Manchester-based production company Quay Street Productions has appointed five new hires across production, development and business affairs.
The production company, launched in 2021 by award-winning producer and former boss of RED Productions Nicola Shindler OBE, has made the new hires as the company prepares to start production on ITV drama biopic Nolly. It is the first drama Quay Street will work on, which is written by Russell T Davies and will star actor Helen Bonham Carter in the lead role, with more commissions set to be announced soon.
Richard Fee joins as Executive Producer, Davina Earl joins as Head of Development, Chris Leach joins in February as Head of Production, Athena Stavrakis joins as Script Executive and Kate Boyle joins as Head of Business Affairs.
All of the new hires, except Kate Boyle, will be based at the production company’s office in Quay Street Manchester.
Fee joins Quay Street as Executive Producer, having worked with Nicola Shindler since 2010 at RED Production Company and has worked on projects including Netflix’s recent show, Stay Close and Sheridan Smith drama, No Return.
As Quay Street’s Head of Development, Earl is also former Red Production Company hire, where she previously headed up development and served as Script Executive on dramas Safe and Come Home.
Leach joins the team as Head of Production with credits on TV series including Vera and Bancroft. Prior to joining Quay Street, Leach was a Production Executive at ITV Studios, having started his career at Granada Television 24 years ago.
Stavrakis, who joins the team as Script Executive, most recently worked as Assistant Producer on BBC One’s drama series Sherwood and worked with Shindler as a Script Editor on several productions for RED Production Company, including The Stranger.
Boyle, who has been appointed as Head of Business Affairs, previously held the role of Senior Business Affairs Manager for ITV Studios, where she has supported Quay Street since its inception.
Nicola Shindler (pictured) said: “Within its first year, Quay Street Productions has secured its first commission and has more in the wings, and as such, it is hugely important for us to have an incredible team in place to support the company’s ongoing development and growth. Richard, Davina, Chris Athena and Kate are all hugely talented and bring an array of experience with them. Alongside the team installed since last year, they are overflowing with amazing ideas for fascinating stories that Quay Street Productions can tell, and it’s a very exciting time.”
