Unheard Voices

Performance Schedule*

Arabella

Written by Kath Haling
Directed by Lydia Cook

Meet Arabella Hunt in a musical conversation about love and marriage.  

Arabella served at the court of Queen Mary II. Arabella married James Howard and they lived together. However, James was born a woman called Amy Poulter, who dressed in male clothes, and had courted Arabella dressed as a man and as a woman.  

Location: Great Hall
Times: 11:30 and 14:00
Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Find out more about the writer of this scene here. 

Diego  

Written by Oladipo Agboluaje
Directed by Germma Orleans-Thompson 

Join Diego and Sir Francis Drake as they explore Panama and try to forge an alliance with the Cimarrons. What will happen when they meet? 

Diego—no surname is known—was an African who fled Spanish enslavement. He joined Drake’s company and was valued as an interpreter and skilled negotiator. They circumnavigated the world together. He died a free man. 

Location: Great Hall
Times: 12:15 and 14:45  
Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Find out more about the writer of this scene here.

Awaz Doh ('Give Us Our Voice')

Written by Satinder Kaur Chohan 
Directed by Trina Haldar 

Help Sophia as she confronts Queen Victoria in her campaign to get votes for women. Will she succeed? 

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a Suffragette, goddaughter of Queen Victoria and resident at Hampton Court. She used her fame, position, and tenacity in the fight for gender equality in the early 20th century. You can also listen to our podcast to find out more about this inspirational woman.   

Location: Clock Court 
Times: 13:00 and 15:30  
Duration: approximately 15 minutes

Find out more about the writer of this scene here.

Credits

Producer Debbie Hicks - www.debbiehicks.co.uk

Debbie Hicks is an award-winning producer specialising in new writing, particularly musicals and immersive contexts. Recent and upcoming titles include 42 Balloons by Jack Godfrey, Treasure Island by Sandi Toksvig, and the Globe's The Four Seasons Reimagined. Debbie is also a doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford.

Writers 

Oladipo Agboluaje 

Oladipo is a playwright and creative writing tutor.

His plays include Early Morning, The Christ of Coldharbour Lane, The Estate and New Nigerians. He is course director of the Black British Theatre and Performance programme at the British American Drama Academy. 

Kath Haling 

Kath is an Australian musical theatre composer and playwright who made her London theatre debut in 2019 at The Other Palace with a sold out showing of her musical Sunshine. Current and recent projects include The Least We Could Do receiving 5 Stars at the Hope Theatre, Hush a performance piece with The Royal Ballet,Woodhouse a musical adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma and musical in development The South Bogadindi Swim Club. 

Satinder Kaur Chohan 

Satinder is a writer from Southall, West London, whose stories largely focus on hidden glocal South Asian worlds and characters. Her plays include Zameen, Made in India and Lotus Beauty. Audio dramas include an adaptation of Pam Gems’ Camille (BBC Radio 3) and Southall Uprising (BBC Radio 4). She is currently developing a short film Bussing and writing Pind, a novel about the Punjabi immigrant experience. 

Directors 

Lydia Cook 

Lydia is a director and theatre maker, based in the vibrant city of Bristol, where she actively participates in projects spanning the United Kingdom and beyond. She enjoys making theatre that is immersive, bold that has elements of music and movement.  

 Lydia's aim is to amplify the voices of individuals from global majority backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ communities shinning a spotlight on the stories that are often overlooked.   

Recent projects include the critically acclaimed "Oliver Twist" with Tobacco Factory Theatres, "Holes" at the Wuzhen Theatre Festival in China, a queer recasting of "Little Shop of Horrors" at the Egg Theatre, Bath and the thought-provoking "The Future is Beige" at Bristol Old Vic.  

 Trina Haldar 

Trina is the Founder and Artistic Director of International touring company Mashi Theatre, created in response to the lack of diverse work in the Theatre sector. ‘Mashi’ meaning ‘aunty’ in Bengali, embraces all as part of one community. 

An experienced Theatre Director, Trina’s directing credits include Let’s Build (Polka Theatre), Wind in the Willows (Derby Theatre), Discovery (Kali Theatre). Trina has directed productions at Nottingham Palyhouse, Tara Arts, Curve Theatre, Soho Theatre and Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai, India. She was awarded the Naseem Khan commission. 

Trina is an accomplished Programmer, Facilitator, Consultant in Diversity, Equality & Inclusion often speaking as Keynote, including the Guardians “Our Nations Theatre” conversations with Lyn Gardner and on Radio 4s Front Row programme. 

Trina is also Giggle Doctor with Theodora Children’s Charity, bringing play to the lives and families in hospitals. 

Germma Orleans-Thompson  

Germma is a freelance director and facilitator. She works in theatre and heritage spaces including Almeida Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Kiln Theatre and Museum of Colour. Recent credits include Lear Is Not Okay (Almeida Theatre), Dear Social Services (Kiln Theatre) and The Souls of the Sweets (Yard Theatre). 

Germma is interested in bringing joy and representation into all areas of the arts. Joy could mean anything from feeling more confident in your own abilities to seeing versions of yourself represented in prestigious positions or institutions. Her aim is to enable that for everyone regardless of age, race, or economic situation. 

Harry Haden-Brown 

Harry is a Musical Director and orchestrator from Fareham, Hampshire. Currently on tour as Assistant Musical Director with Wicked, he enjoys orchestrating and arranging from various coffee shops around the country.

Previous collaborations with Kath Haling include Sunshine and Emma, and he looks forward to hearing her bring another story to life. Previous credits include: Phantom of the Opera (UK & IRE tour), Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Sister Act (Hammersmith & Tour) as well as regular deputy, rehearsal and audition work across the country and in the West End. 

Lauren Davies

Lauren is a vocal lecturer and musical director specialising in musical theatre. She is an accomplished musical theatre director with credits including My Fair Lady and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Bristol Hippodrome. Lauren has conducted over fifty theatre shows as well as playing in the orchestra pit. As well as theatre she has been choir leader for Radstock Ladies choir and Bedminster Wellbeing choir.

She is a signed keyboard player with the companies Ear Candy and Blue Lion where she performs at corporate events and functions. Lauren is also the founder of Musical Theatre Auditions, a company who help students prepare for musical theatre auditions.

CREATIVE CONSULTANT

Alexander Lass

Alexander is an award-nominated theatre director. He specialises in collaborating with writers to create new plays. He has directed acclaimed revivals of modern classics in London and New York City. Alexander has a keen interest in history and identity, illuminating surprising stories that often explore the intersectionality of Jewishness past, present, and future.

Cast

Mhairi Angus ~ Arabella Hunt 
Joshua Davey ~ Sir Francis Drake / musician 
Gurjot Dhaliwal ~ Sophia Duleep Singh 
Jermaine Green ~ Diego the Circumnavigator 
Defender Nyanhete ~ Diego the Circumnavigator 
Michael Oyar ~ Pedro the Cimarron 
Shakira Rattray ~ Arabella Hunt 
David Rawlins ~ Pedro the Cimarron 
Jess Trikhatri ~ Sophia Duleep Singh 
Izzie Winter ~ James/Amy / Queen Victoria 
Abbey Grace Orchard ~ James/Amy / Queen Victoria 
Dyd Wynford ~ Sir Francis Drake / musician 

Stage Management

Theo Hung
Chloe Jones