Team
Suzanne James
Head of Business Operations
Suzanne James
Suzanne James (née Carter) is a General Manager and Producer and who has worked on productions in the West End, off-West End, Fringe and touring venues worldwide for companies including Sonia Friedman Productions, Working Title Films and the Southbank Centre.
Suzanne graduated from Sussex University with a BA (Hons) in Politics and Contemporary History before working as a freelance producer, making her first move into the West End working as an assistant producer on Angry Young Man at the Trafalgar Studios. Other productions include: for Sonia Friedman Productions – La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre, West End), Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre, West End) Arcadia and A View From the Bridge (Duke of York, West End), Dancing at Lughnasa and 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic); for Menier Chocolate Factory – A Little Night Music, Rookery Nook, and Talent; Backbeat (Duke of York, West End).
Between 2009 and 2011 Suzanne worked for Working Title Films as part of a new theatrical general management team working on Billy Elliot the Musical and the development of Bridget Jones the Musical.
Before joining 59 Suzanne worked as the Arts Coordinator at the Southbank Centre, playing a pivotal role in the programming and delivery of the year-long landmark festival The Rest is Noise and the summer 2012 Festival of the World.
Suzanne Joined 59 in 2013 and is responsible for the day to day management of the company, leading on key areas such as finance, business strategy, HR and contracting.
Laurence Windle
Head of Business Operations (Maternity Cover)
Laurence Windle
Suzanne James (née Carter) is a General Manager and Producer and who has worked on productions in the West End, off-West End, Fringe and touring venues worldwide for companies including Sonia Friedman Productions, Working Title Films and the Southbank Centre.
Suzanne graduated from Sussex University with a BA (Hons) in Politics and Contemporary History before working as a freelance producer, making her first move into the West End working as an assistant producer on Angry Young Man at the Trafalgar Studios. Other productions include: for Sonia Friedman Productions – La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre, West End), Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre, West End) Arcadia and A View From the Bridge (Duke of York, West End), Dancing at Lughnasa and 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic); for Menier Chocolate Factory – A Little Night Music, Rookery Nook, and Talent; Backbeat (Duke of York, West End).
Between 2009 and 2011 Suzanne worked for Working Title Films as part of a new theatrical general management team working on Billy Elliot the Musical and the development of Bridget Jones the Musical.
Before joining 59 Suzanne worked as the Arts Coordinator at the Southbank Centre, playing a pivotal role in the programming and delivery of the year-long landmark festival The Rest is Noise and the summer 2012 Festival of the World.
Suzanne Joined 59 in 2013 and is responsible for the day to day management of the company, leading on key areas such as finance, business strategy, HR and contracting.
DESIGN STUDIO
Nick Corrigan
Head of Video
Nick Corrigan
Nick Corrigan has worked with 59 Productions on a range of video projects, including the UN Global Goals Launch, Deep Time; the opening event at the Edinburgh International Festival, Wonder.Land at the National Theatre London, Sinatra at the London Palladium and the Boeing Centennial Projection Spectacular.
He began VJing in 1999 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, and went on to play at clubs and festivals around world. In 2002 he created animations for Badly Drawn Boy’s European tour and subsequently went on to work with Yeast Culture on visuals for musicians including Nitin Sawhney, Matthew Herbert, Michael Nyman and Courtney Pine.
Since then Nick has continued to work on a broad array of video and animation projects, including video installations for the Mayor of London’s Future London exhibition at the Science Museum in London, video for Bernstein’s Mass directed by Dame Jude Kelly at the Royal Festival Hall, video for Nitin Sawhney and Akram Khan’s collaboration Confluence at Sadler’s Wells and live video design for Jamie Cullum’s Pursuit world tour.
More recently Nick has directed video for the Philharmonia’s production of Bluebeard’s Castle, video design for Will Tuckett’s production of West Side Story at the Sage Gateshead and creative direction for Jamie Cullum’s Momentum UK and European tour.
Jenny Melville
Head of Architecture
Jenny Melville
Jenny Melville is an Architect who has specialised in design for performance. She holds a Masters in Architecture from the Royal College of Art and ARB Part III accreditation from the University of Cambridge.
