The Elmer Adventure - Tall Stories

Cast and Crew

Rob Astillo

Meet Rob

Say My Name: Rob Ass-Till-Ee-Oh

Rob is a West London based Actor Musician who studied at Royal Holloway University of London before training at Rose Bruford College.

Theatre credits include: The History Boys (Theatre Royal Bath/UK Tour), Miki (Slot Machine Theatre, Norden Arts Centre), The Dazzle & Fizz Club (D&F Creative), Sweeney Todd (Edinburgh Fringe), and Switch Up (Saltmine Theatre Company). Rob also writes plays and releases original music.

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

I have loved every project I’ve worked on, but I especially had an amazing time with the History Boys. I was very blessed to perform alongside such a great cast.

What was your favourite story as a child?

I listened to the Fantastic Mr Fox audiobook so much as a kid that I learned it word-for-word. Don’t hold me to remember it now though!

What tune gets stuck in your head most often?

1973 by James Blunt is my song of the year so far and most likely the rest of the year.

Amelia Gabriel

Meet Amelia

Say My Name: A-MEE-lee-uh

Amelia grew up in East Sussex and read English at the University of Oxford before training in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music.

Theatre credits include: The Grapes of Wrath (National Theatre), The Lord of the Rings (Watermill Theatre), To the Moon and Back (UK Tour/Concrete Youth), The Snowsmith and Under the Frozen Moon (Half a String). Other credits include: Composer/banjoist for Space Chickens (Half a String)

What was the first show you saw as a child?

When I was about 5-years-old, my parents took me to see an amazing production of The Gruffalo by a theatre company called Tall Stories – perhaps you’ve heard of them..?!

What animal would you be in the jungle and why?

I would be a crocodile because they spend about 75% of the day sleeping or eating; sounds ideal to me!

If you had a trunk for a day what would you do with it?

An elephant’s trunk can hold up to 8 litres of water at a time so you bet I am using it to absolutely destroy my friends in an epic water fight. Or maybe I’d use it as a snorkel. Or to pop down to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and see if they’d let me blast a trunk trumpet solo. Can I keep the trunk for a week?

Frankie Turton

Meet Frankie

Say My Name: FRAN-kee Ter-tun

Frankie is originally from East Yorkshire and has been acting since the age of 5. During this time she has accumulated over 70 credits across film, theatre, and TV.

Theatre credits include: The Three Wise Women (She Productions), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (National Tour), The Pillowman (Hanrick Theatre Company)

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

My favourite project was probably The Three Wise Women. It was a Christmas show full of silly jokes and singing magpie puppets that spread a really lovely message about change.

What was your favourite story as a child?

As a child I loved the stories of The Famous Five. Their adventures really drew me in – I desperately wanted to have a mystery to solve (and a dog) too!

What tune gets stuck in your head most often?

Dancing Queen by ABBA is always stuck in my head, it’s just so catchy!

Petra Joan-Athene

Understudy

Meet Petra

Say My Name: My name is PET-ruh JOH-n ATH-eenee

Petra is a British-Filipino actor who was raised in Hampshire and recently graduated from Bristol Old Vic theatre school.

Theatre credits include: The Boy at the Back of the Class (Rose Theatre/UK tour), Princess and the Frog (Hull Truck Theatre) The Hare, the Moon and the River (Tidal tales
Collective/West Country tour)

Television credits include: Rhyme Time Town (Netflix Original Animation)

What have been your favourite projects to work on?
I recently was in the Rose Theatre’s production of The Boy at the Back of the Class which was a very special project to me as it spread a very powerful message in a hopeful and heartwarming way. I also got to travel the country and perform on some of my dream stages which was quite an adventure!

What was your favourite story as a child?
My favourite story as a child was definitely Roald Dahl’s The Giraffe,The Pelly and Me and I used to love reading all the different characters in funny voices!

What tune gets stuck in your head most often?
It would have to be ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter- it’s a highly contagious tune in my opinion!

Katie Howard

Company Stage Manager

Meet Katie

Say my Name: KAY-tea HOW-urd

Katie is from Leeds and studied Drama and Theatre Practice at the University of Hull, where she learnt a bit of everything to do with making theatre magic happen. She has worked in a variety of roles in theatre and festivals in the UK and Australia including family theatre, musicals, new writing and recently lots of opera! She loves learning and in the past few years has also done a degree in Literature and trained to be a Yoga Teacher.

