Red alumni among five new hires for ITV Studios’ Quay Street Productions

Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions, the UK drama outfit backed by ITV Studios (ITVS), has made five new appointments.

Richard Fee

Richard Fee, Davina Earl, Chris Leach, Athena Stavrakis and Kate Boyle join the Manchester-based team as executive producer, head of development, head of production, script executive and head of business affairs respectively.

Fee previously worked at Red Production Company, also founded by Shindler, for more than 11 years. He joined the company as script editor in 2010 before becoming head of development and executive producer.

Fee’s exec producer credits include No Return for ITV, Harlan Coben’s Stay Close for Netflix and Anansi Boys for Amazon.

Earl also previously worked at Red where she headed development and served as script executive on dramas Safe and Come Home. She was also an assistant producer on Danny Brocklehurst’s In The Dark and worked on drama In The Flesh and on soap Hollyoaks.

Davina Earl

Prior to joining Quay Street, Leach was a production executive at ITVS, having started his career at Granada Television 24 years ago. His credits include Coronation Street, The Bay and, most recently, A Spy Among Friends for BritBox/Charter.

Meanwhile, Stavrakis most recently served as assistant producer on BBC One’s Sherwood and worked with Shindler as a script editor on several productions for Red, including The Stranger, Trust Me and Ordinary Lies.

Before moving into development, Stavrakis worked in the production department on dramas including Black Mirror, Humans and Downton Abbey.

Chris Leach

Finally, Boyle previously served as senior business affairs manager for ITVS and as head of legal and business affairs at indie FilmWave.

Fee, Earl, Stavrakis and Boyle take up their new roles immediately, while Leach will join Quay Street in February.

Quay Street, launched last year, is preparing to start production on its inaugural drama, Nolly, commissioned by ITV. The series is written by Russell T Davies and stars Helena Bonham Carter in the lead role.

Athena Stavrakis

Shindler, executive producer and chief executive of Quay Street, said: “Within its first year, Quay Street Productions has secured its first commission and has more in the wings, and as such, it is hugely important for us to have an incredible team in place to support the company’s ongoing development and growth.

“Richard, Davina, Chris Athena and Kate are all hugely talented and bring an array of experience with them. Alongside the team installed since last year, they are overflowing with amazing ideas for fascinating stories that Quay Street Productions can tell, and it’s a very exciting time.”