Director

Purni is a freelance theatre director, writer, and translator. She began her career in stage management, working for Stephen Daldry and Annie Castledine, among others, before going to study History at the University of Glasgow. After graduating, she worked as Literary Assistant at the National Theatre, London, with particular responsibility for foreign and classic plays, and then became Literary Manager at Berkeley Repertory Theater, California, from 1998-2000. She took a break from theatre and worked for a while in environmental sustainability and development in Latin America and then at Shelter in Scotland, before becoming a producer, first with Suspect Culture in Glasgow, then running her own production company, gryllus, which provided creative and logistical support to freelance Scottish artists. She moved back to London in 2007 where she was Head of Studio at the National Theatre from 2007-2011 and, most recently, Artistic Director of the Unicorn Theatre, the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences, from 2011 until March 2018.

As a freelance director and translator her work has been produced by fieldwork, at the Finborough Theatre, by Speeltheater Holland, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Muziektheater Transparant, ‘t Arsenaal, and Vlaamse Opera, Gent. Recent productions include: Public Enemy: Flint (Michigan, co-produced by fieldwork, the Goodman, Detroit Public Theatre, Centerstage Baltimore, and others); and Alpha Beta at the Finborough Theatre, nominated in the Off West End Awards for Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Design. Her productions for the Unicorn include, as writer: A Winter’s Tale, Henry V, The Fourth Wise Man and Othello; as director, A Winter’s Tale, Dora, The Velveteen Rabbit, Baddies: the Musical, My Father Odysseus, Big Love and Version A (the last two co-directed with Christian Roe). Her next production will be Dido for English National Opera and the Unicorn Theatre in May 2019.

Composer - Piano

Born in Leeds (Yorkshire, UK), Jason studied composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After winning the 1988 Vivian Ellis Prize for Young Writers of Musicals, Jason was invited by Sir Peter Hall to compose the musical Born Again (Chichester Festival Theatre starring Mandy Patinkin and José Ferrer). As Associate Composer at Chichester 2003-2005, Jason wrote music and lyrics for two new musicals: The Water Babies and Six Pictures of Lee Miller (nominated British Composer Awards). His musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol has played Chichester, West Yorkshire Playhouse, and Birmingham Rep, and his new musical Lockhart has received a developmental production at Mountview Academy.

Jason has composed incidental music for over 50 plays at the NT, RSC, in the West End and on Broadway, for directors including Steven Pimlott, Sam Mendes, Sean Mathias, Howard Davies, Antony Page, Adrian Noble, Samuel West, Elijah Moshinsky, Gregory Doran, Lindsay Posner, Edward Hall, and Gale Edwards, amongst many others.

Orchestration credits includes the Menier Chocolate Factory’s Sunday in the Park with George, La Cage aux Folles and A Little Night Music (all also Broadway, winning the Drama Desk Award and two Tony nominations for Best Orchestrations).

Jason has accompanied many notable artists, including Elisabeth Welch, Betty Garrett, Kitty Carlisle Hart, and Michael Ball. He has accompanied Dame Felicity Lott in major opera houses across Europe. He arranged, produced and played on Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid’s album You Are The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened To Me. A long association with Maria Friedman includes her Olivier Award-winning show By Extra Special Arrangement.

Choreographer

Wilkie is an interdisciplinary artist; the focus of his work lies in both dance and film, with origins rooted in b-boying (breakdance). Self-taught in both of these core aspects of his work, his dance style has developed to hold expression, accessibility, and integrity at the heart of his practice. He has also choreographed dance work for young people, including: Varmints, White Caps and Boing! (Travelling Light); Baddies: the Musical, Minotaur, The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, and The Velveteen Rabbit (Unicorn). He was awarded The Arts Foundation Choreographic Fellowship in 2012 in recognition of professional standing within the art of dance and film. He is also a New Wave Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells and was a member of the Sadler’s Wells Summer University – an international selection of emerging choreographers, and he is currently developing new work for Sadler’s Wells. Wilkie’s new award-winning short film Little Dreams is being screened and broadcast internationally.

