A fresh, new, innovative and relevant youth theatre company based at the iconic Royal Court Theatre designed by young people for young people.
The Royal Court Youth Theatre delivers a range of opportunities free of charge for young people aged 11 – 25 from every part of the City.
If you are interested in a career in the arts or just looking for something to do, come along to one of our sessions or workshops. You will learn about everything from acting to stage management; fundraising to writing scripts.
Do you know a young person who has a passion for theatre, acting, singing, dancing or writing? Tell them to complete an expression of interest form by visiting liverpoolsroyalcourt.com/youth-theatre
Alternatively you can call 0151 702 5892 or email education@royalcourttrust.org
Everybody is welcome at the Royal Court Youth Theatre, there are no auditions or waiting lists to join.
The Eleanor Rathbone Foundation
Cast
Emma Bispham
Lynn Francis
Dylan
Thomas Smith
Georgia Taft
Liam Tobin
Jeanie
Beryl
George Harriett
Frank
Company
Rachel Louise Clark
Sam Donovan
Jen Baron
Phil Dickinson
Jamie Jenkin
Mitch Fujii Williams
Eden Easterbrook
Sean Gannon
Ella Duffy
Writer Director
Set & Costume Designer
Sound & Lighting Designer
AV Designer
Head of Wardrobe
Costume Supervisor
Production Manager
Deputy Stage Manager
Set by Liverpool’s Royal Court
Sean Gannon
John Kavanagh
Jen Baron
Abbie Jones
Shaun Gillespie
Mike Gray
Dave Davies
Head of Technical
Workshop Manager
Scenic Art Manager
Scenic Artist
Carpenter
Carpenter
Carpenter
Rehearsal Photos
Photos by Liverpool’s Royal Court
Cast Biographies
Emma Bispham Jeanie
Television: Ridley, The Gathering, Doctors, Tin Star, Clink, The League of Gentlemen, Paranoid, Prey 2, The Mill, Good Cop, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Driver, Shameless, Heartbeat, The Royal, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Strictly Confidential and The Bill.
Film; Kelly & Victor (Bafta Winner) Dog Run, Bride Not To Be and Half Way (BFI).
Theatre: Nel’s Place (Rewrites Festival Tour 2024), Sisters Of Mersey, A Thong For Europe, Jack & The Beanstalk, Macca & Beth, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty and The Scouse Snow White (Liverpool Royal Court); TABOO 20th Anniversary Concert (The London Palladium), Paint Your Wagon, Othello and The Big I Am (Everyman Theatre Repertory Company 2018) Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre, West End) Taboo (The Venue, West End & National tour) Spend Spend Spend (The English Theatre, Frankfurt) Bad Girls –The Musical (West Yorkshire Playhouse) 16 Gobs (Kingshead Theatre, London) Notes Across a Small Pond (Bridewell Theatre, London) Closer Than Ever (Everyman Theatre, Liverpool). Finally, to my beloved family thank you, for your constant love, support and for being my entire world. I love you with all that I am xxx
Lynn Francis Beryl
Liverpool born Lynn trained at Sandown College. Since leaving college she has worked continually in theatre, television and film.
Theatre credits include: Desperate Scousewives 1 & 2, Psychic Sybal (Theatre Royal St Helens), Four Girls In A Caravan (Theatre Royal St Helens), Waiting For Gateaux (touring), Tuppence to Cross the Mersey (Liverpool Empire, 2005 and 2007), By The Waters Of Liverpool (Liverpool Empire and touring), What Was it Like in the War Nan? (Unity Theatre), Oliver (Neptune Theatre Liverpool), Ebony’s Album (Neptune Theatre Liverpool), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Bluecoat Theatre), Her Benny (Liverpool Empire), Midsummer Nights Dream (touring), My Fair Lady (touring), The Royal, The Salon, Reds And Blues - The Musical, Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide To Fazakerly, Haunted Scouse and Stocking Fillers 2024 (Royal Court Liverpool), Lennon’s Banjo (Epstein Liverpool).
