General Email: agency@numberfiftyfour.co.uk
Representation Queries: representation@numberfiftyfour.co.uk
The Team
Number Fifty Four is run by Sharon Szynal with the support of Biancha Szynal, Michelle Payne and Michael Rideout
Sharon Szynal - She/Her
Owner & Head Agent
"When I grow up I want to travel the whole world!"
- Sharon, aged 5 -
Biancha Szynal - She/Her
Cruises & Resorts
"When I grow up I want to be a fireman!"
- Biancha, aged 3 -
Biancha is a triple threat performer who has worked extensively in the industry since her graduation from The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in 2012.
From a young age, after wanting to be a fireman passed, she attended as many classes as possible and made her West End debut aged 11 in the original London cast of Billy Elliot the Musical where she stayed until she was 15yrs because she was always small enough to pass as a ballet girl!
Aged 13 she joined Italia Conti theatre school as a full time pupil and then onto the college to train in Musical Theatre.
Over the years Biancha has built up a solid knowledge of the industry and many contacts too which make her the perfect addition to the N54 team for our new Cruise and Overseas Resorts division.
Theatre credits:
Penny-Lou Pingleton in Hairspray (Kilworth House), Sister Mary Robert in Sister Act (English Theatre Frankfurt); Ensemble in 101 Dalmatians (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Cover Brooke in Legally Blonde (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Kylar/1st Cover Campbell & Skylar in Bring It On The Musical (Southbank Centre, London); Swing/ Assistant Dance Captain in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre), Ensemble/ 1st Cover Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz (Blackpool Winter Gardens); Acrobat/1st Cover Miss Honey/2nd cover Mrs Wormwood in Matilda the Musical (Cambridge Theatre); Mrs Santiago/1st Cover Molly in Ghost the Musical (English Theatre, Frankfurt); Lead Vocalist for AIDA (Cruise); Ensemble in Boy Meets Boy (Jermyn Street Theatre); Dancer in Classical Spectacular (Royal Albert Hall); Miss Rabbit in Fantastic Mr Fox (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Margaret Gormley in Billy Elliot the Musical (Original London Cast)
Film credits:
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Amazon Prime Video)- Ensemble Singer; Matilda the Musical (Netflix)- Ensemble Dancer
*Biancha is represented by Collective Agents
Michelle Payne - She/Her
Agency Assistant
"When I grow up I want to be a vet (no lizards)!"
- Michelle, aged 4 -
Michelle is an award-winning director, actor & published playwright from Essex. After originally training as an actor, she went on to work multiple times with Les Enfants Terribles before moving into directing & writing.
Michelle was Resident Director on the UK Tour of Bugsy Malone 2022/23. She is currently long-listed for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2023, after being short-listed as one of eight directors for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2022 and also short-listed for the Young Vic Genesis Future Director Award 2023. In 2021 Michelle was one of 15 creatives on Future Forms at the Donmar Warehouse.
Michelle was a 2019 recipient of the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme completing a three month residency at the Mercury Theatre Colchester.
Michelle and her writing partner EMY.P are one of six writing teams selected to be part of Overture programme for new musical development (in association with The Other Palace, Hope Mill, RE:Create Agency, Burnt Lemon & Birmingham Hippodrome) working on their new ADHD musical; Hyper.
Michelle is currently co-director on Good Enough Mums Club (UK Tour) with Sarah Meadows, resident director on The House With Chicken Legs (UK Tour) and is due to direct an all-female Pippin at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (BA Musical Theatre) and American Idiot at the University of Chichester (BA Musical Theatre Performance). She was previously associate director-choreographer on Pigs Might Fly from Michael Morpurgo's Mud Puddle Farm (UK Tour) and is a season 4 director on The End of the Line Podcast.
As a director/writer Michelle is represented by Helen Mumby at the Soho Agency.
Michelle has a wide range of experience and contacts across new writing, regional theatre, commercial & musical theatre and immersive theatre and is thrilled to be working alongside Sharon, Biancha & Michael to support Number Fifty-Four pool of talent!
Michael Rideout - He/Him
Website & Social Media
(currently performing in Universal Studios Beijing until Feb 2024)
"When I grow up I want to be Mary Poppins!"
- Michael, aged 5 -
Michael is an actor/singer who trained at East 15 Acting School.
Having worked for Westminster City Council as a Manager at a
Centre for disabled children for nine years, he has recently relocated to Essex to develop his career in theatre.
As co-founder of TWIST Cabaret, he has produced sell-out cabaret's in London and the South East. TWIST Cabaret's next venture is to develop a new Theatre in Education project based on mental health in schools, with the view to tour the UK in the near future.
Michael’s passion for theatre has remained a constant over the years and Michael is now thrilled to be joining the team at Number Fifty Four, and is so excited to be working alongside Sharon, Biancha and Michelle.
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