The Team

Stephen Leatherland
Producer and Director

Stephen is one of the country’s leading producer-directors who set up a very successful touring company Theatre Productions Ltd in 2004, which regularly attracts high profile celebrities such as Lisa Riley, Faye Tozer & Kevin Kennedy, as well as International stars such as Rain Pryor.

A veteran with over 25 years in show business, Stephen is a Member of the Theatrical Management Association and already sits on the Variety and Light Entertainment Council (VLEC) as a representative of the TMA and SOLT.

Stephen is at the forefront of popular theatre innovation, having created a genre of theatre which draws from the rich heritage of the sector and yet reaches out to a non-traditional audience, many of whom have never set foot in a theatre. His subject matter is contemporary, his creative treatments vivacious, and the entertainment holistic – from laughter to tears.

A former actor, Stephen played the part of Mickey in Blood Brothers in London ’s West End and also appeared in countless other productions such as:

- Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Breezeblock Park

Touring with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was an epiphany for Stephen, because it was then that he realised that if the theatre is to survive and remain relevant to as many people as possible – rather than the elite few – it must evolve and entertain.

He launched his director-producer career in 1993, when he produced and directed his Lullabies of Broadway, at London ’s Player Theatre. Since then he has directed and produced shows in theatres and concert halls across the UK , Europe and the Middle East . He is also actively involved in identifying and bringing other quality productions to Britain from around the World particularly from the USA.

Shows produced include:

- Over the Rainbow
- Naked Truth
- The Billie Holiday Story
- A Viennese Strauss Gala
- Christmas Crooners
- Livin La Vida Loca
- Complete Wives of Henry VIII
- A Slice of Saturday Night

He is now working on developing the current portfolio to be launched other territories including Canada, Middle East, Hong Kong, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia & Australia.

View Stephen's profile on the Guardian Website: Click here
Read Stephen's article: Theatre can do populism without sacrificing standards - The Guardian

 

 

Donald Auty
Associate Producer

Donald has had over 50 years experience in theatre starting off with his Uncle Jack Taylor the great Blackpool producer who made him work in all departments of the theatre. He went on to be stage and company manager for most of the top managements of the late fifties and sixties eventually becoming a production manager for Moss Empires and the late Sam Newsome of Coventry Hippodrome fame.

In the mid sixties he moved to Beirut where he was chief of production at the Casino Du Liban one of the most spectacular revue venues in the world. With the onset of the civil war he returned to the U.K. and became production manager for Bill Kenwright for eight years. From here he moved to Paris and worked with the late Bernard Hilda on spectacular follies reviews and was responsible for bringing the last big French Review Hullo Paris to the U.K, starring the famous Bluebell Girls.

He spent most of the nineties involved in running the pantomime and summer show division of Barry Clayman Concerts and Apollo Leisure being General Manager for all live shows in theatre starring Michael Barrymore.

He has been Associate producer with Theatre Productions for a number of years and looks forward to the exciting projects that are on hand for the future.

 

 

Karie Musson
Sales and Marketing Director

Karie is a professional juggler despite not ever going to a circus school! She began her career after leaving school at the East Anglia Tourist Board; promoting East Anglia as a tourist destination. She then joined a PR agency who quickly merged with an Advertising Agency so Karie became Production Manager for the next 5 years with several blue-chip companies as clients. Knowing she could do it better herself, she formed her own Marketing Consultancy 'Print Link' she soon became "Business Woman of the Year" and a "Shell Livewire National Finalist". The Prince's Trust were instrumental in helping Karie to have a successful business and a spate of volunteering for the Prince's Trust soon turned into full-time employment!

Karie went on to become Regional Director for The Prince's Youth Business Trust, in the East of England, helping thousands of young people to fulfil their ambitions of being self-employed. She was also privileged to attend events at Buckingham Palace and meet The Queen and The Prince of Wales on many occasions.

She now happily juggles her marketing expertise and business acumen by putting the "business" into showbusiness at Theatre Productions.

Her passion for marketing and travel has been fulfilled with trips to Hong Kong, Canada, Dubai and Australia where a new office for Theatre Productions has been established in Sydney.

 

Russell Gould

Production and Stage Manager

This year heralds 32 professional years in the Theatre industry for Russell. His first production being Babes In The Wood, starring a very young Alan Rickman, in the 1975/76 season at the prestigious Haymarket Theatre Leicester. Working first as a Stage hand/Fly man, he quickly went on to join the Stage Management team, and eventually became the Senior Manager backstage. The Haymarket was famous for Producing world class musicals and fantastic Pantomimes, and attracted many famous actors, writers and directors to the productions. 