Television and Film credits include: Reds and Blues: The Ballad Of Dixie and Kenny (Miracle Productions UK), Colour Blind, a film directed by Lenny Henry, Charlie Noades RIP (film), The Lie is Dead (feature film), One Fine Sunday (short film), Dead Drunk (short film), Dave Dot, Demo Man (BBC), No Marks (Channel 4), I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This (Haphazard Productions).
Lynn has appeared in various pantos across the country including Empress of China: Aladdin (Southampton and Runcorn), Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (Southport), Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin (York), and the Wicked Queen in Snow White (Torquay and Runcorn).
Dylan Thomas Smith George
Films include: Knife
Television includes: G’Wed and The Gathering
Award winning actor, Dylan Thomas Smith is best known for his portrayal of Reece in ITV’s G’Wed. The role has earned him outstanding reviews and the award for ‘Best Breakthrough Performance in a Comedy’ at The Edinburgh TV Awards, as well as a BAFTA nomination. The show was also nominated for a BAFTA and this year has been nominated for a second time at The Royal Society for Television Awards. Dylan recently finished filming season 3 which will be out in February and is excited to be making his theatrical debut at The Royal Court, Liverpool.
“It’s such a wonderful theatre with so much history, I’m honoured to be working here and following in the footsteps of so many wonderful actors.”
Georgia Taft Harriett
Georgia graduated from the Arden School of Theatre in 2023 and has been a member of the National Youth Theatre since 2016. Since completing her training, she has worked across both theatre and television.
Unsolicited (All things considered theatre, Chester story house), King Of Kings (Box of Tricks), Heavy Weather (Paperwork Theatre).
Radio: My Billiant Friend (BBC Radio 4).
Liam Tobin
Frank
Previous work at the Royal Court: The Legend Of Rooney’s Ring, Boys From The Blackstuff, Scouse Red Riding Hood, Scouse Dick Whittington, Scouse Jack & The Beanstalk, The Scousetrap, Mam I’m ‘Ere, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, Homebaked, Selection Box, Pete Price is Dead, Lost in Colomendy, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery and Slappers & Slapheads.
Other Theatre includes: Boys From The Blackstuff (National/ West End), Jab (Park Theatre/Finborough Theatre-Offie Nominated Best Duo Performance), Lights On, Lights Off (Shakespeare North); Miracle On 34th Street (Liverpool Playhouse), Sweeney Todd (Liverpool Everyman), Benny (Gilded Balloon Edinburgh Fringe), Paint Your Wagon, A Clockwork Orange, The Big I Am, Fiddler on the Roof, Conquest of the South Pole, The Sum, Romeo & Juliet (Liverpool Everyman Company), The Hobbit (Dukes Lancaster), Hamlet (Clwyd Theatr Cymru), Clybourne Park, When the Rain Stops Falling (Unity Liverpool/Said & Done), A View From The Bridge (Liverpool Playhouse), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest , Brief Encounter , Dead Funny (Torch Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream & She Stoops To Conquer (Torch Theatre/Mappa Mundi), Cider With Rosie & The Merchant of Venice (Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmonds), Gods Official (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and, a European tour of Pygmalion (American Drama Group).
Screen work includes Then & Now, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Royal, Heartbeat, The Cops, Seeing Red, The Second Coming and the feature film Al’s Lads
Company Biographies
Rachel Louise Clark Writer
Rachel Louise Clark is a writer from Liverpool. She began playwriting in 2021 after completing Liverpool’s Royal Court’s Stage Write Playwright Development Programme.
In 2022, Rachel was commissioned by Liverpool’s Royal Court with her play Better Watch Out as part of the Stocking Fillers show. Since then, she has had various plays performed in Liverpool at Hope Street Theatre and Studio Below. She was a finalist in TipTray’s What Happens Next competition in 2023 with Dead Good Christmas, the winner of Deux Festival in 2024 with Paint Stripper, and received Best Monologue at The Weird and Wonderful Festival in 2025 with Running in Circles. She is delighted to be returning to the Royal Court with The Anfield Apocalypse.
