Empire Theatre Company

Experience Enrich Entertain

Pollyann Tanner (Director/Choreographer)

Pollyann Tanner is a well-known director, choreographer, performer and teacher now based in Swindon, who first performed at the age of two! 2007 was the 36th anniversary of her professional career. As a performer she has played leading roles in many West End musicals, national tours, rep theatre and more than 35 pantos, alongside many leading names including Charles Dance, Danny la Rue, Wayne Sleep, Barbara Windsor to name but a few.

She presented a popular Saturday morning show and can be seen on numerous TV commercials worldwide.

 

At 19, Pollyann became assistant choreographer to Carole Todd and has since been involved in a diverse range of projects such as musicals, pantos, national tours, commercials, trade and fashion shows, cabarets, youth and community projects, cheerleaders, Tiller girls on the radio (for the queen) the ex British ice skating pairs champions and many award winning commissioned works.

 

She is now a director of the Tanwood School for Performing Arts, but as a qualified teacher still freelances in schools and colleges and fitness institutions around the country and directs and choreographs shows for many local and countrywide organisations.

 

Pollyann was involved in the conception of the ‘Summer Youth Project’ and has since directed/choreographed 14 in Swindon, 1 in Hayes and 7 in Birmingham.

 

Pollyann hails from a truly theatrical family; Mother – theatre school principal; Father – pianist; Husband – technical manager; Brother –in –law – ex – Royal Ballet principal; 3 children (21,19,10) all of whom are already ‘ in the business ‘

 

Matthew Freeman (Production Musical Director)

Matthew has extensive experience in the West End and Worldwide.

Currently Musical Supervisor for The Rat Pack Live  in London, Europe and Toronto and USA

He has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra with The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas at Blenheim Palace and supervised The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas DVD.

Musical supervisor for the 2004 Olivier Awards featuring Kevin Spacey.

He has received two gold and one platinum discs for his symphonic recordings. Orchestral conducting and arranging with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (film music to Gladiator, Die Another Day and the Symphonic Rock album, recently performed live at the Royal Albert Hall). BBC Concert Orchestra, Danish Radio Orchestra, Sonderjyllands Symfoniorkester, National Symphony Orchestra, NRK Oslo.

Numerous recordings arranging and conducting seven CDs of the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and over 30 show albums with, among others, Julia McKenzie, Millicent Martin, Lorna Luft, Howard Keel, David Soul, Roger Whittaker, Larry Adler and for Decca's celebration of the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. Musical Director for numerous artists including: Mary O'Hara at Carnegie Hall, and for her 16 part TV series with the City of London Sinfonia; for Frankie Vaughan, Michael Crawford, Anthony Newley and for Shirley Bassey at the Royal Variety performance also recording and on tour with her.

Other West End credits include: Personals (Globe); Zip (Duchess); Nine (Donmar Warehouse); the European premiere of Lucky Stiff (Bridewell). He created and performed the forte piano music for Sir Peter Hall's production of Amadeus (Old Vic).

Film credits include vocal coaching Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth Shue, and Keanu Reeves.

He has previously collaborated with Mr. Sebastian on the critically acclaimed re-working of Pippin at London's Bridewell Theatre.
 

Andy Smith - Musical Director...Fame

London Musical directing and conducting credits include Disney’s The Lion King, We Will Rock You, A Slice of Saturday Night, Rain Dogs, Babes in Arms, Honk!, Godspell, the UK workshop premier of Urinetown and musical director and arranger for the World premier of Victory? at the Donmar Warehouse.  Additional musical directing credits include the Number 1 UK Tour of Aspects of Love, Les Miserables in Concert, Cats, West End Rocks and as assistant musical director for the Thriller Live World Tour and Smokey Joe's Café.  Other West End credits include, Tonight's the Night, Chicago, Mamma Mia, Les Miserables, Fosse, Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop Of Horrors, Martin Guerre, Stepping Out, Peggy Sue Got Married and Blood Brothers.  Off West End musical directing credits include Tommy, West Side Story, a Leonard Bernstein symphonic concert, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fame, Children of Eden, Our Day Out, Carousel, My Fair Lady, Iolanthe, Twelfth Night, Cinderella at Woking and Robin Hood at Crawley.  Other credits include musical director for Queen and We Will Rock You at Party in the Park and the Capital Radio Legends of Rock awards and musical director for LivCom live concerts in China, across Europe, Canada and the U.S..  Andrew has worked extensively in casting and rehearsing shows including Mamma Mia, Billy Elliot, Acorn Antiques, The Drowsy Chaperone, Merrily We Roll Along, Chicago, Wicked, Legend of the Lion King and The Lion King.  Television work includes Fame Academy, GMTV and Children in Need. He has arranged music for West End, international and provincial musical theatre productions, rock and big bands, and has worked with artists such as Mica Paris, Alex Parks, Chita Rivera, Jennifer Ellison, Paul Zerdin and Brian May.  Andrew is the co-owner of How Very Film and How Very Music and also worked in London and New York on the recent Beatles movie, Across the Universe, with Julie Tamor and Evan Rachel Wood.  Andrew has been head of Singing for the English National Ballet School and has worked extensively on student productions with London Studio Centre, Mountview Academy, Colin’s PA, LAPA and as a vocal coach for RADA and LSMT.  He was also musical director for Australian star Chelsea Plumley in her one-woman show, Live and Luscious. 


David Wicks (Production Manager)

David was educated in Andover until 1980 after which he moved to London to study technical theatre at Paddington College.  He then moved on to study stage management at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  After graduating, he secured a position of Production Carpenter with Kent Opera.  A move to the Adelphi in 1985 as Stage Director opened many new avenues in Freelance work including many West End shows and organising major charity galas.

 

David moved to Swindon in 1990, at first running his own Scenery Building and Event Management business and later becoming the Technical Manager at the Wyvern Theatre where he was able to put all his production management, designing and building skills to good use.

 

In 1998 David was very honoured to receive the “Encore” Technical Manager of the Year Award, a great achievement for the theatre and its entire staff.

 

He worked for  Stage Electrics as a Production Manager on some very exciting worldwide projects.

 

David has Production Managed and designed for 11 Summer Youth Projects at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon and 4 Projects in Birmingham.

 

David is now deputy head of scenic production for the Birmingham Royal Ballet 

Freelance Workshop Providers..

TYMAN BOATWRIGHT . Fame/Grease/Joseph/Tonights the Night/Starlight Express/Saturday Night Fever /Cheryl Cole's Video

DAVID ASHLEY - ex Cats/Les Mis/Starlight Express/Blood Brothers

ALLAN FORRESTER - currently Billy Elliott

CHRIS PENFOLD - West Side Story/ We Will Rock You.

GRAEME HENDERSON - currently  Singing in the Rain