Bytes: Futureshock, and Aladdin.

He is also active on social media, with the handle @WillHastingsUK on Twitter and Instagram.

ALEX HEAD

Alex Head is an accomplished performer and scriptwriter with Spontaneous Productions. He has written plays such as Minutes From The Original Meeting About Christmas, The Two Gentlewomen Of Corona (Director’s Cut – Online), Better Not Cry (Southwark Playhouse), Macabredy (which he also directed), Merry (which he also directed), The Answers To Life, The Universe And Everything (co-written), Casting Call (Southwark Playhouse), and The Santa Clauses (which he also directed). Alex has also written Pitch, Happy Tweet, Chat, The Audience Is Always Right, and Your Next Holiday Destination for previous new writing evenings for Spontaneous Productions.

In addition to his writing, Alex frequently appears in Spontaneous shows since 2009, and has directed short films.

ANGUS HEPBURN

Angus is a seasoned actor with over 50 years of experience in both the UK and the US. He has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mr Peachum in a Drama Desk-nominated production of The Threepenny Opera. In addition to his live performances, Angus continues to work extensively in online productions with renowned theater companies such as the Instant Shakespeare Company and the Shaw Project of New York. Fans of video games may also recognize him from popular titles such as Bully, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Red Dead Redemption.

Recently, Angus has collaborated with Spontaneous Productions on several projects, including Frighteners 2019, A Christmas Carol (online), and Singular Voices (online). He will also be appearing in Frighteners 2022: Museum of Monsters. With his vast experience and impressive body of work, Angus is a valuable asset to any production he joins.

MARISSA HUSSAIN

Marissa graduated from London Studio Centre in 2017, where she specialized in Musical Theatre and played the role of Julie Johnston in her graduate show, Bad Girls the Musical. Following her graduation, Marissa took on the role of Princess Jasmine in a production of Aladdin, discovering a passion for children’s theatre.

In 2018, Marissa made her debut with Spontaneous Productions as Poppy Pig in The Three Little Pigs Go West, and later that year, she played the lead role in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Marissa’s versatile skills and unwavering commitment to her craft make her a valuable addition to any production.

SHIREENAH INGRAM

Shireenah is an accomplished actress who received training at Identity Drama School, where she also undertook Meisner classes. Her acting portfolio includes a guest role on BBC’s Doctors, a featured role in ad campaigns for Crown Paint and Kellogg’s, and the Best Actress award for her work in the short film This Little Girl.

In 2021, Shireenah founded ‘Red Lens’ to provide confidence-building acting coaching to those in need. She is a regular performer with Spontaneous Productions, having appeared in a variety of productions such as Love Bites Again, Cream of Ocelot, Cinderella, Postcards, The Snow Queen, Singular Voices, The Beauty & The Beast, and The Blues Brothers Grimm. Shireenah’s talent, coupled with her dedication to empowering others through acting, makes her an invaluable asset to any production.

WICTOR KOCH

Wictor, a creative professional hailing from Sweden, holds a BA (Hons) Acting degree from the London College of Music. With an extensive portfolio of work spanning across Egypt, the Canary Islands, and Europe, Wictor has earned a plethora of credits, including the roles of Lord Montague in Romeo and Juliet (Globe Theatre, Rome) and The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz (Sweden). Notably, he has also contributed his talents to Spontaneous Productions, performing in productions such as The Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood: The Truth!, and The Blues Brothers Grimm.

CHRIS LUCAS

Chris, a graduate of Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, has an extensive background in theatre, television, and radio. After working with Spontaneous Productions on multiple projects, he took a semi-hiatus from acting to run an international school in Italy for six years. In 2021, Chris returned to the UK and played the role of Boxer, the cart-horse, in Spontaneous Productions’ outdoor adaptation of Animal Farm.

MEGAN MADALEINE

Megan’s professional career began with her starring in the lead role in our production of Little Red Riding Hood in 2022. She went on to showcase her talent in our outdoor show END OF! and the immersive production Frighteners 2022: Museum of Monsters. Megan’s performance skills led her to star in Yasmine Dankwah’s Rite To Party, first at the Omnibus Theatre and then at the Dear Black People 2.0 Festival at the Pleasance Theatre in July. Megan studied at the Identity School of Acting for one year while completing her final year of studies at the University of Kent, where she earned her BA (Hons) in World Literature.

CHIOMA NWALIOBA

Chioma is a London-based actor originally from Nigeria. She discovered her passion for acting in her late teens and started her journey by joining a youth theater group in Lewisham. Chioma trained with the National Youth Theatre and The Actor’s Class. Her recent acting credits include playing Annabelle Cane in the horror fiction podcast The Magnus Archive, appearing in Leaving (part of the theater company Dead Good Theatre) and The Fields at Theatre 503. For Spontaneous Productions, Chioma has played various roles including Peter Rabbit in The Tales of Beatrix Potter, the lead role in Rapunzel, a zombie tour guide in Frighteners 2022: Museum of Monsters, Henrietta in The Blues Brothers Grimm, and various roles in Love Bytes: Futureshock (2023).

VALENTINA PAKOU

Valentina is a highly experienced performer, choreographer, theatre maker and workshop leader with a strong background in movement. She has worked extensively across Russia, Greece, Italy, Austria and the UK, with her work covering a range of styles including classical plays, physical and musical theatre, and devised and immersive performance. Valentina’s impressive portfolio includes Antigone for Theatro Technis London, Romeo & Juliet for the Chekhov State Theatre Russia, Poi:son for Effervescence Plymouth and The Medea Hypothesis for The Cockpit Theatre London. For Spontaneous Productions, Valentina has worked as choreographer and assistant director on END OF! (2022), performer and choreographer on Aladdin (2023), and most recently performed in The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor (2021).

