Co-Principal & Production Creative

Craig Bartley

FIDTA, MBBO, Dip.in Dance teaching (Trinity), Cert.ED. City & Guilds


Some of Craig’s credit highlights:

  • The Third Man cast member (Menier Chocolate Factory 2023). Directed by Sir Trevor Nunn
  • Crazy For You as Mingo (Festival Theatre, Chichester 2022). Directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman
  • ‘SMILE’ on Broadway – Lead vocalist and show host/compare, Town Hall theater, New York 2018
  • Dance Proms 2017 production choreographer and staging creative at the Royal Albert Hall, London
  • Dance Proms 2016 production choreographer and staging creative at the Royal Albert Hall, London
  • Dance Proms 2015 production choreographer and staging creative at the Royal Albert Hall, London
  • Grease – Craig spent more than two and a half years playing the part of Doody for which he received the Golden Quiff Award for the best performer in a musical, which was presented by Victoria Wood
  • Man of 
La Mancha (Peacock Theatre, London)
  • Follies Royale as juvenile lead role of Joe in the original New York production (Broadway)
  • 42nd Street as Billy Lawlor (US national tour)
  • Song & Dance as jazz dancer role (US national tour)
  • La Cage Aux Folles (Palladium Theatre, London)
  • Mack And Mabel (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London)
  • Me & My Girl (Adelphi Theatre, London)
  • 42nd Street original cast (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London)

Co-Principal & Production Creative Starquest Performing Arts

Craig is currently a cast member for the world premiere of the new musical thriller, The Third Man at the Menier Chocolate Factory just off London’s West End and is running throughout the summer of 2023. It is directed by Sir Trevor Nunn with the music score by George Fenton and book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black.

Craig performed the part of Mingo in Crazy For You at the Festival Theatre in Chichester in the summer of 2022. The production received fantastic five star reviews and was directed and choreographed by broadway director, Susan Stroman.

His first professional engagements were at Bournemouth, Stevenage and Blackpool in pantomimes and various summer shows.

Craig then went on to perform in London’s West End in shows such as 42nd Street (Original cast at Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Me & My Girl (Adelphi Theatre), La Cage Aux Follies (Palladium Theatre), Mack And Mabel in concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Man of La Mancha (Peacock Theatre) of which he recorded the cast albums for both ‘Mack And Mabel’ and ‘Man of La Mancha’.

Craig has been involved in many production workshops such as ‘Cats’ (New London Theatre), ‘Starlight Express’ (Apollo Victoria Theatre), ‘Martin Guerre’ (Prince Edward Theatre), ‘Les Miserables’ portraying ‘Enjolras’ (Palace Theatre), ‘Billy Elliott’ (Victoria Palace Theatre), ‘Dirty Dancing’ (Aldwych Theatre), ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ (Palace Theatre) and ‘Hunchback Of Notre Dame’ (Theatre Centre of Berlin) portraying the lead narration part of ‘Clopin’ for Disney.

Craig spent more than two and a half years playing the part of ‘Doody’ in the hit musical ‘Grease’ where he received the Golden Quiff Award for best performance, which was presented by the late Victoria Wood.

Craig has devised, directed, choreographed and performed in many musical revue shows throughout Europe and the United States.

His US theatre credits include ‘Song & Dance’ as jazz dancer role (US national tour), ‘42nd Street’ as Billy Lawlor (US national Tour) and the original New York (Broadway) production of ‘Follies Royale’ playing the juvenile lead role of ‘Joe’.

While in the United States, Craig was engaged to perform as backing vocalist and warm up performer for the Caribbean national tour with ‘Gladys Knight’ in her award winning one woman show. After which he then toured in the same capacity with Jennifer Holliday from the original Broadway ‘Dreamgirls’.

In the Summer 2018 Craig starred on Broadway as lead vocalist and show host/compare in ‘SMILE’ at the Town Hall Theatre , NYC.

Craig’s television debut was in the early days of ‘Grange Hill’ for the BBC. Further TV credits include ‘The Les Dennis & Dustin Gee show’ for BBC television, ‘The Price Is Right’ as a dancer / game show host with Lesley Crowther (Talbot Television / ITV), ‘Tales of out Of School’ (Drama for Central TV), ‘Dancers’ (Drama for Westward TV), ‘C.A.T.S. EYES’ playing ‘Steve’ the office boy for TVS and ‘Eastenders’ (featured character) and ‘The Christmas special’ for the BBC.

He also appeared in two Royal Variety Performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for the BBC and ITV and ‘A Royal Performance’ at the Adelphi Theatre.

Commercial Television includes Barclays Bank (Central TV) and Texaco Oil (NBC Films), which is still extensively screened in the US.

In film, Craig played the part of Nigel in Monty Python’s ‘The Meaning of Life’.

In 2002 Craig was honoured when chosen to stage and choreograph ‘La Traviata’ for the Ukranian opera company and Opera international at the famous Royal Albert hall in London, which then took him onto choreograph and stage the International tour of ‘AIDA’.

Craig’s experience has enabled him to travel the globe extensively whilst being involved in performing, choreographing, directing and producing for the inaugural production set up for most of the World’s leading cruise lines.

He has had the privilege to have met and performed for every member of the Royal family in the UK, also the Royals of Spain, Denmark, Greece and Monaco.

As well as performing, Craig has taught specialist classes at Mountview, Millenium, Urdang, Elmhurst and Red Roofs Theatre School, although now has his own vocational full-time Starquest Performers College.

Craig is a professional adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Music, Dance and Drama Festivals Worldwide.

He regularly lectures on dance and Musical Theatre subjects with the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) and has been part of the South East area Theatre Dance Council Committee (IDTA) for the last five years.

In 2015, Craig was commissioned to stage and choreograph the prestigious annual International Dance Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, working with over 500+ International dancers including Principals from the Royal Ballet, Matt Flint and the Lukas McFarlane Dance company. In 2016 and 2017, Craig was once again asked to repeat this role to create some outstanding choreography and staging once again at the Royal Albert Hall.

Craig is the full-time Course Director and co-Principal of Starquest Performing Arts and Starquest Performers College in Chatham and oversees branches at Sheppey and Rochester.

I hope that you too achieve your dreams too…