Dona Flor Artists

DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS

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CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Directed by André Pink

Written and Adapted by Mark O'Thomas

Assistant Director Flavia Blajfeder

Set and Costume Designer Rachana Jadhav

Shadow Puppets by Ramon Abad

Lighting Designer George Ogilvie

Musical Director, Flute and percussion Rudi Rocha

Assistant Set and Costume Designer Anita Kwasniewski

Movement and Choreography Mariana Whitehouse

Accoustic Guitar and vocals Denisar Mota

Berimbal, percussion and vocals by Gilberto Body da Silva

Stage Manager Lucinda Hamlin

Education Officer Paddy Chatterton

Performed by Mariana Whitehouse, Luciano Gatti, James G. Bellorini, Jo Martin, Mark Reid, Montserrat Gili

André Pink - Director

Montserrat Gili - Performer

Mark O'Thomas - Writer/Adapter

Previous credits include FOOD FOR THOUGHT Soho Theatre, SALVADOR Man in the Moon, Viva Maria! Oval House, THE PIRANHA LOUNGE Lyric Hammersmith, SEVEN LIVES OF SANTO Royal Court (translator), DOWN DOG Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival, ALMOST NOTHING & AT THE TABLE Royal Court (translator), ONEFOURSEVEN national tour, DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS Lyric Hammersmith. He is currently under commission from the Royal Court for a new translation and his play about the life of the jazz trumpeter Chet Baker premiers at the London Jazz Festival in November.

Flavia Blajfeder - Assistant Director

Flavia was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and moved to London when she was eleven years old. Has been involved with theatre from a young age; acting in a variety of school plays, choreographing and directing. She graduated from Queen Mary University of London in 2004 with a BA (Honours) in English and Drama.

Rachana Jadhav - Set and Costume Designer

Rachana graduated as an architect from Edinburgh College of Art and completed an MA in Scenography at St. Martins College of Art and Design. In 2004 she set up Naach Theatre Company with Nadia Fall, and produced and designed The Maids. Her past design work includes Slam Dunk (Nitro Theatre Co.) Curry Tales and Dancing Withing Walls (Rasa Production Co.), The Bottle and The Hot Zone (Conspirator’s Kitchen), Under 11’s Showcase (Soho Theatre), Trashed (Theatre Centre) and In the Box installation (Unicorn Theatre).

Ramon Abad - Shadow Puppetry

Ramon is a puppeteer, designer, and teacher.He has made and performed various styles of puppets in Philip Pullman’s Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp for Bristol Old Vic, Finders Keepers for theatre-rites, Snow Baby for Polka Theatre, Yellow Earth Theatre’s Typhoon 2 Festival and Town Mouse and Country Mouse for Moving Stage Theatre Company and in work in progress plays Four Seasons for Writersnet at the Soho Theatre and South Street Arts Centre Reading and The Brownstones at the Lyric Hammersmith Studio.He has taught shadow puppetry through the Central School of Speech and Drama, Royal Holloway University of London, Lyric Education, LSO’s Gamelan, Big Foot Theatre Co., and Yellow Earth Theatre.

Ramon is currently a board member of the Puppet Centre Trust UK. He was in the first version of Dona Flor in 2004 and is delighted to be in the latest reincarnation.

George Ogilvie - Lighting Designer

George's career in professional theatre spans over twenty years and he still finds it, mostly, more fun than being slapped in the face with a wet fish. He has been at the Lyric for nearly ten years and has worked on more shows than he could possibly or would want toremember. Lighting design is a relatively new foray for George, previous designs include Tropical Tree for Theatre Soleil, Pepper Soup for Allegresse as well as virtually every design for the Lyrics education based projects in the Studio. George lit the rough of Dona Flor.

Rudi Rocha - Musical Director, Flute and percussion

Rudi has been combining his Arts and Music skills with his Brazilian cultural heritage to create and develop music concerts and interactive workshops for a wide of audience in the United Kingdom. People who know Rudy describe him as a limitless source of talent and creative energy.

Anita Kwasniewski - Assistant Set and Costume Designer

Anita trained in Theatre: Design for Performance at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Her work includes costume designs for Transitions Dance Company, Rambert School, works choreographed by Mark Lorimer, Rosalin Newman and Stephanie Schober, and production designs for the feature length 'P.O.V.'

