Education
MA Theatre and Performance 2014-2015
Queen Mary University of London
I studied contemporary theatre and performance with a focus on activism, funding and ethics, queer and feminist performance practices, and on experimental performance in my practical work. I completed two independent practical projects under the mentorship of Lois Weaver, Julia Bardsley and Lucy Hutson, which I will be performing in the UK and Europe later this year.
BA English and Drama 2009-2012
1st class honours at Queen Mary University of London.
My English studies focused on the modernist period, but with a solid grounding in the literary canon. In Drama I studied contemporary theatre companies, and took modules on Writing for Performance and Dramaturgy and Translation. I was an active member of the theatre company, and wrote, directed and devised several plays including Illyria by Bryony Lavery and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, which I translated from Norwegian.
Employment
Box Office and Front of House Assistant at the Albany Theatre September 2012—
Administrative duties include creating invoices and processing payments, handling room rentals as well as ticket sales (using Spektrix). I am also a point of contact for all users of the building, and am responsible for ensuring the safety and enjoyment of audience members before, during and after performances.
Production placement at Camden People’s Theatre January 2015— April 2015
I produced the One on One Night as part of the Sprint Festival. I was responsible for contracts, logistical planning and execution with an extremely limited budget. The event was sold out and received excellent feedback from both artists and audience. I wrote copy and arranged marketing deals with other venues, and worked out partnerships and deals with higher education institutions. I also created window displays to promote Sprint festival shows, ranging from exhibiting props to arranging a performance in one of the windows.
Social Media placement at Live Art Development Agency January 2015— April 2015
I scheduled posts for the LADA social media pages, sourced events and opportunities to feature, assisted in the creation of the LADA Google gallery and wrote a report highlighting how LADA could optimise their reach through social media.
Assistant Facilitator at the Arcola Theatre. September 2014— December 2014
Assisting Jen Camlin in workshops and in the staging of the final event, I made sure workshops ran smoothly by keeping time, running warm-ups and exercises. I assisted students in developing their solo projects for the ECHOES AND TRACES: Stories from World War One project, helping them create interesting characters and finding ways of keeping students interested in a challenging topic.
Member of the readers’ panel at Theatre 503 July 2012—April 2014
I read plays, wrote reports for the Literary Coordinator and attended monthly meetings. This role gave me an insight into developments in New Writing as well as a better understanding of what makes a well-written play.
Dramaturg on Robyn Winfield Smith’s Woyzeck at the Clapham Omnibus July —December 2013
Examining several different translations, I advised on scene order and interpretations at the beginning of the adaptation process. I then developed working drafts with the director as they were being produced. My role also involved writing casting calls and participating in workshops.
Visiting Director with Foss Upper Secondary School’s revues December 2012 —December 2013
I led workshops with actors to generate material for new sketches, as well as developing existing material in collaboration with the company. I also provided detailed feedback about the production as a whole. The 2014 revue Fjellet Finnes (developed in December 2013) won Revue of the Year and was shown at the National Theatre in Oslo.
Assistant Director to Vaughan Pilikian May—June 2012
I assisted on Leper Colony at The Yard Theatre, assisting with the creative development of the play, setting up audition and rehearsal schedules and being a point of contact for the artistic director, producer, marketing team and crew. My most important task was to act as a sounding board to the director, and providing a calm presence in what were often very intense rehearsals.
Recent performance work
Writer and performer December 2014
Monkey Business at ]Performance Space[
An experimental performance using a monkey persona to explore themes of autobiography, aging and mental illness.
Writer and performer July 2014
Fanfic is for Riot Grrls (performance lecture) at Fanny Peculiar’s Hellfire Club at Toynbee Hall
Lecture on fanfiction from a personal perspective, focusing on fanfiction as a political tool and a tool for sexual liberation for young women.
Director May 2014
Samma det by Kenneth Pettersen at Døgnfluer 24-hour play festival in Oslo.
A short play about the intersecting lives of four 20-somethings, written, rehearsed and performed within 24 hours. I collaborated with a musician who mixed tracks and played live music during the performance.
Director November 2013
The House Ghost by John Webber at Theatre 503
A short play written in response to Why Can’t We Live Together by Steve Waters. Depicts two siblings breaking into a middle class home, and the ensuing debate about the value of destruction.