Michael Ronen - Artistic Director

Michael Ronen was born in Jerusalem. Between 1997 and 2000, he studied at the Thelma Yellin High School for the Arts where he directed an adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting and The Promise by Arbozuv.

Michael continued to direct a number of films after leaving the Israeli Army, including a 50 minute independent drama that was presented at the Tel-Aviv Cinemateck. He also participated in the finals of the Jerusalem Film Festival One Shot competition.

During his studies at LAMDA, Michael has been the Assistant Director for Kathryn Hunter, Helena Kaut-Howson, James Kerr, Peter James, Aaron Mullen and Joseph Blatchley. He assisted Kathryn Hunter in a ‘Conflict Resolution’ workshop in Jerusalem and directed Lars Noren’s play War.

In January 2007 he directed his UK theatrical debut iWitness, a UK premiere for Joshua Sobol`s new play at the Edinburgh theatre. Michael was currently invited by the Cameri theatre of Tel-Aviv to direct ashow for the upcoming season.

Jeta Xharra - Writer

Jeta Xharra got into journalism working as a fixer/local producer for BBC News and Channel 4 in 1998 and later became the manager of the BBC Kosovo Bureau. In 1999, she worked for BBC News in Albania and Macedonia.

She completed an MA in War Studies at King's College London (2000), and gained a distinction for an MA in Screenwriting from the London College of Printing (2002).

She has had a front page article in the Independent and written for the Economist, Sunday Telegraph and Jane's Intelligence Review. While in the UK, Xharra worked for the Foreign News Planning Desk at the BBC World Service.

Xharra joined IWPR as Kosovo project director in 2003. In 2005 Xharra established BIRN Kosovo where one of her biggest achievements has been producing and moderating a popular current affairs programmes, 'Life in Kosovo', broadcasted on the main Kosovo public TV, RTK.

The show has pushed the boundaries of debate, opening taboo subjects that Kosovars have never before discussed and is the most watched current affairs program in Kosovo after the evening news. 'Warless', a play that Xharra wrote in English, was chosen as one of the 10 best plays among 550 entrants in the Young Writers Festival at Royal Court Theatre in London. It received a public reading there on December 10, 2004.

Yaniv Fridel - Composer

Yaniv Fridel is a musical producer, multi-instrumentalist, theatre composer and song writer. To date, Fridel has composed more than 15 dance and theatre shows, numerous TV and Film productions and Ad campaigns.

His album was recently top demo in Sound on Sound magazine. Fridel has worked with Scapino Ballet, Tim Supple, the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Bat-Sheva, Dante or Die Theatre, Oi Va Voi, Pinedrop and other artists.

Ania Klimowicz - Stage Manager

Ania is currently studying stage management and technical theatre at LAMDA. She was the Stage Manager for ‘IWitness’ when it showcased at LAMDA, and then after when it presented in the Finborough theatre. Other theatre experience includes production managing ‘Guys and Dolls’ at The UCL Bloomsbury Theatre and stage managing and sound engineering many others. She was recently on a work placement at The Royal Court Theatre in the stage management department, working on Chekhov's 'The Seagull'.

Erez Galonska– Associate Partner and Cinematographer

Erez was born in 1982. Educated in “blich” school Film and Television department.

He served as a cinematographer and head of department in the prestigious IDF Spokesperson FILM unit covering world events like the Mombasa terror attack in Kenya (03) and the Israeli team to radom “air show” in Poland, the Operation “Homat Magen” in Jenin, the “church of birth” crisis in Beth Lehem.

He was on the scene covering the Israeli Air Force flight above Auschwitz-Birkenao concentration camps, his acclaimed pictures appeared in the international media, including the BBC and CNN.

He worked for 3 years in the film and television industry in many high profile projects, assisting the top of Israel's most prominent film and video cinematographer.

In addition to that he did many personal projects which includes: “Rising from Ashes” documentary won first place in the “World Armies” festival in Rome (2004), “Running” first prize winner in major video clip competition held by the Cinematek in Tel Aviv, “Orange” 60 seconds film for the cellular company – Orange.

