My theatre practice and experience spans the last twenty years. During this time I have managed a busy London venue, directed a number of plays, worked in applied theatre and community settings, mounted shows in large and small venues, and taught theatre at graduate and post graduate level. The advantage of never committing myself to a particular specialism means that there are few areas of theatre production and practice in which I do not have experience.
Along with Lucy Skilbeck, I am a director of Blue Tongue Theatre Company, the company had a residency at Australia house in London where we staged numerous performed readings of work by Australian writers. Some of these such as Matt Cameron’s Mr Melencholy and The Recruit by Tony McNamara went on to get there UK premiers through Blue Tongue. More recently much of my work has been with new and emerging writers. I am an associate director for the Miniaturists housed at the Arcola Theatre in London where I have directed new works by Ian Kershaw, Steve Hawes and Helen Smith and Brierley Thorpe. I am a judging panel member of The Warehouse Theatre International Theatre Competition. I successfully championed a play by Malaysian writer Kee Thuang Chye which went on to open the Singapore International Theatre Festival. I am currently working with Steve Hawes of Pipeline Films and Matthew Scott of the National Theatre on a play with songs by Kurt Weil.
For ten years I managed the Kings Head Theatre in London where I oversaw the running of the building which incorporated a public house and an Off West End venue.
More recently I have been asked to direct/choreograph a number of fashion shows (surprising to those who are aware of my own sartorial dysfunction!). The largest of these was staged at the Royal Albert Hall, with live music from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and featuring 170 models.
During all of this time I have been an associate lecturer at The University of Winchester. Over the years I have taught too many courses to mention, ranging from practical skill based modules to theoretical and project led courses. The university is a centre for Applied Theatre practice as well as hosting a masters programme in Theatre for Development. As a result I have worked on or supervised applied theatre and community drama projects in prisons, protests camps, special needs schools and numerous other contexts in the UK. Internationally I have been a consultant for CDC Arts (a theatre for development organisation based at the University) working on projects with Tibetan Refugees in Nepal, children in Belfast, and various communities in Gambia. Recently did some work with actors in Latvia training and developing a number of street theatre performances which toured the country.
I have just co written a new degree in Street Arts (the first of its kind in the UK) on which I now teach. The course investigates and provides training for all aspects of the Street Theatre practice.