~ THE COMPANY ~
Vanguard Productions is a registered charity (no.1056902), based in Worthing, West Sussex. The Company was originally formed by 2 actors (Nelson E Ward and Virginia Coppins) while working in Jonathan Miller's company at the Old Vic. The research and artistic content of the shows are now the responsibility of the two artistic directors, Nelson E. Ward and Amaryllis Crooke.
MISSION STATEMENT
To create and present professional, innovative and challenging theatre which is both accessible and entertaining in a barrier-free environment for audiences and artists to enjoy and develop artistic and cultural excellence.
ARTISTIC TEAM
	Nelson.E. Ward		Amaryllis Crooke
Nelson is a founder member of Vanguard has now been appointed by the current board as an artistic director. He has worked in theatre throughout the U.K and abroad. This has included plays and musicals including the UK tour of JOSEPH. West End experience includes the London Palladium in THE TWO RONNIES, 2 plays at the Apollo DANGEROUS OBSESSION, and ORPHANS (with Albert Finney).  He was in Jonathan Miller's company at the Old Vic playing in THE TEMPEST (with Max von Sydow), BUSSY D'AMBOIS and ONE WAY PENDULUM which also toured Canada. Numerous television credits include BLAKES SEVEN, THE BILL, LOVE HURTS (with Adam Faith), CHOCKEY'S CHILDREN and A BREAK IN THE SUN. Feature films include MAINLINE RUN playing the part of Fletcher and LEFT FOR DEAD in the part of Murphey.  Both characters were gangsters. In April/May 2007 Nelson played Julius in Good Company's tour of the rock musical PAUL- A STRANGE KIND OF HERO. In 2008 he played the lead part of Max Miller in the new play MAXIE  ( the life and time of Max Miller) which toured to Brighton and Crawley. This year 2010 he will be going to the Edinburgh Festival at the Greenside Theatre with the play.  Click HERE for full resume details.		Amaryllis is also an artistic director of Vanguard which enables her to both direct and write new work. She has worked for many years as an actress in theatre in London and throughout the U.K. Her many performances range from Gertrude in HAMLET, the title role in EMMA BOVARY, an ugly sister in CINDERELLA, her ladyship in THE DRESSER, the Nurse in an open-air production of ROMEO & JULIET to a dizzy blonde in a rock musical. Her favourite and most demanding part to date was the lead of MACBETH in her own adaptation of Shakespeare's play entitled AMAZON MACBETH. This innovative production was set in South America with the male roles played by females and vice-versa. In the Summer of 2006 she played the title role of Cleopatra in an  open-air production of Anthony and Cleopatra in Worthing and London. In 2008 she toured with MAXIE playing Kathy Miller - a new play about the life of Max Miller. Click HERE for full resume details
	Virginia Coppins		Les Hull
Virginia is the other founder member of Vanguard. It was while she was in Jonathan Miller's company at the Old Vic that she and Nelson laid the foundations of the company. Virginia has also worked throughout the U.K. and the West End. Her work at the Old Vic included THE TUTOR and BUSSY D'AMBOIS. Her current role with Vanguard is the taking of Home Front Workshops at the D-Day museum in Portsmouth and to primary schools. She is no stranger to educational drama as she both produced and acted in a highly successful video aimed at tackling the problems of bullying in schools entitled MY LIFE AS A BULLY.        Lola Marie   Lola has become the latest addition to Vanguard  bringing a youthful enthusiasm to the team. During 2009 Lola worked at Bunn Leisure holiday camp in Selsey doing a variety of entertainment and drama. When she returned at Christmas she played in Vanguard's Christmas show as the Christmas Pudding in "The Runaway Christmas Pudding" before taking up her new job as an entertainer in Majorca in April 2010   Click HERE for full resume details.		Les joined Vanguard as a writer and his first play THE BLACK CRUSADER was performed in his home town of Crawley at the Hawth theatre. Since then he has staged another play STRANGE DAYS on a freelance basis at the Diorama theatre in London, which he is currently adapting for television.  Les originally trained as an actor and toured in theatre. His television credits in GRANGE HILL, BITTER CHERRY and A BREAK IN THE SUN. Les has written a new play about the legendary Max Miller called MAXIE, which was premiered at the Hawth in Crawley and toured to the Brighton Pavilion in 2008.  In 2010, the play will go to the Edinburgh festival.  He also will tour his own play THE MAN WITH THE HELMET to rural venues in 2009 and 2010.          Lola has recently graduated from Chichester College with a National Diploma in acting. She played Jenny in Vanguard's production of MAXIE at the Pavilion theatre in Brighton in 2008. She has also toured in Pantomime.