London Theatre at Sea

Sarah Crompton is one of Britain’s most respected writers and broadcasters, commentating on all aspects of culture and the arts. Her work appears in the Guardian, the Sunday Times, The Times, the Observer, British and American Vogue, and Tatler among others. She reviews theatre for WhatsOnStage, is dance critic for the Observer and hosts a podcast with the actress Nancy Carroll called As the Actress Said to the Critic. She is a regular contributor to the BBC’s Front Row. She is much in demand as a chair and host of events, both interviews and discussions. 

Ben has performed leading and supporting roles in musicals and plays in the West End and around the UK, including Disney’s Beauty & The Beast, Hello Dolly, Stepping Out, Gypsy, Grease, Charley’s Aunt and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He is also a director, musical director, Music Hall performer and an award-winning Ugly Sister in pantomine! His highly acclaimed cabarets have played London, across the U.K., Malaysia and New York’s Feinstein’s @ 54 Below. He has also produced two solo albums.

Ben returns to London Theatre at Sea to once again lead the West End guest choir, as well as perform around Queen Mary 2.

West End Theatre credits include; The Book Mormon, Resident Choreographer, Swing and understudy Elder McKinley (Prince of Wales Theatre); Hairspray, I.Q. and understudy Link Larkin (Shaftesbury Theatre); Love Never Dies (Adelphi Theatre); Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre).

Fun facts; David tap danced on the roof of Buckingham Palace as part of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday celebrations.

David is very excited to be back onboard the Queen Mary 2 for the third London Theatre at Sea voyage.

Julian is the Chief Executive of global production company Green Room Ents Ltd which he co-owns with theatre owner and impresario Nica Burns and has a range of productions on stage and in development in the UK and the USA across theatre, television and radio. With a charitable part of the business, Julian and Green Room Ents produce annually the famous Variety Club Awards each Autumn, in aid of the children’s charity. Julian also acts as Consultant Producer for the Spring Award Ceremonies for the Horatio Alger Association in Washington DC, at venues including the US Supreme Court, the National Archives and the National Portrait Gallery.

Linzi is an Olivier Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner who has starred in the West End, on Broadway, with the RSC, and at the National Theatre. London Theatre includes: London Road; Joseph; Little Big Things; Mamma Mia!; Les Mis; Chicago; Mary Poppins; Secret Garden; Romance Romance; Grease.

Tours: Les Mis; Joseph; Blood Brothers; Barnum.

Broadway: Carrie.

TV & Film: The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe; EastEnders; History of a Pleasure Seeker; Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again; London Road; Les Mis; A Christmas Carol; Julie and the Cadillacs

Olivier nominated Liz Robertson has performed in musicals on both sides of the Atlantic. From Eliza in My Fair Lady to Anna Leonowens in ‘The King and I’, Maria in ‘The Sound Of Music’ and Velma in Hairspray. She has sung at 3 Royal Commands and at The Kennedy Center Honours

Richard Schoch is Professor of Drama at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. An American, he graduated from Georgetown University and earned his PhD from Stanford University. 

He is the author of eight books, including How Sondheim Can Change Your Life and Shakespeare’s House.

Before launching his academic career, Schoch directed plays in New York City and Washington, DC, and worked for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.  

Maria is best known as a four-time Olivier Award-winning star of stage and screen; the heart of Maria’s career has been centred around the love and work of her dear friend Stephen Sondheim. She has played Dot in Sunday in the Park with George at the National Theatre; Fosca in Passion at the Queen’s (Olivier Award); Mrs Lovett in Sweeny Todd at the Royal Festival Hall with Bryn Terfel, and Mary in Merrily We Roll Along at the Leicester Haymarket.

Nic Greenshields trained at Laine Theatre Arts, where he received the full Betty Laine Scholarship and graduated with honours. His distinguished West End and international credits include The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Billy Elliot, CATS, Love Never Dies, and Beauty and the Beast. Screen appearances include Cilla, EastEnders, The Bill, and De Lovely (MGM). As a director, Nic has worked on School of Rock and Guys and Dolls (West End). Concert performances include Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall and the O2.

Tom’s Carradine’s theatre credits include the UK tours of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Hi-de-Hi as Musical Director, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Scrooge and Cabaret as Assistant Musical Director and The Sound of Music as Children's Musical Director.  His keyboard playing credits include Les Miserables, Cinderella (Hackney Empire) and the tours of Blood Brothers and Half a Sixpence.  Tom is also passionate about Music Hall and has worked for The Players’ Theatre, Brick Lane Music Hall, Leeds City Varieties and regularly performs his own show, Carradine's Cockney Sing-a-long, at Wilton’s Music Hall and in venues across the UK and Europe.

Since graduating from a Technical Theatre course at Guildford School of Acting in 2004 Graham has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in stage management. Alongside the Theatre Industry, Graham has worked internationally on a variety of live events, awards shows and corporate conferences, including working with Julian Bird OBE on the Olivier Awards for 10 consecutive years.

London’s West End theatre credits include: Mary Poppins, Sound Of Music, Oliver!, Wicked, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Rock Of Ages, Beautiful, Dreamgirls, Waitress, Back To The Future The Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and most recently 50 First Dates The Musical.