Meet The Performers
Steve GrantSteve plays guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, violin and sings. His musical highlight so far is working with George Harrison (The Beatles) twice, and even recording a Beatles song with him. Soon after Steve turned pro, he was taken under the wing of Chas Chandler, producer of Jimi Hendrix, where he recorded a rather strange album and released 3 singles. Steve has an extensive career history, notable moments include: Recording albums with Alan Price (The Animals) in the 80's, then joining his band as guitarist. World tour with the reformed Animals in 1983. Writing two songs for their album Arc (70,000 copies sold). Biggest shows were with The Police in 70,000 seater baseball stadiums in Florida. Co-producing three albums with Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) and joining his band as a keyboard player. Being Musical Director and guitarist of a Country and Western band called The Woolpackers. Top 20 hit called Hillbilly Rock. First album selling over 1 million copies. Steve joined The Sweet as keyboardist/guitarist in 1996, and has toured all over the world since then. Steve has additionally recorded, produced, performed and written with Suzi Quatro, David Essex, Desmond Decker, John Farnham, Eric Burdon, Annabella, (Bow Wow Wow) Chris Farlowe, Maggie Bell, Clarence Clemons and more. Did I mention a gig in Portugal with Michael Barrymore? No? Good! On a non-musical note, Steve is a fully qualified hypnotherapist. Look into his eyes! |
|
Deena PayneI trained at the 'Arts Education College' for dance and drama and danced through the early 70's on stage and TV. Finding a bit of a singing voice led me into session singing and working with bands, B A Robertson, Cats UK (Luton Airport), Alan Price and musical theatre performing in many productions including Caberet, Only In America, Who's A Lucky Boy? One Careful Owner and in the original west end cast of 'Theyr'e Playing Our Song'. I opened up my own dance practice and also taught ballet as well as choreographing and being assistant director to Bob Thompson at the Hornchurch Theatre. My acting debu was in a 'Not The 9 O Clock News' fringe theatre revue going on to rep at Hornchurch in Steaming, TV work in 'The Bill', 'Tales of Sherwood Forest' and since 1993...playing Viv Windsor (now Hope) in Emmerdale. I was more than happy to bring Steve's ideas for Barok into reality, auditioning ballet dancers for our 'pool' of cygnets, designing costumes, choreographing and shoving ideas around!! Its great to get back to my theatrical roots and be able to support my husband in this exciting project! Barock on!! |
|
Robert IlleshRobert is a multi-instrumentalist of Hungarian-Austrian descent who grew up in West London. He started playing the guitar at the age of 11 and has never really stopped. Early credits include playing on the 1992 progressive psychedelic album No Frills with the band Blim and touring Italy in 1998 with Jethro Tull members Glenn Cornick and Clive Bunker. Current credit highlights include working with Steve Howe and Jon Anderson of Yes: Robert is a long term member of Europe's premiere Yes tribute band Fragile where he has had the privilege of playing in the UK and Europe with legendary guitarist Steve Howe through 2005, 2006 and 2007. He is the creative and technical driving force behind the new progressive project Aquaplanage, released on the Cheeky Features label. Aquaplanage is essentially classic prog with some modern twists. Oh and while not busy with music, he has Reiki level 2, a PhD on Energy, 15 years yoga experience, occasionally writes and produces for academic and public audiences and consults worldwide on a variety of subjects. |
|
Rick HughesRick has been a professional drummer for twelve years with twenty years playing experience. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to play with various artists extensively around the world and has recently toured Europe with musicians from Elvis Presley's band, The Muscle Shoals band and the well respected London based band, Number Nine. Rick has recorded an eclectic mix of material and has been lucky enough to record in both the famous, Sun Studio's, Memphis alongside Scotty Moore of Elvis fame and Abbey Road. In the past, Rick has performed in both theatre and television for shows such as Night Fever and TFI Friday. As well as a nationally respected percussion and drum tutor, Rick is currently involved in many diverse musical projects. |
|
Pete GrantPete started playing bass at age 12 and played in various school bands and after leaving school spent several years performing gigs on the working men's club circuit whilst also serving an apprenticeship as a draughtsman. He formed a band called Top Secret with elder brother Steve in early 1980's which was signed up by original Animals bass player Chas Chandler. They released an album (Another Crazy Day) and singles, as well as touring extensively. The Chas Chandler connection eventually led to Pete working with Alan Price in 1984 and with various incarnations of the band to the present day. Other Artistes Pete has worked with include John Farnham, Rita MacNeil, The Blues Band and The British Blues All Stars. Other job; Structural Engineer. |
|
