Ayse Tashkiran

2024 Rose Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Malvern Theatres, Chichester and Royal & Derngate, Northampton

Movement: Timeshifts for children, adults, ensemble, transition language, interpersonal work

Actors: Amelie Abbott, Susan Aderin, Matilda Bailes, Nell Barlow, Maximus Evans, Angus Imrie, Princess Khumalo, Emilie Patry, Tristan Waterson

Adaptor: Suzanne Heathcote

Author:  Kazuo Ishiguro

Director: Christopher Haydon

Designer: Tom Piper

Lighting Designer: Joshua Carr

Composer: Eamonn O’Dwyer

Sound Designer: Caroline Downing

Fight Director: Haruka Kuroda

Voice & Dialect Coach: Claudette Williams

Assistant Director: Emma Denson

Photos: Hugo Glendinning

2024 Dante or Die Production, commissioned by Greenwich & Docklands International Festival in Thamesmead

Movement: Site responsive movement creation with performers and assistant movement

Performer and devisor: Jasmine Chiu, Jordan Ajidi & Simon Rice

Composer, Sound Designer & Singer: Marie Bashiru

Choir: Thamesmead Community Choir

Creative Director: Terry O’Donovan

Director: Arti Prashar 

Movement Director: Ayse Tashkiran 

Set & Costume Designer: Stewart J. Charlesworth

Lighting Designer: Jo Palmer

MFA Attachment Movement Assistant : Elize Layton

Stage Management: Stella Kalides & Ellen Swailes

Featuring the voices of Thamesmead: Chris, Jecoliah, Adam, Vernon, Tony, Billy-Jo, Emma, Mum's Aid, Sofia, Dhruva, Shreeja. 

Creative Facilitators: Nicole Acquah, Charlie Hendren & Fiona Watson

Photos by Greta Zabulyte, Stewart Charlesworth & David Levine

Rehearsal Video by Greta Zabulyte,

2024 Chichester Festival Theatre

Movement: created new dances from original sources ( May dance, Partner changing dance, Jewel Dance, Masked Dance, Anne's Pavane), Period style, transitions, character movement, ensemble movement.

Actors: Lucy Phelps, Freya Mavor, James Corrigan, Peter Losasso, Jacob Ifan, Osa Adu, Lily Nichol, Kemi-Bo Jacobs, Oscar Batterham, Andrew Woodall, Alex Kingston, Ben Jones, Roger Ringrose, Nitai Levi, Rosaline Lailey, James Atherton.

Musicians: Chris Green ( Musical Director) and Sarah Harrison.

Writers: Novel by Phillipa Gregory, adaptation by Mike Poulton

Director: Lucy Bailey

Composer: Orlando Gough


Set and Costume Designer: Joanna Parker


Lighting Designer: Chris Davey


Sound Designer: Beth Duke


Video Designer: Dick Straker


Fight Director: Kate Waters

Assistant Director: Latta Nobes


Company Stage Manager: Rebecca James


Deputy Stage Manager: Olivia Roberts


Assistant Stage Managers: Isobel Eagle- Wilsher and Daisy Jones

Photo credits for show and rehearsal : Stephen Cumminsky, Craig Sugden

Photo credits for tech and previews: James Corrigan

Show Trailer

Rehearsal Trailer filmed during movement rehearsal

2024 Stone Nest & National Tour

Movement: created riot, sex choreography, daily routine in prison choreography, men's dance, character movement, ensemble movement.

Actors: Morgan Archer, Dauda Ladejobi, Lady Lykez, Graham Mackay-Bruce, Frank Skully, Dean Statham

Writers: Daphna Attias, James Baldwin & Terry O’Donovan

Lyrics & Songs: Lady Lykez

Directors: Daphna Attias & Terry O’Donovan


Set & Costume Designer: Sophie Neil


Lighting Designer: Joshua Gadsby

Composer & 
Sound Designers: Yaniv Fridel & Ofer Shabi with Ben Kelly

Resident & Tour Director: Hamza Ali

MFA Movement attachment: Luis Odriozola

Dramaturg: Lisa Goldman

Photo credits for show & rehearsal : Greta Zabulyte

Show Trailer

2023-2024 National & Ireland tour, China Tour

Movement: Period style, transitions, character movement, party 'dance of death', ghosts.

Actors: Bob Barrett, Joseph Beattie, Oliver Clayton, Jeffery Kissoon, Andrew Lancel, Nicola May-Taylor , Louise McNulty, Katy Stephens, Lucy Tregear, Sophie Walter, Matt Weyland, David Yelland.

