Cast and Creatives

Not of theatre folk, Francesca had long career in allied healthcare professions within the NHS and independently. Her overriding interest in both the science and art of voice led her to diversify her practice into the performance arena. Writing came later.

The discovery that she could write within a co-writing partnership added a new dimension to her late developing, fiery artistic temperament and produced Deborah’s Children; the as yet undeveloped ‘Project 2’ and now, Learning which has been in development since pre-pandemic times. The script was delivered on Zoom during the lockdown and the subject of rehearsed readings performances in community settings. Francesca took Learning into full production in 2024 as Producer and Director of Townsend Rose Productions. She is now researching possibilities for a longer run of this successful drama in 2025.

Denise has introduced and led a very successful Drama Department for 16 years at JFS during which time she has directed annual productions both in musical theatre and Shakespeare as whole school productions. Her now “famous” phrase and one she totally lives up to is: The only factor about this being linked to school rather than professional is that it is performed in a school theatre but the students’ performance, technical and directing standards are truly professional. She has also examined A level and GCSE performances annually as part of the qualification standards. As she relinquishes full time educating, she relishes the challenge of working with professionals at the height of their practice. These truly outstanding actors and writer have made this directorial journey a completely gratifying experience.

Denise was the original and founding director of ‘Learning’ and now moves to a consultancy role within the company.

Seamus is a prolific Northern Irish playwright, dramatist and lecturer. He lives in London.  A while before the lockdown, Francesca felt she was drifting… knowing she needed to write but lacking direction and the confidence to put pen to paper. On the suggestion of a friend, and being very much in the moment, an internet search revealed a contact for her much respected, A level English teacher turned successful playwright, Seamus Finnegan. Long story short, they met in a sunny park near Holborn tube, talked long and reminisced hard about their old school… plays… writing…. On Seamus’s suggestion, Francesca wrote a series of monologues about growing up as a traditional but only mildly observant Jew who nevertheless was firmly anchored in a faith community. And so, the Learning project was born. Seamus, out of the goodness of his heart continues in such a valuable mentorship role to the project. It never would have happened without his extraordinary understanding of the subject matter along with unfailing guidance, encouragement and that twinkle in his eye.

Read Seamus’s blog here

I am a practitioner, director, and researcher based in London, specializing in intermedial performance that interacts video and physical theatre. I explore the perception of mediation through my ScreenStage Performance practice and research.

In my work with practitioners, scholars and students I look into today’s most pressing challenge: our relationships with artificial technologies and with the virtual realms.

I am a senior lecturer at academic institutions in Israel and in Europe, specializing in dance research, movement notations, intermedia and performance-making. I’m currently a guest lecturer at the Dance Division of the Music Academy in Katowice Poland.

I completed successfully my PhD from the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries at Middlesex University London (2023), researching and creating my ScreenStage Performance practice by PaR methodology.

My thesis applies semiotic and phenomenological viewpoints, exploring mine, as well as others’ hybrid live-virtual immersive performance, providing valuable insight into transmedial narration, performance making and analysis.

I was the former Head and artistic director of the School of Dance of the Arts Faculty at the Kibbutzim College, Tel Aviv (2007-2014). For many years I’ve been a physical theatre practitioner, as well as a dancer-researcher of the RikudNetto dance and research group.

We’re honoured to have Sharon Reshef Armony as our Artistic Director. She is a practitioner, director and researcher of ScreenStage performance, and has been a practitioner in the fields of physical theatre, performance, and film for 30 years.

Sharon saw Learning in the online “reading” version, and was struck by the accuracy, courage, and suggestion of it. Being immersed in the contents, she’s now looking for minimalist / poetic movement metaphors, embedded in the texts and the music.

Nick Delvallé is an actor, writer and improvisor. After graduating from the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2009, he has since performed at Shakespeare’s Globe (All’s Well that Ends Well ), The National Theatre (A Small Family Business) and various theatres around the world. He has also taken in part in numerous short films and features of which he hopes to do more. He is excited to be taking on the role of Jonathan in Learning.