Steve ParkerDuring the past twenty years Steve Parker has been a working musician and accompanist in contemporary classical and jazz/improvised fields, musician for shows and theatre, composer, conductor and workshop leader. His work has taken him from conducting at the Queen Elizabeth Hall to composing in Lithuania to production shows in the Caribbean. He has worked with some of the world's finest dance companies as musician and composer and has accompanied some of the UK's leading soloists.' |
|
Tom CroelTom teached himself singing, playing the guitar and the piano. In the years 1987 to 1989 Croel was the singer and guitarist of the metalbands Sovereign and Big Brother. With the Croel co-founded Band Riot Act, he had some videoproductions for MTV in 1990. 1994 to 1996 Croel was the leadsinger of the rockbands Sacred Fight in Dusseldorf and LetterX in Stuttgart. 2003 Croel was solist in a musical in Vohringen. 1996 Croel moved to Bavaria and from this moment on he is the lead singer of the popular rockcoverband FACE. Desiring to do something completely different and extraordinary, he founded with four other musicians the formation Voice4u with a very simple but also brilliant concept: Instead of gaudy spotlights, stage is just illuminated by a few dozens of candles, instead of technical gimmickry the emphasis is just put on the musicians. Formally founded as a little church-band, Voice4u is today performing in huge concert halls with thousands of audience members every year. With FACE and Voice4u Tom Croel already gave about 1660 concerts with around 1.7 million audience members. In 2005 Croel got the chance to become the official singer of the Nordic Ski World Championship and he performed the song Live your dream live in the stadium of Oberstdorf in front of 25.000 people. Tom extraordinarily supports beneficial institutions and applies himself to his work with FACE, Voice4u, Barok and his own music, Toms Wunderland. |
|
Leona MarieFrom a young age it was clear Leona was born to perform as she was accepted into The Scottish Ballet at the age of. 10 A tutor Discovered her voice auditioning for an acting course and persuaded her to train in musical theatre at Motherwell College. She shortly landed the starring role in Mama mia the concert and went on to work for abba all over the world including Londons West End The Strand Theatre and recently in Japan. She broke into the pop industry in 2001 with girl band Lemonescent. This was a very exciting time supporting bands such as Attomic Kitten and blue. From arena tour to music videos they acheived 3 TOP 40 UK HIts. She even lived 2 of her dreams performing live at wembley arena and Top of The Pops. She then moved back to London in 2006 and went on to tour the UK and Holland in shows such as, Wonderful West End, Grease, as well the lead in countless pantomimes.. Leona also performed for 6 star Crystal Cruise ship. One of Leona biggest achievements in musical theatre was perfoming with her Idol Lulu at a corporate We Will Rock You show at Wembley. Leona is very excited to be a part of Barok and to be performing at home in Scotland in her first show at the Edinburgh festival. |
|
Amy WhittleAmy Whittle is a freelance singer, dancer, actress and teacher of the arts whilst currently finishing a postgraduate diploma in vocal studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Amy attained a first class honours degree in music performance from RWCMD in 2008. During Amy's time at college she has appeared in many operatic productions and scenes ranging from Mozart to Britten. Amy's Cardiff base dance troupe 'Eclipse' recently made it into the semi finals of Sky One's 'Got to Dance' hosted by Davina McCall. Amy performs regularly around the country as a wedding singer, as a soloist for choirs, various recitals and can also be heard on world renowned drum and base dj 'high contrast's' track Seven Notes in Black, which topeed the charts in 2009. Amy currently teaches dance, drama, singing and piano at various performing arts schools in the Cardiff area and for private pupils. She also works for 'Bamboozle' a Leicester based theatre group for children with learning difficulties, and volunteers for community groups such as 'Odyssey' (Cardiff) and 'Music in Prisons' (London). |
|
Hannah WindowsHannah has danced with ballet companies in Britain and Ireland. Most recently she was the principal in La Sylphide in Dublin. She has worked with Ballet Russe Swansea since 2006 and has danced a variety of roles, notably Myrtha in Giselle and one of the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella. Hannah has danced with the English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall, London (Swan Lake, 2004, and Romeo and Juliet, 2005) and in many productions with Cork City Ballet. She has also toured with the European Ballet (2000-2003). Hannah trained at Solihull Ballet School, near Birmingham, and at the English National Ballet School, London. A highlight of her two-year course in London was her part in the premiere of Christopher Hampson's ballet, Anniversaire, at the South Bank Centre. In May this year, Hannah had a prominent role in the dance presentation for Street Dance at the National Movie Awards, broadcast live on national television. |
|
