The Creative Team of Fail Better Productions

Jonathan Heron

Artistic Director

[Jonathan Heron - Artistic Director]

Jonny is IATL Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick where he received the 2010 Butterworth Award for Teaching Excellence for his collaborative work across the disciplines. He is co-author of Open-Space Learning (Bloomsbury Academic) and a qualified drama teacher. His recent theatre practice encompasses revivals of Beckett (Rough for Theatre II and Ohio Impromptu 2007-9), recyclings of Shakespeare (transforming Macbeth and King Lear into Discords 2009-10), retellings of myth (The Persephone Project 2007-9) as well as youth and community projects (The Nativity 2010 and Mythologies 2011 at Pegasus). He started directing at the age of fifteen, led two university drama societies (Codpiece and WUDS) and developed his craft by observing Alan Lyddiard and Richard Gregory at Northern Stage, Barrie Rutter at Northern Broadsides, Peter Czajkowski at BAC and Robin Midgley at RADA. He has been Artistic Director of Fail Better since founding the company in 2001. He also writes for (and about) performance.

Nomi Everall

Company Designer

[Nomi Everall - Core Member]

Nomi is Youth Arts Leader: Technical and Production at Pegasus, where she works with youth theatre members, community groups and professionals to design and deliver a wide range of elements of technical theatre and performance design. Nomi has designed five productions for Pegasus since 2004, including Journeys To Freedom - a nine-part black history mystery cycle (2008) and Car To Spire - Oxford's performance-installation that was seen at Liverpool's City of Culture celebrations (2008). She also works freelance as a designer, illustrator and technician and her work has included designs for Oxfordshire Theatre Company (Head Over Heels; Scarlet Ribbons) and Cecilia MacFarlane / Crossover Intergenerational Dance (Spring Forward, Fall Back; I'll Leave You To Yourself Then); giant artworks (Street-Stage mini-bus, Pegasus hoardings) and illustrations for Rosie Rinkstar - iSkate magazine and The Theatre For Development Handbook (published this year). She has been Company Designer for Fail Better since Crave in 2002 and has designed all their productions since then.

Associate Practitioners

  • Christopher Tester
  • Dave Thwaites
  • David Tanqueray
  • Jonathan Broke
  • Ric Watts