Michelle Donkin
Co-Founder
Michelle is a producer, educator and creative practitioner. After script reading for the BBC Writersroom and Theatre 503, she went on to train in Screenwriting at NFTS and was the winner of the NBC Universal & SyFy Channel's Original TV Pitch Competition. Michelle writes for the stage, audio and the page. Her plays have been staged in London and Brighton.
Michelle is the Assistant Producer for Curated Acts at Reading Fringe Festival working with artists and performers from the UK, Germany, Armenia and America.
As an independent co-founding producer of Cast Iron, Michelle supports emerging writers to get their work on stage, in museums and outdoor spaces. She has mentored young creatives for the Pebble Trust Bursary at Brighton Fringe and coaches writers and producers around production, marketing and storytelling.
Follow Michelle on Twitter @michelledonkinW
Read more about Cast Iron - www.castironbrighton.com
Co-Founder
Michelle is a producer, educator and creative practitioner. After script reading for the BBC Writersroom and Theatre 503, she went on to train in Screenwriting at NFTS and was the winner of the NBC Universal & SyFy Channel's Original TV Pitch Competition. Michelle writes for the stage, audio and the page. Her plays have been staged in London and Brighton.
Michelle is the Assistant Producer for Curated Acts at Reading Fringe Festival working with artists and performers from the UK, Germany, Armenia and America.
As an independent co-founding producer of Cast Iron, Michelle supports emerging writers to get their work on stage, in museums and outdoor spaces. She has mentored young creatives for the Pebble Trust Bursary at Brighton Fringe and coaches writers and producers around production, marketing and storytelling.
Follow Michelle on Twitter @michelledonkinW
Read more about Cast Iron - www.castironbrighton.com
Andrew Allen
Co-Founder
Andrew has taught drama for almost two decades, working with children, young people and adults. He teaches improvisation in corporate and community settings, and leads workshops and mentoring for emerging writers and directors.
Andrew hosts the Cast Iron Theatre Podcast and Friday Night Interview show. Trained in theatre-making and performance, he also writes and directs. His writing has been staged in Croydon, Chelmsford, Brighton, Reading, Edinburgh and London.
Andrew's current play is One Woman Alien with Katy Schutte. He has recently written a short story collection and has a number of short stories published by Candy Jar Books.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @my_grayne
Read more about Cast Iron - www.castironbrighton.com
Co-Founder
Andrew has taught drama for almost two decades, working with children, young people and adults. He teaches improvisation in corporate and community settings, and leads workshops and mentoring for emerging writers and directors.
Andrew hosts the Cast Iron Theatre Podcast and Friday Night Interview show. Trained in theatre-making and performance, he also writes and directs. His writing has been staged in Croydon, Chelmsford, Brighton, Reading, Edinburgh and London.
Andrew's current play is One Woman Alien with Katy Schutte. He has recently written a short story collection and has a number of short stories published by Candy Jar Books.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @my_grayne
Read more about Cast Iron - www.castironbrighton.com
Non-Executive Directors
Steph Weller
Independent Producer:
Old Vic 12 (2018-19); Stage One bursary holder
Steph is an independent theatre and festival producer based in Reading. She is the producer of the Reading Fringe Festival and Magical Reading, a month-long Christmas programme.
Alongside her festival responsibilities, Steph nurtures the development of new work. Last year she spent 12 months as one of the Old Vic 12, developing new musical Black Power Desk, about the British Black Power Movement in the 1960s and '70s.
She also creates theatre as Working Birthday, with writer/performer Natasha Sutton Williams. Steph has been supported by a Stage One bursary for commercial producers and knows how hard it is for emerging producers to get their careers off the ground without that sort of help and mentoring. As such, Steph is passionate about finding ways to support emerging producers and creatives. Read more about Steph at www.stephjweller.com.
Independent Producer:
Old Vic 12 (2018-19); Stage One bursary holder
Steph is an independent theatre and festival producer based in Reading. She is the producer of the Reading Fringe Festival and Magical Reading, a month-long Christmas programme.
Alongside her festival responsibilities, Steph nurtures the development of new work. Last year she spent 12 months as one of the Old Vic 12, developing new musical Black Power Desk, about the British Black Power Movement in the 1960s and '70s.
