THE SEAFARER
Cast and Creatives
Sharky
Eugene Duffy
Eugene Duffy is a classically and contemporary trained actor who completed his core training at the Identity School of Acting (IDSA), alongside specialised short courses at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD) and Alternative Productions.
On stage, Eugene has developed a versatile repertoire across several prominent theatre companies. His notable roles with the South London Theatre include Ben in Mayfly and Michael in Dancing at Lughnasa. He has performed extensively with the Rathfarnham Theatre Group, starring as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World. Demonstrating his range, Eugene also portrayed Old Mahon in a separate production of The Playboy of the Western World with the Tower Theatre. His international stage experience includes performing across the Atlantic as John Joe in A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant with the Toronto Irish Players.
Richard
Ian Cooke
Ian Cooke is a professionally trained actor who graduated from TU Dublin in 2005.
On stage, his notable credits include performing in Julius Caesar at Ireland's national theatre, The Abbey Theatre in Dublin. He also starred in Memories of a Dublin Bus Driver with the Maylin Theatre Company at The New Theatre. On television, he appeared as Gil Mooney in RTE’s long-running flagship soap opera, Fair City.
Ivan
James Ross Turner
James Ross Turner graduated from Rose Bruford College in 2003 and has since built a diverse career across theatre, directing, and television.
His extensive stage acting credits include playing Guard in The Devil In Drag at the Stephen Joseph Theatre and Russ in Conversations In A Flat at the Camden People’s Theatre. He also portrayed Captain Stanhope in Journey’s End at the Erith Playhouse, Andrew Gilligan in Justifying War at the Edward Alderton Theatre, and the Investigator in Born Traitor at the Old Red Lion Theatre.
Beyond acting, he expanded into directing with The House of Bernarda Alba at the Erith Playhouse. His screen work includes appearing as Apollo in the Discovery Channel's Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece.
Nicky
Nick Thomas
Nick Thomas trained in classical acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This production marks his third collaboration with Ian Higham following his previous roles in Jumpers For Goalposts and Macbeth.
Mr Lockhart
Matthew Flexman
Matthew Flexman began his long-standing stage career at Putney Arts Theatre in 1992, making his debut in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.
Over the past thirty years, he has performed in numerous productions including Anne Boleyn, Private Lives, and The Tempest.
His acting work extends well beyond Putney to various stages around London and the wider region. He performs extensively with the Richmond Shakespeare Society and multiple times at the iconic Minack Theatre. Matthew also regularly collaborates with several other theatre companies across the capital.
Director
Ian Higham
Ian is delighted to be collaborating with Greenwich Theatre and The Colour Noise to helm this milestone 20th-anniversary production of The Seafarer, marking the play’s first major London revival since its original National Theatre premiere.
An experienced director and passionate advocate for grassroots drama, Ian spent three years as the Artistic Director of the Putney Theatre Company (2013–2016).
His recent directing credits include Terence Rattigan’s wartime classic Flare Path (2024) and Conor McPherson’s The Weir (2021).
Away from the director's chair, Ian has spent nearly two decades working as the Sales Manager for the independent drama publisher Nick Hern Books. He is thrilled to bring McPherson's darkly comic, alcohol-fuelled tale of redemption to the Greenwich stage.
Sound Designer
Nick Wells
Writer, musician and sound designer, Nick Wells is the editor of Lights Up! the Putney Theatre Company podcast.
He has created over 30 books under the pseudonym Jake Jackson, including
Guitar Chords, Scales and Modes, The Songwriters’ Rhyming
Dictionary.
His EP Jakesongs is available on Spotify etc, and he recently remastered the soundtrack albums of Allen Stroud’s Lave Revolutions and The Fractal Series.
Set Designer
Simon Crump
Simon has been involved in theatre for more than 30 years, gaining extensive experience across a wide range of backstage and production roles. Over the years, he has worked as a stage manager, set and costume designer, and sound and lighting operator on numerous productions.
Specialising in period costume design, Simon's recent productions include Amadeus, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and Flare Path, for which he also designed the set. His broad technical expertise and keen eye for historical detail have made him a valued member of many successful productions.
Producers
Barney & Cait Hart Dyke
Cait anchors the production team with her vast event management experience and exceptional marketing talent. Working right alongside her, Barney leads the backstage as production manager, utilizing his specialised technical skills to ensure every operational detail runs flawlessly.