Writer: Agatha Christie


Director: Lucy Bailey


Set and Costume Designer: Mike Britton


Lighting Designer: Chris Davey


Sound Designer and Composer: Elizabeth Purnell


Fight Director: Renny Krupinski


Assistant Director: Victoria Gartner


Company Stage Manager: Sian Wiggins


Deputy Stage Manager: William Buckenham


Assistant Stage Manager: Sara-Jayne Smith

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

Visit website

China Tour 2024: Shenzen; Hangzhou; Suzhou; Shanghai, Chengdhu; Wuhan; Tianjin; Bejing; Xiamin; Guangzhou.

Swan Theatre (April to June 2023) & Garrick Theatre (September 2023 to February 2024)

Movement: Childbirth, illness, transitions, character movement, (twins, familial, midwifery, pregnancy, falconry, ghosts, sex choreography), social dance, wedding, and funeral.

Actors: Sarah Belcher, Will Brown (fight captain), Haydn Burke, Ajani Casey, Faye Campbell, Frankie Hastings (Movement Captain), Karl Haynes, Alex Jarrett, Madeleine Mantock, Hannah McPake, Elizabeth Rider, Rose Riley, Harmony Rose-Bremner, Obioma Ugoala, Tom Varey, Peter Wight.

From the novel by Maggie O’Farrell

Adaptor: Lolita Chakrabarti

Director: Erica Whyman

Lighting: Prema Mehta

Designer: Tom Piper

Composer: Oğuz Kaplangi

Music Director: Alice Brown

Musicians: Sidiki Dembele & Phil Ward

Sound: Xana

Fight director: Kate Waters

Dramaturg: Pippa Hill

Casting: Amy Ball CDG

Assistant Director: Linda Miller

Associate Director: Ed Burnside

Associate designer: Pip Terry

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

June 2023 Marlowe Studio

Movement: ensemble work, gestural motifs

Performers: Dorota Wozniak, Fifi Ramadan, Kateryna Levanets, Khalid Ghaith, Olha Smolyk, Robert Lučkay, Thomas Tegento

Director & writer: Maria Aberg

Set &Costume designer: Ana Inés Jabares-Pita

Lighting designer: Cheng Keng

Sound designer: Jovana Backovic

Video designer: Jeffrey Choy

Associate set & costume designer: QianEr Jin

Photo credits: Chris Bishop, Omri Dagan & Jeffrey Choy

Projekt Europa

Hampstead Theatre 2022

Movement: Chorus of women, transitions

Actors: Douglas Henshall, Rona Morison, Brian Vernel, Meg Watson and Chorus of Women

Writer: Rona Munro

Director: Roxana Slibert

Designer: Ashley Martin-Davis

Lighting: Matt Haskins

Composer and Sound: Nick Powell

Assistant Director: Marlie Haco

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

The Factory and UK tour 2022

Movement: creation of dances for songs, narrative and audience, character work, intimacy, singer physicality

Actors: Gemma Barnett , Priscille Grace, Tuukka Leppänen, Lola May , Lahcen Razzougui, Georgina White

Band: Simon Edwards, Marouf Majidi , Ben Sutcliffe, Phillip Williams

Director: Josephine Burton


Writer: Hattie Naylor


Composers: Marouf Majidi with Riku Kantola


Set and Costume Designer: Bryan Woltjen


Music and Sound arranger: Riku Kantola


Lighting Designer: Peter Small

Photo credits: Ali Wright and Josephine Burton

Dash Arts

Hampstead 2021 & 2022

Movement: research and creation of folk dances, work movement, transitions, singing body

Actors: Ben Allen, Sasha Frost, Mariam Haque, Simon Robson

Director: Roxana Silbert

Designer: Rose Revitt

Lighting: Matt Haskins

Director of Music: Gary Yershon

Sound: Tingying Dong

Assistant movement attachment: Anna Clasper

Associate Sound Designer: Anna Short

Photo Credit: Robert Day

Production nominated for an Olivier Award 2022

UK Tour 2022

Based on the book of the same title by Lemony Snicket & illustrated by Jon Klassen

