James Edge - Founder/CEO

James is a performer and lyricist/song writer, who trained at “The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire”. He created the West End Best Friend page during the COVID-19 pandemic to try and spread some positivity during lockdown to people through out the industry.

Jenny Ell - Editor-in-Chief

Jenny is a freelance writer and theatre worker from Birmingham. She trained as a Stage Manager at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and has had the pleasure of working on a wide range of shows, from small scale productions to large UK tours including The Lion King, Wicked and War Horse. She has extensive experience in writing news and reviews for print/web, and is incredibly passionate about her involvement with WEBF and its ethos.

Duncan Burt - Creative Director

Duncan is a professional actor and writer originally from the West Midlands. Long before dreams of the West End, Duncan always knew his heart was in musical theatre, listening to cast recording upon cast recording until the CDs (retro right?!) wore out! Soon his hobby also became his career! Often described as “The stagiest person I know, but with the knowledge to back it up” Duncan is thrilled to be a part of the WEBF team so he can share his passion and knowledge with like minded people and hopefully introduce someone to a new show they never knew they needed to know!

Callum Wallace - Head of Content

While driving the content for West End Best Friend, Callum is about to graduate, completing a three year course in Stage Management at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. He has worked in various roles behind the scenes on shows such as Groundhog Day, Moulin Rouge, Jersey Boys and & Juliet; and continues to work backstage on Les Miserables, Mrs Doubtfire and Just For One Day. Most recently, Callum worked alongside Jamie Harrison & Chris Fisher as assistant to the Illusions design team for Stranger Things: The First Shadow, helping to develop effects for the play currently performing to sold out audiences at the Phoenix Theatre.

Tom ‘Wig’ Wheatcroft - Head of Design

Tom aka ‘Wig’ was a commercial engineer in a previous life but has now turned his hand to digital marketing, specialising in SEO and Pay-Per Click. Wig can be regularly found making super cool content for the WEBF social channels as well as playing football or watching the Formula 1!

You stay classy, Besties!

Robin Dibben - Design Specialist

Robin is a Freelance Graphic Designer. He loves musicals and enjoys nothing more than finding new, little, unknown shows and boring anyone he can with random facts and songs. He is very excited to be part of the West End Best Friend team. Creating graphics for theatre based projects combines two of his biggest interests and he couldn’t be happier. If you need something designed, head over to Hi Top Design and give him a shout. He would love to hear from you.

Alanna Boden - Head of Diversity and Inclusion

Alanna is a freelance performer and writer based in the Midlands who has worked in the arts for 20+ years, in Musical Theatre and as a Session Singer. You will currently find her fulfilling your disco dreams as an original member of the Disco Tea Party or working on her one-woman musical biopic about finding her identity between two different cultures.

Alanna is here to make sure no best friends are put in the corner. Creating space to hear from all our contributors and ensuring our content is representative and accessible to all.