CAST
Matthew Malthouse
Training: Dance School of Scotland and ArtsEd.
Stage Credits: Jerry in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (UK Tour); Rock Follies (Chichester Festival Theatre); Pete in Crazy For You (Chichester Festival Theatre); Bob Alcorn in Bonnie & Clyde (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls (Sheffield Crucible); Skimbleshanks in Cats (Kilworth House); Dance Captain in Local Hero (Royal Lyceum Theatre); Dance Captain and Assistant Choreographer in Sunshine on Leith (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Oklahoma (Royal Albert Hall); Foster Wilson in Annie Get Your Gun (Sheffield Theatres); Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me Kate (Théâtre du Châtelet); Jeff in Groundhog Day (Old Vic); Eddie in Mrs Henderson Presents (Noel Coward Theatre and Bath Theatre Royal); Don Lockwood/Policeman in Singin’ In The Rain (UK Tour/Palace Theatre); My Fair Lady (Sheffield Theatres); Escapologist in Matilda – Original London Cast (RSC/Cambridge Theatre); 42nd Street (Chichester Festival Theatre); Chicago (Cambridge Theatre); Edward Scissorhands in Edward Scissorhands (New Adventures); Bruno/Marco in The Carman (New Adventures); Mary Poppins – Original London Cast (Prince Edward Theatre); Anything Goes (Drury Lane Theatre); Beauty and the Beast (Disney Theatrical Productions); Junior Dolan in On Your Toes (Leicester Haymarket/Royal Festival Hall).
Kirsty MacLaren is a Scottish actress and graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She originated the role of Manda in the Olivier Award winning ‘Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour’ (National Theatre of Scotland/Live Theatre; West End), for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Kirsty appeared in Series 3 of The Crown (Netflix), playing the role of Violet, and as Carolyn in Boys in the Boat (MGM), directed by George Clooney.
Other credits include Nikki in This is My Family (Chichester Festival Theatre); Chava in Fiddler on The Roof (Menier Chocolate Factory/ Trevor Nunn); Alice in Protest (Fuel Theatre/Northern Stage); Susanna Walcott in The Crucible (Royal Lyceum Theatre); Stella Jacklin in Doctors (BBC).
Kirsty MacLaren
Scott McClure
Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London.
Theatre credits include:‘Robert/Ensemble/Cover Giles’ in Rebecca: the Musical(Charing Cross theatre). Scott is thrilled to be making his Off-Broadway Debut in ‘Lifeline’ and would like to thank his family, friends and agents for their continuous support.
Theatre whilst training: ‘Jean Valjean’ in Les Misérables (Drama school Premiere Production), ‘Kyle’ in Legally Blonde(Mountview) and ‘Larry’ in Company.
Robbie is an actor from the North East of Scotland and is a 2021 graduate from Arts Educational Schools London (BA Hons) and also trained at The Dance School of Scotland, Glasgow.
Credits include: Davy in SUNSHINE ON LEITH (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Will in GROUP PORTRAIT IN A SUMMER LANDSCAPE (Lyceum/Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Dickon in THE SECRECT GARDEN (PFT); Tulsa in GYPSY (PFT); Peter Pan in PETER PAN AND WENDY (PFT); Dick Whittington in DICK WHITTINGTON (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford).
Workshops include Renton in TRAINSPOTTING.
Credits while training include GUS THE THEATRE CAT in CATS and SHALFORD in KIPPS.
Robbie Scott
Nicole Raquel Dennis
Nicole Raquel Dennis is an award-winning actor from London.
Theatre: Martha Percy in the original cast of Treason (UK Tour and The London Palladium); Effie White in Dreamgirls (UK Tour); Alana Beck in the original cast of Dear Evan Hansen (Noel Coward Theatre) (Black British Theatre Award winner – Best Supporting Actress in a Musical); Ensemble/Cover Nurse Norma in the original cast of Waitress (Adelphi Theatre); Ensemble/Cover Effie White in Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre); Ensemble in The Book Of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre)
Television: The Greatest Show, broadcast on BBC One in 2021. They were a semi-finalist on ITV’s The Voice in 2019 on team Jennifer Hudson.
