Drama Ensemble Director
I guess acting has always been a part of my life and so it was no surprise when I went to university to study Drama and English. I was performing in a whole range of comical farces culminating in obtaining the lead role in Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
At university I became very focused on directing and scriptwriting which combined perfectly with my love of teaching, so I became a drama teacher. Once I graduated I directed eight musicals, including Oliver and the magical South Pacific. I started a theatre company and we were very keen on writing self-devised performances. Members loved alternate theatre and worked on the belief that “theatre can change lives” for both actor and audience.
Improvisation was a critical skill and later on it thrust us into the world of Improvisation Endurance where we improvised continuously for the world record times of 24, 25, 26 and finally 27 hours of Improvisation. Amazing fun and great challenges existed in such a sport.
I have co-written several full length plays in the last few years. It began with A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Horses, Hankies and Hurricanes followed by A Time Upon a Once and we are now working on perhaps our best work Sidebottomsville which explores the end of time as we know it. We hope to publish them all one day soon.
Finally, last year saw me involved in ASPIRE, a wonderful program that combines all the loves I have – drama, creating a production and young people. It was such an amazing experience that I just wanted to be involved once again.