Emma BruntonEmma trained at Arts Educational School, Tring and Central School of Ballet. She has performed with Alexander Roy London Ballet Theatre (Principal), Benjamin Love Dance Company, Ballroom Blitz with Elaine McDonald (RFH), IJAD (ICA, London) and Balletomania (London and the Edinburgh Festival). Emma then joined Scottish Ballet for Ashley Page's Nutcracker and Cinderella. Her opera credits include ENO's Fairy Queen, Glyndebourne Festival Opera's Otello, Midsummer Night's Dream and a featured dancer/assistant choreographer in Die Fledermaus. Other theatre credits include Will Tuckett's Wind in the Willows, Pinocchio, Faeries & Sitting Room Circus (ROH2 & Wildwood), Resolutions (The Place), Sleeping Beauty & Friends (Serpentine Gallery) and as an aerialist in The Love Pet (Floorless). Her TV and film work include Die Fledermaus, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Bridget Jones, Iris, Trigger Happy TV and various pop videos for MTV. Emma has been assistant choreographer with Will Tuckett for Vertigo Films, Sony BMG and ROH2's Thief of Baghdad. She is currently working as assistant director/choreographer on the world premiere of Will Tuckett's Pleasure's Progress. |
|
Gabriella DigirolamoGabriella started dancing at the age of 6 at Dupont Dance Stage School in Leicester, training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, National, Greek and Singing. She also competed in many dance festivals across the country, winning the East Midlands Junior Ballet Championship, coming runner up at the All England Dance Festival and fortunate to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. During her time there she was accepted as a Junior Associate at the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Where she performed the Nutcracker and Sylvia at the Birmingham Hippodrome and Coppelia at the Royal Opera House. At the age of 18 Gabriella gained a scholarship at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Since graduating she has worked as a dancer with Costa Cruise Line travelling around Asia and the Indian Ocean. Gabriella was the original cast member of the Musical Bollywoodland Love Never Dies in Madrid. Other theatre credits include, Thursday's Child and Chains both of which were productions for the charity UNICEF. Thursday's Child was produced into a film, scenes of which were performed on the children's show Blue Peter, whilst Chains was performed at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. Gabriella has also worked with Ashley Banjo from Diversity Dance Group, this was a collaboration of street and ballet dance, a research project for Syco Production. |
|
Sarah O'ConnellOriginally from East Sussex, she studied ballet at the Legat School, before joining Ballet West in the Scottish Highlands for the remainder of her training. In 2004 she joined Ballet West as a soloist dancer of the touring company, She also taught ballet and dance as part of the Ballet West Outreach Highlands and islands Programme. Her repertoire amoungst others includes Lead Pas de Dueux in Eugine Onegin, with Glyndebourne festival Opera, Dream UK tour with independant Ballet Wales , Featured dancer 'Juliet' in Street Dance 3D the movie, O Caritas by Peter Darrell with Curve foundation. She is currently perfoming Manon at the Royal Opera House and touring soon wih the company to Japan. |
|
Caroline ScottCaroline trained at the English National Ballet school in London before touring with the Vienna Festival ballet where she performed many classical lead roles around the UK. She then did Glyndebourne Opera, a Midsummer Nights Dream and Die Fledermaus. She performed with the English National ballet company with Swan Lake in the Royal Albert Hall. She then joined the Welsh ballet performing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Dillon Thoma's converted play of Under Milk wood. She travelled to Denmark to perform Phantom of the Opera and then played the part of Rosie in Bill kenwrights 'Cabaret'. She has done a few films which include Streetdance the Movie and Save The World by David Castle and some modelling for Kcp Fashion AB in Sweden. |
|
Naomi CobbyNaomi trained at the Elsden School of Dance and then from the age of 11 trained at the Hammond School of Dance. Theatre Credits include:- Irish Wings, Marie,(Dutch National Tour); Santa Claus and the Return of Jack Frost,(Mayflower Theatre, Southampton);Choreographer and performed in The Best of Brian Conley,(National Tour); The Phantom of the Opera, understudying and playing Meg,(Her Majesty's Theatre); I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing,(Her Majesty's Theatre); Kirov Ballet's production of La Bayardere,(Royal Opera House); Body Language Jazz Dance Company, London. Playing a Country Mouse in the original production of Frederick Ashton's Beatrix Potter,(Royal Opera House). Concerts include:-A-Z of Musical Theatre, A-Z of Christmas, Highlights of Les Miserables in Concert. Television/Film credits:-Moving Paintings(Big Feature Productions); Paul O'Grady Show; GMTV; Behind The Mask(documentary, BBC); the Spectre in short film The Flow; Phantom of the Opera DVD, Behind The Mask; Children's Royal Variety Performance (Dominion Theatre). Naomi is a qualified dance teacher and when not performing enjoys teaching at a couple of schools in London. |
|
