other awesome folk
I have been lucky enough to work with some truly awesome people over the past 7 years or so and I am exceptionally grateful to every single one of them.
Making theatre is very much a community endeavour and the talent, commitment and joy I have encountered has absolutely blown me away.
To share the joy, below is a collection of links to some of them, as well as perhaps some folk I just think are awesome anyway.
This is very much a work in progress, so please bear with me and I'll try and update it.
If we've worked together and you're not on here, but would like to be, or you're on here, but the link or other info is wrong, please drop me a line and I'll see what I can do.
other awesome folk
theatre and spoken word
Theatre maker
Carla is a truly amazing theatre maker and she is a real all-rounder. As well as writing, devising, directing, producing, acting and improvising, she is a great visual and technical artist meaning she can write you a gorgeous show full of epic set and props, light it beautifully, provide all the publicity for it and then knock it out of the park performing in it!
Theatre maker and teacher
Erica teaches theatre at Conservatoire East. She is also a gifted playwright, actress, improviser and comedian. Also, possibly the funniest person I know.
The Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences are Carla Keen, James Stedman (me), Erica Dupuy and Mark Whitehouse. They devise and perform around 4 moment-specific theatre shows a year, both in person and (currently) online.
Creators of moment specific theatre
New writing forum and producers
WRiTEON is a forum for new theatrical script writing based in Cambridge. They also stage new writing a couple of times a year and have various submission deadlines, as well as workshops. They are keeping the theatrical fires burning under lockdown with a series of short monologues and duologues over Zoom - Zoomologues! They are also very lovely people - check them out!
Oral storytelling group
This is where I first got back into performing and it was brilliant. They have several events a year including invited tellers and roundtable sharings of stories for experienced weavers of tales and novices alike.
And again they are really lovely people :-) Including (amongst many others):
Marion Leeper, Glenys Newton, Rachel O'Leary, Malcolm Busby, Shirley Lowe
Director, actor, producer
Richard is a great director and producer, always finding innovative ways to stage words so they seem like you're hearing them for the first time. He also has the uncanny ability to get the best out of actors.
I first met Richard when he directed my monologue Choice Cuts, which nearly made me cry (in a good way) and have been lucky enough to work with him on many occassions since.
Writer and producer
Julia's writing loves to embrace the what ifs? What if the characters never met? (Butterfly Effect) What if they chose a different path? (Alternate Slices) What if Shakespeare were born in the age of reality TV (Come Dine with Mr Shakespeare).
She is also a producing ninja. Watching her cast 23 plays in 2 hours in a community hall is one of the great wonders of the modern age.
Playwright and dramaturg
Kim has incredible talent and experience both as a writer and a dramaturg. Amongst many other projects, she was head writer on Butterfly Effect and I was lucky enough to have her assistance in honing my contributions to that great project. Now base back in Slovenia she continues to write for stage and television
Actor and improviser
Alan is a great actor and singer - both scripted and unscripted. I have been lucky enough to work with him on several projects as well as see him deliver some truly powerful dramatic and musical performances.
Songwriter and musician
Jessica's unique songs blend storytelling with heartrending vocals to give flight to epics of the ancient world and modern day dreams and nightmares. Laced with dark humour they are a must.
Historian and playwright
Sean specialises in historical plays and what moments in history can tell us about the here and now. Whilst the plays may take in grand historical events, he is also very interested in the characters and relationships that drive them.
Playwright
Amongst many other things, Rachel's powerful writing includes great events in political history (Bill Clinton Hercules) and interrogating the nature of womanhood and the structures that bind us as a society (Recovering Misogynist).
Actor and producer
I have been lucky enough to act opposite Izzy on a number of occasions as well as direct her in Party Night. She is a subtle nuanced actor with amazing grace.
We were also co-artistic directors together on Winter 2017 season of First Stage.
Performance poet and voice artist
Fay is simply one of the best spoken word artists I know. Their version of the Selkie incorporating storytelling, poetry and song is heartbreakingly beautiful. They are also a prolific producer supporting many other spoken word artists through various platforms like Hammer and Tongue and Allographic.
Fantasy film producers
So I don't have a separate section for film makers (yet?), so these lovely folk are coming here. Headed by director and actor Kate Madison, Mythica Entertainment specialise in producing fantasy web series including Ren: The Girl with the Mark.
