Premiere
Team
The premiere company brought the world of The Deal on board The Ancerville to life when the show opened in Shenzhen in October 2025. We are deeply grateful to this extraordinary group of artists.
CREATIVE TEAM
Created & Directed by Amit Lahav
Rhys Jarman
Production Designer
Rhys was one of the winners of the 2007 Linbury Biennial Prize for his designs of Varjak Paw (The Opera Group). New work includes James and the Giant Peach (Northern Stage) and The Machine Stops for York Theatre Royal. In 2015, he designed The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Northern Stage); Hurling Rubble at the Sun and Hurling Rubble at the Moon (Park Theatre). Designs for Gecko include Missing, Institute and The Time of Your Life (BBC co-production). Recent theatre work includes The Nutcracker (Nuffield Theatre), Holes and Threeway. Rhys has also designed for opera, television and a range of outdoor site-specific work. He has worked on Kin, Institute (film), A Little Space, The Wedding, The Dreamer, The Time Of Your Life, Institute and Missing for Gecko.
Michael Crean
Composer & Musical Director
Michael Crean is a composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist from London.
His debut solo Album ’Songs to the Sea’, was described as “A contender for Album of the Year… Captivatingly emotional and unlike anything I’ve heard before”. Previous credits include Gecko’s ‘The Rescue’ and ‘From Here On’. ‘Evelyn’ by Wildcard Theatre. As well as being the composer and musical director on The Deal, Michael is also an actor-musician performing as Jules and Sasha.
Chris Evans
Associate Director
Chris began his career with Hofesh Shechter Company, performing as one of its original members and touring worldwide. During this time, he also collaborated with Jonathan Lunn to devise Reading Rooms, a dance/text interplay working with Alan Rickman, Juliet Stevenson, and Miranda Richardson. He later joined Lost Dog Theatre Company, co-devising It Needs Horses, which toured internationally and won the Bloomburg Place Prize Award for dance. Chris has been a member of Gecko since 2011 and has worked on the creation of The Wedding, Missing and Institute, touring these productions worldwide.
Chris still continues a creative relationship with Hofesh Shechter, joining him on two major projects; as Assistant Choreographer for The Metropolitan Opera’s new creation Two Boys, and Associate Choreographer for the Broadway Musical Fiddler on the Roof. Chris has worked with Gecko on The Rescue | Kin | Institute (film) | The Wedding | The Dreamer | Institute | Missing
Chris Swain
Lighting Designer
Chris is a Lighting Designer based in Bristol.
He has worked extensively with Gecko – collaborating with the company for over ten years. Lighting design for the company includes Kin, A Little Space, The Dreamer, The Time of Your Life (for a televised performance on the BBC), Institute and Missing. Chris has also worked as a production manager at various points on The Overcoat, Missing, and Institute.
Other lighting designs include: ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’, ‘Our Country’s Good’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Beautiful Thing’, and ‘Blue Heart’ for Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol, ‘We Can Time Travel’ for gig-theatre maker Dom Coyote, ‘Oz’, ‘Flies’, and ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ for Pins and Needles, ‘Cutting Out’ for artist and activist Viv Gordon, and designs for various contemporary dance companies including: New Movement Collective, Fertile Ground, Renaud Wiser Dance, Sophie Nuzel Dance, and TrashDollys.
Chris has toured widely as a production manager and re-lighter both nationally and internationally – working in China, the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Russia and throughout Europe.
Chris is also a visiting lecturer at Bristol Old Vic Theatre school, where he works with the students on their own lighting designs, supervises technical workshops and fit-ups, and provides lighting design for the school’s own productions. He has worked on Gecko shows such as Kin | A Little Space | The Wedding | The Dreamer | The Time of Your Life | Institute | Missing | The Overcoat
Thor McIntyre-Burnie
Sound Designer
Thor McIntyre-Burnie is an artist and sound designer and the director of transformative public arts company Aswarm. An early pioneer of sound as a medium for public art, Thor’s internationally award-winning work is largely site-responsive. Focused largely outside the gallery system, he and Aswarm’s interventions transform a public or forgotten architectural space into art-works-to-walk-within. Using sound, interactive digital media and sculpture, Thor’s work aims to invite and enable people to playfully contemplate and re-evaluate their agency within public space. – Exponents of giving voice to the unheard, their work makes art, politics and play happen where it matters.
Fascinated with nebulous swarm-like concepts, the power of sound to give voice to objects and the hidden voices of a place, his work holds a space for us to enter in amongst and explore. Over 25 years of honing this expertise, his practice also crosses into a breadth of sound design collaborations within the fields of dance, theater and interactive design.