Rachel’s new play, The Anfield Apocalypse, is a love letter to all things Scouse, inspired by the wonderfully chaotic afternoons she spent in her grandma’s living room and, as well as her love of apocalyptic films (though the two are not related!). This play has family at the heart, which is what life’s all about. She’s so excited for audiences to see it, and really hopes people enjoy it watching it, as much as she enjoyed writing it.
When Rachel isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her lovely husband, Paddy and their dog Hugo.
Sam Donovan Director
Sam’s credits as a director include Aladdin (Hope Street Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (The Black-e) David Copperfield (County Hall) Christmas Reloaded (Old Red Lion), Our Boys (Criterion) and Royal Court Stocking Fillers (Liverpool’s Royal Court)
Sam is co-founder of Papatango, an Olivier Award winning theatre company, who champion the next generation of brilliant playwrights. Papatango discoveries have won BAFTAs, Critics’ Circle, OffWestEnd, Alfred Fagon and Royal National Theatre Foundation awards, premiering in over twenty countries.
Sam is also co-founder of Merseyside Academy of Drama, The Hope Street Theatre and Performers Theatre School
Jen Baron Set & Costume Designer
Jen graduated from the Liverpool Institue for Performing Arts in 2012. She has designed multiple sets and costumes for shows such as Spring Awakening, Titanic, Terriers and acted as Art Director for a comedy pilot ‘Training Daze’. She had worked with companies such as Young Everyman Playhouse, Proper Job Theatre Company, Royal Court Youth Theatre and The Comedy Trust, where she has also spent time working alongside their young people, running sessions for Prop Making and Scenic painting.
Jen currently holds the position of Scenic Art Manager here at the Royal Court, leading the department in shows on both the main stage and the Studio.
Phil Dickinson Sound & Lighting Designer
I first started working at the Royal Court as backstage crew, pushing trucks for Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels in 2007 before becoming the sound technician of the Rawhide comedy club. After spending 15 years away from my hometown in other careers, I returned to theatre and Liverpool’s Royal Court as the full-time technician of the renovated Studio venue in 2023. Since then I have created lighting and sound designs for many performances in the venue including critically acclaimed shows The Incident Room (2023), The Independent Socialist Republic of the Upper End of the Lower Breck Road (2024), Making It (2024), I Am Stephen Gerrard (2024), It’s A Wonderful Life (2024), Pass the Parcel (2025) and Sauce & Sorcery (2025). The latest Studio production, The Anfield Apocalypse, has been an amazingly fun challenge to bring a bit of horror movie spectacle into our intimate venue. We hope it makes you laugh and scream in equal measure!
Jamie Jenkin
AV Designer
Jamie is the in-house graphic and video designer at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Starting as marketing assistant at the theatre in 2005, he has been part of the Royal Court since it’s rebirth as a theatre in 2006. He now designs artwork for all Royal Court productions alongside working on video content for the Royal Court stage and beyond.
Video Designs for Theatre include:
Alan Bleasdale’s Boys From The Blackstuff by James Graham (Liverpool’s Royal Court, National Theatre and Garrick Theatre London), A Thong For Europe, Willy Russell’s Our Day Out - The Musical, A Fistful Of Collars, Lennon, Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide to Fazakerley, Ladies Night, Canoeing for Beginners, The Scouse Nativity, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, A Miracle On Great Homer Street, Home, Going Halves, The Royal, The Scouse Cinderella, My Fairfield Lady, Bingo Star, Two Of Us, Royal Court Selection Box, Macca & Beth, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery, The Scousetrap, The Scouse Jack & The Beanstalk, The Scouse Dick Whittington, Haunted Scouse, Sisters Of Mersey, The Netherely Hillbillies, Haunted Scouse, Come Together, Girls Don’t Play Guitars, The Scouse Red Riding Hood, The Peaceful Hour and Red Or Dead (Liverpool’s Royal Court); Masquerade, Knee Deep In Promises, Hey Bunny Get Loose, Stocking Fillers, Cosmic and Pass The Parcel (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio); Cured (Liverpool’s Royal Court in association with DaDaFest & Unlimited); The Dream Team and VR Family (Liverpool’s Royal Court Youth Theatre); Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Liverpool Shakespeare Festival); Judy & Liza (National Tour); YNWA (Alterean Productions, international tour); The Big I Am (Liverpool Everyman); Celtic The Musical (Alterean Productions, Pavilion Theatre Glasgow and SEC Glasgow); Sunderland The Musical (Alterean Productions, Empire Theatre Sunderland); Something About George (Something About Productions, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and national tour); The Salford Docker (Salford Community Theatre, Lighthouse Salford); Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre); and Peter Pan (Storyhouse Chester). Jamie was also Sound Designer on Hey Bunny Get Loose, Offered Up, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio) and Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre).