Movement: narrative led choreography and movement

Performers: Charlie Hendren & Ellie Isherwood

Adaptation & Director: Daphna Attias

Designer: Stewart J Chalesworth

Lighting designer: Jo Palmer

Costume designer: Amy Jackson

Composer: Yaniv Fridel

Dramaturg: Maya Politaki

Access Consultant: Chris Campion

Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks

Peut Etre Theatre

The Stone Nest, 22nd to 27th June, London 2021

Movement: Character led movement and inter scene physical vocabulary

Writers: Ann Akinjirin, Tim Crouch & Sonia Hughes

Performers: Rachel-Leah Hosker, Oseloka Obi & Terry O'Donovan

Director: Daphna Attias

Designers: Khadija Raza and Jemima Robinson

Music & Sound Composers: Yaniv Fridel and Ofer OJ Shabi

Lighting Designer: Zia Bergin-Holly 

Photo Credit: Ayse Tashkiran and Justin Jones

Dante or Die

Production Film

Production nominated in two Offies Awards Categories : Best Production and Best Performance in the Offies IDEA (Innovative/ Devised / Experiential / Atypical) category

Based on the book by Patrik Ouředník

Stratford upon Avon 2019 R&D and Rehearsal 2020.

Europeana rehearsals and shows were paused by the closure of theatres in the first lock down. This show was due to open Maria Aberg’s Swan season in 2020. The project is now led by Projekt Europa.

Movement: Devised movement with the ensemble and twentieth century dances, war body.

Acting Ensemble: Hannah Bristow, Nandi Bhebhe, Jacqui Dubios, Sandy Foster, Georgia Frost, Miles Jovian, Robert Lučkay, Ako Mitchell and Chris New

Director: Maria Aberg

Dramaturg: Judith Gerstenberg

Designer: Ana Inés Jabares-Pita

Lighting Director: Richard Howell

Music: David Ridley

Sound: Claire Windsor

Assistant Director: Meghan Doyle

Assistant Music: Jamie Nora

Assistant Movement: Sacha Plaige

Rehearsal Photo credit: Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz @RSC

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon until 21st September 2018; Barbican Theatre 2nd November 2018 to 19th January 2019; broadcast live to cinemas 18th July 2018. 2020-2021 BBC Culture in Quarantine Season.

Movement: Party movement and dancing, solo character movement

Director: Erica Whyman

Designer: Tom Piper

Composer: Sophie Cotton

Lighting Director: Charles Balfour

Fight Director: Kate Waters

Sound: Jeremy Dunn

Production Photo credit: Topher McGrillis @RSC

Rehearsal Photo credit: Ellie Merridale @RSC

Actor’s blogs about movement process

https://www.rsc.org.uk/blogs/whispers-from-the-wings/let-them-look

https://www.rsc.org.uk/blogs/whispers-from-the-wings/raise-the-roof

Donmar Warehouse and Clean Break 11 October 2019 - 30 November 2019

Movement: Video dance and gestural language, ensemble work, solo, and intimacy

Writer: Alice Birch

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Rose Elnile

Video: Heta Mulatanen

Sound: Carolyn Downing

Light: Jess Bernberg

Fight: Rachel Bown-Williams

Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon until 31st August 2019; broadcast live to cinemas 17th April 2019; UK Tour 25th September 2019 to 4th April 2020

Movement: Wedding dancing, intimacy, solo and ensemble movement

Director: Kimberley Sykes

Costume and Lighting: Bretta Gerecke

Designer: Stephen Brimson Lewis

Composer: Tim Sutton

Puppetry: Mervyn Millar

Fight Directors:  Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown

Sound: Jonathan Ruddick

Production Photo credit: Topher McGrillis @RSC

Theatre Royal, Stratford East 2018

Movement: Football research, warm up sequence, training patterns, ensemble

Writer: Sarah DeLappe

Director: Ellen McDougall

Designer: Rosie Elnile

Lighting: Designer: Joshua Pharo

Music and Sound: Ben and Max Ringham

Associate Designer: Natalie Pryce

Assistant Director: Jasmine Teo

Dialect Coach: Michaela Kennen

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

The Swan 2019

Movement: Ensemble, intimacy, etiquette, transitions

Writer: John Vanbrugh

Director: Phillip Breen

Designer: Mark Bailey

Composer: Paddy Cunneen

Lighting: Tina Machugh

Sound: Dyfan Jones

Fight:  Renny Krupinski

Photo Credit: Pete Le May

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company until 3rd August 2018

Movement: male chorus movement and choreography, character work included intimacy and physiology of death

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Composer: Orlando Gough

Lighting Director: Natasha Chivers

Fight Directors: Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown

Sound: Claire Windsor

Rehearsal and Production Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks @RSC