Over the last three years, Jenny has established the work of the architectural department at 59 by leading on design work across a vast range of projects – from the very venue or auditorium itself through to stage, exhibition and installation design. Her design for 59’s first self-produced theatrical work City of Glass was hailed as ‘rewriting the rulebook for theatre design’ (Timeout), whilst the permanent Made In Space exhibition which opened earlier this year in Copenhagen (on which Jenny led the architectural design) was the winner of the 2018 Mariano Gago Ecsite Award.
As the department grows, Jenny is working with the company directors to expand and build upon the company’s theatrical background to establish a form of architectural expression which is fundamentally narratively led. She maintains oversight of all architectural work produced by 59 whilst also leading on the design of specific projects.
Jenny started her architectural career at the Stirling Prize winning firm Future Systems (now reformed as Amanda Levete Architects), learning early the rigours of practice from their formidable team.
Laurien Ash
Real Time Designer
Laurien Ash
Laurien Ash is an artist and games designer. Her practice focuses on the intersection of video game design and contemporary art.
She holds a Fine Art BFA from The Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, and an MA in Games Design and Development from the National Film and Television School.
Before joining the company, Laurien was a game designer at a studio specialising in narrative horror. She is now working on a range of unannounced interactive and XR projects at 59.
Dale Croft
Designer
Dale Croft
Dale joined 59 Productions in 2017 with a background in graphic design and illustration.
Dale holds a first class degree from the London College of Communication (UAL) in Illustration & Visual Media. Prior to joining 59, he worked both as a freelancer and at studios in Amsterdam and Berlin with a focus on music, art and culture.
He has worked on a variety of projects for 59 from projection mapping to theatre and exhibition design, including the award-winning and Made in Space exhibition and VR piece Grenfell: Our Home.
Jason Devine
Senior Video Designer
Jason Devine
Jason is a video designer and director who graduated from the University of Ulster in 2007 with a degree is Design and Communication. He has over 10 years industry experience which covers a wide range of media including broadcast, online and in- store content and live global events.
Most recently Jason has designed and directed content for large international shows including the BRIT Awards, MTV EMAs and VMAs, and performance visuals for artists including George Ezra, Pink, Liam Payne and Panic! At the Disco.
Jason is also a founding member of Fine-Folk, a Folkestone based production company aimed at producing content which celebrates the town’s rich history, and the diverse people that reside there.
For 59 Productions, Jason was recently Senior Video Designer on ‘An Evening with Abdul Hussain’ a theatre production for JACC Kuwait.
Claudia Fragoso
Architectural Designer
Claudia Fragoso
Claudia joined 59 Productions in 2016 after graduating with a Masters in Architecture from the Royal College of Art. Since joining 59, Claudia has worked on a range of projects – including exhibition, set, and installation design – focusing on the relationship between architectural space and technological innovation.
Claudia formed part of the design team leading the award-winning Made in Space exhibition at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium in Copenhagen, notable for its interactive and immersive technologies. She was also involved in the set design for Shadow Factory, which saw unprecedented use of TAIT Towers technology within a theatre context. Claudia also designed the set for My Name is Peter Stillman VR, where the relationship between virtual and physical space was explored and enhanced.
More recently, Claudia led the architectural design on Má Vlast, a multi-screen audiovisual installation commissioned by the Czech Philharmonic in celebration of 100 years of the founding of the Czech Republic.
Prior to working at 59, Claudia has worked in architecture firms in London, Berlin, and New York as well as working on artistic and construction commissions for festivals in the UK and Germany.
Felix Green
Assistant Designer
Felix Green
Felix works within the Design Studio as Assistant designer. He joined 59 Productions after studying at the National Centre for Computer Animation, graduating with a First Class degree, specialising in Computer Visualisation and Animation.
