MEET THE 2026 REVISION ON TOUR CAST
Johnny Allison
Roles in Macbeth - Macbeth
Roles in Jekyll & Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson
Training: Rose Bruford College
Theatre credits include: A Christmas Carol (DTC UK tour), Macbeth (DTC UK tour), Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (DTC UK tour), Henry V (YSC), Present Laughter (Changelings Theatre), Cinderella (DK Productions), Henry V (Changelings Theatre), Isolated Incident (Incept Collective).
Johnny is delighted to be returning to Dickens Theatre for his second year with the Company. This time Johnny is taking on three new roles as Macbeth in the Scottish Play, & Robert Louis Stevenson & Inspector Newcomen in Dr Jekyll & Hyde.
JESSICA BALMER
Roles in Macbeth – Lady Macbeth/Angus
Roles in Jekyll & Hyde – Annie the Maid/Old Woman
Training: The Actor's Class.
The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
Film credits include: Nandor Fodor & the Talking Mongoose, (Amazon Prime), Pinocchio Unstrung, A Royal Christmas Manor (UPTV), She Will Play On (Winner 19-26 Fiction Award, Wicked Wales International Youth Film Festival), Empress Clawscream, (Winner Best Sci-Fi Short Film, Berlin Short Film Festival), Venus Again, Riches (ITVX).
Theatre credits include: Two Noble Kinsmen (Golden Goose Theatre), Clouds (Kings Head Theatre), Maryland (National Youth Theatre) The Apology (Edinburgh Fringe).
Jess is beyond thrilled to be joining Dickens Theatre Company this year.
Christopher Laishley
Roles in Macbeth – King Duncan/Macduff/Murderer
Roles in Jekyll & Hyde – Dr Hastie Lanyon/Mr Enfield
Christopher is an experienced theatre actor originally from Yorkshire, where he was a founding member of York Theatre Royal’s Young Actors Company.
He graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2011, before making his debut in The Two Noble Kinsmen at the Teatro delle Muse, Rome.
Theatre credits include: Around the World in 80 Days (Vienna’s English Theatre); The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Abridged (Zabeel Theatre, Dubai); Fear & Misery of the Third Reich (Union Theatre, London); Hamlet (The Cockpit, London); Love’s Labours Lost (Oxford Shakespeare Company, UK Tour);
The Railway Children (Tabard Theatre, London); Romeo & Juliet (Illyria, UK & Netherlands Tour); The Wars of the Roses (Rose Theatre, Kingston).
Chris is excited to be joining DTC for the first time.
GILES MALCOLM
Roles in Macbeth - Banquo/Bleeding Sergeant/Siward
Roles in Jekyll & Hyde – Gabriel Utterson
Giles Malcolm trained in Classical Acting at LAMDA, graduating in the Autumn of 2023. Theatre Credits: Summer tour of Henry V, where he played the titular hero, as well as performing in a production of Noël Coward’s Present Laughter, Macbeth (DTC UK tour) & Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (DTC UK tour)
Film & TV credits include: Film 4’s feature Old Boys, No More Mary, The Walk-In, & Dreamers.
Giles is delighted to be back with DTC playing Banquo in Macbeth for his second year, & for the first time taking on the role of Gabriel Utterson in Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.
SAM OAKES
Roles in Macbeth – Chorus/Porter/Prince Malcolm
Roles in Jekyll & Hyde – Dr Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde
Sam is now officially a DTC veteran, having been a company member since 2023!
Sam graduated with a BA (Hons) in Acting from Rose Bruford College.
Theatre credits include: Jekyll and Hyde (Dickens Theatre Company UK tour), Macbeth (Dickens Theatre Company UK tour), Romeo & Juliet (Dickens Theatre Company UK tour), A Christmas Carol (Quantum Theatre), Hamlet on the Beach (Rotherhithe Playhouse), Peace In Our Time (Union Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (Tabard Theatre), Twelfth Night (UK Tour), The Tempest (UK Tour), Romeo & Juliet (UK Tour), Anne Boleyn (Stratford Circus), The Litter (The Bargehouse), The Crucible (Rose Theatre).
Television credits include: Fungus the Bogeyman (Sky).
Sam is skilled in stage combat with BADC and gained multiple distinctions in his advanced training with BASSC.
KATHRYN PERKINS
Roles in Macbeth – First Witch/Ross/Fleance/ Gentlewoman/Understudy Lady M
Roles in Jekyll & Hyde – Fan Stevenson/Mrs Poole/Sir Danvers Carew/Understudy Annie
Kat trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Theatre credits include: The Trap (Naked Frank Theatre Company); Love's Labour's Lost/ The School for Scandal (Changeling Theatre Company); The Importance of Being Earnest/ Othello (Changeling Theatre Company); Macbeth (The HandleBards); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tooting Arts Club) Followers (Southwark playhouse).
Television credits include: Encounters (Boardwalk Pictures/ Netflix); Wasteman (Leftbank pictures) and Call the Midwife (BBC).
Kat is delighted to be touring with DTC for the very first time.
ryan philpott
Artist Director/Writer/Producer
Roles in A Christmas Carol – Ebanezer Scrooge and George Dolby
Ryan will sometimes step in and cover certain roles should the need arise.
Ryan trained at The National Youth Theatre & LAMDA and founded Dickens Theatre Company in 2015.
ACTOR
From 2015-2022 Ryan acted in all DTC productions, under the direction of Eric Richard. He played Robert Louis Stevenson/ Inspector Newcomen in Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Bill Sikes/ Magwitch/ Pickwick in The Trials of Charles Dickens and every male part in Macbeth except Malcolm and Ross!
Since 2018 he has performed DTC’s renowned two-actor adaptation of A Christmas Carol annually playing 20 different characters. He’ll be back on the road with ACC Nov/Dec 2024.
His other notable theatre work (that his fading brain can recall) includes the UK tour of Blood Brothers, The Limestone Cowboy at Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and Aspects of Love/ Jack & the Giant/ Volcano/ Perfect Wedding and Girls’ Night Out all at Palace Theatre in his home town of Westcliff.
On TV Ryan played Sergeant Matthew Thyme in all 3 series of Rosemary & Thyme and since 2007 has played the semi-regular role of Sergeant Kenny Morris in Eastenders.
Other roles include Eddie Walker in London's Burning and DJ Dr Fox in Harry Hill's TV Burp.
Other TV bits includes Jack Ryan, Ten Days That Rocked Elton John, Rosamunde Pilcher, Coupling, Murder in Mind, The Bill, The Queen's Nose, No Bananas, April Fools' Day, I Saw You, Rescue Me and the BAFTA winning Warriors.
WRITER / PRODUCER / DIRECTOR
Alongside his wife Mel, Ryan has written and produced all of DTC's stage adaptations to date. (Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and The Trials of Charles Dickens).
In early 2023 Ryan took over the directing reins from his great mate and mentor Eric Richard and directed Macbeth and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.
As a former NYT member Ryan has directed many of their summer intake courses as well as many years leading The Schools Shakespeare Festival.
For TV and radio Ryan has directed a variety of commercials, sport, drama and comedy. He is co-owner of Deadpan Films and has written, directed and produced a number of award winning short films.
Deadpan Films are currently in development for a new comedy action movie 'Vomit Comet'. It’s a working title.