Kate Barton Leying is a recent Biomedical Sciences graduate from St Mary’s College. During her time there, she was involved in over twenty productions as a producer or director. Many of these were under Fourth Wall Theatre, of which she was a Founder and Co-President. Highlights include Fourth Wall’s inaugural production ‘Our Country’s Good’, which resulted in a Durham Student Theatre Awards 2015 nomination for Best Director; producing an original comedy ‘Swing By Around 8’ to great critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015 and producing ‘The Addams Family’ which was one of only twelve shows from the whole of the UK selected for performance at the National Student Drama Festival 2016.

Kate is a graduate of University College and president of Castle Theatre Company (CTC). Kate has been extensively involved in CTC throughout her three years at university, primarily as the Artistic Director taking on eight previous Castle Theatre shows. Previous directing credits include ‘Motherland’ (voted best play 2015), ‘The Boy James’ (best college play 2015), and ‘Agnes of God’ (best college play 2014). This year she is responsible for CTC’s sell out ‘Hamlet’ and the Finalist Showcase in July, performing in London. She also dabbles in the musical theatre scene, directing ‘Kiss Me Kate’, which was selected for the National Student Drama Festival 2016.

Leying Lee

Cast Benedick - Theo Holt-Bailey

Beatrice - Georgie Franklin Hero - Jenny Walser

Claudio – Harvey Comerford Don Pedro – Dominic McGovern

Don John - Tom Harper Leonata - Abigail Weinstock

Creatives Director

Producer USA Tour Manager USA Tour Manager

UK Tour Manager

Kate Barton Leying Lee Ellis-anne Dunmall Tom Harper Jessica Christy

Ursula - Shona Graham Margaret - Ellis-anne Dunmall Dogberry - Sarah Slimani Verges - Alex Prescot Borachio – Tristan Robinson Conrade - Theo Harrison Balthazar - Rohan Perumatantri

Castle Theatre Company proudly presents

William Shakespeare’s

Much Ado About Nothing

8-16September2016|USA Tour

Ellis-anne Dunmall

Ellis-anne is the current Theatre Development Coordinator for Durham Student Theatre at Durham University after graduating in 2015 with a Geography BA. She has taken part in over 20 shows and is extremely excited to play Margaret in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and is confident that her roles as the Courtesan in ‘The Comedy of Errors’ and Maria in ‘Twelfth Night’ have prepared her well for this role. Ellis-anne has had a vital part to play in the coordination of the USA tour and has thoroughly enjoyed working with our US venues to secure the tour programme. She would like to thank all the venue contacts she has been in communication with for their endless enthusiasm and support.

Tom Harper

Tom is a 2nd Year History Student who has spent the last few years breaking up the monotony of historiographical scholarship with theatre and the performing arts. From a young age, Tom has expressed his enthusiasm towards drama through LAMDA, school plays and participation at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and last year was amongst the cast nominated for best play in the annual Durham Student Theatre Awards. Playing the role of ‘Much Ado’s main antagonist, Don John, will be well within his comfort zone, given his history of playing depressed serial killers, manipulative aristocrats, and abusive masters in a myriad of Durham Student Theatre Productions. He hopes you enjoy what promises to be a fantastic show.

Jessica Christy

Jess is a recent Law graduate of University College student and this is her third year working on CTC’s Summer Shakespeare Tour. Organising the UK leg this year, she is thrilled to be travelling across the country performing to wonderful audiences. This year's production will be her 15th show during her time at University, with highlights including three productions in the professional Gala Theatre, lead roles in Durham Drama Award Winning ‘Agnes of God’ (2014) and ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ and Grave Digger in ‘Hamlet’ in Durham's Town Hall (2016) Currently the Secretary of CTC, Jess will be incredibly sad that this will be her last CTC show and hopes you enjoy what is set to be one of the best Tour productions yet!

Theo Holt-Bailey

Theo is a first year Biological Sciences student at University College. He’s loved ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ since studying it in Year 12 Drama A-Level - finally that time has come in useful. Besides taking a production of ‘Cock’ by Mike Bartlett to the National Student Drama Festival 2016 in Scarborough, he’s never toured with a show (or visited the USA) so is quite happy to be here! A member of the National Youth Theatre, previous performances include ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’. This is only his second Shakespeare and so he is very grateful to have been cast as Benedick.

Harvey Comerford has just graduated from his three year Theology course from Durham this summer. Throughout his university career, Harvey has acted in 15 productions across a wide variety of genres, with roles such as Horst in ‘Bent’, Gangster in ‘Kiss Me Kate’ and this is his second Summer Shakespeare tour with Castle Theatre Company. For his performance in David Hare's 'Skylight' last year, Harvey was awarded a Durham Student Theatre Award for best supporting actor. Having come to the end of his studies, Harvey wishes to pursue acting as a career. He is currently applying to London drama schools.

Georgina Franklin

Jenny Walser

Jenny is a third year Natural Scientist from University College and is delighted to be returning this summer for her third and final Shakespeare tour having played Viola in ‘Twelfth Night’ in 2014 and Luciana in ‘The Comedy of Errors’ in 2015. Other credits include Ophelia in ‘Hamlet’ and Agnes in ‘Agnes of God’. Jenny is a member of the National Youth Theatre of GB and was a member of the RADA Youth Company 2012-13. She is also a keen dancer and director and has hopes of working as such in the future. Above all, she hopes that you enjoy the play!

