Alongside the rest of the team, I’m responsible for deciding the artistic policy of the company – choosing which shows we make and which shows we bring back each year. It’s also my job to work with our team of designers and performers to develop and rehearse our shows. Sometimes people call Toby or me ‘the boss’, which still makes me giggle.
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
I have loved walking to work at the Sydney Opera House in the sunshine, telling my mum and dad we had been booked for Broadway, opening in the West End for the very first time and (something that never changes) watching the happy faces of our audiences, young and old. The most memorable thing I’ve done however – has to be founding Tall Stories with my friend Toby, which has really changed the course of everything.
What’s your favourite story?
This is changeable – but right now it’s Oliver Jeffers’ ‘The Heart and the Bottle’.
Toby Mitchell
Joint Artistic Director
Meet Toby
What do you do at tall stories?
All of us at Tall Stories have ideas for shows and for how the company works. I have far too many ideas – most bad, some good! Olivia and the others sort the good from the bad. I also write and direct shows, take photos and design flyers and posters.
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
Reading ‘The Gruffalo’ before it was famous and deciding (with Olivia) to adapt it for the stage; writing and publishing a picture book based on our stage show ‘The Snow Dragon’; and watching children (and their grown-ups) enjoying our shows.
What’s your favourite story?
I'm torn between ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (for its nonsense and intelligence) and ‘Winnie the Pooh’ (for its silliness and philosophy).
Lucy Wood
Producer
Meet Lucy
What do you do at tall stories?
I make a lot of spreadsheets with numbers on which help me and our team see how much money we have to spend on each production and also see how the company is doing financially. I help us plan forthcoming projects, talking to our rights holders and international producers and partners so that we always keep busy, busy, busy!
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
Watching our truly beautiful production of ‘The Snail and the Whale’ perform at New Victory Theatre on Broadway, being part of the original team of Olivier Award nominated shows like ‘Room on the Broom’. Working extra hard on sometimes as many as eight shows at once over our crazy Christmas periods. Taking my own child to see ‘The Gruffalo’ in the West End. He was only eight weeks old at the time and although he fed and slept for the majority of it he definitely enjoyed it!
What’s your favourite story?
‘Back Home’ by Michelle Magorian and ‘The Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton. They are by my bed to read if I can't sleep at night.
Charlotte Lund
General Manager
Meet Charlotte
What do you do at tall stories?
I look after all of our international and small/mid-scale UK productions by booking our shows into theatres, arranging visas and logistics for international tours, talking with venues and presenters around the world and manage the day to day administration of the company.
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
Working with Punchdrunk and English National Opera on a site-specific adaptation of ‘The Duchess of Malfi’, getting to go to New York for the Broadway opening of ‘The Snail and the Whale’, being part of the Olivier Award nominated ‘Room on the Broom’ production.
What’s your favourite story?
‘The Secret Garden’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett and ‘The Complete Collection of Winnie The Pooh’ stories and poems.
Natalia Scorer
Creative Coordinator
Meet Natalia
What do you do at tall stories?
I organise our casting and contracts, tour and travel logistics and assist with the development of new shows. I also look after our website, social media and newsletters and coordinate special events like charity galas or schools workshops.
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
Before Tall Stories, managing a venue for the New York Fringe Festival, directing ‘The Last Five Years’ at the Edinburgh Fringe and working on the children’s casting for ‘Matilda’ and ‘Billy Elliot’. At Tall Stories I have loved organising the schools art exhibition for ‘The Snow Dragon’ and helping to create our interactive time-travel show 'Future Perfect'.
What’s your favourite story?
‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton and 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman.
Sheila McClenaghan
Finance Officer
Meet Sheila
What do you do at tall stories?
My job is to make sense of what has actually happened with the income (for example, money from ticket sales) and expenditure (for example, money we pay our actors and creative team) on our various projects.
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
The most enjoyable thing for me in theatre is watching a show develop from first read-through to opening night, and beyond! I've been lucky enough to do this with several professional plays; but perhaps one of the most memorable for me was helping with an amateur production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ many years ago, where I watched an amazingly talented director bring out some outstanding performances from the actors.
What’s your favourite story?
As a child I loved the ‘Anne of Green Gables’ series, and when my daughters were younger I enjoyed reading the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ books by Laura Ingalls Wilder to them.
Lucy Troy
Production Assistant
Meet Lucy
What do you do at tall stories?
I help keep the productions running on a day to day basis, this includes organising transport and accommodation for tours, creating lots of spreadsheets, and I get to run around with a time machine visiting lots of schools with our production of 'Future Perfect'.
What are the most memorable things you’ve done in theatre?
The summers I spent working at the Gilded Balloon at the Edinburgh Fringe have very special memories for me. I first went as a shy 19-year-old working as a member of the front of house team and ended up supervising the whole team a few years later! During my time there I saw some amazing work, made some great friends and had a fair few very late nights.
What’s your favourite story?
The whole Harry Potter Series. I was known in primary school for being a bit obsessed. This obsession, teamed with my very short dark hair, round glasses and strange likeness to Daniel Radcliffe earned me the nickname ‘Harry Potter Kid’.
