Projects
Here you can explore what I get up to.
Theatre and Film
A, Clutching at Straws, Dir. by Sam Meridew (Feb. '25)
Reverse Cascade Theatre's debut production.
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It's about two twenty-somethings who feel... well, stuck. One keeps dreaming they’re a famous mathematician, made to solve impossible equations in a surreal liminal space; the other is sure they’re destined for a breakdown but can’t quite find the time to schedule one in. Both fumble through a world of bookstores, sandwich shops, and intrusive thoughts, trying to hold onto something real.
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I performed as A, a man who believes that he is destined for a breakdown but "in the future. Not now." He's fine now. And who has an infatuation with Alistair Campbell.
This was an extremely fun and absurd production. I also learnt a lot of new skills in terms of storytelling and characterisation, with this performance being very precise, and the rhythm very unique.
A, Image of an Unknown Young Woman by Elinor Cook, Dir. by Cerelia Chamberlain and Immy Mears, (Dec. '24)
University of York Third Year Mainstage Production.
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As a shocking video of girl being shot goes viral, a revolution sparks. People are dying; paranoia is growing. Leyla and Ali live in fear as this video that they uploaded gains traction, whilst Yasmin, a teenager caught in the mishap, scours the city to seek her missing mother. What is so significant about the Girl in the Yellow dress? And, as tensions rise, who will be the first to fall?
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"A" is the most complicated role I have played so far due to the sheer variation of roles and the meticulous process by which we explored their function in the play. The playtext sets A, B & C as an ensemble for multi-role purposes. However, together with our directors, we deciphered the trio as these mischievous figures who disrupt the world of the play and interact with the audience. They symbolise the sensationalism of the news and social media, as well as the "blank canvas" where ideology can be interpolated - just as the Girl in the Yellow Dress becomes a symbol for rebellion against oppression.
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"A" is the leader of the trio, and it was extremely entertaining to explore their relationship with B & C. We were playful throughout the process. This role also exhibited my range, as I played a dictator, a violent protester, an old man who is mugged, a school-girl, and more. It was an emotional rollercoaster!
The Great Dictator: Final Speech, Dir. by William David, (Sep. 2024)
The Great Dictator was Charlie Chaplin's first "talky". He utilised the new medium with this powerful monologue, expressing the need for compassion in an ever-rational world; humanity over machinery.
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I performed the monologue as part of William David's Histomania project. You can learn more about his work at his website, here. He directed the piece as taking the essence of Chaplin but making it the actor's (mine) own.
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It was also a pleasure to work with Doc Denton (on the left.) William David directed the monologue with the silent Doc watching to change the context of the scene (which can especially be seen at the end - no spoilers!) It creates the impression of duress and increases the speaker's urgency; the urgency of his message, too. It must be spoken before he is silenced.
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Watch the clip using the link below.
Major Reaper, Nuclear Lesson, Dir. by Dylan Day, (Aug. 2024)
A satirical monologue I wrote a few years ago about 'How to Survive the (Nuclear) Bomb'. It is presented as an information broadcast for schools during the Cold War. I was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's Doctor Strangelove - although, the sketch wouldn't look out of place in the new Fallout TV series.
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I originally performed this at a scratch night with York Drama Society. It went down well. I filmed it for a role in a paid project opportunity, Histomania, which I do as part of the William David not for profit project. Website
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This is a multi-media project looking at the history of technology, and it involves re-enacting old films, books, and other materials, particularly with a WW1, WW2, and Vietnam War aspect. Stay tuned for more work from this project.
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[NOTE: the film has a few editing glitches - there aren't many places to film at home, and I have two noisy dogs :) ]
The Waiter, The Unspoken, Play, Dir. by Thomas McCarthy (June. 2024)
Debut production of The Dark Slate Theatre Company.
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Presented at the John Cooper Studio at Theatre@41, York, from the 11th-13th June 2024.
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Synopsis - Deep in the heart of prohibition America, tensions are brewing. The Solitary West is open for a business - and the bartender here sure has a story to tell. One of loss, ambition, and betrayal. His rise, and his fall. When his wife launches a plot against his former boss, The Waiter is caught in the midst of a vicious power struggle that grips the city's criminal underworld.
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The Waiter - A bartender at the Solitary West speakeasy. Cold, calculated, resistant to change. Comes to hate himself and his actions.
Friar Laurence, Romeo and Juliet, Dir. by Maddie Cox (May, 2024)
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My first piece of site specific theatre in William Shakespeare's indomitable play, Romeo and Juliet. This was performed in the courtyard at King's Manor in the City of York. The stage was dominated by a tree, which I turned to my comedic advantage when referencing the line, 'within the ancient rind of this small flower', pointing to the large tree.
This was a comical and energetic performance of Friar Laurence, which suited the exuberant, gender-swapped production. It is an iconic role, and I managed to build great rapport with the audience - aided by their proximity to the stage, which created an intimate, one-to-one type relationship.
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The lines were tough to learn - Friar Laurence loves a monologue - but otherwise it was a great experience, and another Shakespeare to add to the repertoire.
Francis, Cut to the Feeling, Short Film, Dir. by Jamie Chan (April, 2024)
Francis - A student late to his first date.
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A second-year film student's project.