Kat Heath
Costume Designer
Kat trained in Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art and Central Saint Martins, London UK.
Recent set and costume designs include: Madama Butterfly (Irish National Opera/ Scottish Opera); Exxy (Dan Daw Creative Projects, New Dimensions); Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen (Francesca Moody Productions, Sydney Opera House & Touring); Albert Herring (Scottish Opera); Dixon and Daughters (National Theatre); New Electric Ballroom (The Gate, Dublin); The Third Day: Autumn, Audiences of the Future (Punchdrunk and HBO/Sky); Typical Girls (Sheffield Crucible); The Ancient Oak of Baldor, The Bar at the Edge of Time, Fire Songs, Sensory Studio, The Isle of Brimsker, 2065, A Night Out in Nature (Frozen Light); A Curious Quest, Route 158, Woolwich Hall of Fame (Punchdrunk Enrichment); The Nutcracker (Moxie Brawl at Cambridge Junction); Through This Mist (Clean Break Courtyard); Our Man in Havana (Watermill Theatre); Il Tabarro (Copenhagen Opera Festival); Peaky Blinders (Rambert); Punk Alley (Moxie Brawl and Southbank Centre); Così fan tutte (Bury Court Opera); The Importance of Being Earnest, The Two Worlds of Charlie F (Theatre Royal Haymarket); L’Orfeo, La bohème, Dido and Aeneas (Silent Opera); Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (Belle & Sebastian).
CAST
(in alphabetical order)
Adam Tompa
Lucien / Andre
Adam is a Hungarian actor and physical theatre performer, formerly with Maladype Theatre. He discovered acting at 16, later completing his MA at SZFE in Budapest and joining the innovative Maladype Theatre in 2007. His work explores untold truths, archetypes and emotional depth through physical theatre, developing a fragmented, imaginative, contemporary European style. He collaborates across disciplines—dance, stand-up, performance and fine art—working with artists who challenge mainstream norms.
Ailsa Li
Natalie / Dani
Ailsa is a Hong Kong performer based in Austria and relocating to Shenzhen for The Deal. Trained at SEAD in Austria and the Institute of Arts Barcelona, she also holds a BA in Cultural Studies from CUHK. Her work bridges movement and meaning, shaped by her experience across Europe and Asia, and she is recognised for detailed character work and strong ensemble presence. She has performed in major productions including Castellucci’s Tannhäuser, Neshat’s AIDA, and Hungry Sharks’ Destination FCKD, and in Hong Kong’s musical Matteo Ricci.
Alexander Love
Francois / Dani
Alexander is a London-based dancer and videographer who graduated from LCDS and has performed in House of Flamenka, He’s Dead, BalletBoyz’ Deluxe, and Corey Baker’s Zero G. He has joined residencies with Gecko, 2Faced Dance, RhythmFlow and Sweetshop Revolution, and early in his career premiered work by Damien Jalet and Sharon Eyal at Sadler’s Wells. He performed with Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet (local cast) and has appeared in The Crown, a Shy Smith music video, and won the 2024 Magic Mike scholarship. He also produces documentaries and digital content.
Bartosz Przybylski
Lucien / Andre
Bartosz is a Polish performer
and filmmaker, trained at Folkwang/Dansart. He began in hip hop before studying at Folkwang and Dansart in Germany. He danced for Divadlo Štúdio Tanca in Slovakia for three years and later freelanced, presenting his work 4 words about… at festivals across Europe. His performance history spans Poland, Germany, France, Austria, the USA, Slovakia, Cyprus, England and Chile, and he is also a filmmaker. His artistic inquiry focuses on perception, communication and audience experience.
Blanca Sevi
Musician – Gaby
Blanca is a cellist, actress, and storyteller based in Madrid, with a double degree in Tourism and Business and a background in music and theatre. She performs with various groups, including Serigosa and Albis, and is involved in social initiatives, managing EU-funded programs focused on music, inclusion, and well-being.
Bonni Bogya
Claudia / Patrice
Originally from Transylvania, Bonni trained at Budapest Dance Theatre’s Elite programme and later at LCDS, where she received the Peggy Hawkins Scholarship. She has worked with Ingri Fiksdal, Pablo Bronstein, Kwame Asafo-Adjei, Dane Hurst and others, and later joined Scottish Dance Theatre as an apprentice and guest artist. Now London-based, she works regularly with Becky Namgauds, Neve Harrington and Compagnie Linga.
