Alice by Heart

Alessandra is a director and dramaturg from Birmingham. She was part of the inaugural Jamie Lloyd EMERGE Company and was the Associate Director of Targeted Work at the Lyric Hammersmith before becoming Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse in 2022. Since then, she has been an Associate Artist for Pentabus Theatre and a visiting Lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University alongside her freelance directing work.

Selected credits as Director: The Little Mermaid (Nottingham Playhouse), The Things We Do For… (New Diorama), Sonic Journey (Young Vic, Five Shorts), Coven (Seven Dials Playhouse, rehearsed reading), Kennedy/Hoover (Donmar Warehouse, rehearsed reading), The Christmas that got forgot (HMP Spring Hill, Kestrel), Carbon and Tipping Point (Royal Court, readings in translation); Tamzara (Unge Viken); SCRATCH (Harold Pinter, JLC showcase); Ephemera (Royal Court, Living Archive); Three Sisters (Lyric Hammersmith, Evolution Festival); Call me Maybe (Arcola); Hatch (Baron’s Court); By Way of Kensal Green (Theatre 503); Drylands (Tramshed); Hot Off Da Press and Three Wishes (Lyric Hammersmith Studio, co-writer).

As Assistant/Associate: Broken Glass (Young Vic), Kennedy/Hoover (workshop with Chichester Festival Theatre), Taboo (workshop with Boy George & Jack Holden), Brigadoon (Regent’s Park Open Air), Elephant (Menier Chocolate Factory), Second Best (Riverside Studios), The Snowflake (Birmingham REP), Bodies of Water (Actors Touring Company), Next to Normal (Wyndham’s, West End transfer); Macbeth, Next to Normal, and Private Lives (Donmar Warehouse); Two Palestinians Go Dogging (Royal Court); A Number (Old Vic); Idyll (Pentabus); Torch Song (Turbine) and Me for the World (Young Vic).

Steven Sater won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score, as well as the Grammy Award, both the NY and UK Drama Critics' Circle, and the Olivier Award for Best New Musical for Spring Awakening. A revival of Spring Awakening, produced by Deaf West Theatre, was Tony-nominated for Best Musical Revival. The recent Almeida Theatre revival received the London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical. In November 2021, the original Broadway cast reunited for a one-night benefit, which is now the subject of the HBO documentary, Spring Awakening: Those You've Known . Sater's other musicals include Alice by Heart (National Theatre of London, MCC Theater, novel version from Razorbill/Penguin Random House); The Nightingale (La Jolla Playhouse); Prometheus Bound (A.R.T.); 
Nero (Magic Theatre, NYSAF, forthcoming in London); and Some Lovers (music by Burt Bacharach, The Old Globe, Grammy-nominated album from Broadway Records). His pop songs have been recorded by artists such as Michael Bublé, Dionne Warwick, and Leslie Odom Jr. TikTok: @steven_sater. Instagram: @stevensater

Jessie Nelson wrote the musical Waitress with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. The show played on Broadway for 4 years and moved to the West End in London. Sara and Jessie went on to create the show Little Voice which they Executive Produced with JJ Abrams for Apple TV.

Jessie wrote, directed and produced Corrina Corrina and I Am Sam staring Sean Penn, who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance. Among her other directing credits are Curb Your Enthusiasm and Love, the Coopers with Diane Keaton. Her writing credits include Step Mom and The Story of Us.

She produced Fred Claus and Danny Collins. In London, Jessie directed Alice By Heart which she co-wrote with Steven Sater with music by Duncan Sheik at the National Theater Connections Program and again at MCC in NYC. She began her career as an actress at the Public Theater working with the award-winning experimental theater Mabou Mines and at the New York Shakespeare Festival. She wrote the children's book Labracadabra. She has been the artistic Director of the Sundance Screen Writers Lab.

DUNCAN SHEIK is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist who launched his career in 1996 with his Grammy nominated self-titled debut album. Sheik is the composer for the critically acclaimed musical Spring Awakening, which went on to win eight Tony Awards in 2007, including awards for Best Orchestrations and Best Original Score. The album earned Sheik a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. In years since, Sheik has released multiple albums, most recently Claptrap in 2022 and American Psycho: Original London Cast Recording, with lyrics and music written by Sheik, premiered in the U.S. on Broadway in 2016 after a sold-out London run. His most recent theater projects include Alice By Heart, The Secret Life of Bees, Because of Winn Dixie, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Nero, and Noir.

Theatre credits include; Spring Awakening (2006) Tony Awards for “Best Original Score” and “Best Orchestrations,” 2008 Grammy Award for “Best Musical Show Album”, The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida Theatre in London April 2023, Atlantic Theatre Company 2019), Noir (The Alley Theatre 2022), Nero (London 2023), Memoirs of An Amorous Gentleman (In Development), Alice by Heart (MCC Theater 2019), Because of Winn-Dixie (Goodspeed Opera House 2019, Alabama Shakespeare Festival 2017, Delaware Theatre Company 2015), Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice(The New Group 2020), Whisper House (London 2017, Old Globe Theater 2011), American Psycho (2016).

