WHO ARE EVOLUTION?

Paul Hendy is a scriptwriter, director, and producer.

In a previous career, Paul was a TV presenter and hosted shows such as The Disney Club, Don’t Try This At Home with Davina McCall and Wheel of Fortune (which had been running for twenty-three years until Paul hosted one series and they cancelled it!)  He also hosted the BAFTA nominated Dear Mr Barker and the cult classic Stash the Cash (‘cult’ meaning it was rubbish but students liked it!).

Paul wrote, directed and produced the short film, The Last Laugh. The film was a huge success at major film festivals around the world, winning several awards including ‘Best Comedy Drama’ at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and ‘Best Film’ at the Manchester Film Festival. Paul has also directed the short films The Terrorist Princess, Mister Sunshine and The Choice as well as several TV ads.

His novels Diary Of A C-List Celeb (in no way autobiographical… honest!) and Who Killed Simon Peters? were published by Transworld in 2004 and 2009. They received great critical acclaim and were subsequently translated into Russian and Greek (true!).  The novels can currently be found in the bargain bins of most reputable bookshops.

In 2023, Paul directed the critically-acclaimed Lena (the life story of Lena Zavaroni) at the Edinburgh Fringe.  Previously, he directed and produced a UK Tour of Morecambe about his comedy hero, Eric Morecambe.  Paul acquired the film rights for Morecambe and is currently developing a screenplay with BAFTA and Olivier-award winning writer, Tim Whitnall… watch this space!

Emily read French and Italian Literature at Oxford University, which might sound impressive, but it hasn’t come in massively handy in her career as a Pantomime Producer! On leaving University she joined a film production company and worked as a Production Manager making high-end cinema commercials for the likes of Guinness, Stella Artois, Xbox and Levi’s. During this period she worked alongside esteemed British film director, Jonathan Glazer, on his films Birth starring Nicole Kidman, and Under The Skin, which starred Scarlett Johannson.

However, live theatre was always Emily’s passion and producing pantomimes was perhaps a predestined fate for Emily; her Great-grandfather toured Variety and Pierrot shows all over the country during the early 1900s, and her parents both worked in theatre. Emily’s early years were spent back-stage in many of the UK’s theatres and she worked as an Assistant Stage Manager from the age of 15.

In 2005 she began Evolution Productions with her husband, Paul Hendy. Over the last 19 years the company has grown and is now one of the largest producers of pantomimes in the world. They have produced around 200 shows all over the country. This year Emily is producing 10 shows as well as directing Snow White at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton.

After finding Evolution for work experience at University, Amy decided that she would never leave, and has now been with the company for 7 years – even bringing her dog Nala with in her!

Starting as a scenic artist, she was then was handed the golden reins of being Wardrobe Supervisor four years ago. In these years she’s catalogued, washed, ironed, written 100’s of costume lists, polished shoe’s, measured countless actors and packed 1000’s of costumes!

When I’m she’s not working Amy makes amazing cake creations, watches baking programmes and then talk about them at work!

Ella Haines is the creative force behind the stunning costumes seen in Evolution Productions’ pantomimes.

As Costume Designer, she brings characters to life with vibrant, imaginative designs, ensuring that each costume enhances the storytelling and visual appeal of the performance.

Dannii Hollett manages the financial aspects of Evolution Productions, ensuring that budgets are maintained and productions stay on track.

In her dual role as Production Assistant, she supports the production team with administrative and logistical tasks, ensuring everything runs smoothly both on and off the stage.

Michelle studied Creative Arts for Theatre and Film at UCA in Rochester and first worked for Evolution during her second year on a work experience placement. After graduation Michelle started with Evolution as a scenic painter and worked her way up, she now takes on work experience placements from her old course throughout the beginning of the year.

Other areas Michelle has worked in include: painting sets and props for Endemol Shine Group, teaching life drawing on her old uni course as a graduate teaching assistant, as well as helping out on costume and set based projects. She also does freelance painting for kid’s bedrooms and murals.