Mariana Whitehouse - Performer, as well as Movement and Choreography

Mariana graduated with First Class honours from Goldsmiths college in Drama and Theatre Arts. One of the original cast members from the Dona Flor R&D in 2004, this is her professional stage debut. Mariana has participated leading movement workshops in the previous production of Dende’s Two Lost Souls on a Dirty Night and Maria Maria, as well as giving workshops for Queen Mary University. Previous acting credits include Bully for You at the Oval House Theatre, a role in Anxious Dave low budget film and in Service Charge by Frantic Assembley’s summer school. A professional samba dancer and carnival artists, she has performed and choreographed for various carnival arts organisations such as Mandinga Arts for events such as the Thames Festival, as well as dancing for bands such as Groove Armada’s tour footage I see you baby (shakein that ass).

Luciano Gatti - Performer

Luciano graduated in cinema in Brazil where he is based and where he has worked professionally as an actor since 1996. Recent theatre credits include Hamlet (SESI, Sao Paolo), Suburbia (SESC, Sao Paolo), Os gigantes Da Montanha (Espaço Ato, Sao Paolo). He participated in the original R&D of Dona Flor at the Lyric in November 2004. Film Credits include O Cheiro do Ralo, O Marelo de Vulcano. Luciano played Zabumba in the TV mini series Ilha rá-tim-bum (TV Cultura). Currently he is producing Mojo in Sao Paolo with his own production company.

James G. Bellorini - performer

James most recently played the Dame in the panto Sleeping Beauty at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury. Other acting work includes: Bed (MAC); 147 (Dende Collective National Tour); The Chimes (Drill Hall); Don Juan (Lyric, Hammersmith); Mandragora, King of India (Tara Arts); Under The Earth, Metamorphosis and House of Desires (all at the BAC); East (Vaudeville Theatre); Nirvana (Riverside Studios); Epitaph for the Whales, The Puppetmaster and A Box of Bananas (all at The Gate Theatre); L’arte della Commedia (The Old Vic); The Merchant of Venice and A Christmas Carol (Palace Theatre, Westcliff); Woyzeck (Theatre Melange National Tour); Red Noses (Oxford Playhouse); The Bald Prima Donna (Young Vic Studio); Le Pub (National Theatre); Tartuffe (Man In The Moon); The Bill (Thames TV); Eastenders (BBC TV); Nil By Mouth (BBC Directors); Treading Water (Halogen Prods.); and A Film For Radio (BBC Radio 4).

Jo Martin - performer

Jo started her career at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East as part of the Youth theatre, where appeared in numerous productions; Eldorado, Funny Black Women On The Edge, Ready Or Not (Directed) and Blaggers. Other theatre credits include: Magic (Royal Court), Temporary Rupture (Cockpit Theatre), Job Rocking (Riverside studios) Dog (Shaw Theatre), Meridian and Somewhere The Shadow (Contact theatre), Pecong and Victor and the Ladies (Tricycle Theatre), Don Carlos, Oroonoko (R.S.C.), Coyote On A Fence (The Royal Exchange, Manchester, then transferred to The West End, Duchess Theatre). Jo also appeared with The Comedy Store Players at The Comedy Store. T.V. credits include: All About George (ITV), Tunnel of Love (ITV) The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence (Granada), A& E (Granada), Chef, The Real McCoy, Doctors, Casualty, The Crouches, and Kerching (all for the BBC). Jo is currently appearing in Stupid for CBBC. Film credits include: For Queen and Country (Zenith Films), The Godsend (CH4), I Love My Mum (Intense Productions), Dead Meat (CH4) for which Jo won the BFM International Film Festival Best Actress Award in 2001. Recently appeared in Batman Begins (Intimidation Games, Warner Bros.)

Mark Reid - performer

Mark graduated from Deakin University (Aust) with a degree in drama and dance. He moved to the U.K. in 1998 to pursue his interest in physical theatre and clown. He has previously appeared with the Dende Collective in their production of The Piranha Lounge, and Agreste a research and development project in 2005. Mark is delighted to be reunited with the company once again in this production.

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