Joan Iyiola’s article for WhatsOnStage

National Tour 2018

Movement: Ensemble and dances

Writer: Tom Stoppard

Adaptor: Lee Simpson

Director: Phillip Breen

Designer: Max Jones

Associate Designer: Ruth

Associate Movement Director: Patricia Suarez

Composer: Paddy Cunneen

Lighting: Tina Machugh

Sound: Dyfan Jones

Fight:  Renny Krupinski

Associate Director: Alexander Lass

Photo Credit: Pete Le May

Peut Etre Theatre: Dance theatre work for very young audiences, National and International tour 2017-2018

Movement: devising movement sequences, movement dramaturgy in relation to form, structure and chaos

Director: Daphna Attias

Performers: Charlie Hendren, Maya Politaki, Anna Woolhouse

Designer: Cecilia Carey

Composer and Sound: Yaniv Fridel

Lighting Director: Dan Saggars

Production Photo credit: Ludo des Cognets and Ali Wright

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2017

Movement: Deaths, banquet dances, storm, aerial choreography, God’s prologue

Director: Kimberley Sykes 

Designer: Ti Green

Music: Mike Fletcher

Lighting Director: Ciaran Bagnall

Sound: Claire Windsor 

Aerial Training: Matt Costain

Fight Director: Terry King

Rehearsal and Production Photos: Topher McGrillis @RSC

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe, London 2017

Movement: Storm Sequence, gender work, party sequence and solo character movement

Director: Ellen McDougall

Dramaturg: Joel Horwood

Designer: Fly Davies

Composer:  Orlando Gough

Fight Director: Kevin McCurdy

Production Photo Credit: Marc Brenner

Nuffield Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, National Tour, Dubai, Abu Dhabi 2016-2017

Movement: Animal movement, digging number, chase and finale numbers

Writer: Roald Dahl

Adaptor:  Sam Holcroft

Director: Maria Aberg

Music: Arthur Darvill

Lyrics: Al Muriel with Darren Clark, Arthur Darvill and Sam Holcroft

Designer: Tom Scutt

Movement Associate: Ingrid MacKinnon

Lighting director: Lee Curran

Sound Designer: Claire Windsor

Production Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

Winner of the UK Theatre Award 2017 for the Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre.

The Swan Theatre and the Barbican, Royal Shakespeare Company 2016

Movement: Seven Deadly sins number, scholar chorus ensemble work and choreography of shaking and pulsing, abstracted movement for Helen of Troy scene

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Composer: Orlando Gough

Lighting Director: Lee Curran

Fight Director: Kate Waters 

Sound: Claire Windsor

Video: Nathan Parker

Rehearsal and Production Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks @RSC

Young Vic 2015

Movement: Abstracted work and football language; choreography of punk vocabulary, ensemble work

Writer: Barrie Keeffe

Director: Liz Stevenson

Designer: Fly Davies

Costume: Frankie Bradshaw

Lighting Director: Matt Leventhall

Fight Director: Kevin McCurdy

Sound: Peter Rice

Photo Credit: Ellie Kurttz

Production Nominated for an Olivier Award 2016

Crucible Theatre and National Tour with ETT 2016.

Movement: Nudity, sex choreography, party scene

Adaptor and director: Phillip Breen

Designer: Laura Hopkins

Lighting Director: Natasha Chivers

Sound designer: Andrea J Cox

Fight Director: Renny Krupinski 

Production Photo Credit: Mark Douet

Birmingham Rep and National Tour 2016

Movement: Ensemble movement and prologue choreography

Writer: Nikolai Gogol and adapted by David Harrower. 

Director: Roxana Silbert  with Ewan Marshall

Designer: Ti Green

Sound Design: Ben and Max Ringham

Lighting Director: Chahine Yavroyan 

Video Design: Timothy Bird 

Photo Credit: Birmingham Repertory Theatre @Robert Day

Production Nominated for an Olivier Award 2017

The Swan Theatre. Royal Shakespeare Company 2015

Movement: Rituals and abstracted movement language for sacrifice, intimacy and sex

Writer: Marina Carr after Euripides

Director: Erica Whyman

Designer: Soutra Gilmour

Composer: Isobel Waller-Bridge

Lighting Director: Charles Balfour

Sound: Andrew Franks

Rehearsal and Production Photo Credit: Topher McGrillis @RSC

Peut Etre Theatre: Dance theatre work for very young audiences, National and International tour 2015-2017

Movement: Sensorial and interactive movement work, devising movement with dancers.