Received nomination in the Jerusalem cinema festival for best clip. “Frame work” Director of Photography , a short epic movie combine the many aspects of the arts into the cinemtic world, in association with the Film department in “Sapir” University. Director of Photography of a short epic movie “Waiting for the Bus” in support of “Snonit” foundation, Channel 2. His work appeared on television, Cinemateks, film festivals and Internet sites around the world.

Joshua Sobol - Playwright

Joshua Sobol was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1939. He studied at the Sorbonne, Paris, and graduated with a diploma in philosophy.
His first play was performed in 1971 by the Municipal Theatre in Haifa, where Sobol worked from 1984 to 1988 as a playwright and later as assistant artistic director.

The performance of his play The Jerusalem Syndrome, in January 1988, led to widespread protests across the whole country, whereupon Sobol resigned from his post as Artistic Director and turned to devoting himself exclusively to writing.

Sobol's international career started in 1983, with the Haifa production of his play Weininger's Night (The Soul of a Jew) invited to participate in the official part of the Edinburgh Festival. Paulus Manker directed the play in 1988 at the Volkstheater in Vienna, and 1989 saw the release of Manker's award-winning film Weiningers Nacht (Weininger's Last Night), based on the play.

Between 1983 and 1989 Sobol wrote three related plays: Ghetto, Adam and Underground which constitute together The Ghetto Triptych. Ghetto became world famous shortly after its premiere in Haifa in May 1984. The play won the Israeli David's Harp award for best play.

The Israeli opening was followed by Peter Zadek's much acclaimed German premiere of the play in July of the same year. The play and the production were chosen by Theater Heute as Best Production and Best Foreign Play of the year. The play has been so far translated into more than 20 languages, and has been performed by leading theatres in more than 25 countries throughout the world. It was presented at the National Theatre in 1989 in a translation by David Lan and directed by Nicholas Hytner.

It won the Evening Standard and the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play of the Year, and was nominated for the Olivier Award in the same category.

Debo Oluwatuminu - Playwright

Debo studied theatre arts at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a poet, director and playwright who wrote the first of many plays in 1985.
He won first prize in own category and overall winner in the Afro-Caribbean Education Resource (ACER) competition in 1988, for his play “Goodbye John and Independent Radio Productions, and was
one of five short-listed in the full-length category.

In 1998, his play “The Onion Skin” received its first premiere at the University of Ibadan, Debo’s play “A Pebble in the Sea” wasfeatured in Tiata Fahodzi’sMbiti”; and in 1994, won a radio competition organised by LBC Newstalk African Shorts at the Arcola theatre in 2004. In 2005, Tiata Fahodzi, in collaboration with Soho Theatre staged a performed reading of “When Lightning Speaks – Home”, 7 African poems exploring the Nigerian struggle with identity, shame and enduring hope.

Debo is also involved in Quicksilver’s exciting Primary Voices project, working to develop new plays for young people.

Debo has an MA in Writing for Performance from Goldsmiths University, London and has also written and performed poetry in Nigeria, at the Bristol Festival, Bristol, at Southampton University and at Goldsmiths University, London.

His plays to date include: Crap in a Basket (1984), Angel Street (1985); The Fractured Dream (1986); The Onion Skin (1994); A Pebble in the Sea (2004); The Forbidden File (Screenplay, 1996) and The Sacrifice (2006). Short sketches include: Trapped (2004); Twilight (2004); The Masterpiece (2004); The File (2005); The Date (2005) and The Assignment.

Nina Lamparski - Associate Artistic Producer

A news journalist by trade with extensive overseas experience, Luxembourg-born Nina Lamparski kick-started her reporting career during a five-year stint in Sydney, Australia. After training and working as Production Assistant and Co-Presenter at a radio station during twelve months, she became a full-time writer for News Limited Newspapers.

In the course of her employment between 2004 and 2007, Nina reported across six different titles and broke numerous stories of national significance. She was promoted on several occasions, including to Health Editor and State Political Journalist.

Following her return to Europe in 2007, she worked as Press Director at Aurora Nova, one of the most prestigious theatres of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Nina successfully managed the media campaigns for 19 international shows, which helped to ensure the theatre’s reputation as highest award-winning venue of the festival.

Nina holds an MA in Germanic Languages and Literature from the University of Brussels, and a BA in Media and Communications from Southern Cross University in Australia. She fluently speaks five languages and have a strong interest in post-colonial studies. Nina is a member of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in Sydney.

