Meet the team & cast
Nigel Plaskitt
Monty, Snail, Charlie, and The NarratorInternationally renowned puppet master Nigel brings years of experience working with Disney, The Muppets, Sesame Street, Pipkins, Spitting Image, Round the Bend, The PG Tips Monkey, Avenue Q, Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet, Ripley and Scuff, The Secret Life of Toys, Mopatop's Shop, Five Minutes More, Bunnytown and Dr. Who, among many others. He is Puppet director for Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Avenue Q and UK and International tours. His work has won BAFTAS, Emmy’s and The Bronze Medal at Montreux TV Festival.
Films include Labyrinth, Lost in Space, Little Shop of Horrors, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Muppet Treasure Island, and The Muppets Most Wanted.
Paul Jomain
Head of Design and Puppet CreatorPaul brings his incredible creative skills to Monty & Co. The man who gives life to the puppets, from the first outline sketches to building them, is an essential member of our team.
His work includes Cameron Macintosh’s West End show Avenue Q, the PG Tips Monkey, Disney, The Muppets, Mopatop’s Shop, The Hoobs, Peppa Pig Live, Mr. Men and Little Misses Live; also the film Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, for which Paul was part of the team that built ‘Marvin the Paranoid Android’.
Paul’s unique work has won BAFTA awards and undoubtedly will win more.
Susan Pleat
WriterSusan was the co creator and writer of Pipkins and has written for Let’s Pretend, Brookside, and Coronation Street. She has also written single TV plays and contributed to many television drama series including Angels and Within These Walls. More recently, Susan has written many musical plays for children to watch or perform.
Her work has been performed with orchestras in Manchester and by children in schools across the UK.
Gail Renard
WriterBAFTA winner Gail has been writing top level children’s television since her teens. Gail has written for Disney and created and written many hours of children’s television, including the globally successful TV series The Famous Five, Pipkins, Come Back Lucy, and Chucklevision.
Gail was also creator/ writer on Your Mother Wouldn’t Like It (with Hugh Grant), C4’s comedy series Get Up Stand Up and the BBC’s Custer’s Last Stand Up.
Robert Taylor
ProducerMedia lawyer Robert is a Partner at Gunnercooke LLP. He has experience in the industry beginning with a career as a writer for children’s television before qualifying as a solicitor. As a lawyer Robert has advised creatives from Oscar winners to online start-ups.
As a writer, Robert wrote 30 episodes of Chucklevision. He has also written three series of the BBC-TV children’s series, Out of Tune, starring James Corden and Coronation Street’s Jane Danson.
Emma Stone
Head of ProductionEmma has worked on Mopatop’s Shop and The Hoobs for the Jim Henson Company, Angelina Ballerina for HIT Entertainment, among others. She began her career working for the BBC on Only fools and Horses, Birds of A Feather, Blue Peter, and Noel’s House Party. Emma looks after the day to day running of the company and the Production of Monty & Co.
Iain McLean
DirectorIain Worked his way up through the BBC from Floor assistant to director. He has worked for most of the major TV production companies including, Disney and The Jim Henson Company directing Mopatop’s Shop, and The Hoobs. He has also directed Mike and Angelo, Bunnytown, Waybuloo, Grandpa in My Pocket, and Desmonds.
Iain's love of crosswords gave him the job of creating the alternatives of the Fawlty Towers sign at the beginning of each episode.
Martin Hawkins
Director of PhotographyMartin is an award-winning Director of photography. His many TV shows include Outnumbered, Mrs. Brown’s Boys, The Tracey Ullman Show, Holby City, The Vicar of Dibley, After Life, and many others. He also shot the films What We Did on Our Holiday, and Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie.
Jonathan Paul Green
Set DesignerJonathan began his career working for Spitting Image. He designed for Have I Got News for You, Loose Women, Fleabag and The Trouble with Maggie Cole. He has worked with various artists including Madonna, Dara O’Brain. Joan Rivers and John Bishop.
He has won the British Film Designers Guild Award twice.
John Fenton-Stevens
Composer and Voice of ScrapsHe started his own music production company, Pass The Peas Music, in 2005 and has a successful career writing and producing music for many television shows and worldwide advertising campaigns. He has composed music for Disney, Land Rover, MTV, Lego, Nickelodeon, L’Oreal, Cartoon Network and many more.
Aside from music for TV, his own music has been released worldwide and received airplay in the UK on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 music and BBC Introducing.
Dr Clare Dowdall
BA(Ed.) Hons., MA(Ed.), PhD. - Educational AdvisorClare Dowdall is a lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter's Graduate School of Education.
Clare’s research focuses on children’s evolving literacies in 21st century contexts, with a particular focus on children’s reading and writing in digital spaces. She is an active member of the Executive Council of the United Kingdom Literacy Association.
Since 2004, Clare has also worked as a literacy consultant, advising on and producing teacher materials for two leading educational publishers. Clare is a qualified teacher, and has taught and led literacy in a large primary school.
Emma Knowles (Andertoonz)
IllustratorEmma has created commercial cartoon illustrations, logos and mascots for some of the UK’s top brands including BBC Worldwide, BBC Sport, International Animal Rescue and Etihad Airways to name a few. She also writes and delivers university lectures for Illustration and Animation degree courses. Emma is our Illustrator for Monty and Co.
Paul Johnson
Video EditorPaul has edited and created all the visual effects for Monty & Co.