Other stage & solo concerts include: Performer & producer of #TURNUPLONDON, a major fundraising concert at Cadogan Hall in aid of Black Lives Matter (Black British
Theatre Award winner – Best Use of Innovation & Technology); Dionne in Hair in Concert (London Palladium); Nicole Raquel Dennis – Live at the Zedel; Rafiki in the original cast of Mickey and the Magician (Disneyland Paris).
Training: Dance School of Scotland, Guildford School of Acting (BA Hons). Whilst at GSA, Mari received the Ian Fleming and musical theatre award.
Theatre Credits: Greatest Days (UK Tour),Claus (Lowry Theatre), Penny Pingleton in Hairspray (London Coliseum), Oklahoma (Royal Albert Hall), Kathy in Singin’ in the Rain (Pitlochry Festival Theatre),Yeast Nation (Southwark Playhouse), The Government Inspector (MTFest), Tainted (Workshop),Cinderella (Antony Law), Barbra in Night of the Living Dead (Pleasance Theatre),Cinderella (Mercury Theatre).
In 2014 Mari won the Young Scottish Musical Theatre Performer of the Year.
Mari is thrilled to be making her Off-Broadway debut.
Mari McGinlay
Richard Lounds
Richard is a London-based performer, musician and dramaturg from Nottinghamshire, UK. He trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His recent theatre credits include: The Secret Garden (Tabard Theatre), The Storm Whale (Little Angel and The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury), the Edinburgh Fringe and US tours of The Mould that Changed the World (Charades Theatre), the UK and international tours of Mr Men and Little Miss On Stage (Selladoor), A Little Night Music (Storyhouse, Chester), The Crucible (Storyhouse, Chester), and Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera: L’Etoile du Nord (Kokkola Opera and Helsinki Musiikkitalo). As a singer he has toured the UK, the US, France and Sweden and was a Choral Scholar at Merton College, University of Oxford.
As well as performing in the show, Richard feels immensely privileged to have worked as a dramaturg and collaborator on the current version of Lifeline.
Sarah is originally from the Lake District and trained at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Select credits include Camille in ‘A Mirrored Monet’, Swing – The Musical, and the Thursford Christmas Spectacular. As a vocalist she has performed with NCL, Regent and Celebrity Cruises. Now based in Edinburgh, she is delighted to be back with Lifeline, which she has been involved with since 2018.
Sarah Haddath
Graham Richardson
Graham is a performer and science communicator based in Scotland. With an MA in musical theatre from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, he began work on Lifeline as an actor in 2018 and 2022, as well as creating schools resources and a new podcast, The Lifeline Project, which explores the science and stories behind the show’s creation. Away from the musical, Graham spent six years writing, directing and performing in workshops and shows for the Edinburgh Science Festival on various topics and has recently turned freelance, specialising in nature connection and global health. Past Credits include Mr X in The Mould that Changed the World (Charades Theatre) and Bobby in Urinetown (RCS).
AND OUR CHORUS OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Aldo Cano, Trevino Alisha Dua, Amanda Jones, Anna Caffarelli, Arianna Boccardi, Barbara McGovern, Blake McGee, Bob Farese, Brandon Oby, Brandon Warren, Cameron Hernandez, Carmen Mendez, Ceyda Durmaz, Charlene Siza, Christina Deats, Daniel Schachter, Dharshini Yogendra, Earnest Simpkins, Eric Peterson, Eva Chebishev, Evelyn Quintana, Fil Dela Cruz, Gabrielle Peterson, Gerene Rose, Hilary Parton, Jade Smart, Jason Lee, Jimi Deats, Judy Minkoff, Kat Morano, Luz Jubierre, Maksim Tsvetovat, Margot Delavy, Mario Sengco, Mary Helen Larsen, Melody Liao, Meredith McNairy, Michelle E. Chang, Morgan Fabber, Mythili Ketavarapu, Nathan Shugarts Devanapal, Olivia Baldanza, Patrick Holmes, Preethi Periyakoil, Pritiza Paromita, Rashmi Naidu, Rebecca Murphy, Sadye Paez, Samantha Lovibond, Samantha White, Saoirse Dempsey, Sarah Harpaz, Sarah Tupchong, Sophia McIntyre, Tanaya Roychowdhury, Tara Griffin, Tess Palmer, Virgil Otero-Romano, Yasmine Issah
CREATIVE TEAM
Robin Hiley was a founding partner of Charades Theatre Company upon the company’s inception in 2010. In 2017 he took the company forward as Artistic Director & CEO, overseeing its transition to a Scottish Incorporated Charitable Organisation and establishing partnerships and collaborations with major national and international organisations. As a composer, and lyricist Robin is passionate about writing and creating musical theatre that tackles pertinent social issues and also gives opportunities for the community to get involved in performing. Developing LIFELINE has been a signifcant focus for Robin over the past 6 years, immensely enjoying collaborating with writing partners Becky Hope-Palmer (book writer), his long-time friend and songwriting partner James Ross, as well as the rest of the creative team. Robin holds an undergraduate degree in music from Newcastle University and a MSc in enthnomusicology from the University of Edinburgh.