Gemma studied with The Royal Academy of Music and trained with Chickenshed Theatre Company. Previous productions have taken her to the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House. An actor, composer, gigging musician and singer, Gemma is also a home educating mother to three. As Company Musical Director, she has composed all the music for the Learning production and is thrilled to be presenting the latest development of Learning alongside this deft and visionary team.

In October 2022, Lisa supported us as Consultant to the Learning project in her previous professional role as a Psychotherapist. Working with the cast, she developed their additional roles as Counsellor in the play.

In 1990 Iain became resident bass player/singer/actor for Chickenshed, an inclusive theatre company in North London, where he was employed until 2017. It was during this period that he began writing with Francesca Rose, Deborah’s Children and ‘Project 2’ resulting from the partnership.

Iain is a bassist, singer and songwriter and is a member of folk-rock band Starry Eyed and Laughing, who recorded two critically acclaimed albums for CBS in the mid 70s. They released a third album of original songs in 2021 and Iain recently completed his own album. A fourth SEAL album is currently in the works.

In the early eighties Iain was also a member of Violinski, an ELO offshoot, with whom he recorded their second album. He has played with various other bands, including his own, throughout his career and has done a great deal of session work, both singing and playing.

He now lives and works in Torquay and is still gigging with Starry Eyed and Laughing!

Matthew is employed as Directory of Treasury for the Bromford Housing Group having previously held senior Treasury and Taxation positions at groups including Royal Mail, Taylor Wimpey and De La Rue. He is the other Director of Townsend Rose Productions, managing all the finance of the company.

We are so grateful to Sebastian for supporting the technical aspects of the December 2023 Rehearsed Readings of Learning and delighted to welcome him as a freelancer to Townsend Rose. In addition to all his work on the technical production side, he has taken care of design and printing of our flyers and programmes as well as photography and filming.

He  joined Chickenshed as a child, training and performing throughout his school years. He studied BA (Hons) in Photography, Sculpture, Dance and Theatre at University of Brighton and then went on to further his dance training at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance.

He has appeared in several films, television programmes, commercials and music videos, working with organisations such as the BBC, EMI, Factory Films, LWT, Ridley Scott Associates, The Really Useful Group, Urban Conceptz Theatre, Wall to Wall Media, Yes/No Productions and CBBC.

He has also worked  for several theatre and dance and aerial theatre companies, choreographers and directors including Lea Anderson, Josef Nadj, Nigel Jamieson, Stephen Frears, ASQ Cia de Danca in Brazil; performed and toured much of the UK and Europe with Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie for Divas Dance Co; appeared in STOMP in Paris; was a member of the original cast of Piano/Forte by Terry Johnson at The Royal Court Theatre; and, since  premiering in 2011, has been and continues touring the UK, much of Europe, Australia, South Korea and Chile with As The World Tipped by Wired Aerial Theatre.

Sebastian also delivers visual, performing and creative arts workshops in schools, colleges and organizations to groups of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. He has over 30 years experience in Play Work and Youth Work with mainstream and mixed ability groups of children and young people.

Being as comfortable working in production as he is ‘treading the boards’ Sebastian also does set design, prop making, stage management, videography and editing and technical support.

Michael trained at Drama Studio, London. His previous theatre work includes Mercutio/Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet (Globe Theatre, Rome and Harold Pinter Theatre); Clown and others in The Merchant of Venice (Globe Theatre, Rome and Duke of York’s Theatre); and various Read Not Deads for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. His screen work includes feature film The Conductor as well many television commercials. Michael has made a significant and important contribution to the development and delivery of Learning.

Mel is new to the Townsend Rose Productions family. She is supporting the social media, digital marketing and online presence aspects of Learning.

Mel is Director of Red Desk, providing virtual business support and digital marketing to organisations and charities in north London and the home counties. Her background is in office administration but in recent years she has run events in Muswell Hill as part of Muswell Business, organised the running of workshops for a charity and worked on many social media campaigns from the small-scale (local businesses) through to an international book fair.

She hopes that her passion for the arts, in particular theatre, shines through during the promotion and support of Learning.