Alex McDowall

Musician - Musical Director

Alex McDowall is a jazz guitarist based in Liverpool. After completing a degree in jazz at Leeds College of Music in 2013 he moved back to his hometown of Liverpool to work in the blossoming jazz and creative music scene. He is the co-composer and arranger of the jazz sextet The Deportees. Alongside this he has also led and arranged The Ella Fitzgerald Candlelight Concert band around the Northwest area. Also he has been a very active sideman with numerous bands including Nyoo, Beau Trio, Kippers, Mamadou and The Lekette, and The Secret Improvisors Club.

Pablo Sonnaillon

Musician

Pablo Sonnaillon is a Spanish composer and bassist of Argentinian heritage. Now based in Liverpool, he has a degree in composition from the Royal Northern College of Music and is exploring new ways to create music collaborating with scientists, dancers, artists and filmmakers.

Nick Branton

Musician

Nick Branton is an improvising clarinetist and saxophonist, be it freely or within a jazz setting. His main focus is exploring the sound possibilities of his instruments and recently has been investigating the combination a written melodies with free improvisation, through his band “Kippers” and by diving into the world of (underground jazz hero) Steve Lacy. Along with playing with some of the North Wests finest improvisers, Nick has started organising regular gigs of experimental/ improved music.
He is also at home in traditional and swinging jazz situation and can be found performing regularly around Liverpool with the “Jubilee Stompers” and the “TuneSteppers”.

Luci Mercer

Musician

Luci Mercer is a percussionist, vocalist and songwriter based in Liverpool. Primarily writing and performing worldwide with the art-pop group ‘Stealing Sheep’, she also composes under the name ‘Lula’ and performs locally with ‘The Jubilee Stompers’, ‘TuneSteppers’ and ‘Silent K’

Becky Lamley

Assistant Director - Training and Performance Company 2025

Becky’s passion for Tap started at a very young age taking classes at Vanessa’s School of Dance in Belper.
Becky joined Tap Attack in 2011/2012 and completed in the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany.
Since then, as well as performing professionally in Pantomime and Children’s Theatre Shows, Becky continued her Tap training with some of the best Tap Masters around the world including Sarah Reich, Roxane Butterfly and Heather Cornell who are some of her greatest inspirations.
Becky regularly performs solo, with her band “Vintage on Tap” and with “The Sole ReBelles.” She also teaches at dance colleges and runs her own adult classes.
Becky loved being part of the 2024 T&P Company and is very excited to take on her new role as Assistant Director to the company.

Jasmine Metcalfe

Marketing and social media

Jasmine is a professional actor graduating from LIPA in 2022 with a first class degree. She has also trained at RADA and NYT. Jasmine has been dancing with Sole Rebel since 2019 and has been a member of the Training and Performance Company since its pilot year. Jasmine loves working with young people and runs after school clubs in Liverpool, as well as teaching for Sole Rebel. Jasmine also teaches tap at The University of Liverpool and often tours children’s theatre with The B Tales. Jasmine has just wrapped on a new TV production for AMC and hopes to continue pursuing screen work further this year. Jasmine has assisted with the marketing for the T&P Company for the last two years and is excited to step into this role whilst continuing her tap training and development with Sole Rebel. Jasmine is also a member of The Sole ReBelles.

Karen Wynne

Musician

From playing keyboards and singing in a Senegalese mbalax band to composing and performing music for professional dance productions, Karen loves what music brings to life and is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, clarinet, percussion). She has sung and played in wide ranging contexts (think sacred choral music and psychedelic rock via street theatre!), and is proud to have collaborated with a wide variety of musicians and performers from across the UK and beyond, including Mamadou & The Super Libidor Band / Andy Frizell Theatre Orchestra / Bisakha Sarker MBE / Emily & the Faves / Dawn Penn.

Karen has taught performance/ensemble/instrumental skills in further education, and has worked on community music projects with More Music, MZONE, SOLA ARTS, Chaturangan and others.

Sophie Ellen Powell

Writer of 'In Time'

Sophie is a theatre-maker, writer, performer and educator. As a theatre practitioner she is drawn to playful imaginative work. Her practice focuses on devised work , clown , mask, puppetry and object animation. Originally training in Drama and French at Bristol University she conducted further training with Gaulier, John Wright and Little Angel Theatre, also completing an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University. She is an associate performer with Long Nose Puppets and co-wrote and performs in the only official Moomin Puppet show Mischief and Mystery in Moomin Valley. Other performance credits include Du Iz tak? for Tiny Pickles, Flat pack  and Barbara Pootlepaddle with OH! Productions, StevenWhinnery’s Lying with the animals for the London International Mime Festival.

As a writer Sophie was the recipient of the Kate Betts Memorial prize for best writing in the MA. Winner of the Exeter story prize 2017 and shortlisted for Cambridge story prize and Myriad first drafts. A contributor to the climate fiction anthology Sunburnt Saints , published by seventy2one. Work also published by TSS, MIR online, Litro mag, MJP publishing and Poetry Today.

She is co-founder of PuppetBox – a company dedicated to puppetry training and access. Find her on Instagram @apinchofsaltsophie