ABOUT US

DEBI ALLEN is an Essex girl. She studied drama at Ridley Studios under her brilliant teacher Peggy Batchelor who she now represents. Not surprisingly she chose a University as far away from Essex as possible and spent three years at The University of Ulster at Coleraine. Whilst at University she spent a term in Glasgow during their year of ‘Culture’ (it was 1990) and worked for TAG (part of Glasgow's Citizens Theatre). Then began her love affair with the Edinburgh Festival where she spent four summers working at the Fringe Festival in various capacities at The Gilded Balloon and Greyfriars Kirkhouse. On graduating she worked at the original Jongleurs comedy club in Battersea. A year later Debi set up Wizard Entertainment (with the help of Billy Marsh Associates) with an Australian agent Brendan Long. Brendan had had the genius idea of putting Rolf Harris into the University Circuit. It was a huge success and they also secured Rolf a slot on the main stage at The Glastonbury festival. When Brendan returned to Australia Debi was made an agent at Billy Marsh Associates and continued to work with the likes of Rolf Harris and the lovely (and much missed) Mark Speight. After nearly six years Debi accepted the new challenge of joining the literary agents Roger Hancock Ltd to set up a performers department. Debi spent five very happy years at Roger Hancock which culminated in her diversifying her client base from actors, presenters and stand ups into writers too. In 2002 Debi was headhunted to set up RDF Management for the RDF Media group. She started the company with her then assistant Vic Murray and twenty clients and built it up over seven years to an agency with five agents, three support staff and over a 120 clients. On April 1st 2009 she launched Debi Allen Associates Ltd.
 
JO EDWARDS graduated from the University of Kent in July 1995 and one month later began working at Carnival Films and Television. During that time Jo had the opportunity to work with Andrew Welch of Armada Productions and this lead to her next position at Theatre of Comedy Productions (DLT Entertainment) based at the Shaftesbury Theatre. At both Carnival and Theatre of Comedy Jo loved contacting Agents and liaising with casting directors so when the opportunity arose she joined Anne Henderson as her assistant. Alongside Anne, Jo was involved in the casting of ‘Bugs’ for the BBC and Chichester Festival Theatre’s 1998 Season. A brief stint temping at Ken McReddie Associates, led her to become convinced that Agenting was the right path for her. Jo joined ICM (Independent) at the end of 1998 as an assistant to Duncan Heath and subsequently Fiona McLoughlin. Jo started at Conway van Gelder Grant Ltd initially as assistant to Nicola van Gelder working with Helena Bonham Carter, Samantha Morton, Brian Cox and Zoe Wanamaker. She began taking on actors as an Agent whilst continuing to work alongside Nicki’s clients. Over the years Jo has built up her own list with clients including graduates from leading drama schools such as RADA, LAMDA and RSAMD. Her clients include Spotlight nominees and winners and Olivier Award nominees. Jo left CvGG in 2011 after eleven happy years and is thrilled to now be part of DAA.

MICHAEL FORD was born and bred in Bristol. At the age of ten years old he joined the ITV drama workshop and has worked in the industry ever since. He joined Debi at RDF Management in 2008, having spent 3 years as an agent with TCG (in London) and 4 years at TAG (in Manchester) with a brief stint at ATG in the middle. Michael represents Actors & Writers and is passionate about Theatre, Film, Television, and new writing in particular.
 
LINDA KAY deals with all things money. With over 15 years experience in the business she is a qualified bookkeeper who has been with Debi from the beginning of DAA. She is in the office on Wednesday's and Thursday's.  

CRAIG LATTO has worked as an agent for over ten years. He helped set up Unique Artistes before moving to Silverfox Artist Management where he worked for a number of years. Craig joined RDF Management in Jan 2004 and worked there for five years. In 2009 Craig joined Debi Allen Associates as a Senior Agent. 
 
SEAMUS MCMAHON graduated from the University of Leeds in 2009, gaining a BA Honours in Theatre, Performance and Arts Management. After spending nearly two years in his home town of Sherborne in Dorset, working three jobs to clear his student debts, Seamus had the opportunity to do an internship with Conway van Gelder Grant, it was here he discovered a section of the Industry he now feels so passionately towards. Meeting the wonderful Jo Edwards along the way, Seamus is very excited to join the DAA team as the assistant to Michael Ford and Jo Edwards.  
 
CHARLENE MCMANUS left University with a BA Joint Honours Degree in Arts Management and Theatre Studies in 2003. The following summer she went to RDF Management for two weeks work experience and five years later was still there as the assistant to Debi Allen. Within a few months of starting she had to learn the ropes pretty quickly when she covered Debi’s maternity leave and, because she did such a great job, she took a similar amount of time off in 2008 to travel the world. In 2007, Charlene began taking on RDF Management's first child actors. In 2009, Charlene joined Debi Allen Associates as Debi's assistant as well as representing her selective list of clients.
 
JESS MOLLOY graduated from the University of Leeds in 2010 with a BA Honours Degree in Performance Design. She then spent a very busy month in Edinburgh both working for The Invisible Dot Club and producing The Leeds Tealights, before joining the team at Debi Allen Associates in September where she took on the role of Debi and Charlene's assistant. 

BECKY WILLIAMS graduated with a Media and Film degree in 2007 and has since worked in both post production and documentary production, eventually becoming a development researcher working on projects for the BBC, C4 and Discovery. Following an epiphany on a bridge at Canary Wharf, Becky decided to follow her dream of becoming an agent and learnt the ropes at Emptage Hallett before joining DAA as an assistant to both Debi and Craig. She was thrilled to start taking on clients in September 2010 and since then her list has grown to include clients ranging from award winning comedians to established actors and new graduates. Becky also continues to assist Craig.