Productions

The Okai Collier Company is always eager to push the boundaries and as such has worked on several projects in several fields encompassing the arts.

We like to stay busy and here is just a short overview of our projects.

Musicals:

2016 Perseverance • Abstrakt / Egg, London

2013 The Last Ever Musical • White Bear Theatre, London

2011 1888 • Union Theatre, London [Nominated for 2 Offie awards: Best New Musical and Best Actress in a Musical]

2010 The Remains of the Day • Union Theatre, London

2010 Been There, Doing It • Civic Theatre, Bedford

2009 Hedwig & the Angry Inch • K52 Theatre, Frankfurt, Germany

2008 Saintly Sinners: Something Naughty This Way Comes • Above The Stag, London

2008 Dracula • White Bear Theatre, London

2007 Five Guys Named Moe • (Casting Direction) – English Theatre, Frankfurt

2004 Purlie • Bridewell Theatre, London [Nominated for Four What’s On Stage 2005 Awards: Best Musical Revival, Best Overall Fringe Production, Best Actress in a Musical: Joanna Francis, Best Choreography: Mykal Rand]

2004 Passion • Bridewell Theatre, London

2003 The Crusaid Requiem • St. Martin in the Fields, South Africa House, London

2003 A...My Name Is Alice • Bridewell Theatre, London

2002 Ruthless! The Musical • Stratford Circus, London

[Winner Of Five Musical Stages Awards: Best Musical Production (Off West End), Best Director (Off West End): Omar F. Okai, Best Actress in a Musical (Off West End): Lisa Baird, Best Actor in a Musical (Off West End): Paul L Martin, Best Writers/Lyricists/Composers of New Work: Joal Paley and Marvin Laird for Ruthless!]

2001 Shiny Happy People • Hornchurch Theatre, Charity Event with Victoria Wood

2001 Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens • Bridewell Theatre, London

2000 Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens • Globe Centre, Three Mills

1999 Great Balls Of Fire • Co produced by Laurie Mansfield & Collier McArthur Bonas - Plymouth, Birmingham & The Cambridge Theatre, London’s West End

1996 Love Life & Laughter • Mermaid Theatre, London

1996 Whole Lotta Shakin • Collier McArthur Bonas with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

1996 Countess & Cabbages • Merlin Theatre, Frome, Somerset

1996 Everyone’s Opera • Merlin Theatre, Frome, Somerset & Chat’s Palace, London

1996 Spooky Noises • Merlin Theatre, Frome, Somerset

1996 Love Loss Life & Laughter • Merlin Theatre, Frome, Somerset

1995 La Vie En Rose • King’s Head, Beck Theatre, Merlin Theatre, Towngate Theatre

1994 Viva O Carnaval • Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, London

Plays:

2017 The Raven • The London Horror Festival [Old Red Lion Theatre] & The Etcetera Theatre

2017 The Masque of the Red Death • Jack Studio Theatre, London

2017 The Fall of the House of Usher • Jack Studio Theatre, London

2015 Titus Andronicus [Arrows & Traps] • New Wimbledon, London

2015 The Taming of the Shrew [Arrows & Traps] • New Wimbledon, London

2015 Madame X • Jack Studio Theatre, London

2015 Dracula • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2014 The Winter’s Tale • [Shakespeare Sessions], Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2014 Jekyll & Hyde: Corpus Delicti • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2014 Much Ado About Nothing • [Shakespeare Sessions], Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2014 The Corruption of Dorian Gray • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2014 Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2013 The Jungle Book • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2013 The White Witch of Rose Hall • Catford Broadway Theatre, London

2011 The Lullabies of Broadmoor • Edinburgh Fringe, Finborough Theatre, London

2010 Stairway To Heaven • Blue Elephant Theatre, London

2010 Gifted • White Bear, London

2010 Blavatsky’s Tower • Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, London

2009 Supernatural • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2009 Oliver Twist • Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London

2009 Love Horse • White Bear Theatre, London

2009 Collision • Hackney Empire, London

2009 Moonshadow • White Bear Theatre, London

2009 A Mother Speaks • St. Ethelburga’s, London

2008 The Smilin’ State • Hackney Empire, London

2008 A Mother Speaks • Hackney Empire, New Wolsey/Ipswich, The Drum/Birmingham

2007 The Dorchester • Jermyn Street Theatre, London

2006 My Matisse • Jermyn Street Theatre, London

2006 Preacherosity • Jermyn St. Theatre, London

2002 Tony Dallas • A Time to Speak • Stratford Circus, London

Recordings:

