Patrick Vella - Founder & Director Patrick founded Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe in 2002.  He trained his profession mainly in UK.  He received his MA in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University, MA in Theatre Education - Drama in Education from Loughborough University and Certificate in Theatre Studies from Rose Bruford College.  He also received LTCL in Applied Drama, Performer's Certificate in Musical Theatre and Professional Certificate in Performing Arts from Trinity College, London.  He practiced Performing Arts for three years at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in UK. Although he works mainly in Malta, he performed and gave workshops in various foreign countries such as India, Belarus, Austria, Germany, UK, Hungary, Poland and Belguim amongst others. Patrick performed in  various genres of theatre, from Physical Theatre to Musical Theatre, from TV drama to Straight Theatre plays.  Currently, Patrick is Producing, Directing and Performing.  He also prepares students to sit for Trinity & Guildhall  examinations and LAMDA examinations.  He creates various Theatre In Education Programmes including Forum Theatre.
	Graziella Galea Pirotta - Troupe Co-ordinator  She has been assigned the role of Production Executive in The Doctor and The Devils (Italy), The Crucible, KANDOR (Switzerland, Poland, Belarus, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, India and Malta), Musicall, Il-Mizien Fetah Ghajnejh, El Tercer Tigre Baila Bach, Cabaretic, Voice the Soul, Dan Mhux Shakespeare, Disney Tunes, Drakula the rock opera,  Queen . once upon a lifetime, SIN, Halloween the Spoof, Grease in Xmas Concert, Musicals in Cabaret, Disney Retuned, Once Upon A Toy, Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh, In Search of the Missing Reindeer and Ghadek Tiftakru lil Dorian Gray? She has also assisted the company as Production Manager in the TV sitcom Mad-Daqqa Nizfnu and was Co-Ordinator in EU projects Synergy! Ready? Steady? Go! and TIE Techniques for Youth Workers which where held in Malta.  She has performed in several productions with Curtain Raiser as from the Company's first days.  From time to time she participates in workshops within the performing arts genre both locally and abroad.  Graziella holds a Performer's Certificate in Performing Arts (Trinity College, London).
	Marcelle Bonnici - Operations Marcelle joined Curtain Raiser in January 2003 and shortly started working in the Operations Department.  She has performed in several shows and musicals such as Les Miserable in Concert, The King and I, Sister Act, Musicall, Cabaretic, Disney Tunes, Drakula ... the rock opera, Grease, Disney ReTuned, Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer amongst others.  She also participated in various workshops mainly organized by Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe. Marcelle achieved Performer's Certificate in Musical Theatre from Trinity College (London).
	Abigail Williams - Activities Abigail Williams joined Curtain Raiser back in 2005 after having returned back from her studies in the performing arts industry in the UK. Whilst in the UK Abigail trained up to degree level gaining a BA(Hons) in performing arts from the university of Hertfordshire, as well as her Associate in Freestyle Dance with IDTA.   Abigail has performed in various shows both in Malta and abroad all varying in genres ranging from Musical Theatre to straight acting. Her musical credits include Once Upon A toy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Disney Retuned, Grease, Pal Joey, Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer amongst others, whilst her theatre credits include The Tempest, The Taming of The Shrew, The Venetian Twins, Silly Cow and Popcorn, only to mention a few. As well as her theatrical credits, Abigail has also worked extensively in Theatre In Education, something which she helps to delegate with Curtain Raiser together with other animation work which the company has to offer, such as kids’ parties.
	Andrew Vella - Set Decorating Andrew has been creating props and building sets for more than thirty years.  This experience and together with his knowledge makes him a trustworthy person on which Curtain Raiser can turn to when custom-made props and sets for theatre productions are needed. He has assisted the company in Props and Set Building as from its very beginning in 2002 in mainly all the productions and events that have run so far. Andrew has also worked extensively in this Department with other theatre companies and cultural organisations both in Malta as well as abroad.
	Ruth Farrugia - Assistant Set Decorating Ruth has been involved as a performer mainly in Curtain Raiser musical productions Musicall, Voice the Soul, Cabaretic, Disney Tunes, Grease in Xmas Concert, Drakula, Queen, Once Upon A Toy, In Search of the Missing Reindeer and Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh.   This is accredited to her ATCL in Musical Theatre (Trinity Guidhall) examination results. She has recently joined the troupe in the Set and Props Department which constantly supplies the company with all that is needed for productions as well as other events. Ruth is currently training in circus skills and performing arts and also completing her exams in LTCL Musical Theatre.
