The Company
Our aim as a company is to produce simple, powerful and entertaining theatre. We only work 'project by project', so all our efforts go into the production, and only when the right story and the right creative team come together. It takes a little longer doing things this way; but we like to think the results are worth it...
JONATHAN RACE - Artistic Director
Jonathan trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
He has worked as an actor in numerous theatre roles, in the West End and across the UK. Roles include Peter in the original cast of the highly acclaimed production of The Railway Children, Harris in Three Men in a Boat, Reverend Hale in The Crucible, Tempest in Forty Years On, Richard II in Two Planks and a Passion, Larry in My Family and other animals, the Trumpeter in The Trumpeter’s Tale, Ratty in The Wind In The Willows, Bruce in Blue/Orange, the Agent in Patient No.1 and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood and his Merry Mam all for York Theatre Royal; the title role in the premier of Augustus Carp Esq. by Himself, the Jongleur in Dario Fo’s Mistero Buffo, Galileo in Science Friction and Barabbas in The Narrow Road, all for Riding Lights Theatre Company; Hamlet in Hamlet and Wilfred Owen in Not About Heroes, Corn Exchange, Newbury; Ralph Clark, Our Country’s Good, Watermill Theatre; the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, New Vic Theatre; Evil Eric in Mother Goose and the Beast in Beauty and The Beast for Nottingham Playhouse. Other roles include Malcolm in Macbeth, Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps, Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank, Detective Trotter in The Mousetrap, Williams in the UK premiere of Possible Worlds, Danny in City Lights, Dymotron in The Night Before Christmas, the Predators and the Gruffalo in The Gruffalo, and Rupert in Rupert Brooke. Screen roles include Emmerdale and acclaimed feature film Weekend.
The Useful Donkey Theatre Company was founded by Jonathan. As Artistic Director he has produced Rupert Brooke for York Theatre Royal and two UK tours; is currently producing A Day of Pleasure and is co-producing with York Theatre Royal the premiere stage adaptation of Angels and Insects by A.S. Byatt.
He has worked as an actor in numerous theatre roles, in the West End and across the UK. Roles include Peter in the original cast of the highly acclaimed production of The Railway Children, Harris in Three Men in a Boat, Reverend Hale in The Crucible, Tempest in Forty Years On, Richard II in Two Planks and a Passion, Larry in My Family and other animals, the Trumpeter in The Trumpeter’s Tale, Ratty in The Wind In The Willows, Bruce in Blue/Orange, the Agent in Patient No.1 and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood and his Merry Mam all for York Theatre Royal; the title role in the premier of Augustus Carp Esq. by Himself, the Jongleur in Dario Fo’s Mistero Buffo, Galileo in Science Friction and Barabbas in The Narrow Road, all for Riding Lights Theatre Company; Hamlet in Hamlet and Wilfred Owen in Not About Heroes, Corn Exchange, Newbury; Ralph Clark, Our Country’s Good, Watermill Theatre; the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, New Vic Theatre; Evil Eric in Mother Goose and the Beast in Beauty and The Beast for Nottingham Playhouse. Other roles include Malcolm in Macbeth, Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps, Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank, Detective Trotter in The Mousetrap, Williams in the UK premiere of Possible Worlds, Danny in City Lights, Dymotron in The Night Before Christmas, the Predators and the Gruffalo in The Gruffalo, and Rupert in Rupert Brooke. Screen roles include Emmerdale and acclaimed feature film Weekend.
The Useful Donkey Theatre Company was founded by Jonathan. As Artistic Director he has produced Rupert Brooke for York Theatre Royal and two UK tours; is currently producing A Day of Pleasure and is co-producing with York Theatre Royal the premiere stage adaptation of Angels and Insects by A.S. Byatt.
GAIL KEMP - Artistic Associate
Gail started acting at the age of thirteen with the BAFTA award-winning Central Television Workshop in Nottingham. Soon after joining Gail appeared in the hit children’s comedy series Palace Hill as Binky Spoon. A number of television roles followed including Resnick alongside Tom Wilkinson, Peak Practice, and the award winning Coping With…
After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art screen roles continued in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Ready when You Are Mr. McGill, A Thing Called Love, The Rotters’ Club, Harry Batt, Britz, Primeval, Holby City, Lead Balloon, The Legend of Dick and Dom, Diddy Movies, Little Howard’s Big Question, Sugartown, Emmerdale and you may recognise her from numerous commercials like the John Smiths one with Peter Kay and Confused.com...
Theatre roles include Viola in Twelfth Night, Marion in Science Friction, a female Polonius in Hamlet, and a number of roles including Medea in Franca Rame’s Female Parts.
After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art screen roles continued in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Ready when You Are Mr. McGill, A Thing Called Love, The Rotters’ Club, Harry Batt, Britz, Primeval, Holby City, Lead Balloon, The Legend of Dick and Dom, Diddy Movies, Little Howard’s Big Question, Sugartown, Emmerdale and you may recognise her from numerous commercials like the John Smiths one with Peter Kay and Confused.com...