2004 Purlie – live recording of the European premiere - original London Cast

2003 The Crusaid Requiem – original live recording

2001 Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens - 2001 London Cast Recording

1999 Great Balls of Fire – Original London Cast Recording

Documentaries:

2010 Project Snowflake • Orev Films/Okai Collier

2009 In His Hands • Urban Theatre/Okai Collier Company

2009 The Difference We Make • Okai Collier production for SHF

2005 The 411 – The Bottom Line On Amhurst Road • Okai Collier for SHF

Feature Films:

2008 Dance With Me • Orev Prods/Okai Collier Company/Strict Machine/Lucas Manley Films

Workshops & Rehearsed presentations:

2016 Perseverance •  Barbican, London

2015 Mary Seacole in Many Lands • ASKI, London

2015 Spooky Noises • the Umbrella Rooms, London

2014 Madame X • Theatre Royal Stratford East

2013 Celia • Theatre Royal Stratford East

2013 The Last Ever Musical • St. Barnabas, London

2012 The White Witch of Rose Hall • Matthew’s Yard, London

2012 Spooky Noises • St. John’s, London

2010 Tapestry • London

2010 Diary of a Chav (workshop presentation) • Tristan Bates Theatre, London

2010 It Came From The Never-Space • St. Barnabas,  London

2010 Animate! • Prince Edward Theatre, London

2006 The Dorchester • (rehearsed reading) – Jermyn Street, London

2005 A Wrongful Execution • (rehearsed presentation) – Acorn Theatre, Hackney Empire

2005 The Last Session • (rehearsed presentation) – Acorn Theatre, Hackney Empire

2005 Disparate Bodies • (workshop reading), The Fleapit, London

2005 Call Me Lee • (rehearsed presentation), New End Theatre, London

London

2003 Numbers • (workshop presentation) – Globe Centre, London

2000 A...My Name Is Alice • (workshop presentation) • Bridewell Theatre

1994 Viva O Carnaval • (workshop presentation) - Lilian Baylis, Sadler’s Wells, London

Social Investment Projects:

2012 Chromovalley. A musical theatre performance piece with young people living in Hackney, East London. New London Orchestra / Paul Hamlyn Foundation / Inspire / Okai Collier. Hackney Empire Theatre

2011 The Last Crystal of Doominator. A musical theatre performance piece written and performed by young people living in Hackney, East London. New London Orchestra / Paul Hamlyn Foundation / Inspire! / Okai Collier. The Arcola Theatre, London

2009 Ada Lewis & Women In Social Housing. A publication exploring the life and work of the Ada Lewis and her husband Samuel, and their contribution to Social Housing. Okai Collier/SHF

2009 In His Hands. A performance piece about the continuing effects of gun crime, created and performed by young people. Funded by a grant from ‘Awards for All’ and the National Lottery. Urban Theatre/Okai Collier/St. Barnabas

2008 Maxlife Youth Project, Hull. A multimedia project focusing on youth expression through graphic design, photography, music, poetry and graffiti art.

2008 The Difference We Make – Multimedia project focusing on Southern Housing Foundation initiatives that have made a difference to the community. OCC/SHF

          

2007 Southern Housing Foundation Energy Saving Project – Creative venture where participants in East London contributed to a multi media project focusing on how the general populous could help both the environment and the economy by addressing and promoting energy saving measures. OCC/SHF/Angelic Inspiration Ent.

2007 The St. Barnabas Times - Project for a group of residents of all ages and backgrounds, to create a newspaper about, and for, themselves and their community. Project based in Bow, London. OCC/St. Barnabas/Jerusalem Trust.