At 59, Felix has worked on a range of screen, stage, and interactive projects both in the UK and Internationally. Recent projects include Má Vlast, a multi-screen installation commissioned by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally he was the Assistant Designer for Raindance winning Virtual Reality projects: Grenfell: Our Home, and Nothing to be Written – commissioned by Channel 4 and BBC VR Hub respectively.
Max Italiaander
Senior Designer
Max Italiaander
Max is a motion designer and director who graduated with a Masters degree in Digital Media Design from the Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands.
During his 10 years in the Netherlands, he has created Animated music videos which were awarded Vimeo Staff Picks and awards. After starting his career VJing for bands and events, doing a whole array of festival, club and stadium shows. He was also part of an interactive art collective that created VR, projection mapping experiences and interactive installations.
After moving to London Max worked as a Senior Motion Designer at Soho production agency, specialising in creating branded content. Max recently joined 59 Productions and is currently working as a Senior Designer on ‘Memoirs of a Sailor’ remount for JACC Kuwait.
Dan Liston
Senior Architect
Dan Liston
Dan joined 59 as Senior Architect in the spring of 2019. With over ten years’ experience working with a range of client organisations and design-led teams, Dan has an extensive background designing and delivering a wide range of cultural, education and mixed-use commercial building projects.
Having studied at Nottingham, Brighton and Westminster universities, Dan qualified as an architect in 2011. He previously worked at Gollifer Langston Architects, a small independent London studio, where he was part of the design team behind the award-winning integrated Primary School in Broadwater Farm in Tottenham. Dan then spent six years as a Project Architect at Levitt Bernstein Architects, where he grew from working on large-scale urban redevelopment work to a studio specialising in historic, arts and commercial projects, including the London Road Fire Station in Manchester.
Dan’s keen interest in the visual and dramatic arts together with his extensive working knowledge of spatial design and technical delivery brings him to 59 to be part of the growing architecture team. Dan has a particular interest in exploring the creative potential of both architecture and public space with a firm belief in the positive impact good design has on both individuals and society as a whole.
Jamie McComb
Designer
Jamie McComb
Jamie is a 3D/motion artist with a background in VR and VFX. He graduated from the University of Hertfordshire in 2015 (Visual Effects BA).
He joined 59 as a Designer in August 2018. Since then, he has worked on a variety of projects, implementing design, visualisation, and video production.
Prior to joining 59 Jamie worked at a leading London VR studio as a 3D generalist, and a Seattle games studio. He has experience in video production, compositing, 3D technical art for film/realtime, and motion design.
Asha Pandit
Architectural Designer
Asha Pandit
After graduating from Manchester School of Architecture with a First Class BA (Hons) in Architecture, Asha has worked at a number of studios across the UK.
Prior to joining the 59 Productions team, Asha worked at Asif Khan Studio in London where she was involved in the design development for the Museum of London Project and Dubai Expo 2020. Alongside Architectural design, she also has a wider passion for 3D design, graphics and model-making.
Simran Phull
Assistant Designer
Simran Phull
Simran joined 59 Productions as an Assistant Designer in early 2020. She holds a first class BA in Animation from the University of Westminster, which particularly focused on storytelling and pre-production.
Since joining the design team at 59, Simran has contributed to a variety of projects, including exhibitions, live music and theatrical projects.
Prior to joining 59, Simran designed and animated short corporate videos for a range of clients, with a particular interest in live music, culture and public art projects.
Lorna Pittaway
Assistant Designer
Lorna Pittaway
Lorna is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, having gained a First Class Graphic Design BA in 2018. Her work features virtual environments, moving image, 3D artwork and interactive applications, often using narrative to explore the relationship between technology and society.
Before joining 59 she participated in Open Set, a design-research programme in the Netherlands, as well as working as a designer, animator and writer, including freelance roles as creative and editorial producer at Intern Magazine and editorial assistant at It’s Nice That.
Hannah Rozenberg
Architectural Designer
hannahrozenburg
Hannah joined the architecture team at 59 Productions, after graduating from a Master’s degree in architecture at the Royal College of Art. Her thesis investigated the hidden gender biases that are embedded in technology and explored how architecture can be used as a tool to highlight and revise these biases. Hannah won several awards for her work (The Built Environment Trust’s RCA Student Prize for Innovation 2018, KSA Undergraduate Prize for Written Work, Blue Riband Award 2018). Her work on gender biases was published in design magazines, such as Dezeen and Archdaily, and was exhibited at several venues in London.