Boris Barukčić
Marcel / Valmont
Boris is a Zagreb-based actor, teacher, and theatre-maker. He holds an MA from the Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he teaches Stage Movement, and co-founded the interdisciplinary platform Studio tres pas. His work blends physical research and poetic presence, collaborating with artists such as Simone Aughterlony, Ivica Buljan, de facto, Montažstroj and Škvadra. He continues to explore movement-driven storytelling through residencies and international collaborations.
Briony O’Callaghan
Ramona / Odette
Briony O’Callaghan is a performer, director, theatre-maker, movement director and teacher trained in Manchester and at the Lecoq school in Paris, with additional Butoh training in Poland, London and Japan. She is artistic director of Created a Monster and an associate artist with Flabbergast, David Glass Ensemble and SALTYDOLLS. Her notable roles include Lady Macbeth with Flabbergast, the Puppeteer in The Sex Lives of Puppets, and Mortgage in Silence. Her directing work has received the Offie Award (2022), Phoebe Waller-Bridge Keep It Fringe Fund (2023) and Pleasance Charlie Hartill Award (2023). She regularly teaches at RADA, Rose Bruford, East15 and Italia Conti.
Camilla Curiel
Natalie / Dani
Italian performer Camilla Curiel trained at Trinity Laban and graduated with First Class Honours before joining the JV2 programme. She has performed in major opera productions choreographed by Jasmin Vardimon (Tannhäuser at the Royal Opera House and Carmen at Glyndebourne and Royal Albert Hall, where she was dance captain). She has collaborated with Gecko, Anton Lachky and Alleyne Dance, and teaches as co-course leader and rehearsal director for JV2.
Caterina Grosoli
Claudia / Patrice
Caterina is an actress and performing artist, originally from Italy and now based in London. Trained in ballet from a young age, she moved to the UK in 2013 to study contemporary dance and choreography at Trinity Laban. In 2017, she completed a postgraduate program in physical theatre with the Jasmin Vardimon Company. She completed a Master’s degree in Contemporary Acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Cheung Tsz Kwan
Claudia / Patrice
TK is a Hong Kong performer skilled in Popping and Contemporary Dance and has won several awards in battles and competitions. She
has performed in festivals and international collaborations across Asia and Europe. Her recent performances include: “528” by Tsang Wing Fai in New Force in Motion 2025; “Midnight Oil” by Adrienn Hód; “PHONATE” by Wayson Poon; “Occasional” by Metaverse in Hong Kong Dance Exchange 2022 and Wildstyle Records 10th Anniversary Concert.
Cristina Munoz Caamano
Musician – Gaby
Originally from Madrid, Cristina studied at the Institute of Contemporary Music in London, majoring in vocals. She has recorded at renowned studios including RAK, Abbey Road, and Maida Vale, and is also a singer-songwriter.
Eera Gupta
Natalie / Dani
Eera is an India-born contemporary dance artist trained at Trinity Laban, with performance credits at the Royal Opera House, Waterperry Opera Festival and Longborough Opera Festival. She has collaborated with Gecko, Good Chance Theatre and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, and contributed to visual work for The Grateful Dead’s Sphere concert in Las Vegas. As an educator, she works with Artis Foundation and Trinity Laban, specialising in young people and SEN settings. Her practice centres on movement, intention and freeing the body-mind.
Fania Grigoriou
Claudia / Patrice
Greek performer Fania trained at the State School of Dance in Athens and holds advanced stage-combat qualifications. With over 20 years of international experience, she has worked with The National Theatre, ROH2, Punchdrunk, Protein Dance, Satore Studio and Sleepwalk Immersive, and appeared in screen works including The Third Day, Brave New World, The Mummy and Les Misérables. She performed in the original Shanghai cast of Sleep No More and recently directed the immersive magic show Rhythm & Ruse. In The Deal, she plays Claudia and Patrice.
Grigory Borucki
Musician – Sasha/ Gaby
Grigory is a violinist with 27 years of experience, having toured globally in children’s theatre, performed in symphony orchestras, theatre and opera settings, and recently specialised in Manouche jazz. He is also a Lindy Hop swing-dance teacher.
Guan Honghang
Lucien / Andre
Chinese dance artist Guan explores space–body dynamics and leads the “Grassland Project” and “I Have an Idea” initiatives. A graduate of Hangzhou Normal University (Dance Performance), he has presented work at the International Choreography Competition in Hanover, Hangzhou International Dance Week and other platforms.
