The Candlestickmaker - Bios

Jacob is an Arts Foundation Laureate and is a founding partner of Indian Ink. He collaborated to create Krishnan’s Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King, The Dentist’s Chair and The Guru of Chai and has performed them throughout New Zealand and internationally.

Jacob has won "Best Actor" in the 2010 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for 'The Guru of Chai'. He has also received an accolade for acting excellence and was nominated for the Stage Award for Best Actor at the Edinburgh Fringe. Jacob has featured on New Zealand TV series (Outrageous Fortune  and Shortland Street).

Jacob's family originates in Kerala, Southern India. He was born in Malaysia and immigrated to New Zealand at the age of four. Jacob has a degree in microbiology, a teacher’s diploma and is a graduate of Toi Whakaari – The New Zealand Drama School.

Justin is a founding partner of Indian Ink and collaborated with Jacob Rajan to create the company’s works: Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King, The Dentist's Chair and Guru of Chai.  Indian Ink's productions have won numerous awards including two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards and Three production of the Year Awards in New Zealand. Justin has produced numerous national and international tours.  He is Deputy Chair of Q Theatre and has been heavily involved in its development from the beginning. In 2008 he received a Kaupapa Oranga Award for his services to theatre. Justin is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School and University of Auckland.

Jacob is an Arts Foundation Laureate and is a founding partner of Indian Ink. He collaborated to create Krishnan’s Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King, The Dentist’s Chair and The Guru of Chai and has performed them throughout New Zealand and internationally.

Jacob has won "Best Actor" in the 2010 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for 'The Guru of Chai'. He has also received an accolade for acting excellence and was nominated for the Stage Award for Best Actor at the Edinburgh Fringe. Jacob has featured on New Zealand TV series (Outrageous Fortune  and Shortland Street).

Jacob's family originates in Kerala, Southern India. He was born in Malaysia and immigrated to New Zealand at the age of four. Jacob has a degree in microbiology, a teacher’s diploma and is a graduate of Toi Whakaari – The New Zealand Drama School.

David has worked with Indian Ink since 2004. He composed, musically directed and performed the music for The Guru of Chai, for which he won the "Most Outstanding Composer" award in the 2010 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards.

The Dentist’s Chair,  he was nominated for “Most Outstanding Composer” at the 2008 Chapmann Tripp Theatre Awards.

He also performs the music and sound effects for The Candlestickmaker and Krishnan’s Dairy in NZ and abroad and has worked on Red Leap Theatre’s production of The Arrival, which premiered at Auckland Festival 09. David is a jazz graduate of the Wellington Conservatorium Of Music and composes and performs in many different musical settings: jazz, blues, improvised music, country, bluegrass and original projects.

http://www.myspace.com/davidwardmusician

Murray has been dramaturg on all of Indian Ink’s productions. A poet and founder of Town and Country players (NZ),  Murray is the Professor of Drama at Auckland University where he heads the Drama course.

Originally from Christchurch, Paul has worked in the performing arts for the past thirteen years starting out as Lighting Designer for bands such as the Straightjacket Fits, Bailter Space and The Verlaines, and then moving to theatre first at Christchurch's Court Theatre and then Downstage in Wellington. Paul has designed lighting for numerous productions including Art Circa Theatre, Down Beat Downstage, Bluesmoke New Zealand Festival 2000, Waiting for Godot Circa Theatre, Flowers from my Mother's Garden National Tour, Sons Taki Rua and Much Ado About Nothing Downstage Theatre.

John has worked on all of Indian Ink’s productions. With over 30 years experience John is a leading designer with an extensive portfolio of work including designs for NZ Opera, Auckland Theatre Company, The Large Group and many others.

Kate is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne, where she worked extensively as an actor. She played Miranda in a highly physical production of The Tempest performing with Circus Oz acrobats and won awards for the creation of street theatre creatures for many city events, including the Melbourne festival, the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Moomba.

On return to New Zealand she joined forces with Julie Nolan to co-create, perform and produce acclaimed seasons of Moahunting (2001), The Butcher’s Daughter (2003), and  Beyond The Blue (2008).  Togetehr with produce Lauren Highes they formed Red Leap Theatre in 2008 and subsequently have presented their much-acclained show The Arrival (2009) at international festivals in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney and Hong Kong.

The Candlestickmaker is her first production with Indian Ink.

Justin is a founding partner of Indian Ink and collaborated with Jacob Rajan to create the company’s works: Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King, The Dentist's Chair and Guru of Chai.  Indian Ink's productions have won numerous awards including two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards and Three production of the Year Awards in New Zealand. Justin has produced numerous national and international tours.  He is Deputy Chair of Q Theatre and has been heavily involved in its development from the beginning. In 2008 he received a Kaupapa Oranga Award for his services to theatre. Justin is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School and University of Auckland.

A professional musician for many years, Craig plays acoustic guitar and is a singer/song writer. He has played in bands in England and New Zealand and is based in Wellington. Craig's music is influenced by his passion for acoustic guitar with an emphasis on percussion, rhythm and harmonies. Craig plays live music around Wellington.

The Candlestickmaker is Craig's first theatre production.

Justin is a founding partner of Indian Ink and collaborated with Jacob Rajan to create the company’s works: Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King, The Dentist's Chair and Guru of Chai.  Indian Ink's productions have won numerous awards including two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards and Three production of the Year Awards in New Zealand. Justin has produced numerous national and international tours.  He is Deputy Chair of Q Theatre and has been heavily involved in its development from the beginning. In 2008 he received a Kaupapa Oranga Award for his services to theatre. Justin is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School and University of Auckland.

Justin is a founding partner of Indian Ink and collaborated with Jacob Rajan to create the company’s works: Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King, The Dentist's Chair and Guru of Chai.  Indian Ink's productions have won numerous awards including two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards and Three production of the Year Awards in New Zealand. Justin has produced numerous national and international tours.  He is Deputy Chair of Q Theatre and has been heavily involved in its development from the beginning. In 2008 he received a Kaupapa Oranga Award for his services to theatre. Justin is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School and University of Auckland.

Cathy first joined the Indian Ink team in 1998 as the technical operator on the Herald Theatre season of Krishnan’s Dairy and has been the technical manager and touring technician for the Indian Ink productions Krishnan’s Dairy, The Candlestick Maker & The Pickle King since 2000.

Throughout the years on tour with Indian Ink Cathy has enjoyed the creative challenge of re-designing the original lighting designs of shows to fit a multitude of different venues and adapt to the subtle changes that occur with each show’s growth & development. Cathy designed the theatre lighting for the Guru of Chai when the show grew from house performances to the theatre setting.

In recent years Cathy’s career has gradually shifted from theatre to logistics management for large events including the Rugby World Cup 2011 fanzones in Wellington and the Cuba St Carnival street party, however she still enjoys taking time out from this to join the Indian Ink team for its touring seasons.