Royal Court Staff
Executive Producer Kevin Fearon
Chief Executive Gillian Miller
Head of Finance & Administration Gary O’Connor
Creative Producer Jess Bolger
Head of Marketing Kofi Ohene-Djan
Head of Operations Ailsa Morris
Executive Chef David Assall
HR & Finance Manager Alison Ward
Graphic Designer & Brand Manager Jamie Jenkin
Assistant Producer Clare Carlucci
Marketing Managers Iain Christie and Lily Hagan
Workshop Manager John Kavanagh
Social Media Manager Clara Mbirimi
Head of Technical & Production Sean Gannon
Resident Stage Manager Andrew Lock
Scenic Art Manager Jen Baron
Box Office & Sales Manager Lauren Macauley
Assistant Box Office Manager Laura Lees
Head of Community Engagement Miriam Mussa
Well Being Training Manager Maria Schumann
Costume Supervisor Marie Jones
Finance Administrator Izzie Litwin
Venue Administrator Phil McLoughlin
Assistant Producer - Talent Development Harvey Robinson
Daytime Technician Gary Currin
Studio Technician Phil Dickinson
LX Technician Martyn Case
HR & Payroll Administrator Gilly Taylor
Executive Assistant Joe Morris
Building Maintenance Technician Bob Smith
Box Office Assistants
Erica Drummond, Finn Goulden-Jennings, Carl Lees, Scarlet Lees, Anna Miller, Pat O’Neill, Susan Segar, and Angela Simms
Fire Officer Sam Massen
Stage Door Julia Darcy, Allan Dodd, Sven Key and Izzie Litwin
Kitchen
Chefs Thomas Alexander, Keane Pritchard, Jay Quinn, Josh Eglin, Jack While and Nick Watson
Kitchen Porters Hezekiah Abramson, Debbie Chisam, Louise Dodd and Luke Dunn
Front of House
FOH Manager Kathy Hutson
Assistant FOH Managers Paul Imrie and Brendon Wright
Shift Supervisors Sammie Hunter
Bar Supervisors Jordan Barkely
Floor Supervisors Michael Hall and Katie Sherman
Front of House Staff Hebron Abraha, Beth Baccino, Jordan Barkley, Hazel Bawden, Cameron Brown, Azize Dia, Holly Evans, Charlotte Freyne, Michael Hall, Samantha Hunter, Lily Hutson, Callum Johnstone, Elizabeth Kendrick, Michael James, Charlotte Kendrick Jones, Raia Kiernan, Jackie Kirton, Cherry Kim, Takunda Kudzunga, Hansol Lee, Phil Lyne, Sam Massen, Lukas Matuzevicius, Joseph McGee, Isabella Renshaw, Theo Stock-Best, Joseph O’Neil, Christiano Samuel, Katie Sherman and Mohan Welstand-Keryk.
Cleaners
Cleaning Supervisor: Debbie Chisam, Billie Chisam, Joanne Kinsella, Claire Wilson and Julie Wright.
And a big thank you to all of our freelance and security staff for their hard work throughout the year.
