Profile
Following a degree in Arabic at Edinburgh, I began working Front of House at the National Theatre whilst deciding what life had in store for me. A chance encounter there led me to some backstage work which showed me that although I loved my job as an usher I was working on the wrong side of the house! I undertook my training in Stage Management and Technical Theatre at RADA on their graduate diploma programme and from there I went on to pursue a career as a freelance Stage Manager and Theatre Technician.
My career has been varied and I have been lucky enough to work with inspirational people in amazing locations around the world. From the Sydney Opera House to grand palazzos in Italy, fields in Essex to the Young Vic, the Royal Court, the Menier Chocolate Factory and many, many other theatres, cathedrals, churches, village halls, warehouses and site-specific venues in between. My work has allowed me to be involved with companies such as Bethlehem Cultural Festival, Mimbre, Ockham’s Razor, ShiberHur, Peut-Etre Theatre, Jacksons Lane, the National Centre for Circus Arts (formerly Circus Space), Opera Restor’d, Opera Australia and Hand Made Opera (for whom I was resident Company Manager for many years) to name a few. Over time I have developed a particular expertise in collaborative, devised, physical theatre and circus, but I enjoy working on all forms of performance. My professional career has also allowed me to explore areas of lighting and sound and I have lit and relit shows for a number of companies. I continue to work professionally whenever possible enjoying new collaborations and explorations.
In addition to my professional practice I have also worked within education as a stage management tutor for a number of years. Initially at RADA providing specific support to students at NCCA and more recently at Middlesex University as the Senior Technician in Stage Management for the Faculty of Arts and the Creative Industries. Through Middlesex I undertook my PGCertHE developing a particular interest in how technical skills are delivered within the Higher Education framework. In 2017 I delivered a short paper on this subject at Middlesex’s Annual Teaching and Learning Conference and in 2022 completed an MA in Higher Education researching how stage management skills are taught in Higher Education.
I am a member of Equity the union for actors and stage managers an individual member of Stage Sight the organisation that is working to create an off stage which better reflects society inclusive of ethnicity, class and disability.
Areas of Expertise
- Stage Management
- Production Management
- Health & Safety
- Show Calling
- Production Lighting
- The teaching of vocational skills in an HE setting
- Site Specific Performance
- Collaboration
- Inclusive working practices in theatre
External Practice
2022. Technical Stage Manager: The Dark, UK Tour
2021. Stage Manager: Bethlehem Cultural Festival, London & Glasgow
2021. Lighting Designer & Technical Stage Manager: Why Shouldn’t I Go?, Irish Cultural Centre & Lantern Theatre Brighton
2019. Production Manager: MDX Dance, Artsdepot
2018. Company Stage Manager: Barnum, Menier Chocolate Factory
2018. Deputy Stage Manager: MDX Dance, Artsdepot
2017. Stage Manager (on the Book): The Lie, Menier Chocolate Factory
Register of Interest
Nothing to declare.