Hung Lai Kwan
Ramona / Odette
An Art wayfarer. Hung studied Contemporary Dance at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Upon graduation in 2018, she joined City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) as a teaching artist and now works as a freelance performer. Hung has participated in productions created by international choreographers, including Set andReset/ResetbyDianeMadden(Belgum/US); Three Fingers at Arm’s Length by Leila McMillan (US); Cat Dérive by Gabrielle Nankivell (Australia); Under This Weight by Dam Van Huynh (UK); Winterreise· The Rite of Spring by Helen Lai and Dance at Dawn by Yuri Ng at CCDC.
John Ross
Marcel / Valmont
John is a UK performer trained first as an actor, then as a dancer at LCDS, graduating with First Class Honours. He has performed with Tom Dale Company, Jasmin Vardimon, Gecko, DV8 and Punchdrunk, and has won awards including the Matthew Bourne Choreographer Award (2013) and the Sadler’s Wells Children’s Choreography Award (2015). He works internationally as a movement director, with credits across major UK theatres and national opera houses in Europe. He teaches widely and works across theatre, dance, cabaret and circus.
Jonathan Aubrey-Bentley
Marcel / Valmont
Jonathan trained at NSCD and RADA’s MA Theatre Lab. Alongside performing, he works as a director and choreographer, premiering When Trees Fall and TIMOTHY at Resolution. He co-created WALD/Forest in Germany and has toured a wide range of work in the UK, Europe and at the Edinburgh Fringe. A yoga teacher and Soft Tissue Therapist, he integrates somatics into performance and co-founded NUNC, a dance-theatre company based in Italy and the UK.
Matteo Sacco
Francois / Dani
Italian performer and choreographer Matteo Sacco trained at LISPA, Trinity Laban and Iwanson School. As a performer, he has collaborated with Ersan Montag, Maciej Kunminski and Michael Gatman; danced for the Bavarian State Opera and with ŻfinMalta; and spent seven years with Sanpapié Company. His award-winning choreographic work explores embodiment, theatricality and physical storytelling.
Michael Crean
Musician – Jules / Sasha
Michael Crean is a composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist from London. His debut solo Album ’Songs to the Sea’, was described as ‘A contender for Album of the Year… Captivatingly emotional and unlike anything I’ve heard before’. Previous credits include Gecko Theatre’s ‘The Rescue’ and ‘From Here On’. ‘Evelyn’ by Wildcard Theatre. As well as being the composer and musical director on The Deal, Michael is also an actor-musician performing as Jules and Sasha.
Mingchao Wang
Francois / Dani
Chinese performer Mingchao graduated from Minzu University of China and performed in the Shanghai Sleep No More from 2017–2024, covering ten roles as a super swing and becoming the first Asian performer to play the Boy Witch. He previously danced full-time with Tao Dance Theater, touring internationally and performing works 4–7 at Sadler’s Wells. His credits span physical theatre, dance drama and film, including Paper Tiger Theatre’s Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain and the film De Xian Jin Zhi.
Natalia Gabrielczyk (Captain)
Claudia / Patrice
Polish contemporary dancer Natalia trained at Anton Bruckner University and worked with Landestheater Linz before joining Hofesh Shechter Company through Shechter II in 2018. She toured extensively in productions including SHOW, East Wall, Grand Finale, Double Murder and Theatre of Dreams, and teaches internationally, focusing on rhythm, theatricality and emotional honesty in movement.
Piers Sanders
Marcel / Valmont
Piers was born and raised in London, UK, and trained at London Contemporary Dance School. He went on to work and perform with National Dance Company Wales, Humanhood Dance Company and most recently, Hofesh Shechter Company as part of their Shechter II programme. Piers was born and raised in London, UK, and trained at London Contemporary Dance School. He went on to work and perform with National Dance Company Wales, Humanhood Dance Company and most recently, Hofesh Shechter Company as part of their Shechter II programme.
Pin Chieh Chen
Ramona / Odette
Taiwan-born artist Pin trained at Folkwang University and began their career with Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, later dancing for Kassel and Oldenburg State Theatres. They have collaborated with Sharon Eyal, Johannes Wieland, Maxine Doyle, Guy Weizmann & Roni Haver and Ann Van den Broek, and performed major roles in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More (Shanghai) and The Burnt City (London). Their work spans film, commercial projects, rehearsal direction and international teaching. In 2025 they appear in Bacchanalia with Sleepwalk Immersive.
Rob McNeill
Lucien / Andre
Rob trained at Laban (2003) and has worked with Punchdrunk from its early years across productions including Sleep No More, Faust, Masque of the Red Death, The Drowned Man and The Burnt City. Additional theatre credits include The National Theatre, Young Vic, Sadler’s Wells, ROH, ENO and major European venues. Film credits include 28 Weeks Later, Sweeney Todd, Anna Karenina, Mary Queen of Scots and The Third Day. As a choreographer he has created work for American Airlines and led EU projects such as City Noises.