Director: Daphna Attias

Performers: Maya Politaki and Anna Woolhouse

Composer and Sound: Yaniv Fridel  and Niall Kearney

Lighting and Set Design: Jackie Shemesh

Costume and Props: Jenny Hayton

Dramaturgy : Richard Shannon

Production Photo credit: Ludo des Cognets 

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2014

Movement: Ensemble work, dumb show, finale dance, character movement.

Writer: Thomas Dekker

Director: Phillip Breen

Designer: Max Jones

Lighting Director: Tina MacHugh

Composer: Jason Carr

Sound Designer: Andrea J Cox 

Fights director: Renny Krupinski

Photo Credit: Pete Le May @RSC

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2014

Movement: Euro trash choreography, wedding dance, character movement e.g poisonings, female chorus, Shibari, deaths

Writer: John Webster

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Composer:  Dave Mclean of Django Django

Lighting Director: James Farncombe

Fight Director: Malcolm Ranson

Sound: Tom Gibbons

Video: Nathan Parker

Rehearsal and Production photo credit: Keith Pattison@RSC

Hampstead Theatre 2014

Movement: Ensemble work, riot staging, movement work with a chorus of parkour and acrobatics, death scene.

Writer: Roy Williams

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Lighting Director: James Farncombe

Fight Director: Kate Waters

Sound: Gareth Fry

Production photo credit: Ellie Kurttz

Manchester Royal Exchange 2014

Movement: The ball scene choreography.

Writer:  William Shakespeare

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Merle Hensel 

Lighting Director: Lee Curran

Sound: Carolyn Downing

Production photo credit: Jonathan Keenan

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Royal Shakespeare Company 2013

Movement: Court/country work; cross gendered work; choreography, wedding dance, solo character movement. 

Writer:  William Shakespeare

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Composer: Laura Marling

Lighting Director: James Farncombe

Fight Director: Malcolm Ranson

Sound: Tom Gibbons

Rehearsal and Production photo credit: Keith Pattison @RSC

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2012

Movement: Ensemble work, boy’s dance, character movement scene changes

Writer: William Shakespeare.

Director: Philip Breen

Designer: Max Jones 

Composer:  Paddy Cunneen 

Lighting Director:Tina MacHugh

Fight Director: Renny Krupinski

Rehearsal and Production photo credit: Pete Le May @RSC

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2012

Movement: Ensemble work, marriage dance, death dance, character movement, party dances, contemporary court physicality, child actor’s movement.  

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Lighting Director: David Holmes 

Sound: Carolyn Downing

Fight Director: Malcolm Ranson

Rehearsal and Production photo credit: Keith Pattison @RSC

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2012 

Movement: Ensemble work, ghosts, Richard physicality 

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Roxana Silbert

Designer: Ti Green 

Music & Sound: Nick Powell  

Lighting Director: Rick Fisher

Fight Director:  Terry King

Production photo credit: Hugo Glendinning @RSC

The Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2011 

Movement: Ensemble work, finale jig, human furniture

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Roxana Silbert

Designer: Garance Marneur

Music and Sound; Dave Price

Lighting Director: Chahine Yavroyan

Rehearsal photo credit: Ellie Kurttz @RSC

Production photo credit: Hugo Glendinning @RSC

The Hampstead Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2010 

Movement: Ensemble work, ghosts, flying and waltz choreography

Writer: Rona Munro

Director: Roxana Silbert

Designer: Ti Green 

Music & Sound: Ben and Max Ringham  

Lighting Director: Chahine Yavroyan

Fight Director:  Terry King

Aerial Training: Vicki Amedume

Jive Choreography: Struan Leslie

Production photo credit: Ellie Kurttz @RSC

Rehearsal photo credit: Lucy Barriball @RSC

The Hampstead Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company 2010 

Movement: Ensemble work, military body, intimacy

Writer: Dennis Kelly 

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer: Naomi Dawson

Lighting Director: David Holmes

Sound: Carolyn Downing

Fight director: Malcolm Ranson

Rehearsal and production photo credit: Ellie Kurttz @RSC

National Tour, Royal Shakespeare Company 2009 

Movement: Ensemble work, military body, intimacy

Writer: Roy Williams 

Director: Maria Aberg

Designer:  Lizzie Clachan

Lighting Director: David Holmes

Sound: Carolyn Downing

Company Dramaturg: Jeanie O’Hare

Fight director: Malcolm Ranson

Rehearsal photo credit: Ellie Kurttz @RSC

Production photo credit: Keith Pattison @RSC