Since joining 59 Productions in March 2019, Hannah has been involved in local and international projects, including exhibition and set design.
Prior to joining 59, Hannah worked in architecture offices in Belgium, Germany and the UK.
Nicol Scott
Senior Motion Designer
Nicol Scott
Nicol studied Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Art during which time he focused on animation and Motion Design.
Nicol’s collaboration with 59 began during the London Olympics 2012 as a freelance animator for the opening ceremony. From 2013 -2017 he continued to collaborate with 59 as a freelancer in senior roles on major projection mapping events including Vivid (Sydney Opera House 2014), Hampton Court Palace (2015), Harmonium (2015), Edinburgh International Festival openings (Deep Time 2016 and Bloom 2017) and the 20th anniversary celebration of the Guggenheim Bilbao. He has also created animated content for stage projects including Two Boys, Ceremony of Innocence, Light Falls, and American in Paris.
Nicol became a full time member of the 59 team in 2017 as Senior Motion Designer and has been the lead video designer on a number of productions, including The Last Ship (Northern Stage), Five Telegrams (BBC Proms / Edinburgh International Festival) and The Last Warrior Elephant (Shanghai Media Group).
His extensive freelance career provided wide ranging experience of animation projects from music videos, tv commercials, children’s tv, concert visuals, including animation credits on two Emmy award winning television productions, ‘World War 2 from Space’ (Prime Focus) and ‘How We Got to Now’ (Peepshow Collective).
Hanna Schrage
Assistant Designer
Hanna Schrage
Hanna Schrage graduated from the Royal College of Arts Visual Communication MA programme in 2017 with a focus on virtual reality and digital design.
Kate Stanley
Studio Manager
Kate Stanley
Kate Stanley holds a First Class degree in Drama from the University of Exeter, and is the Studio Manager at 59 Productions. At 59, Kate works across all of the projects, working closely with each of the departments to schedule and coordinate staffing and resource allocation across the studio.
Prior to joining 59 Kate was Producer at Idle Motion, developing new theatre productions that toured extensively in the UK, Asia, Europe and the Middle East and directing three of their shows. In addition to this Kate has co-directed two productions with New Diorama Theatre, ‘Down and Out in Paris & London’ for which she and David Byrne were nominated for a ‘Best Director’ at the Off West End Awards, and most recently ‘Secret Life of Humans’ which will transfer Off-Broadway in 2018.
Matthew Taylor
Designer
Matthew Taylor
Matthew graduated from the University of Kent in July 2015 with a first class degree in Digital Arts and worked as a graphic designer prior to joining 59.
Joining in October 2015 as a design intern Matthew worked on several theatre and exhibition projects, assisting with artwork and animation for installation By Me, William Shakespeare: A Life in Writing at Somerset house and Wonder.land at the National Theatre. Since taking on the role of Assistant Designer he has worked closely on projection mapping show Deep Time for Edinburgh International Festival 2016 as a storyboard artist and visualiser, creating press images and animation content for the show.
Matthew has continued to work on a variety of projects in the UK and internationally, creating visualisations and conceptual animations for many of 59’s key projects. Select credits include theatre production City of Glass, exhibition David Bowie Is (Barcelona), Dubai World Cup 2017, projection mapping show Reflections onto the Guggenheim museum and opening events Deep Time and Bloom for EIF 2016 and 2017.
Annie Tadne
Assistant Designer
Annie Tadne
Annie Tadne graduated from Goldsmiths University in 2019 with a First Class degree in Computational Arts. Her MFA project explored form, materiality and new interfaces for musical expression in a live augmented reality performance. The piece has been shown at Matera Intermedia Festival in Italy and Late at Tate Britain and was nominated for The Lumen Prize 2019.
