Meet the Team - Half Moon Theatre

Our Core Staff

To contact one of our team please call 020 7709 8900 or use our contact form.

You can also use the following email addresses: hello@halfmoon.org.uk, development@halfmoon.org.uk, marketing@halfmoon.org.uk, schools@halfmoon.org.uk or youth@halfmoon.org.uk

Louise Allen

Executive Director / Joint CEO

Stephen Beeny

Communications Manager

Jolanta Bujauskiene

Cleaner

John Bunker

Cleaner

Saja Bushra Altamimi

Pastoral Support Worker

Androulla Constantinou

Head of Creative Learning

A man with a beard wearing a baseball cap looks directly at the camera

Malachi Green

Creative Learning Manager

Lydia Hallam

Creative Learning Administrator

Natral Joseph

Box Office Assistant

Emily Richelle

Theatre and Programmes Administrator

Bradley Travis

Artistic Director / Joint CEO

Emily Walls

Technical and Production Manager

Our Trustees

Ben Jones – Chair

Ben works at a primary school in Poplar, East London. He leads early years foundation stage (EYFS), Creative Arts and is a class teacher in Reception. He has worked closely with many organisations in the arts/cultural sector in London such as the Whitechapel Gallery, the Tate Gallery, Bow Arts and as an Advocate for A New Direction. It is this passion for developing children’s engagement with culture that has led him to become a trustee at Half Moon.

Kate Dorney – Vice Chair

Kate is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre & Performance at Manchester University. She is passionate about making theatre and theatre history accessible to everyone regardless of their age, income or engagement with formal education. Before becoming a university lecturer she worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum as Senior Curator in Modern and Contemporary Performance working with artists and companies to find ways to preserve their histories and share their stories with the public. The Half Moon is Kate’s local theatre.

Sarah Nottingham – Treasurer

Sarah is a Family Law Barrister, who specialises in child law and protection. Sarah works in and around London, and has extensive experience of the East London boroughs. Prior to joining the Bar, Sarah spent four years working for specialist family law solicitors and women’s aid. Sarah has undertaken voluntary work with young people in various contexts spanning many years and completed a Masters in Applied Theatre in 2015.

Vipul Bhatti

Vipul is a user experience practitioner in financial services and a dance artist (contemporary and kathak).

He has collaborated with Half Moon Theatre on two projects: When Spring Comes and its Exchange for Change initiative.

He is drawn to the art of storytelling to strengthen human connection and community engagement. He’s currently studying a MSc in Cognition and Computation at Birkbeck University.

Dawn Harrison-Wallace

Dawn is a Management Consultant specialising in organisational development and interim management. After many years in the corporate sector, she moved into the charity sector in 2013. Recent roles included Interim CEO for Refugee Youth and working as an associate for The Cranfield Trust.

For many years Dawn has played a very active role in the London Amateur scene and was a trustee and chair of one of London’s most active companies, SEDOS, for many years. She was first introduced to Half Moon in 2008 when Sedos were seeking out a Charity of the Year and has been a trustee since 2009.

Asma Jhina

Asma is an international development consultant with a focus on inclusion, climate/finance and sustainability. She is mother to a two-year old and has been a resident of Tower Hamlets for over 15 years. Asma’s introduction, through her son, to the fantastic range and quality of children’s programming in the borough led her to Half Moon Theatre.

Constantina Kleanthous

Constantina has been a Drama Teacher for 11 years and currently works as the Head of Drama in a secondary school in Tower Hamlets. Alongside her undergraduate degree and PGCE in Drama, she has also completed a Masters in Education; Leading Innovation & Change. She recently completed a BSc in psychology via the Open University. Constantina has been an advocate of Half Moon Theatre throughout her teaching years and places great value in the theatrical and cultural experiences her students have gained as a result.

Roopa Sharma

Roopa works at the Bank of England, focusing on the Bank’s response to climate change.

She leads programs that break down hidden barriers to support inclusion and the growth of colleagues. As well as being passionate about fostering creativity and promoting diversity, she is also dedicated to the development of young people. Roopa volunteers for a youth cricket programme for girls, engages with young people about future career paths and fundraises for the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

As a mother of three, Roopa has firsthand experience with youth programs and theatre, which her children enjoy. Having lived in Limehouse for over a decade, she brings a deep commitment to the community and its future.

Nutan Velji

Nutan is an Emmy and BAFTA nominated content creator and developer with a passion for digital content and younger audiences. She has worked on some of the UK’s biggest shows and created content for social platforms including X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. She is also an advocate for climate and sustainability and loved Half Moon’s ethos and attention to detail in this area – alongside its commitment to accessibility to the arts.

James Wakefield

James is a social worker with over 20 years’ experience working with young to older people through a trauma informed, rights-based approach to practice. Presently a Practice Manager in Safeguarding in Tower Hamlets, he has worked in similar roles at East London and Camden & Islington NHS Foundations. He attended the Half Moon in his teens as a participant and worked at the theatre early in his career; his daughters have attended the Half Moon Youth Theatre. He values how the theatre uses drama as a tool for learning and development, equipping children and young people with confidence, lifelong skills and friends. James is proud to have been born and grown up in Tower Hamlets.