PAST COLLABORATORS

Kathryn Hunter - Artistic Mentor

Kathryn Hunter is one of Britain's leading theatre practitioners. She is also an award-winning performer and renowned director. She is acclaimed for her work with such companies as Theatre de Complicite (of which she is a founder member), Shared Experience, Volcano and Shakespeare's Globe.

She won a Best Actress - Olivier Award in 1990 for her role in the Theatre de Complicite production "The Visit". Other theatre credits include: the title role in "Richard III" and Katherina in "The Taming of the Shrew" at Shakespeare's Globe; "Pericles" at the National Theatre; "Macbeth", "The Hypochondriac" and "Electra" at the Leicester Haymarket; "Romeo" and "Neige" for Theatre Imaginaire (of which she is also co-founder) and "Foe" and "The Winter's Tale" for Theatre de Complicite.

Her work as a director includes: "The Birds" at the National Theatre; "Destination" for Volcano Theatre; "The Comedy of Errors" for Shakespeare's Globe; "The Glory of Living" at the Royal Court; "Mr Puntila and His Man Matti" at the Almeida and "Everyman" for the RSC.

Kathryn invited me to collaborate with her on a Conflict-Resolution workshop in Jerusalem, Israel (March 2006). The workshop would include Arab and Israeli actors, asking our self - "How does one’s needs clash with the others?”.

This workshop would be an experiment for us, testing the tools and ideas for working with the company next year.

Revital Snir – Movement Director

Revital was born in Haifa and grew up in Jerusalem. She studied acting at the "Nisan Nativ" acting studio in Jerusalem from 1990 to 1993. Revital has also trained in contemporary dance, acrobatics and mime.

She joined the Israeli National Theatre in 1996, where she played Lokrecia in “Mandragola”, Natly's whore in “Catch 22”, Batshevah Goldstein in “Brothers War”, the Governor's Wife in “Kawkazian Chalk Circle”, Sandra in “Cuckoo's Nest”, Singer in “They Shoot Doves”, Magdalena in “The House of Bernarda Alba”, and Tova Klein in “Minyan Nashim”.

She arrived in London in 2007.

Razanne Carmey - Playwright

Razanne is a London-born Palestinian who started writing for British theatre in 1998. Her first two plays, “The Ballad of Reading Gaoland” and “‘Til Love Us Do Part” were both social dramas.

Razanne turned to political theatre in 2001 with two short plays about the Nakba commissioned for the Peacock Theatre in London's West End.

Since then, she has researched and written extensively about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, and six of her plays have been produced in London, including: “When Time Must Have a Stop” (2002), “Shooting with Parsley” (2004), “It Happened in a Time of Curfew” (2005), and, most recently, “How Palestine Became Israel” (2006). As co-founder of Palestine Theatre in Motion (PTIM), she recently delivered a series of seminars and training workshops to theatre groups in Palestine, and organized the writing competition "Plan Dalet to Deir Yassin."

Azma Dar - Playwright

Born in Ashford and grew up in Pinner.

She studied art at Central Saint Martins College and then completed a degree in Literature and Classical Studies. Shortly afterwards she joined the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court, and began writing plays and a novel.

Her work is usually inspired by the people she meets, the odd stories they have to tell and the darkness, hope, and absurdity of the human spirit. She has developed work with Kali Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Watermans. “Chaos” (2005) was her first full-length play followed by “Paper Thin” (2006), both with Kali TC.

Jamiu Adebiyi - Actor

Jamiu was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He came to London to join his parents at the age of four.
Acting has been his raison d’être from the very beginning and he has been working extensively in the field since finishing Performing Arts at De Montfort University in Leicester.

His stage and screen experience includes the part of Ojo in Jimmy McGovern’s ‘The Street’ (which picked up a Bafta for best drama this year), the part of Inigo in ‘Time of your life’ (a new drama for Granada TV), Malik Bellio in 'Casualty', Samuel Sharpe in ‘The Slavery Business: Breaking The Chains’ (BBC), Troy in ‘Happiness’ (BBC), The Groom in ‘Mobile (Granada TV), Othello in ’Othello’ (The Wycombe Swan), Romeo, Lennox in ‘Macbeth’, Fool in ‘King Lear’ (Phoenix Arts Centre), Ariel in ‘Prospero’s Island’ (Midland Tour), Bahsar in ‘Kalila wa Dimna’ (performed in London and Kuwait), Winston in ‘The Island’ (Theatre Reissuerschluss. Germany), and other various parts, workshops and rehearsed readings at places such as The Young Vic, The Old Vic and Stratford East.