Theatre roles include Viola in Twelfth Night, Marion in Science Friction, a female Polonius in Hamlet, and a number of roles including Medea in Franca Rame’s Female Parts.
ANTONY DUNN - Artistic Associate
Antony Dunn is an English poet and dramatist. He attended Oxford University where he won the Newdigate Prize in 1995 and received a Society of Authors Eric Gregory Award in 2000. He has published three collections of poems, Pilots and Navigators (Oxford University Press 1998), Flying Fish (Carcanet OxfordPoets 2002) and Bugs (Carcanet OxfordPoets 2009).
Antony lives in Leeds, where he works as Head of Communications at Yorkshire Dance, as well as Artistic Associate for Useful Donkey. He is Director of the Bridlington Poetry Festival and was appointed Poet in Residence to the Ilkley Literature Festival 2010.
Antony is a regular tutor for The Poetry School and The Arvon Foundation. He has worked on a number of translation projects with poets from Holland, Hungary, China and Israel, and was Poet in Residence at the University of York for 2006. His writing for film and theatre includes Dog Blue, Goose Chase, Shepherds’ Delight, Timewarp 2000 and a screen adaption of Albert Camus’ stageplay, Cross Purpose. In 2006 he contributed lyrics to Mark Ravenhill’s pantomime, Dick Whittington and His Cat at The Barbican, London.
Love Poetry from Antony’s collection Bugs is included in The Forward Book of Poetry 2010.
“I’m really enjoying Antony Dunn’s new collection Bugs. I’ve been a fan of Antony’s careful and precise verse for years”.
Ian McMillan
“An often unique voice… subtle, thought-provoking and enormously readable”.
Poetry Review
For more information visit www.antonydunn.org and www.poetryschool.com
Antony lives in Leeds, where he works as Head of Communications at Yorkshire Dance, as well as Artistic Associate for Useful Donkey. He is Director of the Bridlington Poetry Festival and was appointed Poet in Residence to the Ilkley Literature Festival 2010.
Antony is a regular tutor for The Poetry School and The Arvon Foundation. He has worked on a number of translation projects with poets from Holland, Hungary, China and Israel, and was Poet in Residence at the University of York for 2006. His writing for film and theatre includes Dog Blue, Goose Chase, Shepherds’ Delight, Timewarp 2000 and a screen adaption of Albert Camus’ stageplay, Cross Purpose. In 2006 he contributed lyrics to Mark Ravenhill’s pantomime, Dick Whittington and His Cat at The Barbican, London.
Love Poetry from Antony’s collection Bugs is included in The Forward Book of Poetry 2010.
“I’m really enjoying Antony Dunn’s new collection Bugs. I’ve been a fan of Antony’s careful and precise verse for years”.
Ian McMillan
“An often unique voice… subtle, thought-provoking and enormously readable”.
Poetry Review
For more information visit www.antonydunn.org and www.poetryschool.com
VICKI HACKETT - Artistic Associate
Vicki trained at Rose Bruford College of Speech & Drama.
Since leaving her theatre credits include Care and Clotched at West Yorkshire Playhouse; Chameleon at Sheffield Crucible; Augustus Carp Esq. By Himself, Mistero Buffo, The Passion and Walkout for Riding Lights Theatre Company and Pinnochio and Nineteen Seventy Seven at York Theatre Royal.
Screen credits include a role in Paddy Considine’s directorial debut Tyrannosaur; The Selfish Giant for Film 4; several episodes as Shayne in Hollyoaks for Channel 4; Always and Everyone III; Kiszko; The M Word; Sky Horses and presenting GMTV’s The Review. Vicki also presented Living Icons: Tyndale, a film by the BBC. Vicki has also been immortalised in plasticine as Matilda the Performing Cow in the Aardman Animations series of Creature Comforts -The Circus, for ITV.
Radio credits include Bumbleman, The Sign of the Fish and Jonah for BBC; and Around the World in Eighty Days and Treasure Island for CN Productions.
Vicki has worked for Sheffield Crucible and West Yorkshire Playhouse as a workshop leader for schools, and for Pilot Theatre Company’s tours of Bloodtide, Lord of The Flies and East is East. She has also worked as Director for a number of musical theatre projects for the National Centre for Early Music and the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester.
Since leaving her theatre credits include Care and Clotched at West Yorkshire Playhouse; Chameleon at Sheffield Crucible; Augustus Carp Esq. By Himself, Mistero Buffo, The Passion and Walkout for Riding Lights Theatre Company and Pinnochio and Nineteen Seventy Seven at York Theatre Royal.