Robin Hiley
Becky Hope-Palmer
Becky is a Scottish writer and theatre director from Edinburgh. She trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and was a finalist for the prestigious JMK Directing Award in 2019 and 2021. She is an associate artist for She Productions in East Yorkshire and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2017-2019. Recent credits include work for the Lyceum Theatre and Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, Perth Theatre, Dundee Rep and A Play, a Pie and a Pint in Glasgow. Her directing and facilitation work spans musical theatre, Shakespeare, classic and new writing in various forms and capacities. As a writer, Becky’s first play with music, Seven Against Edinburgh, was produced by the Lyceum Theatre in 2022. She is delighted to be making her Off-Broadway debut with Lifeline as a book writer in collaboration with Robin, James and the wonderful team.
Alex is an award winning theatre director and writer based in London. He was named one of ‘Ten Stage Sensations to Watch Out For’ by The Guardian.
Coming from the North West and a background of working in care, Alex is passionate about amplifying under-represented and northern voices. His debut play Cassie and the Lights was based on a true story and interviews with children in the care system and is currently being developed for television. Nominated for the BBC Writer’s Room Popcorn Award and the SitUp Award for social change, it was in The Stage critic’s Best Shows of Edinburgh Fringe. It is published by Nick Hern Books.
A former drama therapist for the charity Sense, he has worked extensively with disabled artists, and recently co-created one man show Strictly Lawrie with performer Lawrie Morris (Growing up Downs, BBC). We Live By the Sea, a play with live music about a girl with autism, received Critic’s Pick and Top Theatre of the Year in the New York Times, and won the Grahame F. Smith Peace Foundation Award for promoting human rights through theatre.
Alex has worked as an associate director for Richard Eyre, David Thacker, Polina Kalinina and Jeff Clarke, at venues including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He regularly directs at drama schools including Arts Ed, Italia Conti, Central School of Speech and Drama, Mountview, and Chichester Conservatoire and directed the world stage premiere of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, working with the movie’s writer and director, Oscar nominee Peter Hedges.
He is the Artistic Director of multi-award winning Patch of Blue, who create original theatre pieces with live music for festivals and touring.
Alex Howarth
Wayne Parsons
Wayne is a movement director, choreographer and company founder and director with over 20 years’ experience working in dance and theatre.
Wayne’s credits as a movement director include The Empress at Royal Shakespeare Company. Love’s Labour’s Lost, Edward II and Lions and Tigers at Shakespeare’s Globe. Fever Syndrome and The Haystack at Hampstead Theatre. Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Stephen Joseph Theatre. Dracula: The Bloody Truth at Stephen Joseph Theatre and Bolton Octagon and Rapunzel at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Wayne is the Artistic Director of VOXED, a touring theatre company who commissions new scripts for movement-led works. They are an associate company of Stephen Joseph Theatre. VOXED create compelling genre-led dance-theatre works for physical, digital and outdoor spaces. They also deliver extensive outreach and engagement activity for filmmakers, writers, dance practitioners and actors of all ages and abilities. Their work has been commissioned by organisations like BBC Arts, One Dance UK, Gillian Dickinson Trust, Dance City, The Place, Swindon Dance and Arts Council England.
Neil Metcalfe read music at the University of Edinburgh (where he was Organ Scholar at Greyfriars Kirk), subsequently training as a repetiteur/vocal coach/conductor in the Opera School of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and more recently at Berklee College of Music (composition and arrangement for film and television). After a time on the music staff of Scottish Opera, he worked as a freelance repetiteur in Australia, the USA and Germany. He currently works as a musical director, conductor, vocal coach, pianist, composer/arranger and session musician. He has been delighted to collaborate with composer Robin Hiley on LIFELINE, as co-orchestrator.