Theatre credits include: Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Cunning Little Vixen, Satyagraha (English National Opera), The Bridges of Madison County (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Comedy of Errors (Royal Shakespeare Company, Tour), A Christmas Carol (Hull Truck), Boi Boi is Dead, Father Christmas (Leeds Playhouse)

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

I started off working at Edinburgh Fringe during my summers at university and everytime I go back I am reminded of how crazy, big and exciting it is. You can see so much variety in just one day and I love taking a chance on new and original theatre!

What was your favourite story as a child?

Harry Potter. The first book came out when I was 6 and I still listen to the audiobooks (brilliantly read by Stephen Fry) at least once a year. They have been with me through all the ups and downs of life so far and I’m convinced my Hogwarts letter got lost in the post.

What tune gets stuck in your head most often?

I LOVE Taylor Swift, so there is more often than not a Taylor track going round in my head.

Lucie Warren

Assistant Stage Manager

Meet Lucie

Say my Name: LOO-see WAW-ruhn

Lucie trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and loves all things stage and event management. They’ve been part of exciting productions like Bluey’s Big Play, Jack
and the Beanstalk and immersive experiences like Monopoly Lifesized. When not wrangling schedules and set lists, they can usually be found hunting a local flea market for the best props!

Other theatre credits include: Bluey’s Big Play Tour (UK Tour), The Little Mermaid Jr. (The Dolman Theatre, Newport), Gianni Schicchi & La bella dormente nel bosco (The Sherman Theatre, Cardiff), The Sweet Science of Bruising (Bute Theatre, Cardiff), Monopoly Lifesized (London), Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford) and The Pride (Fortune Theatre, London).

What have been your favourite projects to work on?
Definitely Monopoly Lifesized! It was a blast working on a giant game board, complete with a real jail and immersive, interactive elements. A truly unique and exciting experience!

What was your favourite story as a child?
Dumbo was my favourite. The story of the little elephant with big dreams and those magical flying ears captured my imagination and heart. It’s timeless and full of emotion.

What tune gets stuck in your head most often?
The Bluey theme tune is constantly stuck in my head. It’s incredibly catchy and adorable—working
on the show, even briefly, made it an unforgettable earworm!

Creatives

Toby Mitchell

Director

Meet Toby

Say My Name: TOE-bee MIT-shull

Tall Stories’ Artistic Director Toby Mitchell, co-founded the company in 1997. Toby is behind many of the company’s triumphant shows over the last 27 years and most recently directed Tall Stories’ hugely successful Olivier Award-nominated, West End and Edinburgh Fringe 2024 sell-out, The Smeds and The Smoos.

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

As a director, ‘The Smeds and The Smoos’, ‘The Snow Dragon’ and ‘The Snail and the Whale’; as a writer/performer, ‘Future Perfect’ (a show I performed with my then 10-year-old son).

What animal would you be in the jungle and why?

In the jungle I’d be a giraffe – because I’d get to be up high and look at all the other exciting animals and birds.

What is your favourite prank?

My favourite prank is when one person leaves the rehearsal room to make a cup of tea, I get everyone else to hide around the room!

Amanda Mascarenhas

Set & Costume Designer

Meet Amanda

Say My Name: Ah-man duh Mass-car-ren-has

Amanda is a Designer and Visual Artist. She works mainly in Theatre, Television and Events. She designs in a variety of styles including, but not limited to Touring, Musicals, Opera and Immersive work. Amanda prides herself in creating bold spaces that encapsulate the audience from every aspect, she creates sensory spaces that engage the viewer even before the performance has started.

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

The Sorcerers Apprentice at Northern Stage, was definitely one of my favourites. It’s such a fun story with lots of surprises and I got a make a very magical world come to life

What colour describes you?

The orange/gold colour of a mango.

What tune gets stuck in your head most often?

I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross. It’s always a good day when that song is stuck in my head!

Yvonne Stone

Puppet Director & Designer

Meet Yvonne

Say My Name: ee-VON st-OHn

Yvonne studied Puppetry at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London having previously attended the Byam Shaw School of Art. She is now an independent puppet designer, director, maker and performer for theatre, television and film.

Yvonne was behind the Olivier Award-winning puppetry design in Hey Duggee (Kenny Wax family entertainment) and worked on the National Theatre’s Warhorse and His Dark Materials. Her television credits include The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix); Space Pirates, Doodle Do and Mr Blooms Nursery (CBeebies); Mongrels (BBC3) and Jurassic World Dominion (Amblin Entertainment) on the cinema screen.

What was the first show you saw as a child?

It was a pantomime in London. I’d just got over chicken pox and was a bit shy, but then I was asked to come up on stage and suddenly all my shyness was gone!

What animal would you be in the jungle and why?