Georgina has recently completed a Combined Arts Degree and acted in over fifteen productions during her time at Durham University. Previous shows include ‘Guys and Dolls’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and she was awarded Best Supporting Actress (2013) and Best Actress (2014) at the Durham Student Theatre Awards. Alongside her acting experience, Georgina has also directed, co-produced and coordinated the 41st Durham Drama Festival. Having never crossed the pond before, she is looking forward to experiencing the delights of America and reprising her role as Shakespeare’s razor tongued Beatrice.

Dominic is a recent graduate of English Literature from St Cuthbert's Society, Durham University. This is his 17th production in Durham and his second year on CTC's Shakespeare Tour, having played Dromio of Ephesus in last year's 'The Comedy of Errors.' Previous shows include 'Posh,' 'A Servant to Two Masters,' 'Kiss Me Kate,' and 'Winston,' for which he won the Durham Drama Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2015. He is delighted to be returning to Tour this year, if for nothing but to experience the delights of the 'other' Durham (NC.) He hopes you enjoy what is undoubtedly Shakespeare's greatest comedy!

Harvey Comerford

Dominic McGovern

Abigail Weinstock

Shona Graham

Sarah Slimani

Abigail is studying history and politics and graduates this year. Durham Student Theatre has been her biggest commitment and joy at university, and she has taken part in 14 shows since arriving. She joined The Durham Revue (Durham's sketch comedy troupe) in week three of her first year, and has gone on to be Vice President and this year, the President. This has given her the opportunity to tour around the country with the Cambridge Footlights and the Oxford Revue, and also perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for three years. She is delighted to have the chance to go on tour with such an amazing production, and hopes to pursue a career in a related field.

Shona is a second year historian at University College. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is her eleventh show at Durham University and her first Shakespeare. She trained in musical theatre at Big Little Theatre School from ages 8-18. Whilst at university, Shona has performed in four musicals (‘Cabaret’, ‘Kiss Me Kate’, ‘The Addams Family’ and Tone Deaf Theatre Company Showcase), five plays (‘4.48 Psychosis’, ‘Strike’, ‘No Exit’, ‘Thrill of Love’ and ‘Your Grace’), and directed one song cycle (‘Changes: A Song Cycle’). In the future she hopes to act professionally in the TV and film industry.

Sarah Slimani has graduated from Durham after studying English Literature. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ will be her 23rd show with Durham Student Theatre and in her time at Durham she was President of Tone Deaf Theatre Company, President of Durham Improvised Musical and Secretary of Durham University Light Opera Group, Durham's largest musical theatre society. Her past performances include Martha in ‘Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf’, Detective Tupolski in ‘The Pillowman’, Lois Lane in ‘Kiss Me Kate’ and The Drowsy Chaperone in ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. She hopes to complete her law conversion degree and go on to be a human rights barrister.

Alex Prescot

Alex is a recent graduate in Modern Languages from Durham University. He has performed in twelve shows whilst at university, most notably in the cast of ‘Kiss Me, Kate’, which was selected as one of twelve shows in the National Student Drama Festival in the UK this year. Alex has also written and directed during his time at Durham, winning Best Director in the Durham Drama Festival Awards 2013 for ‘What’s the Harm?’, and is a member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. He’s really enjoyed getting to know the cast of ‘Much Ado’, and hopes you enjoy it too!

Tristan Robinson

Tristan is studying Anthropology at University College. He has been involved in a wide variety of theatre including the Durham Drama Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and most recently ‘Hamlet’ with CTC. A member of the Durham Revue, the university’s sketch group, he is a true fan of comedy and always welcomes the opportunity to make an audience laugh. Having greatly enjoyed being a part of last year’s Shakespeare tour, he is thrilled to get the chance to be involved once again and even more so to take the show across the pond. While ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a comedy, Tristan has embraced the challenge of balancing the comic and tragic elements of his character, Borachio, and hopes a flavour of both is seen in the performance.

Theo Harrison

Rohan Perumatantri

As a graduating Politics student and aspiring actor, Theo has a lot to be thankful for when it comes to Durham Student Theatre. Having been in a multitude of shows – from Shakespeare to New Writing – it has offered him many opportunities to experience all sorts of Theatre. Along the way he has picked up a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Durham Student Theatre Awards for Davey in Jerusalem; Best Actor and nominated Best Supporting Actor in his two appearances at the Durham Drama Festival; three performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; a place at the National Student Drama Festival; and of course a place on this fabulous Tour. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Rohan is a graduate English student and the CTC Tour will be his 16th Durham production. This will be his eighth attempt at acting with previous roles including Leontes in ‘The Winter's Tale’ and Tristan Tzara in ‘Travesties’. Rohan has also directed four plays in Durham, ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’, ‘Skylight’, ‘The Pillowman’, as well as his own play ‘One Small Step’ which won both best writing and best show at the Durham Drama Festival Awards. Last year Rohan performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, he travelled to National Student Drama Festival in March 2016, having been selected for his work designing and producing 'Blasted' and he is looking forward to his first trip to America.