Rosa Lennox
Musician – Jules
Rosa is a London-based actor-musician trained at Mountview. Their credits include Cabaret (West End revival), Much Ado About Nothing (Globe), The Nutcracker (New Vic), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Great Gatsby and What the Dickens?. They have musically directed several productions, founded the Polyphonics Choir, and regularly perform accordion on the Golden Hinde and with the London Accordion Orchestra. In The Deal, Rosa plays Jules.
Saju Hari (Captain)
Lucien / Andre
Originally from Kerala, India, Saju began in Kalarippayattu before transitioning to dance and moving to the UK in 2003. He has collaborated with Shobana Jeyasingh, Fabulous Beast, Akram Khan Company, Sasha Waltz & Guests and Gecko. His choreography has been presented at venues such as ROH2, Southbank Centre and The Place, and his site-specific work has appeared in Vienna and Prague. He has collaborated with Oxford University on performance research and works in film, advertising and mentorship, including serving as dramaturg for Dance Umbrella’s Out of the System.
Sam Morris
Marcel / Valmont
Sam is a London-based actor, movement artist and theatre-maker. After drama school, he created and toured his solo show Christopher and became an Associate Artist with Project Lockout, performing, assisting direction and contributing to film projects exploring cinematic movement. He recently collaborated with Gecko on a music-video project for the Las Vegas Sphere. His work draws heavily on classical storytelling blended with contemporary physicality.
Simi Egbejumi-David
Francois / Dani
Simi is a physical-theatre performer trained at East15, graduating with First Class Honours and an academic scholarship. A self-taught acrobat performing since 2016, his career highlights include STOMP and Around the World in 80 Days.
Tina Afiyan Breiova
Ramona / Odette
Armenian-Czech dance artist, choreographer and lecturer Tina Afiyan Breiova trained at Duncan Centre and P.A.R.T.S. She has performed with Marina Abramović, Alexander Vantournhout, Roberto Olivan, Thomas Ryckewaert and Cie Willi Dorner, and contributed to major film/music projects including ANIMA (PTA, Thom Yorke, Damien Jalet). She works internationally as a movement director, and her award-winning choreographies tour widely. She founded Axis of Action and lectures at LCDS, where she leads the Master’s in Dance Performance.
Tobie Medland
Musician – Sasha/ Gaby
Tobie is a violinist rooted in European acoustic jazz, praised for his virtuosity and performing across major venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, St. John’s Smith Square and festivals across Europe. He has collaborated with leading gypsy-jazz artists, produced major festivals including the London Gypsy Jazz Festival, and founded Future Fable Records. His work spans BBC broadcasts, jazz journalism and multiple touring ensembles. He studied composition at the Royal College of Music and the University of Leeds and is currently pursuing studies in zoology alongside The Deal.
Tom Blake (Captain)
Musician – Jules
Tom is a London-based actor and musician trained at École Philippe Gaulier, with a background in fine art from the Slade School. He works across theatre, film and performance, specialising in interdisciplinary and interactive work, and was Offie-nominated for The Sound Collector. He has collaborated with Eastern Angles, The Rude Mechanicals and appeared in Love Again (Sony Pictures). A skilled accordionist, he performs widely in theatre, cabaret and ensemble music.
Vivian Luk (Captain)
Ramona / Odette
Wai Shan Vivian Luk is a Hong Kong–born contemporary dance artist based in London, currently performing and touring with Gecko Theatre and Van Huynh Company. A key milestone in her career was helping create Gecko’s KIN, later presented at the National Theatre in 2024. She holds a BA from HKAPA and a Distinction Master’s from LCDS, and has worked with artists such as Ismael Ivo, Laura Arís Alvarez, Natalia Hoecna, Christine Gouzelis and Rob Tannion. Her performance credits include music videos for The Chemical Brothers, Grateful Dead, and Hothouse Flowers, and she has created several choreographic works including Post-WHAT, ANNE, and -ology. She is also an active educator.
Yumi Tsubouchi
Musician – Sasha
Japanese jazz violinist Yumi, originally from Toyota City, worked as a nurse for ten years before transitioning fully into music. She began jazz violin six years ago and now performs freelance across styles including gypsy jazz, bossa nova and samba. She toured Brazil in 2024, performed at Setouchi Django Street and the Osaka Gypsy Jazz Festival, and joined The Deal after meeting a collaborator at Django in France.