Artist Biography

18th February 
through 10th March

Roger has enjoyed of wide plethora of theatrical experience including appearances as various Motown Artistes in 'Dancing in the Streets' in London's West End; as Andrew on the No. 1 National Tour of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'; additionally appearing in the world premiere presentations of R. E. Love and Sammy (about Sammy Davis Jr.) as well as key assignments both in 'Hair' and 'Lost in the Stars'.  Roger was also proudly featured in LSW Associate, Ian Talbot's production of The Pirates of Penzance for the New Shakespeare Company in Regent's Park.  Enjoying a noted recording career Roger has served as a leading vocalist for London Records with Kendo Nagassaki and, for Cheeky Records, on both the Faithless and High as a Kite/One-Tribe discs.  On Television Roger has been featured in BBC1's 'All About Me' series and as Dreamboy in 'A Little Bit of Lippy' for Channel 4 Films.  Rodger will be leaving 'Black Atlas' to go into the West End production of 'The Lion King' for a year's run.

PIERCE EGAN -
  Anglo-Jamaican journalist, Quick-witted.  His journalistic style is still employed as a role-model today.  

HISTORICAL CHARACTER

12th March 
through 5th April

Born in Mississippi and a former US Marine, Bruce appeared most recently in Showboat at the Royal Albert Hall.  After being de-mobbed in Paris, Bruce spent two decades building his musical chomps in and around the Parisian Jazz scene thrilling such notables as Kathleen Turner and Cary Grant with his vocal flair.  Appearing numerous times on French television as a guest vocalist, Bruce has recorded aside a huge plethora of noted musical artists spanning David Soul to Nana Mouskouri. His unmistakable voice has been heard world-wide in a vast range of media, most recently being hailed as the voice of Veet.  Having sung/recorded title tracks for films ranging from ‘Sky Dance’ (‘While I’m Dreaming') to 'Liason Dangereuse' (‘You Go to My Head’), Bruce has appeared as an actor in numerous French films ranging from his noted portrayal as the Diplomat Bruce Donahue in ‘L’American’ to a very determined Marine in Roman Polanski’s emphatic ‘Frantic’.  

PIERCE EGAN -
  Anglo-Jamaican journalist, Quick-witted.  His journalistic style is still employed as a role-model today.  

HISTORICAL CHARACTER

A graduate of LSW's Dream Factory Project, Fabian appeared as Polixines in 'Shakespeare 'n Sinatra' (LSW's original take on The Winter's Tale) and as Iago in both the London, National tour and BBC2 presentations of 'Blacking Iago'  as well as originating the role of 'The Voice' in the new musical 'Lifting the Mask' celebrating the life and lyrics of Paul Laurence Dunbar.  Most recently Fabian appeared in 'Karma' at the Tricycle Theatre and in Che Walker's 'Been So Long' at Theatre Royal Stratford East.  Additionally, Fabian recently took part in LSW's educational programmes both with the RSC at the Swan Theatre in Stratford and in Canada with the Canadian Stratford Festival.  Fabian made his West End debut as part of the William Poel Festival at the Theatre Royal Haymarket  and played a wide diversity of roles including Angelo in 'Will I Survive?' with special guest Harriet Walter at the Ledbury Poetry Festival.  Fabian has studied with such legendary personages as Janet Suzman, Lynn Farleigh, Mark Rylance, Philip Voss and Cicely Berry.

Born a slave in Louisiana, becomes England's first major Black prize fighter: Charismatic, not book learned but personable and intuitive.   