She also creates theatre as Working Birthday, with writer/performer Natasha Sutton Williams. Steph has been supported by a Stage One bursary for commercial producers and knows how hard it is for emerging producers to get their careers off the ground without that sort of help and mentoring. As such, Steph is passionate about finding ways to support emerging producers and creatives. Read more about Steph at www.stephjweller.com.
Shonali Devereaux
Consultant & Coach
Does 25 years in the business world make Shonali a dull woman? Hell, no.
She has run her own business. She has led a team that raised up to £10M for charity. She has an award-winning Masters degree. She has done a TEDx talk. And in her spare time she acts.
Her work on national and international large-scale events (ranging from the Olympics to the Political Party Conferences) and in fundraising (with the British Heart Foundation and Pride) has made her a proficient stategiser, networker and a solution-oriented person. Managing teams of up to 40 employees and 200 volunteers has made her a motivator, empowerer and coach.
And now? As a speaker, presenter and author, Shonali uses the principles of improvisation to catalyse change and growth in the clients she works with. She believes that change is a constant and wants to build businesses that believe in business, just not as usual.
Passionate about the power of theatre to change lives, raise important social issues and empower individuals, Shonali is delighted to be working with Ironclad Creative and hopes her skills and experience will help them grow.
Consultant & Coach
Does 25 years in the business world make Shonali a dull woman? Hell, no.
She has run her own business. She has led a team that raised up to £10M for charity. She has an award-winning Masters degree. She has done a TEDx talk. And in her spare time she acts.
Her work on national and international large-scale events (ranging from the Olympics to the Political Party Conferences) and in fundraising (with the British Heart Foundation and Pride) has made her a proficient stategiser, networker and a solution-oriented person. Managing teams of up to 40 employees and 200 volunteers has made her a motivator, empowerer and coach.
And now? As a speaker, presenter and author, Shonali uses the principles of improvisation to catalyse change and growth in the clients she works with. She believes that change is a constant and wants to build businesses that believe in business, just not as usual.
Passionate about the power of theatre to change lives, raise important social issues and empower individuals, Shonali is delighted to be working with Ironclad Creative and hopes her skills and experience will help them grow.
Andy Cheng
Executive Director of Ambigo CIC &
Business Consultant
Andy Cheng is an executive director of Ambigo CIC, offers professional business coaching and mentoring, is emeritus co-chair of the national charity Social Work Education Participation (SWEP) and former associate Senior Research Fellow, University of Sussex.
Originally trained in the fine arts, Andy set up and ran two community art studios and galleries. Involvement in community development has led to over a decade of experience working in integrating the third sector and private business. He also has substantial experience in project management, media and web-based design; founding and running a web publishing business in the 1990s.
Empowerment of individuals to achieve fulling and rewarding quality of life is a recurrent theme of Andy’s work.
Andy is a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and a Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM).
Executive Director of Ambigo CIC &
Business Consultant
Andy Cheng is an executive director of Ambigo CIC, offers professional business coaching and mentoring, is emeritus co-chair of the national charity Social Work Education Participation (SWEP) and former associate Senior Research Fellow, University of Sussex.
Originally trained in the fine arts, Andy set up and ran two community art studios and galleries. Involvement in community development has led to over a decade of experience working in integrating the third sector and private business. He also has substantial experience in project management, media and web-based design; founding and running a web publishing business in the 1990s.
Empowerment of individuals to achieve fulling and rewarding quality of life is a recurrent theme of Andy’s work.
Andy is a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and a Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM).
Zsuzsi Lindsay
Reading Fringe Festival Director &
Reading Place of Culture Lead
Zsuzsi was one of the founding members of the Reading Fringe Festival.
She is the Reading Place of Culture Lead and started the Reading on Thames Festival.
She’s passionate about art’s power to unite, give confidence, educate, support an economy and create community.
Reading Fringe Festival Director &
Reading Place of Culture Lead
Zsuzsi was one of the founding members of the Reading Fringe Festival.
She is the Reading Place of Culture Lead and started the Reading on Thames Festival.
She’s passionate about art’s power to unite, give confidence, educate, support an economy and create community.