Paul Liengaard - Director and Producer
Always with horses and circus near to his heart, and forever travelling, the challenge to create a touring show with a Cathedral and organ follows the thread of these three passions.
Having directed shows including Cinderella: Turbo Zone, Double Crossing and Racines Vagabondes as well as working in film and television, he brings together the diversely talented company, leading them from a residency in Brittany to the celebrated Edinburgh Fringe.
Noemie Anex - Horsewoman / Performer (Fleur de Lys)
Passionate about horses since birth and a performer in her lost hours, Noemie joins the company as a horse-rider and actress. Curious by nature with a travelling soul, she chooses to live her dream of combining her discovery of the artistic world and a nomadic way of life. Creating a strong relationship between Horses and Human beings, enjoying being on the stage and delighting the public are the heart of her motivations. After studies in human and social sciences, Notre-Dame de Paris is the perfect story to link performing arts and questions of society, carried by Victor Hugo’s humanist vision.
Célian d’Auvigny - Actor / Singer (Frollo)
Celian is 27 years old. He is an actor, performer, and opera singer. While studying he joined the Paris Youth Choir directed by Laurence Equilbey and Geoffroy Jourdain before being accepted into the specialist theatre training at 'Cours Florent' in Paris, where he met his teachers: Felicien Juttner, Bruno Blairet, Jean Pierre Garnier and Florence Viala.
The same year he entered into the 18th cohort at the conservatoire to complete his vocal training with Sophie Hervé.
His debut as an actor was at the Paris Opéra with the performances of Anna Teresa de Keersmaeker, Zabou Breitman, Laurent Pelly.
Nikki Bee - Costume Designer
With thanks to my inspiring mother, I learnt how to hold a needle and use a sewing machine from a very early age.
She taught me a multitude of practical skills that I have continued to add to throughout my life.
I am proud to have made costumes for many successful shows.
I have played a key role in “Lux collective and Eat Prunes” based in Spain, writing unique original
shows, songs and music, making costumes and sets, singing and performing, DJing and dancing and
touring Europe.
This year I have created a collection of paintings that I am currently exhibiting.
Baudouin Cristoveanu - Actor / horseman / combattant (Pierre Gringoire)
Enthusiast in heroism and adventure, he hoped to be an officer after his studies. French champion in free combat at the age of 19, he trained in horse riding, archery, fencing... until theatre distracted him from these projects. In 2014 he was accepted to study at ‘Cours Florent’ but he chose instead the Ecole Nationale Supérieur d'Art Dramatique de Paris where his warrior spirit was swept away by dance, the love of language and its games; something to which he could truly give his soul.
Divina
At 10 years old, Divina is a natural at gargoyle grimaces and bourgeois affectations that allow her to fit right in with the "Bitches of Paris".
Djali - NDP Goat
Edwin Forster - Actor (Quasimodo)
As the organist, I am in charge of reassembling the church organ, an epic project in itself!
Starting off with a fascination for piano and parkour, I went on to study circus and theatre for five years. In this show I find myself returning to my natural interests; music, parkour and my love of theatre. It is the most brilliant opportunity, combining all that I love; to move and act, to delve deep into a character, and find new things.
How does Quasimodo move? How would he play a church organ?
Born in the countryside, I have always loved to climb, I enjoyed being eccentric which led me to clown and circus. From there I found my favourite world, theatre.
Sophie Forster - Pyrotechnics (Gudule)
Sophie studied art, chemistry and drama at college, and went on to achieve a Masters in Textile Design at Brighton University, specialising in technical knitted textiles. After discovering her medical textile designs would need extensive animal tests before taking any further, she made the decision to leave her scientific career behind and pursue her lifelong passion for theatre and circus. In Brighton she was already involved in fire performing, and with an aptitude for designing and an interest in chemistry, experimenting with pyrotechnics and custom-made fire equipment was a natural progression. Her work includes costume design, flame device design and special FX.
Katherine Glanville - Architectural Consultant / Aerialist
An architecture student who did her first work placement in a UK architect’s firm, she has chosen this time to join NDP Circus as architectural consultant and performer in Brittany. Before her degree, she trained in trapeze at Circomedia and has since performed with small touring shows. Some of her longest lasting interests include playing violin, reading anything and everything, drawing, and creative silliness with or without circus props. She is very engaged by the architectural aspects of Notre Dame de Paris and links with both the heritage of the venues and with this retelling where the hand built set is a character in itself.
Manon Hantz - Horsewoman / Performer (Queen of the Court of Miracles)
Previously there have been other things, and soon there will be more new ones, but at the moment it is rather like this:
One part of my life is the forest; sheep’s wool and a sewing machine, a fire in the hearth and horses in the meadow.
One part of my life follows the path of shows; the trucks and trailers, the singing of horseshoes on the road, and dancing with the horses.
Arthur Lang - Actor / Horseman (Phoebus)
I started theatre aged 7, then 10 years later, after finishing college, at 17, I started training in the Cours Florent School in Paris. Now 27, I'm trained in acting technique for theatre and cinema and have experience in both in lead and supporting acting roles.
A self-taught musician, impassioned by mankind, my curiosity that fils each new project can only be matched by my thirst for discovering the world through acting and music.
Katina Laoutaris - Musician (ANANKE)
Katina was accepted at the Royal College of Music on their performer’s degree course at the age of 15 and liked it so much she ran away to America the next year to become a waitress! She did eventually return to work as a professional violinist, playing in orchestras, ensembles, tango and circus. She graduated three years ago
from Exeter University with a first class honours degree in Arabic and English
Literature which included a creative writing dissertation largely influenced by the concept of Sufism. She continues to write poetry and has had her work published in a volume on climate change as well as recently being long-listed for an international women’s poetry prize. Currently she works part-time as a support worker for adults
with severe learning disabilities and using her experience as a teacher and
performer in Palestine, Calais and Serbia she also volunteers at a refugee centre in Plymouth. She has five children and lives in Devon.
Luce
Luce's name isn't actually Luce, it's Star.. Coming from Northern France, she is beautifully strong and fast having previously been one of three horses who trotted with a trailer of iced fish from the sea to the Parisian Market overnight.
Sam Pearson - Technician / Mechanic
Sam has many traits.. driving machinery, building houses, roads, driveways and drainage and now has decided to join the theatre and use his skills to benefit the build.
Pit - Technicien
Pit studied sales and business, but he quickly realised that it would not make him happy... After a few experiences in social work he discovered carpentry, welding and blacksmithing. The spirit of NDPcircus' project fits perfectly with Pit's values of finding technical solutions, recycling rusty materials, and building together with respect.
Gabriel Roure - Organist (Gargoyle/Monk)
Gabriel Roure was born in Paris in 1990 and started piano at the age of 8. He then found his way, discovering the music of Bach, towards the harpsichord and the organ that he studied at the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional in Paris, Conservatoire National Superieur Musique in Lyon and at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. In the meantime, he has followed his passion for organ construction under the instruction of Pascal Quoirin and has launched himself into making his own organ. He joined NDP to reassemble, tune and play the instrument.
Safarica
Maria Tarokh - Dancer/Actor (Esmeralda)
Maria is a classically trained dancer of British Iranian descent. She trained in various academies and schools in the UK in classical ballet, contemporary and jazz. She is also trained in oriental dance and has been performing professionally since 2012. She co-founded a circus and events company, using a unique blend of Balkan music and immersive circus performance, which has toured across Europe. With her other hat on she is a researcher specialising in human rights in international development and graduated from SOAS with an MA in Middle Eastern Studies in 2016. She speaks English, French, Spanish and Farsi.