Neil Metcalfe
Jess Conway
Jessica Conway has worked as a Producer and Marketing Manager with many of Scotland’s top arts organisations. She currently works as Producer and Violinst for Lifeline musical and Recordings Manager for Delphian Records. Jessica is also an international mezzo soprano soloist, having graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music under Hilary Summers with a Masters with Distinction. She tours regularly to Italy and Norway and around the UK.
James has spent the last 20 years working in performing arts, on and off the stage. I’m his twenties he toured extensively with Scottish Folk Rock band the simple touch, supporting notable acts such as Wolfstone and Donnie Munro. He set up the first incarnation of Charades Theatre as a youth theatre company with Robin Hiley, penning four musicals together and delivery close to a hundred performances across Scotland. In recent years James has worked as a Risk Manager with NatWest, and brings these skills over to his role as Production Manager on Lifeline. James appeared on stage playing various parts in the 2018 and 2022 versions of the show and also helped write a number of the Lifeline’s hits with Robin.
James Ross
Will Monks
Will is a London based artist; he trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Recent work includes: The Children’s Inquiry, Captain Amazing (Southwark Playhouse, London); Woodhill; Out Of Her Mouth (National Tours), Foxes (59E59, New York; Theatre 503, Seven Dials Playhouse, London); nominated for Best Lighting Designer and finalist for Best Video Designer: Offie Awards), Cassie And The Lights (59E59, New York), The MP, Aunty Mandy & Me; Far Gone (National Tours), Petula (National Theatre Wales, Welsh Tour), Open Mic (English Touring Theatre/Soho Theatre), Sunnymead Court (The Actors Centre and Digital, nominated for 4 Offie Awards), I, Cinna (the poet) (Unicorn Theatre; Winner of Theatre for Young People 12+ OnComm Award), Ali & Dahlia (Pleasance London; nominated for Best Video Designer: Offie Award), Trojan Horse (UK tour, Edinburgh; winner of Fringe First and Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Awards), The Snow Queen, Pinocchio (Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham), The Dark Room (Theatre503; nominated for Best Lighting Designer: Offie Award); Who Cares (winner of Sit-Up Award), We Live By The Sea (nominated for Best Ensemble and Best Production: Offie Awards), This Is Where We Live (international tours); The Benidorm Elvis Fiesta (Benidorm Palace); Chilcot (The Lowry, Battersea Arts Centre).
Matthew Craigen (Lighting Designer) is proud to be working again with Charades Theatre Company. Favourite credits include The Mold That Changed The World (UK/US Tour), Skye Live 2024 (Skye), Calamity Jane (Perth Theatre), Young Frankenstein (The Byre Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Fraserburgh), and Eden 2024 (Moffat). Matthew has a degree in Production Technology and Management from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. One notable highlight in Matthew’s career is his involvement in a project that received acclaim and recognition from the CDC. Matthew is delighted to be Co Designing The Lifeline Musical. More information at matthewcraigen.com.
Matthew Craigen
Alice McNicholas
Training: Performance Design at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. As Costume Designer: Spring Awakening 15th Anniversary Concert (Victoria Palace Theatre); A Lady With A Dog – Offie Nominated for Best Costume, The Boys From Syracuse, Mother of Kamal (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); Love Goddess: The Rita Hayworth Musical, La Callisto (Cockpit Theatre); Concrete Jungle Book (The Pleasance Theatre); The Secret Garden, Dal Segno, Bell, Book and Candle, Lady or the Tiger, Duet, Next Door’s Baby, Critical Stage (Tabard Theatre); Queen (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh); Cinderella (Kenton Theatre); Into the Woods, Legally Blonde (The Playground Theatre); Vinegar Tom (The Maltings Theatre); Frantic Assembly’s Othello (Lyric Hammersmith & UK Tour, Costume Design Associate). As Set & Costume Designer: A Brief List of Everyone Who Died (Finborough Theatre); Ally in Wonderland, Our Teacher’s a Troll, Peter Pan & The Battle for Neverland (Ruined Theatre); Jack and the Beanstalk (Applecart Arts); Henry V, Present Laughter, Othello, The Importance of Being Earnest, Loves Labours Lost, School for Scandal (Changeling Theatre UK Tour).
