Introducing the creative team behind The Troll Grandfather. From the imaginative mind of playwright Clem Martini, comes a fantastical tale that will transport audiences to a world filled with trolls, dragons, and magic. Led by director Chris McGregor, and featuring a talented cast and crew, this production promises to take audiences on a thrilling adventure, as they follow 9-year-old Sandy Nardini on a quest to claim their magical birthright and save their mother's life.

CREATIVE TEAM

Clem Martini Playwright

Clem Martini is an accomplished playwright who began writing short fiction stories in high school and as a result won several awards and contests. This early success, along with the encouragement of an English teacher at Bowness High School, led Clem to try writing plays. In 1980, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in playwriting at the University of Calgary, and in 1982, he became the first graduate in playwriting at the National Theatre School in Montreal. In 2008 Clem was appointed head of the drama department at the University of Calgary, and teaches playwriting, screenwriting, and theatre for young adults. Axis Theatre has produced and toured two other of his plays - Mouse and The Field.

Chris McGregor Director & Dramaturge

Chris is a third generation settler from Scotland and England. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Bishop’s University and a Masters in Theatre in Directing from the University of British Columbia. He has taught physical theatre, Commedia dell’arte, mask and Red Nose Clown at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Bishop’s University and Studio 58. He has directed more than 60 productions across Canada, has won four Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards and been nominated for three Ovation Awards for directing. Chris has adapted the children’s books: Somebody Loves You, Mr.Hatch, Frog Belly Rat Bone, and Cry, Heart, But Never Break into puppets plays for the stage.

Jessica Oostergo Set, Costume, and Props Designer

Jessica is a three-time Jessie Richardson Award Winner, and seven-time nominee. Her theatrical designs have been seen on tour across Canada. Recent theatre production credits include Clean (Neworld Theatre), How the World Began (Pacific Theatre), Bunny (Search Party), Lights (Touchstone Theatre), Le Merveilleux Voyage (Théâtre la Seizième), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Theatre NorthWest), Done/Undone (Bard on the Beach), Same Old Same Old (Belfry Theatre), and The Amaryllis (Firehall/Search Party).

Patrick Boudreau Sound Designer & Composer

Patrick is an arts and design professional with a Bachelor's degree focused in Music from University of Moncton. He has composed for the theatre productions All My Friends Are Animals (Babelle Theatre), I Am Not A Girl (Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard Productions), and Enron (United Players Theatre) & many more. He is thrilled to be a part of Axis Theatre’s The Troll Grandfather, once more!

Dusty Hagerüd Puppet Design

Originally from Fernie, BC, Dusty Hagerüd is a member of the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Nations of the Lower East Kootenays. From childhood, he has been enchanted by the world of puppets, and draws inspiration from the animated puppets of Jim Henson, Noreen Young, and Paul Fusco. As the creative director and founder of Color Sound Lab Puppet Makers, Dusty has been performing and designing puppets for 20 years, in a broad range of styles from marionettes, hand and rod puppets to 2-D paper puppets, Bunraku and shadow puppets. He is also one of the co-founders of the Vancouver International Puppet Festival.

Most recently he is in Calgary working on the new Fraggle Rock television series, he won a 2019 Leo Award for Best Art Direction in an Animation Program or Series for the stop motion animated film, Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes), with Amanda Strong, Cat Hayes, and Femke van Delft, which can be viewed in MOA’s current feature exhibition, Shadows, Strings & Other Things: The Enchanting Theatre of Puppets.