“Joey Hickman is perfect as a bespectacled Demetrius... Triumphantly, he is also MD, subtly underscoring the action from the keyboards and orchestrating the musical talents of the cast”
Hello and welcome!
A little bit of info about myself – I’m a professional actor, musician, musical director, arranger and composer.
I graduated from Rose Bruford College on the actor musicianship course in 2011. Rose Bruford not only gave me a thorough grounding in classical acting but also the freedom to explore theatre making and devising, as well as playing lots of different forms of music with like-minded people.
Since then I have acted in musicals, new writing, classics and Shakespearean productions up and down the country. These include Assassins (The Watermill & Nottingham Playhouse, 2019), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Southwark Playhouse, 2019), A Midsummer Nights Dream (The Watermill, 2018) and Brassed Off (Theatre By The Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre & Bolton Octagon, 2024).
Brassed Off at Theatre By The Lake ©Pamela Raith Photography
Devising theatre is one of my major passions. I particularly like the musical process in this environment, collaborating with fellow musicians, actors and performers to develop new work. The storytelling and acting process is also a thrill, creating parts and lines that are truly our own and owning that narrative together, as an ensemble. Devised productions I’ve been a part of include I Was A Rat! (Birmingham Rep, 2013), Snow White (NIE Theatre, 2019), ICARUS (The Wild and The Innocent, 2020) and Cinderella: A Fairytale (Tobacco Factory, 2015).
I am a classically trained musician who became seduced by jazz and blues! My knowledge of both classical and jazz theory is therefore extensive and I love to arrange music for shows, taking already known songs and bringing them into the world of that particular production and arranging for a specific band or orchestral set-up.
I have arranged and musically directed many shows from West End to touring productions, including The Comedy About A Bank Robbery (Mischief Theatre, Criterion Theatre Piccadilly, 2016-20) and Beautiful The Carole King Musical (Leicester Curve & Bath Theatre Royal, 2022) to more intimate pieces such as The Realness with the incredible Islington based company, The Big House in 2023.
More recently I have begun composing for both theatre and film, including New International Encounter’s (NIE) film and stage adaptation of The Snow Queen (2020 & 2022), Catch That Beast by Bucket Club theatre (2021-22) and the world premiere of Judith Kerr’s Mog The Forgetful Cat by The Wardrobe Ensemble (2022-23)
Examples of my compositions and arrangements can also be found in the music section of the website or by clicking here.
Thanks for visiting!
