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Tony
MacDonnell DPLM
LRAM Cert ED
Tony
has been actively involved in the entertainment industry for over
thirty years having started to work as a professional musician while
still at school. He was the first drummer ever to graduate from the
renowned Jazz & Light Music Course at Leeds College of Music.
He is also a qualified and experienced music teacher.
He
has worked continuously as a musician and has played at a huge variety
of events in every kind of venue including TV, radio and recording
studios, concert halls, theatres, function suites, exclusive private
homes, hotels, circus and holiday centres. He has performed with many
star entertainers, leading actors and musicians at every kind of function
from large corporate events to pub sessions and has played for over
a hundred theatre productions from Variety & Musicals to Grand
Opera. During this career he has shared the stage with a huge compendium
of entertainment names ranging from Gary Oldman to Van Morrison:
from Matt Monro to Ken Dodd: from John Dankworth to Jimmy Tarbuck,
among many others. Incidental to this work he has also functioned
as compere, presenter, venue entertainments manager & even as
a children's entertainer! Tony still plays on a freelance basis in
and around London and the South East with some of the UK's finest
musicians. In recent years he has returned to small group jazz and
big band styles and as well as playing as a 'dep' or substitute in
function and covers bands.
Alongside
his musical work, Tony had extensive business experience in sales
management and marketing in the retail sector of the music and instrument
industry.
His
sound commercial background together with his extensive and intimate
involvement in the entertainment industry gave him the ideal profile
to develop a quality artists & entertainment agency.
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Joan
MacDonnell
Joan has been involved in the entertainment industry both on the stage and in production
behind the scenes. As a Butlins Redcoat she shared the stage with
many artists who went on to become household names. Later, after a
period in the retail music sector with Tony, Joan became involved
with Theatres in the North of England working as a wardrobe mistress
at York Theatre Royal and in the costume department at The West Yorkshire
Playhouse. During this time she worked on a diverse range of productions
which included Plays, Musicals, Ballet and Pantomime and included
the famous York Cycle of Mystery Plays (starring Robson Green), the
tour of Buddy and the original production of Kay Mellor's 'A Passionate
Woman'.
On moving to London
she joined the Wardrobe Department of Andrew Lloyd Webbers 'Starlight
Express'. As a freelance costume supervisor she was invited to design
the costumes for major charity productions at The Theatre Royal Drury
Lane and The London Palladium. This involved working with some of
the most respected entertainment names from both sides of the Atlantic
and included David Soul, Russ Tamblyn, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno,
Cyd Charisse, Ron Moody, Ronnie Corbett, Marion Montgomery, Bonnie
Langford, Patricia Hodge and many more. Joan also worked on the original
London production of Disney's 'Beauty and The Beast, at the Dominion,
as well as 'Whistle Down the Wind', 'King Lear' with Warren Mitchell,
'Peter Pan' with Bradley Walsh, Geoff Capes and George Sewell and
many other TV and Soap stars.
Joan's experience and
flair bring a different but complimentary range of skill and insight
into entertainment, production and events to Prima Artists in which
she is now a full time partner.
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