Alyth Lockdown Thursdays: Performing Arts
Working in the Performing Arts in a time of Pandemic
Thursday, 26 November, 19:00-20:00
Cantor Tamara and Katie Hainbach host a special hour with guests who work in the performing arts, sharing their experiences of the last 8 months. Special guests include Raye Cosbert, Sarah Playfair, and Debbie Chazen.
Click here to join (Meeting ID: 836 9118 9791, Passcode: 785089).
Raye Cosbert is the managing director of Metropolis Music. Part of the Live Nation group of companies Raye has been with Metropolis for nearly 30 years. His experience covers shows from “The room above the pub” to arenas and stadium shows. The company has always had a very diverse musical portfolio working from pop to hip hop, jazz to indie guitar rock. This year has presented a totally unexpected and challenging business environment. Raye says “2020 has made us look at our industry and now we have to contend with what will be the new normal”
Debbie Chazen won a scholarship to the London Academy of Dramatic Art, where she also won the Patricia Lawrence Award and the SOLT Best Actress prize. She was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Ruth in Calendar Girls the Musical. Her packed CV includes notable roles in Dr Who, Sherlock, The Smoking Room, The Last Kingdom, to name but a few, and she also stars as the popular semi regular character Fleur Fanshawe in Holby City. Her film work includes Trevor Nunn’s Red Joan and Mike Leigh’s Topsy Turvy and on stage she has worked extensively in the West End and toured both nationally and internationally. Debbie is also a jazz singer and lyricist, performing under the name The Brazen Ms Chazen.
Sarah Playfair started her career with two years as a computer programmer, but with a passion for theatre from the age of 9, Sarah studied arts administration and worked in straight theatre and contemporary dance before transferring into opera after re-training as a stage manager. She then worked in casting and repertoire planning over 24 years, first with English National Opera, later in senior positions with Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera, then as Director of Artistic Administration for the Glyndebourne Festival whilst also running Glyndebourne Touring Opera. For the last 22 years she has been a freelance casting director, working mainly in opera but also with theatre companies and orchestras. She works regularly with Garsington Opera, Birmingham Opera Company and Tête à Tête - other recent projects have been with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican, Music Theatre Wales, Graeae Theatre Company and Donmar Warehouse.