2006 The Riverside Times - Project for a group of younger residents in Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London SE18, to create a newspaper about, and for, themselves and their community. OCC/Southern Housing Foundation

2006 The Cedar Times – A group of young people researched, wrote, designed and produced their own newspaper during the summer of 2006. Location: The Isle of Dogs in East London. The newspaper was then distributed by the participants to their local community. OCC/Cedar Centre/Angelic Inspiration Ent./KPMG

2006 The Timber Wharves Gang – in association with Cedar Centre

A creative project where young people were asked to write and illustrate ‘comic book’ stories. These stories were based on their own experiences. These stories were then published as an anthology. The project was supervised by graphic novel writer and illustrator; Adam Dechanel. Residents were aged from between four and seventeen.

OCC/SHF/Clockwork Comics/Angelic Inspiration Entertainment

2006 Vanston Place – The Secret Adventures

Creative project where residents became a part of a creative/editorial team and either as individuals or as a team wrote and illustrated their own ‘comic book’ stories, based upon their lives and surroundings. These stories (all four pages in length) were then published as an anthology. The project was supervised by graphic novel writer and illustrator; Adam Dechanel. Participants were aged between six and fourteen. There was a launch at Border’s bookshop.

OCC/SHF/Clockwork Comics/Dr. Edwards & Bishop’s King Charity.

Nominated for a 2006 SNAC Award.

2002 An Alien At The Mudchute – in association with Christina Pomeroy

An after school creative writing project with 27 children aged between 8 and 15, using the facilities at the Mudchute Park and Farm, Isle of Dogs, East London. Okai Collier/Carillon/Mudchute

Events:

2005 The 411 – The Bottom Line On Amhurst Road

A creative writing and film project with Southern Housing Foundation and Dalston Youth Project, focusing on a housing estate in central Hackney, London. Residents aged from between six and eighty joined together to write, design and publish a book, and create a documentary about their lives and estate. The residents also wrote, performed and produced a CD single and filmed a music video to accompany the single. The film was shown at the Rio Cinema in Dalston to an invited audience and was then distributed on DVD. The published book has also sold in bookshops throughout the United Kingdom. Okai Collier/SHF/DYP/Angelic Inspiration Ent.

2005 Inspiration Innovation Integration Season

Season comprised of 4 rehearsed readings of new works (employing a total of 37 actors and musicians), one concert performance, two week-long workshops, two youth productions, a seminar looking at the history of black exponents of the performing arts and cabaret performances from Clive Rowe, Sharon D Clarke, Amanda Symonds, Susie McKenna, Miquel Brown, Colin Roy, Mario Frendo, Floella Benjamin and Paul L Martin. (Hackney Empire/Acorn Theatre) Okai/Collier/McKenna

2003 Fernando Paternesi: ‘Trasparenze’ Exhibition
(Halford Gallery, London) The Okai Collier Company Limited

              

2003 Acoustic Eidolon

The UK Premiere Tour of acclaimed US acoustic musicians, with performances at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, The Royal National Theatre, St. Andrew’s in Boothby Pagnell, St. Olave in London and The Bridewell Theatre.

2002 Service of Thanksgiving, Remembrance & Hope - World AIDS Day

A Service to remember 20 years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Held in St. Paul’s Cathedral for an invited congregation of 1,400 people, including Dignitaries, Foreign Ambassadors, Celebrities, and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Speakers included: Tony Dallas, Debbie Gayle, Gus Cairns (Editor of Positive Nation magazine), Zoe Wanamaker and Professor Brian Gazzard. All music especially composed by Rowland Lee. Sarah Connolly was the soloist for the anthem ‘Music for soft voices’ and pas de deux ‘It’s Alright’ performed by Vipul Bhatti and Beatrice with choreography by Omar F. Okai. The Service included The Whitfield Orchestra and Choir conducted by Rowland Lee and the soloists were Omar F. Okai, Golda Rosheuvel, Nadine Cox and Nathan Amzi. The Service then proceeded on a Candle Light Vigil across the Millennium Bridge, to be met by the congregation of Southwark Cathedral (Estimated 2,100) people, to join in a single Vigil led by the Sub Dean of Southwark, and then a reception held in the Crypt at St. Paul’s, with a sitar performance from Bandish Gudkha.

2002 Liz Moore: Retrospective Exhibition

Okai Collier/Call Handling Presentation, (Halford Gallery, London)

2001 ‘Splodge’: Exhibition – Fernando Paternesi & Eleanor Mazzi

(Halford Gallery, London) Okai Collier Company Limited