Board of Trustees
Annabel Arndt
Steve Cowton
Penelope Daly
James Jones
Toby Park
Aaron Millard • Abbey Norman • Adam Bampton-Smith • Adam McClelland • Alan Park • Alastair Chisholm • Alex Clay • Alexandra Harman • Alex Scott Fairley • Alex Perkins • Alex Tregear • Alice Parsloe • Alicia Marsden • Alix Rainsby • Althea Burey • Amit Sharma • Amy Darcy • Amy Harris • Amy Tobias • Andrew Gorman • Andrew Hoggarth • Andrew Holloway • Andrew Ivanov • Andrew Mudie • Andrew Paton • Andrew Simeon • Andy Bainbridge • Andy Shaw • Andy Shewan • Angela Laverick • Anna Delchev • Anna Park • Anna Wheatley • Annabel Arndt • Ashley Illman • Athan Osborne • Austin Mitchel Hewitt • Becky Barry • Becky Kitter • Becky-Dee Trevenen • Ben Caplan • Ben Cutler • Ben Frimstone • Benjamin Luke • Ben Phillips • Ben Richardson • Bernhard Niechotz • Bethan Mair Hughes • Bryony Shanahan • Caroline Beckman • Caroline Garland • Cathryn Gleeson • Catriona Mackenzie • Catriona Stirling • Ceili Freeman • Charlie Hodsdon • Charlotte Cooper • Charlotte Lund • Charlotte Mafham • Charlotte Thompson • Charlie Guest • Charlie Young • Cheryle Hansen • Chloe Kenward • Chris Fossey • Chris Gunter • Chris Ratcliffe • Chris Sharp • Christopher Smart • Claire Knight • Clare Fischer • Clare Macmillan • Clare McKenna • Colin Adrian • Connor Bloom • Cosmo Cooper • Dale Wylde • Damien Warren Smith • Dan Foxsmith • Daniel Naddafy • Dan Schunmann • Danny Hendrix • Danny Schlesinger • Darren Seed • David Ahmad • David Covey • David Garrud • David Lasserson • Dawn Hudson • Derek Elroy • Duncan Foster • Duncan MacInnes • Elaine Faulkner • Elizabeth Park • Ellen Chivers • Ellie Bell • Emilio Iannucci • Emily Flynn • Emma Crowley-Bennett • Emma Eldridge-Doyle • Emma MacLennan • Emma Manton • Emma Nairne • Eva Tausig • Felix Hayes • Fiona Putnam • Fiona McCulloch • Fionnuala Dorrity • Frank Harrison • Gareth Farley • George Gallagher • Georgia Wall • Glyn Williams • Graeme Reid • Gus Houssein • Hannah Broadway • Hannah Miller • Harry Lobek • Heather Rose • Heather Saunders • Heather Snaith • Helen Mugridge • Henry Everett • Hester Musson • Hilda Gardner • Isla Shaw • Ivan Unwin • Jack Kelly • Jackie Drew • Jake Addley • James Gitsham • James Whiteside • Jeni Draper • Jennifer Slapp • Jeremy Randall • Jesse Briton • Joanne Harvey • Joe Darke • Joe Hancock • Joe Mcnamara • John Byrne • John Terry • Jon Fiber • Jonathan Race • Jools Walls • Jordan Turner • Joseph Carey • Josie Cerise • Julian Millard • Justin Goad • Kai Simmons • Karen Wood • Karina Garnett • Katie Avis • Kay Hesford • Kelly Bibb • Kevin Dunn • Kirei Samuel • Kobna Holdbrook-Smith • Laura Lewis • Laura Murphy • Laura Sydonie • Lauren Scott-Berry • Lauren Silver • Lenny Peters • Lesley Cook • Liam Lane • Lisa Aitken • Lisa McLean • Louise Mai Newberry • Lora Davies • Luanna Priestman • Lucy Atkinson • Lucy Grace • Lucy Troy • Lucy Tuck • Lucy Wood • Luke McConnell • Marie-Therese Devine • Matt Dudley • Mark Munday • Mark Peachey • Martyn Dempsey • Mary Pope • Matt Jopling • Michael Holden • Michael Lambourne • Michael Jean Marain • Michael Neale • Michaela O’Connor • Mira Dovreni • Morag Cross • Morgan Large • Naomi Said • Natalia Scorer • Natalie James-Fox • Nathan Guy • Neil Connolly • Neil Gavin • Neil Jennings • Nick Ash • Nichola Evans • Nicola Harrison • Nigel Pilkington • Nuala Cavanagh • Oliver Swinton • Olivia Jacobs • Owen G Bevan • Owen Guerin • Pady O’Connor • Patrick Bridgman • Paul Clarke • Paul Curley • Paul Lancaster • Paul Matania • Penelope Daly • Peter Harrison • Phil Bentley • Phil Yarrow • Polly Sullivan • Rachael Spence • Rachel Benson • Rhiannon Wallace • Rob Copeland • Robert Evans • Robin Hilton • Robin Price • Ross Hugill • Ross Sutherland • Rowan Talbot • Ruth Hutchinson • Saint • Sally Ann Staunton • Sam Buitekant • Sam Donovan • Sam Conway • Samantha Barron • Sara Hillier • Sarah Calver • Sarah Durham • Sarah Tranter • Sarah Goddard • Sarah Kameela Impey • Sarah Manton • Sarah Marsh • Sarah Thomas Lane • Sarah-Louise Young • Scott Armstrong • Scott Ironside • Sean Kempton • Sharon McArdle • Sharon Morwood • Sheila McClenaghan • Sinead MacManus • Siobhan Higgins • Sophie Alice • Steve Brownlie • Steve Cowton • Steve McCourt • Stuart Slavicky • Stuart Barter • Sue Macmillan • Susanna Jennings • Suzanne Robertson • Thomas Warwick • Tim Gilvin • Tim Hibberd • Tim Richey • Tim Stedman • Toby Mitchell • Toby Park • Tom Crook • Tom Gillies • Tom Jude • Tracy Phillips • Verity Clayton • Verity Hewlett • Vikki King • William Croft • Will Evans • William Towler • William Uden • Wyn Williams • Yvette Clutterbuck • Yvonne Stone • Zahra Premji
