Insane Asylum Seekers

Laith Elzubaidi

Writer

Laith Elzubaidi is a British-Iraqi playwright and screenwriter. He is also the founder of the British-Arab Writers Group- a collective of over 200 British-Arab writers.

Laith’s recent achievements include being selected for the BBC Comedy Collective Supercharged Bursary Scheme, winning Soho Theatre’s annual playwriting competition the ‘Tony Craze Award’ and being part of writer’s rooms including BBC Three’s Bad Education reboot.

He is currently working with multiple different production companies, including developing a feature film treatment with Imaginarium Productions. He is also co-writing a feature film with an Emmy-nominated writer and producer; the film centres on a British-Arab community in London as they fight against the gentrification of their area.

He is also a part-time producer at the charity Counterpoints- an organisation dedicated to supporting creatives from refugee and migrant backgrounds. He also produces a series of BAFTA Masterclasses exploring the importance of authentic storytelling of refugees on screen, and the positive impact of collaboration with creatives who have lived experience of migration, in order to build narrative power and create social change.

Emily Ling Williams

Director

Emily Ling Williams directed the Olivier Award nominated A Playlist for the Revolution by AJ Yi at the Bush Theatre. The show was chosen as one of the Stage’s Top 10 London shows of 2023 and Emily won the Stage Debut Award for Best Director. She has also recently directed an adaptation of the best-selling children’s book Sam Wu Is NOT Afraid Of Ghosts at Polka Theatre, which was nominated for an Off West End Award for Best Production. Next up she will be directing a new version of Romeo & Juliet by Kwame Owusu at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Other directing credits include More Ghost Stories by Candlelight (Globe Theatre/ Hightide) Polko (Paines Plough/ RJG Productions), The Full Works, The Key Workers Cycle (Almeida) text me when you’re home, 5 Plays (Young Vic); Wasted (Lyric Hammersmith).

Emily was previously an Origins Artist at Headlong, a Resident Director at the Almeida, a Jerwood Assistant Director at the Young Vic and Trainee Director at Paines Plough. She has a BA in Philosophy from UCL and an MSc in International Politics from SOAS.

Camille Koosyial

Producer

Camille Koosyial is a dynamic and passionate theatre producer dedicated to creating impactful, socially driven work. She is currently a Producer with LUNG Theatre, a Barnsley-based verbatim theatre company known for its politically charged productions and community-driven storytelling.

Recent LUNG productions include the critically acclaimed The Children’s Inquiry, Woodhill, Who Cares, and Trojan Horse. Camille also supports LUNG’s national engagement campaigns, such as The Who Cares Campaign, advocating for young carers, and The Roaring 20s, providing pathways for young creatives in Harrow and Wigan.

Camille also works as a Producer with Pigfoot Theatre, a carbon-conscious theatre company creating work about the climate crisis with minimal environmental impact. Their recent productions include the national tour of HOT IN HERE and How to Save a Rock. Alongside producing, Camille consults on sustainability practices within the arts sector.

Her extensive producing credits include: work on Alice In Wonderland (2024); Fertile (2024); and Hot In Here (remount). She has also collaborated with leading venues and companies such as Brixton House, The Park Theatre, and The Gate. Camille is deeply committed to platforming underrepresented voices, championing sustainability in theatre, and supporting groundbreaking new work.

Riwa Saab

Sound Designer

Riwa Saab is a theatre-maker and sound designer. She studied Performance and Creative Enterprise at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. 

Her theatre credits include: Vitamin D (Soho); Succession Theme is My Ringtone (Rose); Every Leaf a Hallelujah (Regent’s Park Open Air); A Guest (Vaults Festival); Babel (Camden People’s); Redbrick (Jermyn Street); Maryland (National Youth and Riverside Studios); Butterflies of Life (Jermyn Street and Pleasance).

Theatre credits as associate: The Bolds (Unicorn) and; Human Nurture (Theatre Centre, UK Tour).

Podcast credits: Sugar Shots.

Short Films: A proCura que vai chegar (Instituto de Criar, São Paulo)

Gillian Tan

Lighting and Video Designer

Gillian Tan is a multi-disciplinary designer, working across lighting and video for various theatrical, immersive and interactive experiences.

Theatre credits include: Mind Mangler (Apollo, New York, Virgin Cruises, UK Tour); Elephant and A Playlist for the Revolution (Bush); South Pacific (Chichester Festival, Sadlers Wells & UK Tour); The Last Five Years and Threads (Singapore Rep); FAGHAG and Who Do You Love (Edinburgh Fringe); Sam Wu Is NOT Afraid of Ghosts (Polka) The Mystery of Little Angel Theatre;  Please Do Not Touch (China Plate); Cabaret Royale (Gaillard Center, Charleston USA); The Body Remembers, Black Love; Really Big & Really Loud, Cinderella – The Awesome Truth, Alyssa, Memoirs of A Queen (Vaudeville); Aisha and Abhaya (Royal Ballet/Rambert); Majestique; The Song Project – Is In Our Blood (Royal Court); 4.48 Psychosis (revival. Lyric Hammersmith/Royal Opera House); La Soirée (Aldwych/Southbank Centre/Skråen); Coraline (Barbican/Royal Opera House); Tamburlaine; Invisible Treasure; Crocodiles (Royal Exchange, Manchester).

Film credits: NYX and Gazelle Twin Present: Deep England, a performance film by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard; Held Momentarily (RAM).

Recipient of the Unreal Engine Fellowship & founding member of Rising Waves (BESEA mentorship scheme).

Liam Bunster

Set and Costume Designer

Liam Bunster is a London based Set and Costume Designer working in theatre, opera and film. Originally training as an Architect, he has since completed a postgraduate degree in Set and Costume Design at RADA and was recently resident Associate Designer at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Liam received a Stage Debut Award nomination in 2020 for his work on The Taming of the Shrew for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Recent Theatre work includes: As You Like It (RSC); Playlist for the Revolution (Bush); Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts (Polka); The Taming of the Shrew (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, The Globe); John Gabriel Borkman (Bridge Theatre); House of Shades (Almeida); Rent, Catch Me If You Can, Sweeney Todd (ArtsEd); The Comedy of Errors, Road, Intimate Apparel, Opera Makers (Guildhall School of Music and Drama); Small Change (Omnibus); Twist (Staatstheater Mainz, Germany); Donal the Numb (Vaults Festival); Flare Path (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama); Lady Macwata (Applecart Arts); Macbeth – Playmaking Festival (Royal Shakespeare, RSC); Yokes Night (Gerry’s,Royal Stratford East); Dead or Alive (Swan,RSC); Veterans Day (Finborough).

Chloe Stally-Gibson

Production Manager

Chloe is a freelance production manager and former associate artist of Zoo Co Theatre Company and ChewBoy Productions.

Her recent work includes: Shifters (Bush & Duke of York’s); Punch, A Face In The Crowd (Young Vic); Perfect Show For Rachel (Barbican); Tender, This Might Not Be It, Insane Asylum Seekers (Bush); Playhouse Creatures (JCTP); Silence (Tara Theatre).

Euan Jackson

Associate Production Manager

Rebecca Natalini

Company Stage Manager

Rebecca Natalini graduated with a BA in Stage Management from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and she is very excited to be working at the Bush Theatre again, after her recent work on Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew.

Recent stage management theatre credits include: Pride and Prejudice, Scenes from RENT – A Staged Performance (Curve); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New Diorama): Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time (UK and Norway tour); Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) (UK tour).