consulting & education

Much of my work focuses on project based mentorship, where artists and educators seek support and individualized attention to envision new programs, problem solve, and develop new work.  Most recently I have been a mentor to Stevie Prickett in Northern Ireland.  Stevie worked with me last winter under the auspices of a grant from the British Arts Council to develop his first solo show titled, "Tales from a Lancashire Lad".

The show recently received it's debut in the Pick 'n Mix Festival in Belfast. 

Here is a sampling of what the audiences took away from the experience:

An extraordinary quietly revolutionary genre-exploding piece of work - a beautifully poignant solo performance that must find a wider future audience.

Anna Newell – Artistic Director : Replay Theatre Company

The piece is a continual surprise as it fuses text, movement and music to weave numerous funny and poignant stories about a boy’s young life. The narrative always drives forward but not in a conventional sense as stories suddenly arrive as a result of a sequence of gestures and as quickly go away. Another actor would have done very successfully with just monologue but Stevie’s dance background enriches the experience and plays on the audience’s senses much more. He directly engages with the audience, teases them “oh no, not audience participation” but it is so gentle that when individuals did participate, everyone was full of smiles and laughter and relief – that they weren’t being set up. The character of the boy is beautifully drawn in what seems like a simple performance style, but further analysis demonstrates careful crafting of the piece. The audience was charmed. A lovely way to leave a theatre. 

Carol Moore : Creative Learning Coordinator : The Lyric Theatre

I attended Tales from a Lancashire Lad at the Pick n Mix festival this year. Without a doubt it was one of my highlights of the festival. It was an original combination of movement and monologue; a really accessible technique for sharing personal stories. It was also the most successfully comic performance I've seen for a long time, presented in a charmingly informal way. 

Janice Kernoghan - Project Manager : Replay Theatre Company

Would love to see the full performance come to Dublin!, I really liked the way Stevie integrated movement into 'Tales'--he's a captivating storyteller!, You charmed the audience from the outset. We were invested in your stories, and the way you told them. Please lengthen this to a full production! More!

Shannon Sickles and friends : Writer

Tales from a Lancashire Lad was the most enjoyable live theatre event I have attended for some time.  There was not a dull moment in the piece.  I laughed very loudly throughout and I was engaged by the vivid and poignant storytelling.  The performers' comedic talent was evident and the episodic reminiscences were finely wrought.  I was particularly impressed by the physicality of the performance that seemed to me to fuse dance with physical theatre.  I would describe the piece as accessible physical theatre that fused dance elements seamlessly and discreetly into verbal storytelling.  I think the piece is a most engagingly original performance artwork that would appeal to diverse audiences.  

David Calvert - Artistic Director : Kids in Control