Pushpinder Chani - Actor

Born in Birmingham, Pushpinder trained at Carlton Television Workshops and Birmingham Theatre School.

Theatre includes: “Deadeye” (Kali Theatre/Birmingham Rep), “Paper Thin” (Kali Theatre), “What We Did To Weinstein” (Menier Chocolate Factory), “Twelfth Night” (The Stage Works), “Midnight’s Children” (Royal Shakespeare Company), “Baiju Bawra” (Theatre Royal Stratford East), “14 Songs Two Weddings and A Funeral” (Tamasha Theatre), “Made In India” (Leicester Haymarket Studio) and Transmission Festival (Birmingham Rep).

He has work extensively for Theatre-In-Education companies, including Women & Theatre, Catalyst, and Speakeasy Theatre. TV includes: “Fair City” (RTE),“Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee”, “Casualty”, and “Doctors” (all BBC). His films include: “Almost Adult”, “Cross My Heart” (Film Four), and “Anita and Me”. His radio includes: “Ties”, “A Minus”, “ Behind Closed Doors” (all Radio 4), “Silver Street” (BBC Asia Network).

Sarit Wilson Chen - Actor

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sarit studied at Talma-Yalin High School of Art and Beit-Zvi advanced Acting School.

She enjoyed a thriving career in Israel, where among her many roles were Kitty Verdon in “Charley’s Aunt”, Charlotte in “Don Juan”, Carol Melkett in “Black Comedy”, Pope Joan and Joye in “Top Girls”, Stella in “Whale Music”, Clarice in “A Servant of Two Masters”, Flora in “The Rose Tattoo” and Naomi in “The Grandson”.

After meeting, falling in love with and marrying an Englishman, Sarit moved to London in 2001.

Since the move, she has appeared in “The Knock on Effect” and “Strangers” (coincidentally, also by Joshua Sobol) at Soho Theatre, “Romeo and Juliet” at Teatro Vivo and BBC TV’s “The Last Laugh”.

Alice Da Cunha - Actor

Alice was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Portuguese parents, and lived there till she was seven and moved to Lisbon, Portugal.

She studied Business Communication at Iscem University, all the while acting with theatre companies. She spent a year and a half in Paris and New York, and while in New York, she attended afternoon and weekend classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.

After university, she moved to London where she spent a year at Drama Studio London and two and a half years at the Method Studio.

Among the roles she has played are Hermione in “Winter’s Tale” with the Clay County Shakespeare Company in New York, Lady Capulet in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Hazlitt Theatre in Kent, and the Chorus in “Faust” at the Bridwell theatre.

Etham Edris - Actor

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Palestinian parents, he is a British - Palestinian actor, who has had a keen interest in drama from early age.
He moved to London In 1981 aged 12. Essam trained at The Lee Strasburg Institute, London/LA and The Actors Centre, Covent Garden, London.

His many film, TV and stage appearances include “The Glass Menagerie” (Tristan Bates Theatre) “Murder” (Cochrane Theatre) “Dirty War” (BBC1) “Revelations” (NBC / Universal).

He has featured in several television commercials in Europe and Middle East and has done voiceovers in many film productions including “Code 48”, “Alexander”, “Troy” and “Kingdom of Heaven” as well as many television documentaries.

Mariam Gaballa - Actor

Mariam was born in Cairo, Egypt, to an Egyptian father and an English mother.

She began working in theatre as a make-up artist, sound and light operator, set builder, director and, of course, actor, at Cairo American College High School. She moved to England in 2002 to study English and Drama at Anglia Ruskin University.

After graduating, she did a one-year MA acting course at Mountview Academy where she played Irena in “Three Sisters”, Hero in “Much Ado About Nothing”, Mrs Sago in “The Basset Table”, and did her first public show at The New Players theatre playing Mrs Dorbell in “Love on the Dole”.

Working with Conflict Zone has been Mariam’s first professional role since graduating from Mountview in 2006.