Recordings include; Claptrap (2022) American Psycho Original London Cast Recording (2016), Legerdemain (2015) Covers 80s (Sneaky Records 2011), Whisper House (Sony 2009), Spring Awakening (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2006), White Limousine (Rounder 2006), Daylight (Atlantic Records 2002), Phantom Moon (Nonesuch 2001), Humming (Atlantic Records 1998), Duncan Sheik (Atlantic Records 1996).

Jamie is a multi award-winning Musical Director, Arranger and Pianist. 

Training: University of Bristol and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Recent credits include: MJ the Musical (West End), La Bamba! (City of Dreams, Sri Lanka), Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Leeds Playhouse/UK Tour), Europeana (RSC), A Little Princess (Royal Festival Hall).

As MD and Arranger: Say Yes To Tess (Leeds Playhouse/Camden People’s Theatre) - *Offie Winner for Best Musical Director 2023*, SOMA: a new musical (Bridewell), Shirley - workshop (Saddler’s Wells), The Golden Door (Old Diorama), The Sandman (Southwark Playhouse); for the Liverpool Everyman:  Rapunzel  - nominated for Best Contribution to Music at 2025 Pantomime Awards), Robin Hood - *Best Musical Director Winner at UK Pantomime Awards 2022*, Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk (all as Music Supervisor/Arranger), Alice in Wonderland (Mercury Colchester), Feels Like Home (Silo, Switzerland), The Further Adventures of Peter Pan and Snow White (Aylesbury Waterside) and Tom Lister in the Limelight Club (P&O Cruises).

Other MD credits include: Working (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), A Man of No Importance (Emil Dale Academy), Bugsy Malone (artsdepot), Jason and the Argonauts (LSMT).

As Composer: As You Like It (UK Tour), Raisly (App)

Fletcher is an emerging creative based in the UK. His choreographic style focuses on Narrative movement and story-telling at the centre of his work. With strong influences from Jazz dance and using his knowledge and training in various genres of dance. Fletcher creates exciting and dynamic choreography and has a keen interest in re-telling stories and re-working classic works to modernise and give them a contemporary feel. 

Creative credits: Choreographer Alice By Heart (LAMDA & Edinburgh Fringe), Associate Choreographer The Frogs (Southwark Playhouse), Assistant Movement Director Miss I-Doll (The Other Palace), Resident Choreographer Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre), Associate Choreographer 42 Balloons (The Lowry), Associate Choreographer Bronco Billy (The Charing Cross Theatre),
Assistant Director and Choreographer Death Note: The Musical In Concert (London Palladium & The Lyric Theatre), Assistant Choreographer How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Southwark Playhouse), Associate Choreographer To Gillie; With Love (Gillian Lynne Theatre) Choreographer Rockin' Through The Ages (UK Tour).

Selected Performance credits: Moulin Rouge! The Musical' Original London Cast, CATS (Resident Director/Choreographer International Tour), West Side Story (Salzburg Festival), All Star Musicals (ITV).

Fletcher is currently the Resident Choreographer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical in the West End.

This production of Alice by Heart is presented as an academic collaboration between LAMDA and the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT). We were delighted to collaborate with them on our 2025 musical production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and are thrilled to partner with them once again for this show.

As one of the principal design contributors to this production, BIFT are responsible for the design and creation of the main characters’ costumes as well as supporting costume making.

The BIFT design team comprises Assistant Professor Li Zhiqian, several other faculty members, and a team of students including: 

Assistant Professors: Li Zhiqian, Li Yushi and Lan Lan

Students: Zhou Tianyu, He Xiaoshan, Zhang Hao, Ruan Min, Sheng Yahua, Zhang Yiwen, Ren Ziming, Mai Zishan, Chen Yixin and Shen Jiayi

Themes of loss and grief, violence (with references to Bombs within a WWII setting) and bullying. Contains mild depictions of substance abuse, sexual content and explicit language. 

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International 

All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.co.uk

Alice by Heart was first commissioned and produced by National Theatre Connections in 2012

Developed with the Assistance of Theatre Aspen, Aspen, Colorado 
 
A workshop production of Alice by Heart was presented by New York Stage and Film & Vassar at The Powerhouse Theater, Summer 2018 
 
New York Premiere at the MCC Theater February 26, 2019 Artistic Directors: Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, & William Cantler Executive Director: Blake West 

LAMDA is a two-minute walk from Barons Court Station or a ten-minute walk from either West Kensington or Hammersmith Station. 

Please note: Our nearest station, Barons Court, is undergoing refurbishment works throughout 2026. Find out more.