David Lightbody

David Lightbody
Biography
I studied theatre at Royal Holloway College, London University and later received
an MBA from London Business School. This mixture of business and theatre, along with a
healthy love of Shakespeare and a serious interest in creating commercial theatre in
places where it doesnʼt exist have defined my career so far. I feel extremely fortunate to
have been working in theatre production for the past fifteen years. I started out by
producing outdoor Shakespeare in the wild and beautiful Highlands of Scotland and for the
last six years I have been working to develop the commercial musical theatre industry in
China. I first went to China in 2005 as general manager for Cameron Mackintosh (China)
Ltd to begin laying the foundations for first class productions of major western musicals to
be produced in Mandarin.
In 2008 I returned full time to London to work as business manger for Cameron
Mackintosh and during that time I worked on the West End production of ʻOliver!ʼ the UK
touring production of ʻMary Poppinsʼ and the newly designed tour of ʻLes Miserablesʼ. In
2009 my focus returned to China when I became executive producer for the Chinese
language version of ʻMamma Mia!ʼ which opened in Shanghai in July 2011.
Away from musicals I am the executive producer of the Chinese language version
of ʻDefending the Cavemanʼ, I was associate producer on the West End production of
ʻOnassisʼ and I am a consultant for Matthew Bourneʼs New Adventures Company and the
Curve Theatre in Leicester. I have worked with ISTA since 1997, as an ensemble leader
and Festival artistic director; I have been an ISTA trustee since 2004 and was appointed
as ISTA president in 2005. With ISTA I have had the chance to constantly learn more
about theatre from working with exceptional theatre professionals and world-class
students, I have travelled the world and I have made lifelong friends; it doesnʼt get much
better than that!
Desta Haille
Biography
I am half English and half Eritrean. I work as a singer, songwriter, teacher, and
marketing assistant. Born in Bangkok, I have lived in Barbados, Jordan, The Ivory Coast,
France, England, Belgium, Brazil and The Philippines. While studying education and social
sciences I fell into professional music. Writing original songs and doing backing vocals for
artists like Grammy-nominee Zap Mama, Canadian Grammy winner Michael Bublé, and
Turkish popstar Hadise has kept me travelling a lot to New Zealand, Australia, Tunisia,
Russia, the United States, the UK, Norway, and many other countries. My backing vocal
discography includes French icon Mylène Farmer, Belgo-Italian singer Lara Fabian, and
Congolese rapper Baloji. Composing songs and writing lyrics is one of my favourite things,
and I have released four albums in the past couple of years, solo and with my funk-soul
group The Elements.
I have been with ISTA since 2004 and each festival has been an incredible
experience, multicultural and creative, whether in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Munich, London,
Istanbul, Geneva or Manila. I try to pass on my lessons learned as a professional vocalist,
teacher, and as international intern at Augusto Boalʼs Theatre of the Oppressed over the
short, intense periods of each festival. I love to travel and learn languages, share music
and ideas. I aim to inspire students, encouraging them to find what they enjoy doing and
pursue it. I feel that ISTA brings out the best in every participant, with each challenging,
energy-packed event!
Karl Lappel
Biography
I have been working as a freelance stage and production manager for the last
twenty-five years. I have been lucky enough to work with some wonderfully brave and
innovative theatre companies including Kneehigh (Cornwall), the Sherman (Cardiff,
Wales), the Perth Theatre Company (Western Australia), Theatre Nanog (Neath, Wales)
and the Belvoir Street Theatre (Sydney, NSW) to name but a few. I have run tours, in and
out of receiving venues, and was head stage manager for the Perth Concert Hall, where I
managed a crew of over 50 experienced technicians. I have hugged Demis Roussos, hung
out with Oasis, survived tours in the Australian bush and have stage managed the Gotan
Project and Madeleine Peyroux. I production managed Alabama 3 in a soggy field in south
Cornwall, playing on a wobbly fruit and veg trailer, and have worked as a production
supervisor for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. I ran an analogue sound
recording studio for two years.
I have been rewarded for my passion in technical theatre by having had the
opportunity to work in my chosen area of interest, which is working with medium scale
companies that have a vision, a quest, to produce invigorating, edgy work. Established,
large-scale theatre companies do not really interest me and have consequently shunned
the West End. I love trial and error, rejoice in the mistakes I make and am always hungry
to explore what works technically. When not on tour, I am often found in my shed building
bits of set or props by the warm glow of the potbelly stove.
Matthew Godfrey
Biography
I have been working as a professional actor since I was ten years old starting on the
TV show, ʻYou Canʼt Do That On Televisionʼ. As I grew up and studied the craft at the
National Theatre School of Canada and the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia, my acting
career expanded into dance, improvisation, dinner theatre, street performing, main stage,
television and film. I am a firm believer that the art of performing can elevate oneʼs life
experience, enhance oneʼs inner and outer core, increase self-esteem and expand
compassion and empathy of the human condition. This adventure is my greatest joy and
can only be surpassed by seeing studentʼs joyful faces as they explore, discover and
create in ways they had never thought of before.
Now located in Los Angeles, I have expanded my career into producing, directing
and post-production. These entertainment industry experiences have provided me with an
entirely new way of looking at the craft I teach, and helps me approach the students with a
resh and contemporary outlook while integrating multiple academic and theatrical
disciplines, dramatically, technically, musically, culturally, historically and thematically. My job as a teacher is to instill and foster a creative ability empowering the
studentʼs to make the connections that no one has seen before. I am sneaky. I take
students through the back door of performance techniques and styles while removing preconceived ideas that thwart and stalemate full participation and creativity. We play,
discover and will never forget. And, they will all learn the Russian curtain call step dance.
Sacha Kyle
Biography As an award winning theatre director, I have created work for children and adults
and have taught as an artistic director all over the world. My recent theatre work has been
supported and shown as part of the National Theatre of Scotland and The Edinburgh
Fringe Festival programme and has been selected for International Childrenʼs Festivals in
Scotland and Europe. Most recently I have just completed a one-year artistic residency
with ʻImaginate/Starcatchersʼ and have been working in television directing improvised and
sketch-based comedy and creating and directing programmes for early years audiences.
As a creative play specialist I lead CPD training, play consultancy and deliver one on one
work with children. I also hold a postgraduate degree in play therapy and it is this fusion of
my understanding of children and my creative approach that makes for unique theatre
experiences.
Play is at the heart of all of my work and as a theatre maker I am interested in
creating site specific, visual and scripted work. As an artistic director I engage with artists
from all disciplines to create theatre and am inspired by this collaborative process and
creative exploration.
Throughout my seven wonderful years with ISTA I thoroughly enjoy the spirit and
heart of the organisation and have been inspired by each staff member, teacher and pupil I
have met along the way. I have also worked as an artist in residence with ISTA, most
recently in Budapest and ADʼd the Encore six-week intensive theatre programme in
France. Alongside my experience as an artistic director I hold a postgraduate degree in
play therapy and this fusion of knowledge has enabled me to create a unique approach to
directing, facilitating and teaching.