POPPY PICKLES

Poppy is an actor-singer with a diverse performance background, having taken the stage at Kensington Palace, a Sardinian music festival, and for the BBC with her trio The Frockettes. She is a regular performer in our outdoor theatre productions, having played roles such as the fairy Godmother/evil Stepmother in Cinderella, the scatterbrained narrator in The Gingerbread Man, and both Mrs Tiggywinkle and the title role in The Tales of Beatrix Potter. Poppy holds a degree in Acting Musical Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and is also a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and writer. Connect with Poppy on Instagram at @poppypicklesyoga.

EMMA READE-DAVIES

Emma is an actress who graduated from RCSSD. She has appeared in three productions with Spontaneous so far, including playing Nellie in Jane Walker’s ‘A Dark Place’ as part of the Singular Voices online season in 2021, and playing Emma in Lucy Kaufman’s ‘Vintage’ for Love Bites: 3rd Time Lucky in February 2020. In 2021, she delivered a memorable performance as Old Major, Mollie, and Squealer in our outdoor adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’.

JODYANNE RICHARDSON

Jodyanne is a creative hailing from Australia but raised in Hong Kong, currently residing in London. With two decades of experience treading the boards in the UK, she has played diverse roles including The Writer in Love, Genius and a Walk, Helen Fox in Afraid of the Dark, and the older Mata Hari in Eye of Day: The Mata Hari Story by Jonathan Kaufman. She is also a Spontaneous Productions regular, having appeared in multiple scratch nights, and in the online comedy sketch Living With Your Parents in Secret, which was nominated for a Lovie Award. Most recently, she starred in the outdoor productions END OF! and Frighteners 2022: Museum of Monsters.

GEORGINA RUSSELL

Georgina completed her studies at the Manchester School of Theatre in 2018 and has since been involved in various short films, theatre productions, and music videos. She played the role of young Mata Hari in Jonathan Kaufman’s production Eye of Day: The Mata Hari Story, and was part of our scratch night Postcards in 2019. Georgina has brought several shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, including a self-devised drama about Frida Kahlo.

KLUANE SAUNDERS

Kluane is a first-class honours graduate in Acting and a classically trained soprano with extensive training in jazz and tap dancing. She has a diverse range of talents and has written, produced, and starred in An Old Fashioned Girl at The Brighton Fringe 2016. She has performed lead vocalist/actor roles for Headliner’s Theatre Company, including Oriana. Kluane’s other recent credits include Pandora in Pandora’s Box at Greenwich Theatre, puppeteering Fox in Faux at Camden Fringe, Phyllis in Somewhere in England at Wimbledon Studio Theatre, Fairy Fifi in Beauty & The Beast at Prince’s Hall, Cinderella at The Deco Theatre, Maddie in Devilish at Tristan Bates Theatre, and multiple roles in Where’s Your Mama Gone? at The Hen and Chickens Theatre. Kluane has also worked with Spontaneous Productions in The Three Little Pigs Go West and Puss in Boots.

DAVID SAYERS

David, a graduate of The Poor School and a resident of Crystal Palace for 15 years, has an extensive theatre background, having toured worldwide in various productions. He has also made appearances on television and in films. David has collaborated with Spontaneous Productions before, portraying the sinister Edward Aveling in the highly praised production ‘Eleanor Marx: The Jewess of Jews Walk’. He has also participated in new writing showcase ‘scratch night’ Love Bytes: 3rd Time Lucky and our online project Singular Voices.

PAUL-D STEPHENSON

Paul-D has an impressive portfolio of work, having performed in various productions for different theater companies and independent films. He has been involved in productions such as The Delicious Revenge of Princess Rubyslippers, It’s No Joke, and Profumo: The Musical for Gordon Kenney Productions and The Comedy School. Paul-D has also performed in numerous pantomimes for Chaplin’s Pantomime Company, including Aladdin, Dick Whittington, and Jack and the Beanstalk. He has featured in independent films such as Schizophrenia and Me and Me, The Rajini Effect, The Gift, and One Day in Wonderland. Paul-D has also collaborated with Spontaneous Productions in several of their productions, including The Three Little Pigs Go West, Anansi the Spider: Jamaican Superhero!, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Puss in Boots, The Tales of Beatrix Potter, Rapunzel, and Aladdin. He has also played the title roles in The Gingerbread Man and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.

RHYS STEPHENSON

Rhys is recognized for his role as a presenter on CBBC and for his subsequent appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021. However, he started his career with Spontaneous Productions in 2013 with his appearance in Ocelot: Resurrection, the original Love Bites, 202 x 12 (Theatre on the Bus), and three parts of community musical Till the Boys Come Home as part of Sydenham Arts Festival in 2014. In 2017, Rhys returned to play the title role in Jack and the Beanstalk, our inaugural production at Sydenham Centre. He also made a guest appearance on video in Goldlocks and the Three Bears.

SARAH WHITEHOUSE

Sarah received her training at the Birmingham School of Acting. Her film credits include the features ‘Lapwing’ and ‘Life Goes On’. She has appeared in various theatre productions such as Macbeth, As You Like It, Death of A Salesman, An Inspector Calls, A Warwickshire Testimony, The Bear and The Proposal, all for The Bridge House Theatre in Warwick. Her work in radio includes ‘Romeo and Jude’, Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’, ‘Hedda Gabler’, and ‘An Enemy of the People’, all produced by The Wireless Theatre Company and Audible UK. In 2018, Sarah portrayed Eleanor Marx in Lucy Kaufman’s production of ‘The Jewess of Jews Walk’ at Sydenham Centre, and returned in 2019 for the rehearsed reading of Jonathan Coe’s play ‘The Magnificent Death of Henry Fielding’.