Artistic Director
Kinny Gardner R.A.D. CACDP Level 2
Kinny studied Classical Ballet graduating R.A.D. Advanced in 1976. Further training in MIME and DANCE with Annie Stainer, Lindsay Kemp and at the Martha Graham School in New York, with Martha Graham, Pearl Laing and Helen McGeeghie. Voice teachers include Michael Aspinall, Elisabeth Brice, Arthur Oldham and Dr. Werner Hecht of the Berliner Ensemble. He has studied Kabuki with Gojo Masanosuke, Butoh with Katsu Ohno, and Commedia dell’ Arte with Carlo Mazzone Clementi.
He has featured in GODSPELL, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and THE MOUSETRAP in London’s West End, and in rep. and tours of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, CHICAGO, MARAT/SADE, ADRIAN MOLE, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, ASSASSINS, CAFÉ DEBRIS and CABARET.
Kinny is a principle guest artist with THE LINDSAY KEMP COMPANY.
Kinny’s directing and creating work includes over 27 productions for Krazy Kat, including workshops, and now features integrated sign-language as a matter of course.
Extensively using puppets, figures, dolls and objects, Kinny has directed and choreographed work for ‘Lo Scarlo’ Italy, ‘Kinderteater Basta’ Holland, ‘Bridges Dance’ England, ‘The Scottish Mime Theatre’, ‘Khoros Dance Theatre’, ‘Dancescapers’ ‘Theatre Workshop Edinburgh’, and ‘Guizer Theatre Company’, all in Scotland, and for ‘The Paradise Club’ Zenith T.V. He created the Spider Shadow Ballet for Lindsay Kemp’s ‘Cinderella’, and choreographed T.S. Eliot’s ‘Sweeny Agonistes’ at the Traverse, Edinburgh.
Kinny is a charismatic and engaging teacher, with a lightness of touch and a vibrant sense of humour that allows for the release of ‘Emotion in Motion’.
For more information visit www.kinnygardner.com
It is with great sadness that we announced the passing of co-founding director Alastair Scott Macmillan in October 2005. Please click here to read an appreciation of his contribution and legacy to Krazy Kat and Children's Theatre
Associate Director
Darren Cheek
BA Hons, PG AD Dip,CACDP Level 2
Alongside working as Associate Director and performing with Krazy Kat Theatre Company, Darren works internationally as a Director, Writer, Dramaturge, Therapist and Actor. Darren’s extensive experience as an actor includes appearances in film, on television and at various regional, touring and West End theatres.
Darren has a passionate interest and over fifteen years professional experience in working in arts education with children, young people and adults of all ages. He has run arts projects in Sweden, America and Russia, regularly teaches in Bahrain and continues to run workshops for children, young people and adults, in schools and other less traditional venues.
Over the past thirteen years Darren has been actively involved in the writing, development and performance of many new plays. Most recently he directed the award winning SCARLET RIBBONS for Oxfordshire Theatre Company and the Arts Council funded development of Rob Swinton’s newest play THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS, which played in Birmingham and London. Other recent credits include directing at ALRA and Mountview Theatre Schools; working as assistant director/dramaturge and appearing in DOUBLE TROUBLE at the Rose Theatre Kidderminster; co-devising Move and 19 at the Tristan Bates Theatre; co-devising Krazy Kat’s full repertory of signing shows and WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? a controversially successful anti-homophobic bullying play that toured, along with workshops, to secondary schools in Sussex. For the Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, Darren adapted and directed DIFFERENT LANDS DIFFERENT STORIES, a physical theatre production for 4-6 year old children, in Bengali and English.
Darren also works in the private and public sectors as a freelance role-play trainer, facilitator, writer-director and communication trainer - working with various police forces and associated organisations, teachers, doctors, consultants, senior managers, mental health workers and patients.
Darren graduated from The Central School of Speech and Drama in 1997 having studied Drama and Education (BA Hons). He has since gone onto to study British Sign Language (CACDP Levels 1 and 2), Person-centred Counselling, Counselling Studies, Therapeutic Counselling and Humanistic Integrative Counselling (CPCAB Advanced Diploma). He currently works as a psychotherapist in both the public and private sectors and has taught Humanistic Integrative Counselling to students around the world.
For more information visit www.darrencheek.co.uk