Curtain Raiser | creative team

	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 China, 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.
	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).
	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.
	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.