The Cast of Suitcase from top row, left to right:

Charlotte Allmand, Ross McCall, Zoot Lynam;    Kitty Martin, Jackie Jones, Gemma Banks;  Becky Barry, Daniel Hayes, Tom Hosker

Devisor and Director – Ros Merkin

Ros has over 20 years experience as a theatre academic and practitioner. She has devised numerous site specific performances including work at World Museum, the Cunard Building and the Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool. She has worked extensively on dramatising and devising from non-theatre texts, particularly from oral history and memoirs, ranging from writings of those involved in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the Spanish Civil War to adaptations of Ignazio Silone’s “Fontamara” and Joanne Harris’ “Chocolat”.

Musical Director – Max Reinhardt

Max is Musical Director/Composer for Oily Cart (1981 – present). Recent freelance work includes “Ketubah: The Wedding Party Installation” for Oxford Contemporary Music, the Kristupo Festival in Vilnius, “Illuminating Chagall”, “I Dream of Accra With the Long Blonde ‘Fro” at the V&A Museum and “The Fifth Quarter Suite” for Spitalfields Music Festival. He has created the soundtracks for the film “Mazel” and live soundtracks for “Nanook of the North” and “Nosferatu”. Max is a regular presenter for BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction.

Executive Producer – Jane Merkin

Jane has been making social documentaries for television over the past 20 years, covering subjects including refugees, oral cancer, postnatal depression and homelessness. She has been the Executive Producer on programmes about Scottish fishermen (“Trawlermen” BBC1), economic migrants (“Panorama Special: Breaking into Britain” BBC1), London homeless (“On the Streets” BBC4) and young people with mental health issues (“Don’t Call Me Crazy” BBC3). Jane was the producer of “Suitcase” in 2008.

Creative Producers – Hope Street Limited

Celebrating 25 years of producing ground-breaking original cross-artform performance in unusual places and spaces, Hope Street is a multi-award  winning organisation based in Liverpool. Recent productions include “Alice Through the Winter Gardens”, a promenade performance at the newly-renovated Winter Gardens in Blackpool, “Deadline”, a live-action game around Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Biennial, and “Upside Down, Wrong Way Round”, an immersive theatre performance that marked the 30th anniversary of Unity Theatre, Liverpool. They are currently producing “On the Verge” which showcases new work by emerging talent in non-theatre spaces.

Cast

CHARLOTTE ALLMAND – Hanni, from Vienna, Kurt’s sister

BECKY BARRY – Anne Wilson, an English foster sister / Ilse

GEMMA BANKS – Mrs Emma Garbutt, a prospective foster parent / Renie

DANIEL HAYES – Mr Edward Garbutt, a prospective foster parent / Harry

TOM HOSKER – Bill Prentis, a railway porter / Eric

JACKIE JONES – Mrs Hilton, Refugee Children’s Movement organiser

ZOOT LYNAM – Stephan from Prague

KITTY MARTIN – Edith, an Englishwoman who drinks tea / Eva, a mother

ROSS McCALL – Kurt, from Vienna

ADAM STOREY – Musician

KATHY TOY – Musician

Production Team

Devised and Directed by Ros Merkin

Musical Director – Max Reinhardt

Designer – Lois Maskell

Production Manager – Sandra Blue

Participation Coordinator – Louise Kerwin

Project Assistant – Sam Bennett

Stage Manager – Fionnuala O’Shea

Assistant Directors – Tom Wilson and Roisin Fletcher

Assistant Stage Manager – Kirsty Kavanagh

Graphic Designer – Paul Brand

Press and PR – Rachel Furst

Finance Officer – Sarah Denvir

Creative Producer – Laura Cockett

Executive Producer – Jane Merkin