In one day Michelle might go from carving a Chinese dog statue for Aladdin, making a 1:25 scale model piece for Cinderella and marking out a new nursery flat for Peter Pan, to repairing a cloth and refreshing the glitter. When it comes to Panto her mantra is, if you’re asking yourself ‘is there enough glitter?’ the answer is almost always no, there’s always room for more glitter!

Before pursuing a career in Theatre Production, Tom studied Performing Arts at the Lincoln College of Performing Arts. He then went on to study Drama & Theatre at the University of Kent, before completing his Masters Degree in Creative Producing.

A lover of Pantomime, Tom wrote his thesis on the subject. Examining the audience function, and their ‘role’ alongside the characters, through the meta-theatrically of the modern British Pantomime.

He is delighted that his production of Dick Whittington was nominated for ‘Pantomime of the Year’ at the Great British Pantomime Awards 2022.

Outside of Evolution, Tom has also worked with the New Theatre Royal in Lincoln on Dick Whittington; Robin Hood; and Jack and the Beanstalk.

As Technical Director, Stuart Relph is responsible for the flawless execution of all technical aspects of Evolution Productions’ shows.

With a strong background in stagecraft and production technology, Stuart manages lighting, sound, and set design to create seamless and immersive performances. His expertise ensures that each production runs smoothly from start to finish.

Dan Richardson is the mastermind behind the lighting design for Evolution Productions.

As Head of Lighting, he creates captivating visual effects that enhance the mood and drama of each performance. His expertise ensures that lighting is used to maximum effect, bringing the magic of pantomime to life on stage.

Kate’s worked in UK theatre for 20 years.

As an actress she has been in everything from West End Musicals to a Golden Globe winning HBO film.

Kate is very proud to have had a working relationship with Evolution Productions since their first Pantomime season (appearing in Cinderella alongside Paul Hendy!). She enjoyed several further productions with the company, in roles such as Fairy SugarSnap, Slave of the Ring and Nancy in Oliver!

After relocating in 2012 from London to Canterbury with her family, Kate was delighted to join the production team at Evolution. She has enjoyed the challenges of working in this side of the industry, in everything from casting, booking tours, to directing and taking a production Singapore.

Dorcas was born into a theatrical family. Her parents’ pantomime company – Kevin Wood Productions, was run from her family home. Dorcas’ introduction to working in theatre was aged 11, when one of the dwarfs was ill during a production of Snow White – no one else knew all of the words, all of the dance moves and was under 5 foot! So a week of being Sleepy was a perfect introduction.

After realising that a life on the stage wasn’t for her, Dorcas moved backstage and began working in stage management for five years before going to Guildhall School of Music and Drama to earn a first-class degree in Technical Theatre.

After leaving university, Dorcas worked on numerous shows in the West End.  She was fortunate to work with the likes of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Simon Callow, on shows as varied as Waiting For Godot, to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and Love Never Dies.

After a few years Dorcas couldn’t resist the attraction of pantomime and joined Evolution Productions. She spent 5 years working as Associate Producer and Manager of Evolution Sets and Costumes, working on over 85 productions across the whole of the UK.

In 2016 Dorcas moved into television production, alongside pantomime each year. She has worked on a huge variety of tv productions such as Do You Know? (CBeebies), Britain’s Got Talent (ITV), The X Factor (ITV) and Celebrity Juice (C4). For the past three years Dorcas has been fortunate enough to travel all around Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales filming Pilgrimage for BBC2.

Sunny takes his role as Office Dog very seriously—whether it’s supervising lunch breaks, providing essential cuddles during stressful deadlines, or reminding the team that walkies are just as important as meetings. With an unmatched ability to nap through even the busiest production schedules, Sunny brings a pawsitive attitude to the Evolution Productions office. His specialties include tail wags, snack surveillance, and ensuring no biscuit goes unnoticed.