	Dorothy Ebejer - Costumes and Wardrobe Mistress Dorothy’s expertise has flourished over the past six months with Curtain Raiser – from sewing tips to creating some of the most spectacular costumes Curtain Raiser has to offer. With the designs of Patrick Vella, Dorothy brings his sketches to life, something which was very well proven in the shows Wara -Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer.  Having been satisfied with her work, director and producer Patrick Vella offered Dorothy the challenge of creating Victorian costumes, those of Ghadek Tiftakru lil Dorian Gray?
	Abigail Brown - Music Director Abigail Brown started playing the piano at the age of 4 and at 13 years she started playing the keyboards with her father’s band. Works she played in include A Tribute to Hollywood Musicals (1996); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1997); Millennium Concert (1999); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber 3 (2001) as well as a large number of concerts in which she accompanied various Maltese singers.  In 2003 she joined Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe in Dramadirekt, a 12 day workshop based on the interaction of Drama and Music together held in Vienna.  2003 saw the assembly of Curtain Raiser band with their first concert Musicall under the direction of Patrick Vella.  From then on Abigail was Music Director for Cabaretic (2004); Voice the Soul (2004); Disney Tunes (2004); Drakula the Musical (2005); Queen …Once Upon a Lifetime (2005); Queen Tribute (Independence Festivities 2005); Grease in Xmas Concert (2005)  Musicals in Cabaret (Independence Festivities 2006) Disney in Concert (Indifest 2007), Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh and In Search of the Missing Reindeer.   She is currently studying Music studies at the University of Malta.
	Tiziana Calleja - Associate She has been involved in a number of productions both as an actor and as a singer for the past years and has worked on several local TV programmes for children.  Tiziana was given an eight-month scholarship in Performing Arts with a local acting school and had other  opportunities for theatre workshops both with local as well as foreign tutors.  Some of these experiences include Dramadirect (Austria) and Snakes and Ladders (Berlin) both of which ended up with a public performance. She performed in Hair, Scrooge, Hmistax, Musicall, Cabaretic, Il-Mizien Fetah Ghajnejh, Dan Mhux Shakespeare, Voice the Soul, Disney Tunes, Drakula ... the rock opera, Queen ... once upon a lifetime, Disney ReTuned to which she was also the Director's Assistant and Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh. For the last two years she has furthered her studies under the guidance of Patrick Vella and sat for examinations in Musical Theatre with Trinity College (London).  Tiziana achieved the highest mark in Acting in Musical Theatre (Grade 7) throughout Europe in 2003 and lately has obtained her Diploma in this same discipline (A.T.C.L.) with Trinity College (London).  Currently Tiziana is reading her L.T.C.L. in Musical Theatre. With Curtain Raiser Tiziana performs educational shows for kids in schools and other kids' festivals.
	Tyrone Grima - Associate Tyrone Grima trained as an actor at DUTP (1994-97) whilst reading for a degree in French and Theatre Studies at the University of Malta.  He was a member of the committee of Maleth for a number of years.  During this period he performed in Enrico IV and Dahhliha Fellus whom he translated from French to Maltese.  In 1999 Tyrone began a postgraduate diploma at the University of Roehampton in Dramatherapy.  He graduated in 2003 and has been practising freelance especially within the fields of special needs and drug rehabilitation.  Tyrone has written and directed a number of plays including Une vie, la vie, sa vie and Shadows and Gods.  Tyrone is one of the founder members of Theatrencore, a new theatre company that promotes French culture through theatre.  Tyrone has also worked numerous times with Curtain Raiser.  As an actor he has performed in Halloween the Spoof, Disney ReTuned and In Search of the Missing Reindeer.  As a writer he has scripted the musical Wara l-Hajt tas-Sejjieh.  He furthered his studies with Curtain Raiser last year under the tutorship of Patrick Vella by reading for a diploma in Dramatic Arts with LAMDA.  He is currently reading for a Masters in Theatre Studies at the University of Malta focusing on the relationship between Dramatherapy and Spirituality.  Tyrone has also written a novel in Maltese entitled Celibacy that is available in all the leading local bookshops.

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