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Richard Mawbey

Richard has enjoyed a great career in hair, make-up and wigs for over 25 years. Most recently he has created over 170 wigs for the smash hit musical “The Producers” now wowing audiences at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Current film projects include “Alfie”, “Closer” starring Julia Roberts and directed by Mike Nichols, the new production of “Oliver Twist” directed by Roman Polanski and starring Sir Ben Kingsley and “The River Queen” currently filming in New Zealand and starring Samantha Morton, Stephen Rea and Keifer Sutherland. In 2003 he was responsible for all the wigs on “De-Lovely” the much praised bio-pic on the life of Cole Porter, which includes spectacular aging processes for Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd.

Television work includes a very happy association with David Walliams and Matt Lucas on two series of “Little Britain”, a new take on “Sherlock Holmes” starring Rupert Everitt, “The Harry Hill Show”, “The Catherine Tate Show” and a new comedy series starring Paul Whitehouse called “ Shrink-Wrap”

He first worked in the theatre with the now legendary Danny La Rue, travelling to almost every theatre and concert hall all over the British Isles, Canada, Australia and the Far East. In recent years he has worked in the West End on “Kiss Me Kate”, now on a nationwide tour,” Contact”, “Beautiful and Damned”, “The Three Sisters” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Early in 2005 “Millie” will also start on a British tour.

Other London credits include Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of “Oliver”, “Showboat”, “Hello Dolly”, “Romance, Romance”, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, “Up for Grabs” “Antony and Cleopatra” ( Royal Shakespeare Company ) and the wigs for Elaine Paige’s acclaimed performance as Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard”. In New York he worked with Peter O’Toole and Amanda Plummer on Shaw’s “Pygmalion” and is currently travelling back and forth to the U.S.A. where he continues to be responsible for the lilac tresses of Dame Edna Everage – a Tony award winner and enjoying huge success with her new Broadway show “Back with a Vengeance”. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Starlight Express” saw him not only creating wigs for all 18 years of the London production, but designing the wigs and make-up when the show toured all over Japan and Australia.

Living in central London, he is the owner and Managing Director of Wig Specialities which is responsible for a wide range of work for theatre, television, film and private wear. Here Richard has worked with many great stars including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Derek Jacobi, Leslie Caron, Kylie Minogue, Burt Reynolds, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Kiri Te Kinawa, Kate Beckinsale, Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Jeremy Irons, Maureen Lipman, Imelda Staunton, Jessica Lange, Edward Woodward and the late Richard Harris and Dusty Springfield.

He considers it a great honour to be personal wig-maker to Sir Sean Connery and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Richard oversees all of the work at Wig Specialities personally, from the design concept through fittings and knotting plans to the cutting and styling of the finished product. He is surrounded by an enthusiastic team of very experienced knotters, hair colour specialists and extremely talented hairdressers, which enables the company to undertake a whole range of work, large or small, giving great attention to detail and maintaining high standards of workmanship.

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