Set & Costume Designer

James studied at Wimbledon School of Art. His theatre credits include: Disgraced and Charlotte’s Web (Singapore Rep Theatre); Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Shop of Horrors, Love on the Links, Hedda Gabler, Worst Wedding Ever, and On Golden Pond (Salisbury Playhouse); The Scarecrow’s Wedding (Leicester Square Theatre); The B*easts and The Albion (Bush Theatre); Jane Wenham (Arcola Theatre and tour); Othello, Jason and the Argonauts, Baddies the Musical, The Nutcracker, Velveteen Rabbit, Henry the Fifth, A Winters Tale, and Dr Korczak's Example (Unicorn Theatre); Macbeth, Tory Boyz, Romeo & Juliet and Prince of Denmark (Ambassador's Theatre); Mad About the Boy (U.K Tour); Absent Made Present (Linbury Theatre); Johann Strauss Gala (Barbican and Tour); Orpheus and Eurydice and Our Days of Rage (Old Vic Tunnels); Zigger Zagger (Wilton’s Music Hall); Fen (Finborough Theatre); and Jefferson’s Garden, The Trial, Gulliver’s Travels, Grimm Tales, and Milestones (Watford Palace). James was also the costume designer for the Welcoming Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Original Lighting Director

David’s work is seen internationally in theatre, dance, ballet, and opera. Previous designs for the Unicorn Theatre, London include: Baddies - the Musical; Henry The Fifth; Hannah; Mad About The Boy; A Winter’s Tale; and Dr Korczak’s Example. Other recent and current work includes: Moll Flanders (Mercury Colchester); Ring Of Fire and Wait Until Dark (Vienna); Spamalot (UK Tour, Korea and Dubai); Over The Rainbow (UK Tour); Sweeney Todd (Derby Theatre); Albion (Bush); Bang Bang, Macbeth, and Educating Rita (Mercury Colchester); Peter and the Wolf (Ballet Flanders, UK Tour, Carré Amsterdam and New York); The Sound Of Music (Cork Opera House); Blues In The Night and Sleeping Beauty (Hackney Empire); Unsuspecting Susan and Tabloid Caligula (New York); Bloodshot (UK Tour, Vienna, Calgary and Chicago), and Beauty and the Beast and Little Shop Of Horrors (Salisbury Playhouse).

Associate Lighting Designer

Sam received his training from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His designs include: The Country Wife and Superhero (Southwark Playhouse); The Cherry Orchard and Lucky Stiff (The Union Theatre); Seesaw (Unicorn Theatre); Return to the Forbidden Planet, Top Hat, Anything Goes, and Legally Blonde (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); Spring Storm (The North Wall Theatre); Legally Blonde (Watford Palace Theatre); The Great Divide (Finborough Theatre); RAZ (UK Tour); and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Landor Theatre).

As Associate/Assistant Lighting Designer, his credits include: The Velveteen Rabbit (Unicorn Theatre); Rules for Living (English Touring Theatre); Wasted (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Caretaker, The Master Builder, and The Lorax (The Old Vic); Tipping the Velvet (Lyric Hammersmith/Edinburgh Lyceum); and American Idiot (Arts Theatre).

Stage Manager (Unicorn)

Kayleigh studied technical theatre and graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2010. Her varied career has taken her to New York, Barcelona, and all over the UK, working on shows from ballet to opera, musicals to Shakespeare, and most importantly, children’s theatre. Theatre credits include: The Two Noble Kinsmen, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre; Stick Man and The Scarecrows Wedding, Leicester Square Theatre; Opera in the City Festival, The Bridewell Theatre; Ode to Leeds and Beryl, West Yorkshire Playhouse; The Velveteen Rabbit, Baddies: the Musical, Seesaw, Cinderella: A Fairytale Story, and Mr Holgado, Unicorn Theatre; In the Night Garden Live! UK Tour; and Strictly Gershwin, English National Ballet at The Royal Albert Hall. Kayleigh is thrilled to be working at The Seattle Children’s Theatre this Christmas on The Velveteen Rabbit, a show that holds a very special place in her heart.

Assistant Stage Manager (SCT)

Julianna is excited to be returning to Seattle Children's Theatre where she has worked on The Velveteen Rabbit, The Lamp is the Moon, Stellaluna, James and the Giant Peach, and Dick Whittington and His Cat. She has stage managed shows such as The Lamp is the Moon, Arsenic and Old Lace, Blood Wedding, and An American Dream. Julianna has worked locally with the Seattle Children's Theatre, Seattle Opera, Taproot Theatre Company, The Williams Project, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare, Whim W'Him, and New Century Theatre Company.   She earned her MFA in Stage Management from the University of California, Irvine.