Prior to joining Fifty Nine Productions, Annie worked as a freelancer creating video design for a variety of performance art projects at institutions such as Southbank Centre, Nederlands Dans Theatre and Stockholm Royal Dramatic Theatre.
Tom Wexler
Senior Designer
Tom Wexler
Tom is a visual director, artist and designer with over 20 years experience who works at the intersections of art, performance and technology. In 1998 he gained a first class degree in Music Technology from the University of York, and in 2006 was awarded a Fellowship from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.
As co-founder of artist collective KMA he created and toured large scale, interactive projection works such as Flock, Congregation and The Space in the Middle to venues across the world including Trafalgar Square, Tate Britain, Shanghai, Macau, Pittsburgh and Singapore. He has created projections for dance performances including Darshan Singh Bhuller’s Eng-er-land for Phoenix Dance Theatre and Lloyd Newson’s To Be Straight With You for DV8 Physical Theatre.
Tom has also created video for live concerts including tours for Prince, Paolo Nutini and Bryan Adams, and also pioneers experimental approaches to the uses of technology in film, including visual direction for The Knife That Killed Me (2015) and Macbeth (2018).
Matt Wreglesworth
Architectural Designer
Matt Wreglesworth
Matt originally joined 59 Productions in 2016 as design intern, before starting full-time in 2019 as an Architectural Designer.
Whilst studying architecture at Newcastle University and the Manchester School of Architecture, Matt focused on the crossover between art, architecture and philosophy – with a particular interest in light and perception.
Between degrees he worked in architecture practices in the UK, Sweden and Denmark, including RIBA Gold Medal winning practice Grimshaw.
PRODUCERS
Max Bittleston
Producer
Max Bittleston
Max Bittleston has spent the last decade producing theatre across London and the South East of England. Max graduated from the University of Kent with an undergraduate Masters in Drama & Theatre Studies, specialising in Stage Design.
Max produces a wide variety of projects for 59 Productions. In collaboration with the Project Directors, Architecture department and Video team, Max facilitates the creation and delivery of productions from initial conception through to opening and throughout running.
Prior to joining 59 Productions, Max worked for over five years at Sonia Friedman Productions on a wide variety of Olivier and Tony Award-winning shows in the West End and on Broadway.
A selection of recent credits includes: The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre, London & Worldwide), Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Barbican, London), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London), Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre, London), The Ferryman (Gielgud Theatre, London), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Imelda Staunton & Conleth Hill, The Birthday Party starring Toby Jones, Stephen Mangan & Zoë Wanamaker, Uncle Vanya starring Toby Jones & Richard Armitage (all Harold Pinter Theatre, London) The Jungle (Playhouse Theatre, London & the Curran, San Francisco) and All About Eve starring Gillian Anderson & Lily James (Noel Coward Theatre, London).
Rebecca Collis
Producer
Rebecca Collis
Rebecca Collis graduated from Royal Holloway University of London in September 2010 with a BA (Hons) in Media Arts.
She joined 59 in late December 2014 and is currently a Producer for the company, regularly producing a variety of different projects ranging from large scale outdoor events to museum exhibitions to theatre shows. She works closely with each of the directors and design teams to help bring their artistic visions to life in as seamless a manner as possible.
Rebecca has over 4 years’ experience working freelance in the film industry prior to her joining 59 Productions. She has collaborated with some of the largest film studios in the world such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers and Walt Disney, with some of her credits including ‘World War Z’, ‘300: Rise of an Empire’, ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’. Based in the production office, Rebecca specialised in the co-ordination and management of productions and throughout her career has had the pleasure of working with some of the most highly regarded producers, directors and actors within the industry.
Ollie Hester
Producer
Ollie Hester
Ollie Hester is a Producer at 59 Productions, working across numerous projects for the company. He has produced a wide variety of work across a broad range of disciplines, with a particular focus on the company’s theatrical and events work.
