Playing playing one of Shakespeare's characters is a challenge at the best of times. To play three of them, with only two weeks of rehearsals, in two different casts and playing the gender opposite your own? A whole LOT of fun! Director, Natasha Rickman, contacted me and asked me if I would like to be part of the revival of her project 'Twelfth Night: A Gender Experiment'. Natasha first launched the project in 2015. A three week run at The Rose Bankside Theatre saw a company

I absolutely agree that Judi Dench and Michael Simkins have salient points. Communication is key. We must respect the craft and technique of

Another October and I find myself becoming a recluse. Though unlike the hedgehogs and badgers that are building their nests for hibernation I am not preparing to sleep. Far from it. I am readying myself for EXTREME theatre, this year more than ever. I am lucky enough to have been part of The Faction, an award winning London based theatre company since it’s naissance in 2008. i played Lady Anne in the company’s first ever production of Richard III and have been in 21 productio

Unbelievably today in rehearsals involved being a tree. Actually standing there as a tree. An apple tree to be precise. How absolutely stereotypical for a group of actors to hang around in a rehearsal room pretending to be a tree. When I get asked to do this, which I do a lot, I always get a deep internal cringe. I am reminded of the song ‘Nothing’ from A Chorus Line. The song where Morales the failed actress explains why she became a dancer after attempting an acting trainin

Rehearsals have kicked off. The last two days have been INTENSE. Having spent the weekend pouring over the first half of both Mary Stuart and Twelfth Night a couple of weekends ago we were ready to get up on our feet on the first day. It was straight in at the deep-end; we started with the scene that is the crux of Mary Stuart, the entirely fictional and hugely dramatic meeting between Mary and Queen Elizabeth. It is fireworks and in a rehearsal process that encourages a cert

This evening I have for the fourth time in two years stuffed 93 A4 envelopes with: 10x8 black and white headshot of my face, a flyer for the one woman show I am appearing for charity, a flyer for the rep season in which I am playing three leading roles, a CV listing the several and varied parts I have performed since graduating from one of the best drama schools in Great Britain and finally, and crucially a letter begging the recipient of the stuffed envelope to represent me

Today the company of which I am the producer and the company in which I am part of the acting ensemble won ‘Best Ensemble’ at The Peter Broo

Last night (post Halloween party) I had a God-awful dream. In the dream I was in rehearsal and I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t feel anything because I was taking anti-depressants that rendered me barren of emotion and therefore absolutely crap at acting. Like really, really crap, just saying the lines. The thing is, recently I’ve been a bit sad. About lots of things really, some of which are my of own orchestration, others which are not, combined with just generally not

I’ve ummed and ahhed over writing a blog for a while. Real Me thinks it is an excellent idea. Actress Me isn’t so sure, what if I say someth