Screen credits include a role in Paddy Considine’s directorial debut Tyrannosaur; The Selfish Giant for Film 4; several episodes as Shayne in Hollyoaks for Channel 4; Always and Everyone III; Kiszko; The M Word; Sky Horses and presenting GMTV’s The Review. Vicki also presented Living Icons: Tyndale, a film by the BBC. Vicki has also been immortalised in plasticine as Matilda the Performing Cow in the Aardman Animations series of Creature Comforts -The Circus, for ITV.
Radio credits include Bumbleman, The Sign of the Fish and Jonah for BBC; and Around the World in Eighty Days and Treasure Island for CN Productions.
Vicki has worked for Sheffield Crucible and West Yorkshire Playhouse as a workshop leader for schools, and for Pilot Theatre Company’s tours of Bloodtide, Lord of The Flies and East is East. She has also worked as Director for a number of musical theatre projects for the National Centre for Early Music and the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester.
ANNA GOOCH - Artistic Associate
Anna graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a first class degree in Theatre Design.
Most recently she designed costumes for York Mystery Plays 2012, a large scale open air production by Riding Lights Theatre Company, York Theatre Royal and York Museums Trust. For Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Theatre Royal she designed costumes for Two Planks and a Passion as part of the York Theatre Royal ensemble season 2011. Other design credits include Give it Back Mak, Nearly the Goat, Origins and Lemons, The Narrow Road and Redemption Song for Riding Lights Theatre Company; Spin for Harnisch-Lacey Dance Theatre; The Prodigals for Inspire; Twelfth Night and Cider With Rosie for West Meon Theatre and Swags and Tails for Open Clasp Theatre Company. Also at York Theatre Royal she designed Five Star Werewolf for Forward Theatre Project and York Theatre Royal and Rupert Brooke for The Useful Donkey Theatre Company. She is currently designing A Day of Pleasure for Useful Donkey Theatre Company, Angels and Insects for York Theatre Royal and Useful Donkey Theatre Company and The Comedy of Errors for Sprite Productions.
For more information visit annagoochdesigns.com.
Most recently she designed costumes for York Mystery Plays 2012, a large scale open air production by Riding Lights Theatre Company, York Theatre Royal and York Museums Trust. For Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Theatre Royal she designed costumes for Two Planks and a Passion as part of the York Theatre Royal ensemble season 2011. Other design credits include Give it Back Mak, Nearly the Goat, Origins and Lemons, The Narrow Road and Redemption Song for Riding Lights Theatre Company; Spin for Harnisch-Lacey Dance Theatre; The Prodigals for Inspire; Twelfth Night and Cider With Rosie for West Meon Theatre and Swags and Tails for Open Clasp Theatre Company. Also at York Theatre Royal she designed Five Star Werewolf for Forward Theatre Project and York Theatre Royal and Rupert Brooke for The Useful Donkey Theatre Company. She is currently designing A Day of Pleasure for Useful Donkey Theatre Company, Angels and Insects for York Theatre Royal and Useful Donkey Theatre Company and The Comedy of Errors for Sprite Productions.
For more information visit annagoochdesigns.com.
ANDY PILLINER - Artistic Associate
As well as being Useful Donkey’s first ever Stage Manager, Andy is also a freelance Lighting Designer and Technician. He has worked and designed for a range of different theatre companies with design credits including CSI York and Don’t Worry Be Happy, for York Theatre Royal; Cigarettes & Chocolate, Pinteresque, Bed and On The Shore of the Wide World, for Old Bomb Theatre Company; The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Pilgrimage for Riding Lights Theatre Company; The Fantasist’s Waltz, The Revenge of Mr. Trout and Conversations Not Fit For The American Dinner Table for Tongue Tied Theatre Company and The Merry Wives of Windsor and Iolanthe for York Opera.
Andy has also worked in various production roles, including Stage Manager for Rupert Brooke; regular Stage Electrician for the ever-popular York Theatre Royal pantomime; Lighting Technician for York Mystery Plays 2012; Stage Electrician for the highly acclaimed York Theatre Royal production of The Railway Children; Production Electrician at Polka Theatre and Lighting Technician in film projects for Riding Lights Theatre Company, Rogue Frame Productions, and The National Railway Museum.
Andy has also worked in various production roles, including Stage Manager for Rupert Brooke; regular Stage Electrician for the ever-popular York Theatre Royal pantomime; Lighting Technician for York Mystery Plays 2012; Stage Electrician for the highly acclaimed York Theatre Royal production of The Railway Children; Production Electrician at Polka Theatre and Lighting Technician in film projects for Riding Lights Theatre Company, Rogue Frame Productions, and The National Railway Museum.
It's easy being green...
At Useful Donkey we really feel every little bit helps, so our loo-paper is recycled as are the envelopes in which we post your CDs. The electricity we use is from renewable sources and the gas we use is from food waste… No, it really is! So although we can’t guarantee that all the energy we use on tour in the theatres we visit is green, we’ll do all we can to ensure we are.
A couple of links you might be interested in, www.ecotricity.co.uk and www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
A couple of links you might be interested in, www.ecotricity.co.uk and www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
