Teaching Staff
Joe Stathers-Tracey – Head of Discipline
Before coming to LIPA ten years ago, Joe worked as a technical manager at a multi-purpose entertainment venue and touring receiving house, and as a site manager for outdoor events. He has worked with many local community groups as a technical adviser and has provided Health and Safety Consultancy to one of the largest suppliers of equipment and crew to the Film and TV industry in the North West. He also worked as a lighting engineer for Mersey TV’s Hollyoaks and Brookside and works as a VJ externally on music events around the North West, with artists ranging from classical quartets, to punk and dance events. He is now designing multimedia and digital visuals for theatres such as Liverpool's Royal Court and The Bluecoat, the Bolton Octagon and Newcastle Live Theatre, recent work includes "Eight Miles High" directed by Jim Cartwright (2008), "Looking for Buddy" directed by Mark Babych and "Our Day Out" and "Night Collar" with Bob Eaton (2009). He also sings with Sense of Sound Choir.
Richard Reddrop – Lecturer in Stage and Production Management
Richard has an extensive background in Stage Management, having worked for both The Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre for 15 years, where he worked on over 50 productions with many of the country's leading writers and directors including Sir Richard Eyre, Trevor Nunn, Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard. He has toured nationally and internationally. As a freelancer, he has worked in sound in the West End, as a producer for the Liverpool Everyman, re-lit touring productions and project managed Dreamthinkspeaks' site specific Capital of Culture commission in 2008. He is a member of the Stage Management Association.
Ashley Shairp – Senior Lecturer
Ashley trained in Theatre Design at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham. His first professional design job was with Michael Boyd at The Tron Theatre, Glasgow. He spent a few years as the Associate Designer at The Dukes, Lancaster designing a wide range of projects including classics, TIE, pantomimes, new writing and outdoor promenade productions in Williamson’s Park. Freelance design work took him all over the country with regular collaborations at Cheltenham Everyman, Bolton Octagon, The Liverpool Everyman, Ludus Dance Company and one offs for companies such as Opera Restor’d, The London Bubble, Cleveland Theatre Company and The Mercury, Colchester. Throughout his freelance years, he combined design work with prop making, scene painting and forays into TV [in Costume and Art Departments] and low budget films. His work was part of the Gold Medal winning British exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial in 1995. He designed “Angels in America” at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool and exhibited the design at the World Stage Design completion in Toronto in 2005. Recent work has included the Arts Council funded puppet production “Front Window” at The Unity, Liverpool created with partner Sam Heath working as the company “Planning a Trifle”. An installation based on the show was presented at the “Collaborators” exhibition of design for performance in Nottingham and at The V&A in 2007 and 2008.
Trained in Theatre Design at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham. His first professional design job was with Michael Boyd at The Tron Theatre, Glasgow. He spent a few years as the Associate Designer at The Dukes, Lancaster designing a wide range of projects including classics, TIE, pantomimes, new writing and outdoor promenade productions in Williamson’s Park. Freelance design work took him all over the country with regular collaborations at Cheltenham Everyman, Bolton Octagon, The Liverpool Everyman, Ludus Dance Company and one offs for companies such as Opera Restor’d, The London Bubble, Cleveland Theatre Company and The Mercury, Colchester. Throughout his freelance years, he combined design work with prop making, scene painting and forays into TV [in Costume and Art Departments] and low budget films. His work was part of the Gold Medal winning British exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial in 1995. He designed “Angels in America” at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool and exhibited the design at the World Stage Design completion in Toronto in 2005. Recent work has included the Arts Council funded puppet production “Front Window” at The Unity, Liverpool created with partner Sam Heath working as the company “Planning a Trifle”. An installation based on the show was presented at the “Collaborators” exhibition of design for performance in Nottingham and at The V&A in 2007 and 2008.