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Philipa 'Pippa' Ann Ailion MBE (born 20 September 1947) is a British Theatrical Director and Casting Director best known for her contributions to London (West End) theatre. Ailion has worked extensively in the West End and for film and television. She has cast Broadway and European productions, UK and US tours as well as seasons at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and Crucible Theatre Sheffield. She has cast over 185 productions with a focus on productions that cast people of varying ethnicities.[1]

Early life

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Ailion was born into a theatrical family in Mortlake London in 1947 to Philip Ailion and Pamela Mary Ailion (née Harris). In 1948 the Ailion family moved to Brighton where Philip and Pamela opened The Brighton Theatrical Costumiers. The company continued in Brighton until 1981. Philip was a tailor, cutter and makeup artist. The company served much of South East England including The Brighton Theatre Royal, the Brighton Hippodrome and other local professional and amateur productions and films.[2] In Brighton and Hove, Ailion attended Hove County Grammar School and the Brighton and Hove School of Music and Drama. Later she attended Bulmershe College in Reading training as a teacher of English and Drama. Her drama tutor was Annie Castledine. After graduating in 1968 Ailion taught drama to school children and university students in Sussex and London before joining the Bowsprit Company of Greenwich Young People's Theatre (GYPT) in 1973 as an actor and teacher. She would later work with the main company as well.[3]

Career

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Early Career: Actress and Director

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In 1973 Ailion moved to New York when Playwright Neil Simon invited her to work as his assistant on the Broadway production of The Good Doctor. Soon thereafter, Ailion met Emanuel Azenberg and The Shubert Organization. There she worked as a Theatre Consultant giving casting suggestions for theatrical transfers from Broadway to London.[4]

In 1975 Ailion returned to the UK where she performed in various productions at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter before taking a position in the theatre department at Dartington College of Arts from 1977-1981.

In 1981, she became the Assistant Director to Gordon Davidson and Company Manager on the award-winning London transfer of the Broadway play Children of a Lesser God. She later directed the production at the Market Theatre (Johannesburg), South Africa, Olympia Theatre (Dublin) as well as an Australian production. Ailion also directed the UK tour of this show.[5]

From 1984-1987, Ailion worked as a freelance Resident Director and Company Manager for various West End shows including When We Are Married, A Month of Sundays, West Side Story, and An Italian Straw Hat.

In 1987 she joined The Old Vic Theatre as Resident Associate Director and Casting Director for Jonathan Miller, working on over a dozen European classics. During that time the theatre garnered five Olivier awards for The Tempest with Max Von Sydow, Too Clever by Half and The Liar with Alex Jennings and Candide with Patricia Routledge.

Casting Director and Educator

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While at the Old Vic, Ailion also cast the original London production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. This marked a shift in Ailion's career. In 1991, she set up her a casting company: Pippa Ailion Casting through which she worked as a freelance casting director for TV, commercials and theatre both in London and in Dublin, Ireland.

In 1994, Ailion joined the Central School of Speech and Drama as Head of Department for their BA Acting course, whilst continuing her freelance TV casting career including the multi award-winning TV movie Breaking The Code with Derek Jacobi. In 1997 she left her post when she was asked to cast the original London production of Rent and four productions at Chichester Festival Theatre. In 1998 she was asked to cast the original London production of Disney's The Lion King. From about this time Ailion's primary focus has been on London West End productions. Ailion serves as a Musical Theatre Advisor at the Royal Academy of Music.[6]

Personal life

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From 1973 to 1978 Ailion's partner was Roger Sell. Roger Sell headed the Theatre Department, Dartington College of Arts. In 1976, Ailion and Sell had one son, Mark Thomas Sell. Ailion's granddaughter, Olivia Charlotte Sell was born in 2007. In 2008 Ailion married Paul Hale. The couple share a home in Pevensey Bay, East Sussex.[7]

Film and TV credits[8]

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West End Theatre credits[9][10]

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Awards, accolades and achievements

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References

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  1. ^ Stringer, Robin (May 14, 2002). "Hunt For Stars Goes To Caribbean". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  2. ^ Wooding, Andrew. "'Come in, do the job' Book of Mormon casting director Pippa Ailion on acting tips, career and more". Mandy.com. Retrieved 6 May 2019. My parents were theatrical costumiers so I've always been around theatre and as a child I went to drama classes but attended an academic school so you never heard the word 'drama' there at all.
  3. ^ "Pippa Ailion". Urdang Academy. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  4. ^ Wooding, Andrew. "'Come in, do the job' Book of Mormon casting director Pippa Ailion on acting tips, career and more". Mandy.com. Retrieved 6 May 2019. I then got a fluke job in New York through a chance meeting with a very famous playwright named Neil Simon.
  5. ^ "Children of a Lesser God - Market Theatre". JohanEngels.net. Johan Engels. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Pippa Ailion". Royal Academy of Music. RAM. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  7. ^ "New Year's Honours recipients across East Sussex". Sussex Express. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Pippa Ailion". IMDB.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Pippa Ailion CDG". About The Artists. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Natalie Gallagher CDG for Pippa Ailion Casting - Casting Director". Motown The Musical. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  11. ^ Shenton, Mark (8 March 2016). "Motown the Musical review at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London – 'the ultimate jukebox musical'". The Stage. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  12. ^ Hemley, Matthew (March 6, 2023). "Oliviers honour Pippa Ailion, Amanda Parker and Andrew Bruce with Recognition Awards". The Stage. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Pippa Ailion cdg". Tina the Musical. Tina Turner Musical, Ltd. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  14. ^ Masso, Giverny (Dec 29, 2017). "Ballerina Darcey Bussell and producer Rosemary Squire made dames in New Year honours". The Stage. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  15. ^ "Pippa Ailion". Urdang Academy. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  16. ^ Mosso, Giverny (5 Dec 2018). "Matt Henry and Drew McOnie Among New Patrons of Urdang Academy". The Stage. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  17. ^ "The Stage 100: Theatre's Power List 2017". The Stage. Jan 5, 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  18. ^ "Open Air Theatre Heritage". Open Air Theatre. Regents' Park Open Air Theatre. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  19. ^ Jones, Catherine (25 July 2009). "Sir Paul McCartney, Will Young and Joe McGann Attend LIPA Graduation Ceremony". The Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Pippa Ailion". Casting Directors Guild of Great Britain. Casting Directors Guild of Great Britain. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  21. ^ "Ailion, Philipa Ann, (Pippa)". Who's Who 2019. Who's Who (UK). Retrieved 11 June 2019.
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