I would be a monkey as they live in big family groups and I love spending time with others.

What’s your favourite prank?

It’s got to be the old classic – a whoopie cushion! What’s not to love about that?!

Matthew Floyd Jones

Composer & Musical Director

Meet Matthew

Matthew is best known as one half of the wildly successful musical comedy double act Frisky & Mannish, who have been headliners on the international comedy and variety circuits for over a decade. More recently he wrote the music and lyrics for the critically acclaimed West End hit Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder!

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

Projects for kids are the most rewarding – you can’t get away with anything false or smug or gimmicky, they see RIGHT through it and they won’t pretend not to.

What was the first show you saw as a child?

The musical Oliver! at the London Palladium, and apparently I was leaning so far forward I almost fell over the balcony — clearly I wanted to be onstage!

If you had a trunk for a day what would you do with it?

I’d reach round and give the middle of my back a proper scratch for the first time ever.

James Pickering

Arranger

Meet James

JAYMS PICKER-ing

James is a composer, songwriter, music producer, and poet. He has lived in East Kent for the last ten years. Previous theatre credits include The Chambers of Flavour (immersive dining/Gingerline). Previous film credits include County Lines (feature film/Two Birds Entertainment), The V&A Presents Alice Curiouser and Curiouser (feature documentary/Serpent Films), Gus & Son (short film/Two Birds Entertainment), County Lines (short film/Two Birds Entertainment), I Give It A Year (feature film/Studio Canal) and Hello Carter (feature film/Revolution Films).

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

Obviously Elmer! Also County Lines: a real indie feature, nominated for a few BAFTAs. Anything that introduces me to interesting and talented people.

What colour describes you?

I’d like to say lilac or yellow but it’s usually an erratic and confusing combination that can’t make up its mind.

If you had a trunk for a day what would you do with it?

I’d probably give my family rides on it, help my neighbours move things that they’d been putting off and skim stones really far across the sea.

Sundeep Saini

Movement Director

Meet Sundeep

Say My Name: sun-deep say-nee

Sundeep is a movement director and choreographer who is passionate about driving narrative through physicality.

Recent projects have included The Importance of Being Earnest at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Scotland’s Pitlochry Festival Theatre; and the touring production of Little Shop of Horrors, where she was responsible for musical staging, choreography, intimacy and fight direction.

What colour describes you?

Yellow – happy and full of sunshine.

What animal would you be in the jungle and why?

I would be a monkey, cheeky and mischievous with lots of energy and always bouncing around and getting into trouble.

What was the first show you saw as a child?

I first saw Button Moon at The Queens Theatre in Hornchurch.

Rajiv Pattani

Lighting Designer

Meet Rajiv

Based in London, Rajiv is a freelance lighting designer who graduated from LAMDA in 2014 with qualifications in stage management and technical theatre, specialising in lighting, sound and AV.

Rajiv was nominated for the Broadway World UK Award for Best Lighting Designer in 2022 for the production of Yellowman and nominated for the Off West End Award for Lighting Design in 2021 for Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act, both at the Orange Tree Theatre.

Hattie North

Sound Designer

Meet Hattie

Say My Name: HA-tee naw-th

Hattie is a Sound Designer from Leeds, she studied at LAMDA and graduated with a BA in Production Arts. Recent work includes: Crying Shame (Stanley Arts), Really Good Exposure (Underbelly), Bitter Lemons (Park Theatre), Twelfth Night (Stafford Gatehouse) and Two Rounds (Jermyn Street Theatre). Associate work includes: How I Learned To Swim (Roundabout/Bristol Old Vic), Two of Us (HOME) and Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stafford Gatehouse).

What have been your favourite projects to work on?

One of my favourite projects to work on was a production of The Borrowers- we used giant puppets and props to make the actors look very small!

If you had a trunk for a day what would you do with it?

It would be great for moving speakers in high places without a ladder!

What was your favourite story as a child?

My favourite stories as a child were the Brothers’ Grimm fairytales. I liked the scary bits!

Author & Illustrator

David McKee

Author & Illustrator

Meet David

David McKee (1935–2022) was the creator of well-known characters including King Rollo, Mr Benn and Elmer the patchwork elephant, which is now published in more than 50 languages and has its own successful merchandise programme. David was born in Devon and went to Plymouth Art College, where he had a traditional training. On leaving college he drew regularly for Punch, Reader’s Digest, and The Times Educational Supplement. His drawings were influenced especially by Saul Steinberg and André François. In 2020 David won the British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year Award and BookTrust’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Gruffalo’s Child

The Gruffalo

The Smeds and The Smoos