If you look very closely in the gallows scene, you can see me a Kah'nath soldier moving the gibbet a fraction of an inch into place :-)
Without a Paddle Theatre company
Great playwright and really inspiring teacher. Her workshop on nuture ideas and keeping them alive, particularly in times where everyone is so stretched was invaluable.
Writer, radio host, actor
Leigh has the most amazing way of putting you at your ease when you're in the radio station with her. She's a great presenter and actor. She has brought various of my characters to life, most recently a beautifully warm performance of the titular character in 'You know Carol...'. Her debut novel was also shortlisted for the Bath Novel Award.
Actor
Michael is a brilliant actor already having won various awards, in particular for the feature 'Super Mix' and the short Stay'. I was very lucky to have him give a gorgeously tender performance of the role of Ciaran in 'You know Carol...Ciaran's mum'.
UPDATE - I am super-excited to say he will be reprising this role (as well as the additional one of tech wiz) in the web series that we have developed from this.
Writer
Gemma is a writer currently writing and studio managing computer games company Ghost Town Games. Her insight was invaluable on one of my first forays into writing for the stage (and still one of my favourite pieces) 'Choice Cuts'. She is a generous and insightful collaborator.
other awesome folk
improv
Creators of moment-specific theatre
The Ministry are coming under both theatre and improv, well because they kind of do :-)
The Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences are Carla Keen, James Stedman, Erica Dupuy and Mark Whitehouse. They devise and perform around 4 moment-specific theatre shows a year, both in person and (currently) online.
Improviser, actor, mentor, all-round awesome person
Clare is an actor, improviser and teacher now based back in New Zealand. Her talent for narrative improv is brilliant as is her knack for gently engaging the audience.
Clare was the first person to introduce me to improv. I took all of her classes as soon as I could. She is just the most phenomenally generous, warm and joyful teacher you could ever wish to meet, not to mention talented. The joy I still find in improvisation is in large part down to her teaching.
The improvised heist comedy
Based in Cambridge, Stealing the Show are the awesome team of Hugh Clark, David McHardy, Sean Keoghan, Catherine Hodges, Mike Horscroft and Persephone Emily. They specialise in a fast-paced improvised heist movie that unfolds (with plenty of humour) before your very eyes.
Improv team
Cambridge Improv Factory are Heather Yeadon, Vaughan Allanson, Alex Wilber, Alan Hay, Kate Madison (often plus guests).
They have been entertaining Cambridge for over a decade now with silly narrative improv shenanigans as well as their always hotly anticipated Chrimprov specials.
Improv Duo
Bendy House are part of Dog Face Improv based in Norwich. I love their beautiful mix of real characters and emotions, even when dropped into occasionally surreal scenarios.
They have been running various online shows during lockdown and I was lucky enough to guest on one along with the Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences
Improviser
Also based out of Dog Face Improv in Norwich, Jon always delivers nuanced, heartfelt performances.
Improviser and teacher
Stephen devises, participates in, directs and produces a whole ton of improv including Carmen: the improvised film noir and Love and Misinformation - an improvised play in the style of Caryl Churchill.
He also runs a large number of classes, especially queer-friendly ones and ones to 'play like an ally' (also the title of one of his books).
The Pride Improv Festival
This beautiful festival celebrates and showcases the best in queer improv both nationally and internationally.
Improv group
This is an open membership improv group for the queer community based in London. They hold regular workshops and shows. Do contact them if you are interested in improvising in a completely queer friendly space, whether you're completely new to the art form or a seasoned pro.
Producer / classes
Based in London, The Nursery is home to a lot of the high level improv to come out of the city. They run regular classes workshops and shows. Check out their website for everything that they are up to.
Improviser and creative
Rita Does Things - so says her twitter handle. And it's true. Rita produces various theatre and improv, always with an eye to art and activism
other awesome folk
LGBTQIA+ resources
Promoting LGBT wellbeing in Scotland
Kind of what it says on the tin. They have loads of initiatives and support for the queer community - meet-ups, talks, online and telephone resources - you name it.
They also co-run Queer Fringe.
Queer arts organisation
Their taglines are:
Championing Scotland's LGBTQ+ community through culture & enterprise.
Creating space & opportunity for queer authentic lives.
Amongst other things, they produce an arts directory for the Scottish queer community and co-run Queer Fringe.