Since joining 59, Ollie has worked on a diverse array of projects, including Reflections: the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao’s 20th anniversary celebration, the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th anniversary gala and Array – a unique public artwork within London’s Beech Street tunnel, commissioned by the Barbican. Theatrical work for 59 includes the Tony Award-winning Oslo and Tony Award-nominated Junk (Lincoln Center Theater), Brigadoon (New York City Center), Memoirs of a Sailor (Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre, Kuwait), The Nutcracker (Birmingham Royal Ballet) and The Shadow Factory (Nuffield Southampton Theatres).
Prior to joining 59 Productions, Ollie led the team at production house Underbelly for over five years, delivering a variety of events and festivals including Pride in London, Christmas in Leicester Square, Udderbelly Festival London & Hong Kong, London Wonderground, Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations, West End Live in Trafalgar Square and a 16-venue operation (ranging from 40 to 1000 seats) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Ben Hosford
Producer
Ben Hosford
Ben Hosford is a Producer specialising in immersive, site-specific, and non-traditional theatre and events. Ben graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences.
Ben produces a range of projects within 59 Productions’ Portfolio; planning and executing projects and facilitating winning global work. As a Producer at 59 Productions, Ben is responsible for project delivery, budgeting and financial management, as well as scheduling, staffing, and relationships.
Previously, Ben has worked extensively with Punchdrunk, most recently as full time Production Associate providing production expertise across a wide variety of complex and ambitious global projects. Prior to this he was Production Consultant for Sleep No More, Shanghai, living in China for 9 months to deliver the show.
From 2013-2016 he worked freelance in London, on projects including Punchdrunk Enrichment’s Against Captain’s Orders, and The Lost Lending Library and Punchdrunk’s The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable. He has collaborated with Shunt artists Louise Mari and Nigel Barrett (Party Skills for the End of the World / Sleepover / A Conversation), Inspector Sands (High Street Odyssey), Stationhouse Opera (Dominoes), and the Discover Children’s Story Centre (Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake, and Bad Things). He started his career working as Production Manager at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge, before becoming Theatre Manager there from 2011-13.
ADMINISTRATION
Hope Delicata
Administrator
Hope Delicata
Hope graduated from the University of Sussex with an MA in Art History and Museum Curating with Photography, where she specialised in Theatre and Performance. During this time she also undertook a placement at the Victoria & Albert Museum and Blythe House digitising their collections for the general public.
Working across writing, editing, events production and administration, Hope has previously held roles at Studio Private, Dazed & Confused and Elephant West Gallery. Hope joined 59 Productions as the Administrator in April 2019 assisting the General Manager and HR Manager with the day to day running of the company.
Ellen Kenyon Peers
Administration Assistant
Ellen Kenyon Peers
Ellen has been working for 59 since April 2019, when she joined as the Administration Intern. She is currently an Administrative Assistant, working with the Administrator, HR and Business managers. She holds an MFA in Fine Art (Goldsmiths, UoL) and a BA in English Literature (Queen Mary, UoL).
Alongside working with 59, Ellen is an artist and writer with a predominantly social practice, with particular interest in immersive installation and durational performance.
TECHNICAL & PRODUCTION
James Roxburgh
Senior Production Manager
James Roxburgh
James graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Practice, specialising in Technical and Production Management. He has worked for 59 for more than 6 years to realise some of the most technically challenging projects in the entertainment industry.
After graduation he worked as a freelance Production Manager, in the UK touring and in the West End. He was Production Manager for several international touring musicals, taking London productions around the world. James started working with 59 Productions on exhibitions, live camera theatre productions and operas in 2010 in a freelance capacity. He then began to work full-time for 59 in January 2012 working on the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. He was Project Manager for 59 on the ground breaking exhibition David Bowie is, travelling to support its world tour to Canada, Germany, USA, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and Spain.
James is also experienced in coordinating complex projects on sensitive sites such as Hampton Court Palace, The Royal Opera House, Somerset House, the Imperial War Museum, the Guggenheim Bilbao, the BBC and Tate Modern. He recently coordinated the delivery of the permanently installed exhibition Made in Space in Copenhagen and continues to work on a combination of projects internationally and in the UK. For 59 Productions James works on many of our large-scale events including Hampton Court 500 Rewind, The Harmonium Project, Deloite Ignite 15, Deep Time, Bloom, Reflections and Five Telegrams.
