Poppy Ben-David trained at The Royal Ballet School, graduating in 2000 and was the recipient of the Ursula Moreton, James Monahan and Ninette de Valois Awards for choreography. As a choreographer, she created five professional works including Siren Song for the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House (“considerable promise” the Observer) , Faithful Gelert for the Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre (Critics Choice Time Out), and Gabriel’s Poem for Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 2002 Poppy won the Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award for Entrepreneurs and began producing dance works for Ballet Central’s National Tour in 2003 as well as producing works at The Place and The Space (Docklands) for the dance company Neophilia (“Hugely Entertaining” Keith Watson - Metro). In 2005, Poppy stopped working as a choreographer and focused on production.
Poppy was associate producer on the All Male Mikado at the Union Theatre (Time Out 5*, Critics Choice the Times, 4* Evening Standard) and co-producer of the sell-out Magic to Cry For season at the Canal Café Theatre August 2008. In November 2008 Poppy produced Sweeney Todd for the Union Theatre directed by Sasha Regan (Time Out Critics Choice 4*, Sunday Express Critics Choice 5*, Evening Standard Critics Choice 4*). In 2009 Poppy produced and developed two Edinburgh shows, the first being Piff the Magic Dragon's solo show Piff-tacular which was performed at the Canal Cafe Theatre, RVT, Tristan Bates Theatre, Buxton Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. Piff-tacular won 'Best Comedy' at Buxton Fringe 2009 and broke the record for the highest grossing 'FREE' show at Edinburgh 2009. The second show was The Falsetto and The Fingers, with Martin Milnes and Michael Baxter in 2009 - performed at Stratford Civic Hall (supporting Alistair McGowan), Union Theatre and the Kings Head as well as at Edinburgh Fringe 2009 (5* Three Weeks, 5* All the Festivals, 4* Broadway Baby).
In 2010 Poppy co-produced and general managed the premier of the new musical adaptation of The Remains of the Day written by Alex Loveless based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It was performed at the Union Theatre, London and was Critics Choice in the Evening Standard (4*) for the duration of its four week run.
Poppy also produced and general managed Piff the Magic Dragon's 2010 Edinburgh show Piff-tacular 2 at Just the Tonic Caves.
As well as producing the above, Poppy has worked in the following roles: Development Account Manager (Rambert) Development Officer (Birmingham Hippodrome) . Between 2007- 2009 Poppy worked for the Production Team at Ambassador Theatre Group and while there worked on Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker, Guys and Dolls (UK and Australia), Rocky Horror Show (UK, Europe and Australia), Elling, Fat Pig, West Side Story (London and UK tour), The Lover The Collection, Noises Off (UK tour), Riflemind, RENT, A Night in November and Sunset Boulevard. In a free-lance capacity Poppy has worked for various different companies in 2009/20010 including the Bush Theatre, SOLT/TMA, The Corner Shop PR and Sweet Pea Productions (The Misanthrope starring Keira Knightley).
In December 2008 Poppy was awarded the Stage One New Producer's Bursary and in May 2009 awarded a Shell Livewire Grand Ideas award.
"Not to be missed...if you can get a ticket, that is"
Sunday Express - Sweeney Todd 2008
“This show deserves a cult following…you’ll probably never see anyone like Milnes again”
Three Weeks - The Falsetto, Edinburgh Festival 2009
“Overall, this is great fun… delivered quite, quite brilliantly”
Time Out - The Mikado 2008
"This production team is going places"
Evening Standard - The Mikado 2008
"Hugely Entertaining"
Metro - Neophilia's Woman 2005
"A superb hours entertainment - presumably word has spread -
over 100 people and standing room only"
BroadwayBaby - Piff-Tacular, Edinburgh Festival 2009
"Puts its peers and better-funded rivals to shame"
Evening Standard - Sweeney Todd 2008
“A sophisticated piece of musical theatre…”
Evening Standard - The Remains of the Day 2010
"It is a gem…a jewel… that shines its light and lingers on"
Blanche Marvin - The Remains of the Day 2010