HISTORICAL CHARACTER

A long-standing veteran of the National Theatre of Great Britain, Peter has been featured variously in now legendary productions of Mourning Becomes Electra (dir: Howard Davies); Three Sisters (dir: Katie Mitchell); The Relapse (dir: Nick Hytner); Winter's Tale & The Cherry Orchard (dir: Sir Trevor Nunn), etc.  Additionally Peter has been seen as Clint in 'Only the Lonely' at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, as Peter in the World Premiere of 'Better', a play dealing with the trauma of kidney transplant, as David in 'The Love Child' for Red Shift, at the Young Vic as Ivan Yat in 'The Wedding', as Romeo in 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Cheltenham Everyman and in the title role of 'Hamlet' (Both in Shakespeare's play and in Stoppard's 'Rosencrantz & Guildernstern are Dead') for Moving Theatre.  Peter has also enjoyed a wide assortment of leading television appearances ranging from 'Walking the Dead' to 'Casualty'; from presenting the BBC TV series 'Telequest' to essaying the role of the Young Hitler in 'Inside the Wolf's Lair'.  

PADDINGTON JONES - 
 Former British prize-fighter, now Tom's trainer, Cockney, caustic wit, capable, honourable and driven.  

HISTORICAL CHARACTER

A Bristol Old Vic graduate and the son of the late Roger Hume (celebrated as the original Bert Fry on 'The Archers'), Oliver has enjoyed a substantial and varied career in theatre and media arts.  In a huge range of dramatic assignments, Oliver has essayed everything from Dr. Soper in the recent World Premiere presentation of 'Washington Square' at the Wolverhampton Grand to Norman in 'Round and Round the Garden'; from Sir Sagamore in the New Shakespeare Company's production of 'Camelot' in Regent's Park (where he was also featured in 'Midsummer Night's Dream' and Henry IV, Part 1) to Joseph Surface in 'School for Scandal' at the Bridge Theatre, Norfolk; from the title role in 'Macbeth' with the White Horse Theatre in Germany to John Goodrum's recent romantic comedy 'Sorry, I Love You' at the Wimbledon Theatre and Scrooge in a new musical version of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' at the Sevenoaks Playhouse.  Variously Oliver has been seen as a High Court Prosecutor, Alchemist, Plague Doctor and Medieval Butcher.  Over international airwaves he has been seen/heard in guises ranging from PC Gary Howard on 'Casulty' and the voice of Cawdry in the 'Doctor Who' series (all for the BBC) to Provost Carneil on the 'The Dalek Empire' recordings for Big Finish Productions.

HISTORIC CHARACTER

CAPTAIN BUCK - 
Former British Military (he says) with pretensions; gullible yet forthright, basically 
a petty crook.

HISTORICAL CHARACTER
(CAPTAIN BUTLER)

A graduate of LSW's Dream Factory Project, Darren appeared as Emilio in 'Shakespeare 'n Sinatra' (LSW's original take on The Winter's Tale) and as Othello in both the London, National tour and BBC2 presentations of 'Blacking Iago'.  Most recently Darren appeared in 'Karma' at the Tricycle Theatre and took part in LSW's educational programmes with both the RSC at the Swan Theatre in Stratford (UK) and in Canada with the Canadian Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario.  Appearing in 'Peter and the Wolf' with the Concordia Music Foundation, Darren received the Serena Nevill Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in December '06.  Darren has also appeared in 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'A Winter's Miscellany' at the National Portrait Gallery. Darren made his West End debut as part of the William Poel Festival at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and played a wide diversity of roles in 'Will I Survive?' with special guest Harriet Walter at the Ledbury Poetry Festival.  Darren has studied with such legendary personages as Janet Suzman, Lynn Farleigh, Mark Rylance, Philip Voss and Cicely Berry and has just completed post-production on his 25 minute film (for which he was responsible for writing the screenplay and assistant-directing) 'Shoot and Score' featuring the noted actress Cathy Tyson and directed by Leon Herbert.

Born a slave in The Middle Passage from Africa, now Tom's Manager in London.  Strongly principled, deeply articulate. 
 
HISTORICAL CHARACTER.

BRUCE WALL

Bruce is the Executive Director of the London Shakespeare Workout
and the LSW Prison Project.   

