ABOUT ME & MY WORK

I was delighted to be invited by the Lawrence Batley Theatre to lead a specialised Devised Theatre workshop for their Youth Theatre facilitators.

Over an intensive two-hour session, we explored how to cultivate a rehearsal room culture rooted in 'brave space'—an environment where young people feel empowered to take risks and embrace failure as part of the process.

I’ve spent the last few weeks in a room filled with an incredible amount of talent, and I’m still processing everything I’ve learned. It was fantastic watching our cast—the brilliant Luke Featherston, Joel Harper-Jackson, Raiko Gohara, and Olivier winners David Bedella and Liza Sadovy—navigate the emotional complexities of this script.

Really pleased to have a new opinion piece in The Stage addressing inequality between freelancers and employees.

Read Here

After directing Twelfth Night with their students in April, I’m really excited to be able to say I’ve been appointed as Module Leader for Theatre at ICES University, Vendée, France.

This role involves directing two plays a year with the university, and leading on other teaching modules such as Playwriting and Introduction to Shakespeare.

Really thrilled to be back at Arts Ed this term to work with students in the School of Musical Theatre, as director for some of their projects.

This will involve collaborating with choreographer Vikki Ryan and Musical Director Ian Brandon to stage two production numbers with students, giving them the experience of working in a professional rehearsal room.

Really excited to say I’ve been selected to become Resident Director at Leicester Curve. This will involve assisting on three productions - this year’s Christmas show Evita, a tour in partnership with the National Theatre My Beautiful Launderette and the UK tour of A Chorus Line.

I’m really excited to be able to learn from being part of rehearsals with Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, and work alongside top creatives such as Ellen Kane, Howard Hudson, Ben Cracknell and many more!

Being Associate Director on Told by an Idiot’s Kill Will has been a pleasure. It’s involved being the creative lead while away in Romania, making quick decisions as we moved the site-specifc show throughout various locations in the city of Craiova, and then again when we were back performing in the UK.

This was a very silly show about two Shakespeares fighting each other in increasingly ridiculous ways, and it was such a joy to be a part of a project that was so inherently entertaining, theatrical and extremely unpredictable!

Real pleasure to work with this brilliant cast on the reading of Adam Kotwal’s new play Brownballed.

The play delves in to the fast-paced world of professional football, and is performed as part of the Octagon’s First Bites series of play readings.

The cast were Shobna Gulati, Adam Karim, Matt Lanigan and Mitesh Soni.

The Stage this week published my opinion piece ‘Let’s harness technology to make British theatre less London-centric’.

Read Here

This was a very unique project that the Royal Exchange approached me to run in partnership with Jigsaw Homes Engagement Team. Jigsaw Homes recruited the women through Tameside Women and Families Centre, the Jobcentre and other support services in the Dukinfield and Ashton area.

It was an unusual project for me as the brief wasn’t to create a piece of theatre but to deliver sessions that boosted participants’ confidence and skills, so that they could volunteer as Ushers in the Royal Exchange’s Pop-up Theatre, The Den.

As part of my role as Youth Theatre Director at the Bolton Octagon, I have led on launching the Young Octagon group.

This is a dedicated year-long training programme for talented young performers from in and around Bolton. Members will receive training from top London drama school LAMDA.

The group’s first production will be a newly commissioned play ‘One Night in Bolton’ by writer Becky Prestwich. This will be co-directed by myself and Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham.

It was a real privilege to have been awarded Best Director at the 2019 OffCuts Festival, for my direction of Curtis Cole’s play Fomo.

The judging panel included Royal Exchange Associate Director Nickie Miles-Wildin and Oldham Coliseum Artistic Director Chris Lawson.

I have been working regularly as a freelancer with the Octagon since 2017, including on their production of Gullivers Travels. I am thrilled to be joining their team in house, leading the Youth Theatre.

This role will involve directing productions with their youth theatre and community groups, including with their specialist SEND programme Bridges.

I’m really excited to announce I’ve been selected by the Young Vic as one of their Reach Out Directors for 2018.

This involves working closely with the building, shadowing the theatre’s departments, observing rehearsals, as well as budget to connect with other theatres around London.