Muhammad Abdur Rahman
IT Technician
Jo Athroll
Production Manager
Jo Athroll
Jo graduated from Leeds College of Music with a BA (Hons) in Music Studies, specialising in Performance. She started her career with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, working alongside Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko, before moving on to positions at the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), and later the Barbican Centre (London).
With a background in classical music, Jo has worked with many of the leading international orchestras and ensembles, including the New York, Los Angeles, Berlin Philharmonic and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestras as well as the Barbican’s resident ensembles; the London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. She produced performances and events across a wide range of genres, including semi-staged operatic performances of Benjamin Britten’s Curlew River and Oliver Nussen’s Where the Wild Things Are ; jazz performances with Jazz at Lincoln Centre and Wynton Marsalis, and eminent contemporary artists including Beck, Nils Frahm, Sasha, Bryce Dessner, Laura Mvula, Sunn O))) and Max Richter. Jo also has experience of working on outdoor festivals and events and was part of the delivery team for Open East Festival (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London), Back to Black Festival (Old Billingsgate, London), and Walthamstow Garden Party (London).
Jo first worked with 59 Productions in the early part of 2018 on Array in the Barbican’s Beech Street Tunnel as Production Manager in the Barbican Music Team. Jo worked alongside the delivery team from 59 Productions to plan and implement the event as part of a weekend of wider Barbican events. Jo subsequently joined 59 Productions in April 2019 in the role of Production Manager.
Iain Syme
Technical Associate
Iain Syme
Iain Syme trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating with a BA(Hons) in Theatre Practice.
Iain’s first project with 59 was the 2016 Edinburgh International Festival Opening Event: Deep Time, joining the company full time later that year and has gone on to work on a wide range of projects throughout the company. Theatre and Opera work includes City of Glass (HOME, Lyric Hammersmith), The Shadow Factory (Nuffield Southampton Theatres), The ®Evolution of Steve Jobs (Indiana University, Seattle Opera) and Last Warrior Elephant (Shanghai Oriental Arts Theatre). Projection Mapping work includes Bloom (Edinburgh International Festival 2017), Reflections (Guggenheim Bilbao), Array (Barbican, London) and Five Telegrams (BBC Proms 2018, Edinburgh International Festival 2018). Installation works includes David Bowie is (International Touring), Made in Space (Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen) and Moments of Silence (Imperial War Museum, London).
Iain is also a Video Designer for both theatre and live events. Selected design credits includes work with Belarus Free Theatre and Complicté. Assistant and associate credits includes work with Katie Mitchell and Two Door Cinema Club. In 2015 Iain received the Association of Lighting Designer’s Excellence in Video Design Award.
Graham Keith
Technical Intern
Graham Keith
Graham graduated from the Tonmeister course at the University of Surrey with a degree in music and sound recording, where his final year project compared multiple methods of creating personalised sound zones within one acoustic space.
Before joining 59, Graham worked as an audiovisual consultant for Charcoalblue, where he designed or commissioned systems for venues including The Factory Manchester, LAMDA and Storyhouse Chester. He also created and presented virtual reality models of proposed auditoriums for Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Boulevard Theatre and The Perelman Centre.
Graham has worked as a sound engineer in small venues and festivals such as the Boiler Room and Shetland Folk Festival. He has also worked for Harman Professional representing JBL, Crown, AKG, Soundcraft and Martin Lighting in the entertainment industry.
Richard Wells
Technical Assistant
Richard Wells
Richard graduated from the University of Leeds in 2017 with a BA in English Literature and Theatre Studies. Throughout his time at University and since graduating he has worked in a technical capacity in numerous venues across Leeds. His work as a Production Coordinator at Leeds University Union allowed him to aid in the production of a wide variety of events from fashion and theatre to live music and festivals.
Alongside technical work, Richard has worked as a Stage Manager and Production Manager. His particular interest in projection and video came from producing work at Leeds Light Night in 2017 and 2018.