Meet the cast of Bow Down | The Opera Group

They’re young and talented and over the coming weeks with rehearsals in full swing, they will take you behind the scenes to find out how the production of Bow Down is coming to life. Today, find out a little more about our cast for Bow Down…

Rehana Browne: is currently a Leverholme scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Michael Cox and Lisa Beznosiuk. Orchestral experience includes the London Sinfonietta and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Rehana is a member of Azalea (on Gabriel Prokofiev’s label, nonclassical). World premiere performances include Kommilitonen by Sir Peter Maxwell Davis and she has released two recordings of work by Tansy Davies.

Simon Kent: graduated from the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in 2010. Professional roles include: Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility, Lysander in A Midsummer Nights Dream (International tour) Squirrel Samuel/Rupert in Wind in The Willows, Peter/Gregory in Romeo and Juliet (Covent Garden) Adam in The Student (Edinburgh Fringe) Jason in The Sitcom Mission (The New Diorama Theatre).

Benjamin Mahns-Mardy: is a graduate of Trinity Laban conservatoire of Music and Dance. Credits include: Lillias Pastia, Carmen, (Yvonne-Arnaud Theatre, Impact Opera); Eva Braun, Hitler! The Musical (TL Musical Theatre’s sell-out run, Edinburgh Festival 2011); Gareth, Girlfriends, Albany Theatre ; Derek, How To Keep Your Man (devised) directed by Martin Constantine.

Yolanda Mercy: has trained at The Brit School and recently graduated from Laban; she is currently an associate artist at The Oval House Theatre. Some of her credits include: Street Scene (Young Vic), Aladdin (Lyric Hammersmith), Trisha Brown: Rainforest/Newark/Drift (Southbank Centre) and Frauke Requardt’s: In the Neighbourhood (Denmark tour).

Thomas O’Connell: originally from Birmingham, Thomas graduated from Arts Educational Schools this year. Theatre since graduating includes Unnatural Selection, Edinburgh Fringe 2011(Scottish Daily Mail Award- Runner Up 2011), Yours Or Mine? (Lyric Hammersmith) and The Littlest Quirky (Stratford Circus and Theatre Royal Bath).

Mana Shibata: is a Japanese oboist and has lived in England since 2001. She has studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Royal Academy of Music and then at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, generously supported by the Leverhulme Trust. She is also a recipient of a Craxton Memorial Trust Award.

Anita-Joy Uwajeh: is a recent graduate in Ancient History and Archaeology from the University of Birmingham. She is currently a member of Southwark Playhouse Young Company and is set to start a production with them in April. Bow Down will be the first major production. Anita-Joy is set to enrol on a MA Acting programme in September 2012.