Michael is newly graduated from East 15 having studied Acting for TV, Film and Radio. Previous manifestations include Enfield in Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde directed by Giles Faulkner (Union Theatre), Romeo in Romeo Clown, Juliet Bouffon, Simeon in A Full Circle (Edinburgh Fringe) dir. John Matthew Ward, Elbow in Measure for Measure (Courtyard Theatre) Goldilocks (national tour) and most recently Albert in Comfort Food directed by Katie Posner (The White Bear). Michael enjoys long walks, captivating conversation and a fine fine wine. He’s also a budding ukulele player.
Helen Belbin
Rose & Rene
Training: Northumbria University, Newcastle and Drama Studio London.
Theatre includes: Smoke (KINN Theatre); The Auction (Sky Blue Theatre Company);
Beauty & the Beast, Forest Creature (Puppet Lab); A Christmas Carol (St George’s West Players); Battle in the Hills, The Storm Watchers (Theatre Enigma); Little Red Riding Hood (Phurious Productions); The Nutcracker (Alligator Theatre); Dick Whittington (West Midlands Children’s Theatre); The Vagina Monologues (Newcastle Arts Centre); Comedy Sketch Show (Soup Comedy Group).
Helen has appeared in a number of short films and also works as a voice over artist.
Stephen Cheriton
Simon & Valaze
Stephen recently completed the run of James Dean is Dead! Long Live James Dean which will now be going on a short tour. Credits before include Ernest in Honey Baby which can be seen again in November and the original run of Marie Anotinette. He was in the thriller season at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, a national tour of Italy and at the English Theatre of Brugges. he performed in the sell out Troika shows Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet, as well as Lazarus' Medea and as Hamlet for Pendry Porters' production of The Secret Love Life of Ophelia. He was the lead in the feature film The Human Factory and as Macheath in Mac The Knife. He was also in the film Lands End as Sebastian.
Stephen has performed in theatre for many years both in the UK and Australia. In 2006 he completed his formal training at East 15 and since then has done a show at the Oval House Theatre, several short films and corporates, and four T.I.E tours - including a tour of the south of France at the beginning of 2008 with Quorum Theatre Company. Stephen's most recent stage role was as George in the new play Men of Monsters at the Hen and Chickens.
Lucy Grainger
Egle, Roussilon & Margot
Lucy is originally from South Wales and studied at Drama Studio London, she is thrilled to be working with Once Theatre on such a one-of-a-kind project. Since graduating Lucy toured for six months in Tom's Midnight Garden, a children's musical, where she played the character Hattie from age 5 to age 80. She played Betty Whitehouse in Dangerous Corner, at The Pacific Playhouse and the old soak Maggy Eyre in The Shoemakers Holiday at The Rose Bankside. Lucy recently played good girl turned naughty, Mary Lane in the UK premiere of tongue-in-cheek musical Reefer Madness at The Bridewell.
James Hayward
President Fouquier-Tinville
James trained at The Drama Studio London, since leaving he has appeared in Macbeth (Oxford Shakespeare Company, Hampton Court), Dead Language (Foolishpeople, ICA), A Christmas Carol (Mokita/Grit, Kings Head Theatre), Pages (Mokita/Grit Pacific Playhouse), A Midsummer Nights Dream & Othello (Cambridge Shakespeare Company), Gallathea (Release the Hounds, The Bridewell), Night of the Zombies (British Phoenix Films) and Victoria Cross Heroes (Channel 5).
Cassie Laver
Rosalie
Cassie trained at Drama Centre London. Theatre credits include Bright Unconquered Sons (Pleasance Islington, RozenTheater Amsterdam), Up Against and Toasted (Camden People's Theatre), Thyestes (Battersea Arts Centre), Twelfth Night (The Space), A Portrait of Dora (Samuel Beckett Centre, Dublin). Film and TV credits include Desperate Romantics, Richard and Judy, Wire in the Blood, Family Dinner and Bullet for your Gun and advertising campaigns for Tesco and Ikea.
Rhys Lawton
Claude Chaveau-Lagarde
Rhys graduated from the BA Acting course at East 15 in 2008, since then he has appeared in a varierty of fringe theatre and film. His most recent productions include The Rivals at the Camden People's Theatre and What All the Rabbits are Doing in Brighton's New Venture Theatre. He appeared in MSN/Endemol's award winning online SciFi Drama Kirill, and the BAFTA nominated short Milk Watch. He is currently developing projects with BigFace Art and will next appear as the Mad Hatter in Kezia Cole's Alice in Wonderland.
Stuart Sessions
Hebert, Guard & Guillaume
Stuart Sessions returned to acting following careers in both the army and as an overseas emergency aid worker. He started young, playing Paulina in Winter's Tale and the Duchess of York in Richard II as a boy actor in original practice productions. Subsequently trained at Birkbeck College, he has most recently been seen in Endorsement (Dir: Francesca Seeley) at the King's Head and as Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure at the Rose Theatre. Other, recent theatre includes Pierre Brochant in Diner de Cons (Dir: Tom Noad) and Peter,A Wedding Story (Dir: Emma Kilbey). During the 2007 summer season, he played Bottom in Mid-summer Night's Dream and Fr Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet at the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. Other credits include Menelaus in Trojan Women, Orestes in Electra, and Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler(Janet Amsden). Future projects include a trilogy of new plays by Robert Gillespie for Jane Nightwork Productions. Stuart is most proud of his role supporting to two, talking scones and a highly opinionated club sandwich in a recent TV ad for online bingo.
Julie Tallis
Marie Antoinette & Co-Producer for Once
Julie trained at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and East 15 Acting School. Her credits include Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, Christine in Mourning Becomes Electra, Antigone in Burial at Thebes, Bee Fontaine in Afterwards (Hen&Chickens Theatre, Islington), Sophia in Habagat (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), 2 TIE tours with Cragrats, and 11 characters in Paris (Corbett Theatre). Julie is also a violinist and composer and has writen music for 4 plays.
