Oliver Lidert
Director
Oliver Lidert is a musical theatre director and writer based in London. Originally from the US and coming from a multi-ethnic background, he has worked in Philadelphia and New York and is now working in London’s West End.
Oliver trained at the Ira Brind College of Performing Arts (University of the Arts, Philadelphia), receiving a BFA in Musical Theatre. He then went on to pursue an MA in Acting and Music Theatre at the Central School of Speech and Drama, UK, graduating in 2008.
His credits in theatre and film involve both the US and the UK, having appeared in shows like The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, the original cast of The Book Of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Porgy & Bess at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, the original cast Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre, the original cast Aladdin at Prince Edward Theatre, the original cast The Prince Of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre, Dear Even Hanson, and Propaganda the Musical. Oliver recently played multiple roles in the Warner Brothers animated feature Mummies.
Oliver has directed numerous productions and work shops: The Songs I’ll Never Sing at the St James Studio, My Story In You: The Music Of Oliver Payne at The Other Palace, The Madwoman of Chaillot at The Arts Bank, Urinetown Urdang’s third year musical, Three Penny Opera WAC Arts, Villain De Blanks at The Crazy Coq, Confessions at Southwark Play House, and Revelry at the Other Palace.
Oliver is part of the writing duo Kansley and Lidert who have created a catalog of shows and songs. In addition to this he is part of the creative team WMT, with notable composer and MD Simone Manfredini and award winging Italian writer Tobia Rossi.
Oliver is thrilled and honored to be working with the students from RCS on a show like Children Of Eden.
Salma Francoise Faraji
Choreographer
Originally from Tanzania, now based in Glasgow, Salma has worked, performed, taught and shared joy alongside inspiring choreographers and communities worldwide. She is passionate about travel and Human Rights, and spent 5 months volunteering as a Human Rights Ambassador in Brazil and Columbia, teaching Dance.
Her passion is Dance, although she has many others. She aims to bring ethnic, cultural and diverse communities together through a mix of laughter, movement and fun.
Salma is honoured to work with Oliver and David; an opportunity to inhale their life-time of excellence in the industry, and learn from incredible expertise, by offering support. As a freelance teacher at RCS teaching African Dance and Contemporary, her journey with the BA students has been rewarding and filled with pride. Sincere gratitude to Ruth Mills for this opportunity.
Sophie Sholl
Set and Costume Designer
Sophie is a UK based theatre designer in her final year of study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Sophie has a passion for atmospheric and immersive designs with strong visual elements that help to create a world and tell a story.
Other work conservatoire includes set and costume design for Faustus: That Damned Woman (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 2022), and the visual design of a backdrop for the RCS ballet showcase 2023. She also briefly worked as a production artist for A Play, A Pie and A Pint’s spring 2023 season.
Aisha Oyedepo
Lighting Designer
Aisha is a lighting designer and writer based in Glasgow. She is passionate about disabled and intersectionality in the arts and fuels it into her work. She is also a production assistant at ID.Y
Credits include: Mandate (CPP)- Lighting Designer (Royal Conservatiore of Scotland), Iya; E mi, M ho, Mise – Writer and Sound Designer (Project X Voice Residency), Gloria – Lighting Designer (Royal conservatoire of Scotland), Parliament Square – Lighting Programmar (Royal conservatoire of Scotland), The Dream – Lighting Designer (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Sendiri – Lighting Operator (SWG), Grin | Expectations of Generosity – Writer (Mele Broomes)
Fraser Douglas Mackie
Sound Designer
Fraser is a Sound Designer from Glasgow. After graduation, he is mainly interested in working as a Sound Designer and has a passion for theatre in and about Scotland. He also has experience as a No.2, recording and engineering.
Credits include: Kidnapped – Sound Technician (National Theatre of Scotland), A Very Expensive Poison – Sound Designer (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Macbeth/Coriolanus – Sound Designer (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), The Taming – Production Sound Engineer (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Gloria – Sound Designer (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Maia Journeau
Assistant Director
Maia is an African American, French-Canadian actor and singer.
Theatre Credits include: Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill, Twelfth Night, The Dutch Courtesan (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Lancashire Lass (World Premiere at the Watershed Festival), The Wolves, Concord Floral, Avenue Q and Cabaret (DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University).
She is thrilled to shadow Oliver and the entire team in her final production at RCS before graduating this year with an MFA in Acting. She holds a BA Honours from the DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University in Acting, Musical Theatre, and Opera with a training partnership at The Shaw Festival and Theatre Kingston. She has a Grade 8 in Piano & Voice and is passionate about sports and accessibility & diversity in theatre. Maia has the Right to Work in the UK and citizenship in the USA and Canada.
Spotlight: 2250-1278-3117
John Hodgson
Assistant Musical Director
John is a Musical Director and Musician from London, currently studying for his MA in Musical Direction at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Having drummed in pit bands from a young age, he began to musically direct shows across the Midlands and Southeast of England whilst studying for his undergrad degree in History at the University of Warwick. John spent the summer of 2022 Musically Directing at the Edinburgh Fringe and looks forward to returning this year with the RCS production of Big Fish, as he has a particular interest in tackling larger scale commercial works.
Credits as Musical Director Include: The Book of Names (RCS, 2023), Christmas at the Conservatoire (RCS, 2022), Shrek the Musical (Captivate Theatre, 2022), The Addams Family (Captivate Theatre, 2022), Songs For A New World (MTW, 2019), Curtain Up (Hipp Happ, 2019), Dogfight (MTW, 2019)
Gail Tay
Assistant Musical Director
Gail is a musical director and musician from Singapore. She attained her Bachelor’s degree in Classical Piano Performance from LASALLE College of the Arts and became part of the academic staff at LASALLE from 2018 – 2022. She also holds a Post-graduate Diploma in Music Directing from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and her work has since expanded into the roles of accompanist, arranger, and conductor. She is currently completing her MA in Music Directing at RCS, graduating in 2023. She is very excited to be part of the creative team for Children of Eden and is looking forward to the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the RCS production of Edges.
Music Directing credits include: Into the Woods (RCS, 2023); Little Women (RCS 2023); Christmas at the Conservatoire (RCS, 2022); Tissue Aunty the Musical (Caricapture Theatre, 2022) It’s Just Trauma (The Chewy Collective, 2022); The Spitfire Grill (LASALLE College of the Arts, 2021); The Evolution of Musical Theatre (LASALLE College of the Arts, 2021); A Night of Cabarets (LASALLE College of the Arts, 2021); Mini Musicals (LASALLE College of the Arts 2021).
