Creative Biogs
Author Carl Hiaasen is one of the most successful contemporary novelists of our time. His astute observations of the comically bizarre life in the Sunshine State have earned him an international audience. Highly prolific, his novels have been published in 30 languages. The Observer called him 'America's finest satirical novelist.' Beginning his career as a reporter with The Miami Herald in 1985, he has been writing columns that have outraged just about everyone in South Florida, including major politicians, law officials and even his own bosses.
LUCKY YOU has been adapted for the stage by director, Matthew Francis, and University of South Florida Theatre Professor, Denis Calandra is a playwright and scholar and the authorized American translator of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's plays.
The show will be directed by Matthew Francis, designed by Leslie Travers, lighting by Tim Lutkin, music by Loudon Wainwright III, sound by John Leonard.
Matthew Francis was Artistic Director of Greenwich Theatre for eight years. He has directed at the Royal National Theatre and the Chichester Festival Theatre, as well as productions in London's West End and at repertory theatres across the country. He has also published adaptations of A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield (among others) through Samuel French. At present, Matthew is collaborating on a music theatre version of the movie IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE for Avalon. He has also adapted Rose Tremain's novel RESTORATION which will be premiered at the Salisbury Playhouse next spring.
Loudon Wainwright III's journey as a singer and songwriter spans 4 decades, 25 albums, and 2 Grammy nominations. His acting career includes roles in Elizabethtown, 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Slugger's Wife, and TV's M*A*S*H. But his musical reputation is much deeper. Wainwright has recorded over twenty albums on eleven different labels. Two of his albums have been nominated for Grammy awards.
Producer Katharine DorÉ co-founded Adventures in Motion Pictures with choreographer Matthew Bourne in 1987. During the next twelve years their company went on to create and tour theatre worldwide, including the 'most successful ballet production ever', the international hit Swan Lake with a corps de ballet of male swans. Katharine has produced three comedies in the West End, A Midsummer Night's Dream starring Dawn French as Bottom (2001), Betty starring Geraldine McNulty (2002), and Arsenic and Old Lace starring Stephen Tompkinson (2003). Katharine won a Los Angeles Drama Desk Award in 1997 and in 1998 a New York Theatre Critics Award.
Producer Jon Plowman moved to the BBC in 1980 where he produced Harty, Off The Record, Pop Quiz and Every Second Counts. From 1985 to 1987 he produced Wogan. In 1988 Jon co-produced with Richard Curtis the seven hour telethon of original comedy and documentary for Comic Relief. In 1994, Jon was made Head of Comedy Entertainment at the BBC, and produced new series of French and Saunders, Fry and Laurie, The Vicar of Dibley, Absolutely Fabulous and the spin-off, Mirrorball. Amongst many others, credits as Executive Producer include The Office and Little Britain. Jon was responsible for The Office 2003 Christmas Specials, which won at the RTS & BAFTA, and collected the BBC's first awards at the Los Angeles Golden Globes held in January 2004, plus the third series of Little Britain winner of last year's International Emmy. In 2006 Jon was presented with the RTS Judges Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television.