Paul’s sound design / mix work includes; Roles We’ll Never Play (West End, London) Whats on Stage Awards 2024 (London Palladium) Lena (Edinburgh Festival 2023), The Mould That Changed The World (Barbados, Washington DC, Atlanta & Edinburgh Festival 2022) The Railway Children (Quick Fantastic) Gypsy in Concert (Alexandra Palace) Sunset Boulevard at The Royal Albert Hall (Quick Fantastic 2021), Wonderful Town (Holland Park Opera), Sunset Boulevard in Concert (Alexandra Palace), Pride at The Palace (Palace Theatre, London), AmDram the Musical (The Curve, Leicester) Songs of Nature – Climate Concert( London Collesium – SkyArts TV), Kings of Broadway (Palace Theatre, London – Dec 2020) A Little Night Music (Holland Park Opera) Spirit of The Dance UK Tour – 2020, The Steamie @ The Hydro (Neil Laidlaw Productions) The Light Princess in Concert (Fourth Wall Live) Summer Holiday UK Tour (Spirit Productions), Thoroughly Modern Millie UK Tour + Canada (Spirit Productions), Keep Dancing (Spirit Productions), Christina Bianco in Concert, Parade (Apex Productions) The Steamie (25th Anniversary & 2009 Scottish Tour), My Fair Lady, Kiss Me Kate, Whisky Galore(Pitlochry Festival Theatre) Hormonal Housewives (Scottish Tour) Rent (Dundee Rep), The Secret Garden, Honk and Into The Woods (Byre Theatre, St Andrews) Romeo & Juliet (Scottish Castles Tour). Paul has mixed many concerts for artistes over the years, including ; Alan Cumming, Jamie Muscato, Stephanie J Block, Alfie Boe, Sam Ryder, Rachel Tucker, Ariana Debose, Audra McDonald, Jessica Vosk, Keala Settle, Frank Wildhorn, Jenna Russell, Heather Small, Susan Boyle, Sam Tutty, Mica Paris, Jac Yarrow, Kerry Ellis, Jeremy Jordan, Chita Rivera, Keli O’Hara, Laura Benanti, Bonnie Langford, Caissie Levey, Sierra Boggess, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Paul operates a sound and lighting rental company based in Dundee, Scotland. www.apexacoustics.com
Paul Smith
Anastasia Bunce
Anastasia is a theatre director based in London who directs new writing and modern classics. She is the Artistic Director of Patch Plays, a company devoted to staging new work that explores animal ethics and climate change. Stylistically, she is interested in utilizing expressionistic devices, that enable the poetry of a piece to become its focal point, as this for her, is where stories start to shape into art. Anastasia trained in MA Theatre Directing at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2019-2020. Recent theatre directing credits include ‘Blood On Your Hands’ (Southwark Playhouse), ‘Meat Cute’ (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Gilded Balloon) and ‘Darkie Armo Girl’ (Finborough Theatre). She previously assisted Alex Howarth on ‘A Brief List of Everyone Who Died’ at Finborough Theatre 2022. Stage Managing experience includes ’12:37′ (Finborough Theatre 2022) and ‘Pussycat in Memory of Darkness (Finborough Theatre 2023).
CJ is a stage manager based here in NYC, she has recently moved from Detroit where she attended Wayne State University. She is excited for her debut here in New York. Some credits include The Inheritance (The Ringwald), Spring Awakening (The Underground), Head Over Heels (Wayne State) In her free time CJ enjoys knitting, baseball, and vodka pizza slices. She enjoyed learning lots about specific subject, which happens often in this line of work. CJ would like to thank the team, and her family and friends for supporting her, especially the C6 group.
CJ Caldwell
Dr Meghan Perry
Meghan Perry is a Scottish-trained Infectious diseases NHS consultant physician and researcher in antimicrobial resistance. Her PhD looked into environmental exposures influencing pathogen resistance and post-doctoral studies analysed antimicrobial resistance in hospital sewage. Her passion for music and public engagement sparked the original idea for this musical and she has been involved since the project’s inception in 2016. Her day-to-day work includes the management of patients with highly resistant bacterial infections and she is delighted to be part of a project that spreads the message of how precious our antibiotics are.