 

Michael Bogdanov,  Alexander Dore, Graham Greene, Richard Ayre, Henry Krieger, Anthony Hopkins, Ian McKellen, Mia Farrow, Elaine Paige, Peter O’ Toole , and hundreds more theatre film and television luminaries who were no strangers to Russell in his years at the Haymarket.

 

He was involved in and or stage-managed  over 300 of these productions at Leicester, before going on to work for Cameron Macintosh in London’s West End  on shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, and for Andrew Lloyd Weber on Sunset Boulevard — the list goes on!  Russell’s stage management skills were in demand when he was invited to work on Andrew Lloyd Weber’s 50th birthday at the Albert Hall, and to be in charge of the Labour Party’s 100th Birthday party, also in the West End.

 

A seasoned Musical Theatre Stage and Production manager, the list of Pantomimes and other musical  productions Russell has been involved with is too long to print, but here are just a few of his ‘favourites’ the Christmas season stage managed shows.

 

Pantomimes & Family Shows:

Babes in the Wood, Aladdin, Mother Goose, Jack and the Beanstalk, Peter Pan,  Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Paddington Bear ,, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Wind in the Willows, Fat Pig, Mr Men’s Magic Island, The Little Prince, The Snowman.

 

Musicals Include:

 Oliver, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Joseph, GiGi, Annie, Little Shop Of Horrors, Me and My Girl, The Pyjama Game, High Society , to name but a few and all without mentioning the fantastic list of productions that he now has to work with at Theatre Productions.

 

Lisa Riley
Creative Consultant

Born in Bury, Lancashire, Lisa trained at Oldham Theatre Workshop from the age of 9. One of her first roles, at Oldham Coliseum was as the Brown Owl in “Worzel Gummidge”. Lisa then went on with confidence to appear in “Coronation Street” and two very successful BBC2 dramas “Flight” and “Blood & Peaches”.

Lisa’s role as “Mandy Dingle” in “Emmerdale,” which she played for 7 years won her the title of ‘Best Newcomer’ a the ‘National Television Awards’ and the “Funniest Person in a Soap’ for three years running. After leaving the soap, Lisa then went on to host the very popular “You’ve Been Framed”, for 5 series. She also enjoyed 4 years in Kay Mellor’s hit comedy “Fat Friends”.

Lisa has a real passion for British Film and Comedy and can proudly say that she has been involved in the following movies: - “Six Bend Trap”, “Secret Society”, “Put out more Fags” , the hilarious “Having it Off” and the critically acclaimed “Butterfly Kiss” starring alongside Amanda Plummer.

Lisa is again thrilled to be working with Stephen Leatherland and Dave Simpson. Her most recent role for Theatre Productions Ltd, was as ‘Bev’ in the smash-hit comedy Play ‘The Naked Truth’ which enjoyed sell-outs and rave reviews over the past two years and touring in 2009.

 

Teresa Barlow
Musical Director

Teresa started playing the piano when she was 3, and went onto study Piano and Cello at Wells Cathedral School. When she gained a degree in Jazz, she formed the FunkEdivas, performing at Ealing Jazz Festival, BBC music live and made television and radio appearances.


Her first job as Musical Director was onboard MV Funchal, and she then went on to musically direct several Pantomimes in Southport. She wrote and arranged the score for Canterbury Tales and most recently Teresa was MD on Midsummer Nights Dream and The Tempest, touring the UK. In her studio, Teresa enjoys making tracks, scoring, writing and arranging. Her latest project was a re-write of Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.


Teresa has worked with Theatre Productions Ltd on various productions including Christmas Crooners, Over the Rainbow & The Extra Factor. Her latest pantomime for Kings Theatre in Southsea saw her writing new arrangements and vocally supervising the cast in addition to her role as MD.

Paul McMullen
Associate Producer

Having worked in Theatre Management for over 12 years specialising in marketing, programming, promoting and co-producing, Paul left his role as National Manager Arts & Theatres with Leisure Connection which involved overseeing The Alban Arena, St Albans, The Grove Theatre, Dunstable, Harpenden Public Halls and The Terry O'Toole Theatre, North Kesteven, The St Albans Festival and Arts NK Outreach, to peruse and develop freelance theatre consultancy opportunities.

After working closely with some of the major UK pantomime providers such as, Qdos Pantomimes and Duo Pantomime for some years, Paul has some excellent hands on pantomime experience and expertise in marketing, financial management and delivery of a quality production are the right price to engage and wow the audience.