The Outside Man; 
A character who joins
with the BLACK ATLAS
audience as an inter-
active participant, 
holding 'as t'were
the mirror up 
to nature'. 
 

BRAD DAMON

Graduating from The Drama Centre in 2005 and, previously, the Royal Academy of Hard Knocks' inclusive of a small stint of time at her Majesty's pleasure, Brad has enjoyed a wide range of experience while training with appearances ranging from Bobbie Torbet in 'Scenes from the Big Life' to Judge Brack in 'Hedda Gabler'; from Old Gobbo in 'The Merchant of Venice' to Gregor in 'Metamorphasis' at the College of NW London.  Brad has additionally taken part in LSW's Corporate incentive, the 'Willing Dreams Programme' run in tandem with the London Business School. 

The second longest reigning British monarch who, among other attributes, founded the British Library, Royal Academy of Arts, was the first king to study science (his instruments can be seen at the Science Museum) and took a keen interest in government (creating 'The Royal Marriages Act' and 'The Civil List' both still in force today) and, as 'Farmer George', in agriculture. 
 
HISTORICAL CHARACTER

NIC ALEXANDER

PRINCE REGENT - 
Prince of Wales, effete but   purposeful - encharged with 
the maintenance of his 
father, King George III 

 HISTORICAL CHARACTER

TOM CRIBB - 
 British prize-fighter, strong, astute, capable of surprising vulnerability and 
good sense.  

HISTORICAL CHARACTER

TIM WILLIAMS

LSW's 
Musical Director

Tim Williams is a true musical genius – well, in my (Bruce Wall’s) eyes at any rate.  He does not just compose music for a dramatic text; Tim enhances it.  ‘See the music; hear the text’ I always say.  Tim has graced all LSW productions since ‘ALBA’, taking in such notable undertakings as ‘Shakepeare ‘n Sinatra’; ‘A Christmas Salutation’; ‘Blacking Iago’ (in prison, London, on tour & TV); the pilot presentation of ‘Black Atlas’ and the truly glorious score for LSW’s first full-fledged musical ‘Lifting the Mask’, (Touring the UK in Fall 2007, opening on Broadway, April 2008).  Having been educated in institutions ranging from the Cathedral School of St. John the Divine to the Royal Academy of Music, Tim’s music has enhanced productions in theatres spanning The Royal Court to The Bush; from the Duke of York’s to The Half Moon; from RADA to the Edinburgh Festival.  A noted Musical Director, Tim has additionally composed and/or participated in the scores for many key films/television series as well as recording with a vast array of musical assemblies ranging from Jack Hawkins Big Band to Nexus.  Given that his cv is four pages long let's suffice it to say that this is the 'true' Renaissance man on LSW’s staff; a dab hand in transfixing any and all musical clefts.

COMPOSER,
KEYBOARDS,
LSW's MUSICAL DIRECTOR 

BEN TRIGG

It is hard to imagine that Ben is only just 25.  A graduate with First Class Honours from the Royal Academy of Music, Ben served as a member of the National Youth Orchestra.  Since graduation Ben has toured with the War of the Worlds (Jeff Wayne), the Elton John Symphony Orchestra; works on an on-going basis with both the English Chamber Orchestra as well as the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra and has appeared at the Albert Hall with Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth.  Most recently Ben was the principal cellist for the musical ‘The Last Five Years’ at the Meunier Chocolate Factory and has additionally appeared as solo Cellist in everything from Ellen Greene’s cabaret ‘Torch’ at the West End’s New London Theatre to ‘A Broadway Diva Christmas’ in New York, additionally bowing throughout the UK in an entertainment cheerfully entitled: ‘Some Girls are Bigger Than Others’.  Ben has also participated in a goodly number of recordings with groups ranging from the Artic Monkeys to the Sanjeev & Karuna Classical Indian Ensemble.  We welcome Ben for his first LSW stint on the 'Black Atlas' UK tour. 

CELLIST