The Bear Pit Theatre Board
Our Board of Trustees is chaired by Waseem Mahmood OBE and is made up of 7 directors, chosen for their skills and experience. They work closely with our dedicated volunteers and Associate Artists in leading and steering the company.
President of The Bear Pit
Actor and writer Paul Greenwood is our President. For more information about Paul, please click here
Paul was born in Stockton-on-Tees and trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has played many leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company including: Feste in Twelfth Night; Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors; Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Mowbray in Richard II; Kent in King Lear; Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz with Imelda Staunton; Goodlack in The Fair Maid of the with Sean Bean and Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale with Jeremy Irons;
Paul’s work in the West End includes, Jerry in the RSC’s Once in a Lifetime opposite Zoë Wanamaker and Theo in Piaf opposite Jane Lapotaire (Piccadilly Theatre) and Maples in John Osborne’s production of Inadmissible Evidence (Royal Court); For the RSC at the Barbican Theatre, credits include: Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol and Tom in The Time of Your Life.
Paul starred as Grandpa Potts in the national tour of the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Other regional theatre productions include: Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (UK Tour); the title role in Peer Gynt (Cheltenham Everyman); Dorn in The Seagull (Compass Theatre, UK Tour); Maurice in Peter Skellern’s two-hander musical You Can Always Hand Them Back (Mercury Theatre, Colchester); and, for Stoke’s New Vic Theatre, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
Film work includes: Mike Leigh’s Peterloo, Alan Bennett’s A Day Out directed by Stephen Frears and the Hammer Horror Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter. On television Paul played the title role in the comedy series Rosie, for which he wrote and sang the title song. Other TV appearances include: Superintendent Yelland in Spender, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole; Our Friends in the North; Casualty; Holby City; Lewis; Heartbeat; Coronation Street; The Bill; Pie in the Sky; Father Brown; Midsomer Murders; Crossroads; Z Cars; and Doctors.
As a writer, Paul’s plays include Dancing in the Dark which was performed at Stratford’s Other Place as part of the 2000 RSC Fringe Festival. It also had a run at the Gate Theatre in London. Paul’s thriller Playing Dead was given a rehearsed reading at the Bear Pit. His play Head and Heart was highly commended in the 2020 King Lear Prize and was performed at The Bear Pit Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by Paul, in January 2024.
Patron of The Bear Pit
Actress Kim Hartman is our Patron. For more information about Kim, please click here
Our Board of Trustees and Company Directors:
Waseem Mahmood OBE, Chair
Waseem Mahmood OBE is an award-winning producer and strategic communications expert who brings invaluable insights and support to The Bear Pit Theatre as a patron. Mahmood’s journey began at the BBC, where he became one of the youngest credited producers on television. He later established TV Asia, Europe’s first satellite channel for ethnic minorities. As a producer, Mahmood has created compelling content across various genres, from directing programs in the BBC’s Asian Unit to overseeing television production in numerous countries. His work in Afghanistan, launching Good Morning Afghanistan (GMA), the nation’s first independent radio station after the fall of the Taliban, earned him an OBE in 2005 for services to the reconstruction of media in post-war countries. Mahmood’s expertise, combined with his love for theatre, makes him an invaluable asset to The Bear Pit. His guidance and support inspire the theatre to push boundaries, tackle important issues, and create productions that resonate with audiences while aligning with The Bear Pit’s mission to create inclusive and thought-provoking theatre.
Simon Allen
Simon Allen, born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, was introduced to theatre at an early age by his father, an English teacher. Despite the initial challenges of understanding Shakespeare’s language, Allen was captivated by the dynamics of productions. He expanded his interest to include cinema during his teenage years. With a background in commercial property, Allen was approached by the founders of The Bear Pit to help establish a theatre for local actors and production companies. He played a crucial role in finding and setting up the current Bear Pit Theatre. In 2011, Allen became the Chairman of The Bear Pit, a position he held for 12 years, guiding the theatre’s establishment and development. Currently, Allen serves as a guide to the theatre’s management and leads the flourishing Bear Pit Community Cinema, which fulfils a local need and provides projection equipment for theatre productions.
David Derrington
David Derrington, one of the founding fathers of the Bear Pit Theatre, first became involved in theatre in 1960 when he joined the stage crew at his boarding school. After graduating from Aston University, he joined an amateur operatic company in Solihull, where he performed in and directed over 75 productions across the Midlands over the next 25 years.
Since moving to Stratford in 1990, David has directed several Savoy operas for the Stratford Gilbert and Sullivan Society, including seven shows at the RSC Swan Theatre. He has also appeared in numerous plays with local theatre companies, such as Second Thoughts Drama, Caramba Theatre, and Phoenix Players.
David’s involvement with the Bear Pit began in 2010 when he assisted with fundraising events. As one of the founding members, he became treasurer in 2012 and played a key role in the company’s formation and obtaining charitable status. David has also appeared in various Bear Pit productions, including “A Christmas Carol” (Scrooge), “Dad’s Army” (Pte Godfrey), “The Vicar of Dibley” (Jim Trott), “Confusions” (Various roles), “Deckchairs” (Posh Man), “The Cripple of Inishmaan” (The Doctor), and more recently, “Humble Boy” (George Pye).
As a founding father of the Bear Pit and a Freeman of the City of London, David brings a wealth of theatrical experience and a deep commitment to the arts.
Dominic Skinner
Dominic has been a proud member and associate artist of the Bear Pit for over ten years. Having begun acting as a young child, Dominic studied at the Betty Fox Stage School in Birmingham, before making his professional debut as ‘Percival’ in the RSC 1995 production of Lord of the Flies. After working professionally for a number of years, including roles on the BBC police drama ‘Backup’ and in regional theatre, Dominic took a hiatus from preforming for many years.
Returning to the stage in Stratford Musical Theatre’s 2012 production of ‘Fame’ at the RSCs Other Place, Dominic joined the Bear Pit soon after when his wife Lily (also a Bear Pit actor) put him forward for a part in a show without telling him! He has since gone on to perform in numerous Bear Pit productions including ‘Seasons Greetings’, ‘The Lady Killers’, ‘When We Are Married’ and ‘Wind in the Willows’. Dominic was part of the Bear Pit team, playing ‘Flute’ in the 2016 RSC production of ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream: A Play for the Nation’.
When not performing Dominic is a chartered architectural professional and is currently Head of Design for a national modular build main contractor. He guest lectures at a number of local universities in sustainable architecture. Dominic is a former Warwickshire County councillor and a sitting Stratford on Avon District councillor. His community work has ranged from leading campaigns to save the Stratford Arts House from closure, supporting the opening of the Stratford uniform bank, acting as charity trustee for a local community centre and working as a local school governor. Dominic is also a Royal Air Force reservist and was selected to represent over 3,000 reservist personnel as part of the Royal Air Force shadow board, who help advise the Chief of the Air Staff (head of the RAF) on future RAF policy. He has also worked with the world-famous Red Arrows.
Dominic lives locally with his wife Lily and children Felix and Edith.
Honorary Directors
Anne Bowen
Kevin Hand
Adrian McCarthy
Phil Gray
Pamela Hickson
The Bear Pit Theatre Limited is a not-for-profit company and a registered charity no: 1156259.