Previous clients have included Channel 4, Sky TV, The Discovery Channel, ITV and E4. Amongst many others he worked on IN MY LIFE – JOHN CULSHAW, THE CHARLOTTE CHURCH SHOW, and CRIME MUSEUM UK with Martin Kemp.
Dave Chapman
Sound and Studio FacilitiesMax Hodgetts
Camera Operator / DITMartin Blinko
Focus PullerEllie Humphreys
Puppet WorkshopTom Povey
Audio Post ProductionThe Farm Group
Charlotte Layton, Louise Channing and the teamSerious Lunch
The team
Heather Tobias
Eddie and Mrs. RaineyHeather has an extensive career in theatre, film and TV. As a Puppeteer, she originated the characters Pig and Octavia in Pipkins, and appeared for The Jim Henson Company and Disney in The Muppet Treasure Island. As an actress, Heather has appeared in The Singing Detective, Holby City, Midsommer Murders, as well as Mike Leigh’s film High Hopes. Heather also played the voice of Melody Angel in Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet.
Heather is also a talented artist.
Nix Wood
Lulu and ChloeNix has worked extensively in the theatre, notably The Little Angel Theatre in Islington and Cube Theatre, as well as producing and creating her own shows. She trained at The University of Birmingham and The Curious School of Puppetry.
Ailsa Dalling
Puppeteer for ScrapsAilsa trained at The Curious School of Puppetry.
Her theatre experience includes: Venus and Adonis (RSC), Ballads (Horse and Bamboo, UK Tour), The Elves and the Shoemaker (Silly Boys, UK Tour), Alice’s Adventures Underground, (Les Enfants Terribles, The Vaults), The Owl and The Pussycat (Kitchen Zoo, UK Tour).
Hugh Purves
Puppeteer for Gabriella, Jack, and The Singing PetalsFilm: Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, Huper Tenrecs, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Possum, Belle and Bamber.
Television: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Tiny Small Show, Welsh with Woe, Through the Fairy Door, Snoozle & Spring Slug, Monty & Co.
Theatre: All in a Row, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Reimagined, Clementine’s Fabulous Roadshow.
Andrew Linnie
SamAndrew is an accomplished musician having trained at The Royal Academy of Music. His credits include The Commitments, both in the West End and UK Tour, Rent, Oliver and Neverland.
Sally Lindsay
ClockSally has worked extensively in TV, Film and Theatre. Best known for her role of Shelley Unwin in Coronation Street, she has also appeared in Still Open All Hours, Scott & Bailey and The Royale Family. She also played the voice of Piella Bakewell in the Wallace and Gromit film A Matter of Loaf and Death.
Julie Atherton
The Singing PetalsOne of the most foremost West End stars of her generation, and a YouTube comedy sensation who has over ONE MILLION HITS. Her many leading stage credits include Avenue Q, Sister Act, Mamma Mia, Fame, Lift, and Therese Raquin. Her ‘Portrait of a Princess’ which co-starred Sheridan Smith and Russell Tovey went viral, so far reaching over 800,000 views on YouTube.
Susan Beattie
A Singing PetalSusan was a puppeteer on many episodes of Mopatop’s Shop, and The Hoobs for The Jim Henson Company. She works with Nigel Plaskitt to bring the PG Tips Monkey to life. Her films include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Riverbank The Movie, The Muppets Most Wanted, and Harry Hill The Movie.
Susan has recently completed work on the Netflix / Jim Henson Company series, The Dark Crystal.
Lynn Robertson Bruce
A Singing PetalFilm: The Rise of Skywalker, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars The Last Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Muppets Most Wanted, Tarzan 3D, Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, The Seed of Chucky, Lost in Space, Buddy.
TV: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Yonderland, ABC Bear, Mr. Bloom’s Nursery, What’s Your News, The Zoo Factor, The Baas, Headcases, The Hoobs, Bits and Bobs, Abercromby, Step Inside, The Sooty Show, Monty & Co.
Olly Taylor
A Singing PetalTV: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, TeleTubbies, Get Well Soon, Pajanimals, Bear Behaving Badly, That Puppet Game Show, Zoo Factor, The Fluffy Club, Fur TV, Emu and The Roly Mo Show.
Film: Star Wars VII, Star Wars VIII, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Muppets Most Wanted, Frankenstein, The Witches’ Hammer.
Ewan Goddard
Voice of JackEwan has worked extensively in the theatre Audiobooks and animation.
Margot Caroni
Voice of GabriellaMargot is a Brazilian actress who trained in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and studied Speech Therapy at Estacio de Sa University and Drama Studies and Acting at Faculdade da Cidade. In addition to mother tongue Portuguese, Margot is fluent in English and has conversational Spanish.
Her voice-over work has covered a wide range of applications in radio, television, animation, dubbing, documentary, education, corporate and commercials. Animation work has included Paz, The Little Penguin for Discovery Kids, Gina and Mo Mercedes Benz Promo and Far Side of The World feature film. She has featured in documentaries for Brazilian Street Children (BBC1), Travel Guide to Rio de Janeiro (BBC2) and a documentary video for the Brazilian Immigration Service.
Radio programmes include a series of Radio News programmes (Meridiano Zero) for C.O.I., a series for the Women’s Hour program (BBC Radio 4) and a Radio Soap Opera for Radio Estacio de Sa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She has recorded for corporate clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Swiss Bank, Embratel (Brazilian Telecommunications), BHP Petroleum Ltd, HLSP (Health and Life Sciences Partnership), Countrywise Communication, Shell and Pfizer.
