Danielle Tarento (Casting Director) is a freelance producer and casting director.
She trained as an actress at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and worked in theatre, television and film for nine years before becoming a producer. In 2004, she co founded the Menier Chocolate Factory and co produced/cast all in house shows including Julius Caesar, Fully Committed by Becky Mode (Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Off West End Production 2005 and subsequent transfer to the Arts Theatre), Murderer by Anthony Schaffer, tick, tick…Boom! by Jonathan Larson, What We Did To Weinstein by Ryan Craig (nominated, Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Newcomer 2005), Sunday In The Park With George by Stephen Sondheim (whatsonstage Award for Best Off West End Production 2006, Critic’s Circle Award for Best Design 2006, and subsequent transfer to Wyndham’s Theatre, where it won 5 Olivier Awards 2007 for Best Lighting Design, Best Design, Best Actor in a Musical [Daniel Evans], Best Actress in a Musical [Jenna Russell] and Outstanding Musical Production), Breakfast With Jonny Wilkinson by Chris England and The Last 5 Years by Jason Robert Brown. During Danielle’s three years at the Chocolate Factory, the venue also won the Peter Brook Empty Space Award 2005 for Up and Coming Venue and the Evening Standard Theatre Award 2005 for Outstanding Newcomer.
Other producing credits: as producer, Frances Ruffelle: Beneath The Dress (Madame JoJo’s), Happy Savages (Edinburgh Festival); as associate producer, Kurt and Sid (Trafalgar Studios – nominated, whatsonstage Award for Best Off West End Production 2009), Side By Side By Sondheim (The Venue), Tamburlaine The Great (Rose Theatre).
As casting director: Dr Faustus and School For Scandal (Greenwich Theatre, dir Elizabeth Freestone), The Adventures of Jason and the Argonauts and Medea (Steam Industry Free Theatre at The Scoop, dir Phil Willmott), Naked Boys Singing! (King’s Head and Arts Theatre, dir Phil Willmott), The Murder Game (King’s Head, dir John Tillinger) plus hundreds of commercials, music videos and short films with Jayne Collins.
