CREATOR BIOS

ANTON LIPOVETSKY

Anton Lipovetsky is a theatrical composer, lyricist, performer and teacher based in Vancouver, BC.

He is currently a composer-in-residence at Toronto’s Musical Stage Company as part of their Crescendo Series, where he is at work on three commissions: BLACKOUT with Steven Gallagher, MONOCEROS with Ben Elliott, Josh Epstein and Kyle Rideout and COWBOY TEMPEST CABARET with Lucy McNulty and Niall McNeil. He is also at work on a musical commission from the Nashville Children’s Theatre called THIS IS IT (written with Dave Deveau). Other musicals Anton has collaborated on include JOSEPH JACKET MULTI-MASK (Sheridan), ELBOW ROOM CAFÉ (ZeeZee Theatre), BEST LAID PLANS (Touchstone/Patrick Street), COOL BEANS (Solo Collective) and indie-hit BROKEN SEX DOLL (Virtual Stage/The Cultch).

As an actor, Anton has performed  across Canada on stages like the National Arts Centre, the Luminato Festival, Banff Arts Centre, and five seasons at Vancouver’s Shakespeare festival, Bard on the Beach.

In addition to writing and performing theatre, Anton has a great passion for teaching; he has facilitated or been a guest at music and acting workshops for students of all ages through Capp University, Studio 58, Bard Education, Carousel Theatre For Young People, Theatre Replacement, Lyrebird, Sheridan College and Neworld Theatre. Anton is the recipient of two Jessie Richards Awards, four Ovation awards and a Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Theatre Artist. He is a graduate of the Studio 58 Acting program and the Stratford Festival Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre.

NIALL MCNEIL

Niall McNeil has been involved with theatre from an early age through his lifelong association with the Caravan Farm Theatre.  As a youngster he performed in AS YOU LIKE IT, ROMEO & JULIET, BULL BY THE HORNS and STRANGE MEDICINE.

Niall was an ensemble member of Vancouver’s Leaky Heaven Theatre’s shows since its inception in 1999 under the direction of the company’s founder, Steven Hill. Niall acted in LEAKY HEAVEN CIRCUS – PART ONE, TYPHOON, CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS, BIRTHDAY BOY, KING LEAR, ZIGGUART, BONOBO, and SALOME in 2006.

In 2010 Niall performed in “A Christmas Carol’ as a member of the English Acting Company of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa under the direction of Peter Hinton. Niall and Marcus Youssef have written two plays together, PETER PANTIES (2011, Leaky Heaven/Neworld Theatre), and KING ARTHUR’S NIGHT (2017, Neworld Theatre). Veda Hille composed the music for both plays. Niall acted in Marie Clements award winning short film PILGRIMS, in 2013

Niall loves researching new ideas, writing lyrics and writing plays and in 2020, completed his first documentary film, THE ORIGINALS’.  Commissioned by Artistic Director Estelle Shook, of Caravan Farm Theatre; the documentary is a film about the founders of the Caravan Stage Company and Caravan Farm Theatre.  It is Niall’s exploration of his roots as an artist.

Niall and his collaborators, Anton Lipovetsky and Lucy McNulty, were awarded a 2020-21 Dan Fund Commission by Musical Stage Company in Toronto to work on the first draft of their new musical play COWBOY TEMPEST CABARET.

In 2020, Niall (writer/lyricist) and Anton Lipovetsky (composer), participated in Theatre Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning’s production First Drafts, where they created an original musical JOSEPH JACKET MULTIMASK.  This production involved fourth year students in both musical theatre performance and technical production.

LUCY MCNULTY

An actor, writer and producer based in Vancouver, Lucy has performed across Canada at the National Arts Centre, the Luminato Festival, and the Banff Arts Centre, working with such companies as Western Canada Theatre, Neworld, Electric Company, The Belfry, The Arts Club, Babelle, Sol Collective, Stone’s Throw, Shameless Hussy, Caravan Farm Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, The Chop, ZeeZee, Greenthumb and Rumble. For three years Lucy has been touring Shameless Hussy’s Production of DISSOLVE, a one-woman show where she plays sixteen different characters. During COVID-19 Lucy has continued to tour DISSOLVE nationally via live-stream.

Lucy currently works with Neworld Theatre’s Learning Ensemble Across Difference, a performance ensemble with neurodiverse and neurotypical members. Lucy is a graduate of Studio 58, the recipient of the Sydney J Risk Foundation Acting Award, the Leon and Thea Koerner Award in the Fine and Performing Arts and she shares a Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Ensemble with Neworld Theatre’s King Arthur’s Night company. In addition to theatre, Lucy’s work can be seen in film, television and voice over and her short film CHICKEN is slated for production in the upcoming year.

PRODUCTION TIMELINE

• 2020: Announced recipient of the Dan Fund Commission for New Musicals award
• May 2021: First Reading (Digital) 
• March 2022: One week hybrid workshop in Vancouver at the BMO Arts Centre with support from Bard on the Beach. The Creative Team gathered in person while actors across the country rehearsed on Zoom.