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Rory has a nightmare the day before her date. It looks as though her fears will come true when Francis arrives late to the cinema. Both, however, are apologetic and nervous. We can hear their internal monologues; they self-deprecate for various reasons. Nevertheless, love is in the air for these two anxious students, and the film ends on a happy note.
Protagonist, Buzz, Short Film, Dir. by Charlie Ord (April, 2024)
Protagonist - A student is pestered by a bee determined to make him late for his presentation.
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This was a third year film student's dissertation project investigating the use of drones in narrative film. The drone is the bee.
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Despite some battling with the weather (bees can't fly in rain - and neither can drones), this was an extremely rewarding and unique experience. I was up for anything: from jumping in a puddle to flapping at an invisible bee in a public park. The looks I got!
The Forest of Nimrinor, Writer and Director (March 2024)
Writer and Director - Following a military coup, the religious fanatic Lewiston conquers the Realm of Nimrinor and banishes magic. He kidnaps Albion, the future King, sending Albion's mother, Candice, into a grief-stricken death. Years later, she is resurrected by a witch, Huxlebury, who claims to be able to help her find her son and topple the tyrannical Lewiston. Their search leads them from the Forest to the Tower, to a dark well beneath the bowels of the land - in what was a surreal voyage fraught with intrigue.
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The Forest of Nimrinor was performed at the Drama Barn, York in March 2024. It was my directorial debut, and what fun it was! To put your creative stamp on something, nurturing it into existence, and then watch it come together is the best feeling in the world.
Hal, Dinner, by Moira Buffini (March 2024)
Hal - the depressed microbiologist in Moira Buffini's darkly twisted comedy. Paige, the hostess, has arranged a dinner party to celebrate her husband, Lars', new book. A mysterious waiter lingers over proceedings, until it becomes clear that he is part of Paige's sinister plans.
Hal is tormented by his ex, Mag's, suicide attempts. He feels guilty because he left her. I brought this dejection into my performance, portraying a whining figure who, ironically, claims not to be sad. Hal also has a precarious but interesting relationship with his wife, Sian. The pair argue extensively through the play. I balanced this vindictiveness with Hal's attempts to be humorous, whereby he plays his insults off as jokes.
My performance was comedic and energetic as always. Whilst the show was fun, I will not miss the tub of hair gel that was put on my head every performance.
The Writer, Locked, Short Film, Dir. Zaid Hussein (Dec. 2023)
The Writer - a journalist suffers from writers' block on an article that needs to be completed in twenty-four hours. The Writer finds himself locked in the office and goes through a long process of procrastination before finally finding inspiration to write.
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This was my first time working on a short film. It was exhilarating! And also very tiring. The need to stop and start was very different to performing for theatre, but it is a skill that I am glad to have tackled.
Dr. David Mortimore, It Runs in the Family, by Ray Cooney (Nov. 2023)
Dr. David Mortimore - the arrogant physician of St. Andrew's Hospital who, when attempting to deliver his Ponsonby Lecture on neurology, hoping for a Knighthood, discovers that the nurse he had an affair with eighteen years ago had a child - his son.
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This performance was influenced by Basil Fawlty, for David Mortimore has the same arrogance, dry humour, and comic deterioration, as his lecture is constantly interrupted and his convoluted string of lies soon sprawl out of hand.
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With a whopping 650 lines to learn, the comedic timing to master, and the high-octane energy of this Christmas farce, it was certainly the largest role I have had so far; I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this fun-fest production.
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The Gunslinger, A Western, Dir. by Dylan and Sommer-Rose Day (Aug. 2023)
A Western is a short film that my sister (Sommer-Rose) and I made in the summer of 2023. It is based on the gunfight in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - hence our use of Ennion Morricone's classic soundtrack.
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Both my sister and I performed, directed, shot, and edited the film. It was extremely difficult to shoot with only the two of us, hence the unstable over-the-shoulder-shots, where I was literally holding the camera on my own shoulder.
The narrative (although inspired by The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) was spontaneous to the day. This was solely created as a piece of fun; we hope that it is also fun to watch.
Inspector Bertozzo, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, by Dario Fo (May 2023)
Inspector Bertozzo - a high octane performance in a farcical play about police corruption that speaks as loudly today as it did in 1970. In its first two years of production, over half a million people had seen what soon became recognised as a classic.
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My performance of the arrogant, 'nine-to-five police officer', Inspector Bertozzo was influenced by John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, for the play's energy and farce required an equally deranged characterisation.
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Inspector Bertozzo undergoes various maniacal eruptions during the first and final scenes, as a result of him being beaten up by his colleagues and teased by The Maniac. Consequently, he ends up undermining his own institution. The final straw proves too much for the Inspector, as he threatens to shoot everyone if they don't listen to him.
Ultimately, an unlikeable character as greasy as his hair; who is surprisingly redeemed by the walrus moustache my costume designer gave me. (And which won best facial hair at the Dramasoc Awards!)
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Doctor Caius, Merry Wives of Windsor, by William Shakespeare (Mar. 2023)
Doctor Caius - the classic French physician in Shakespeare's beloved but lesser known comedy, Merry Wives of Windsor, a farcical play that follows the desperate love triangle for Mistress Anne Page's hand in marriage, and the misfortunes of Sir John Falstaff, a portly gentleman after another man's wife.
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My interpretation of Caius was inspired by David Bradley's performance in the 1985 RSC production, but was amplified into caricature, which I felt best underlined the doctor's arrogance.
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