My story…
I’ve been working in live performance for over a quarter of a century now…
…finding my way through acting, comedy and finally setting in storytelling in 2008. Here’s how that journey went.
After 3 years at Cambridge University – studying Psychology and Economics, and getting to perform alongside the likes of David Mitchell, Rob Webb and Sacha Baron Cohen with Footlights – I went on to study at Drama Studio London, graduating in 1995.
I spent 5 years as a jobbing actress before founding South London based interactive performance company, Ladder to the Moon. As Artistic Director, producer and performer I created and managed many site-specific, interactive and youth drama projects – from Wandsworth-on-Sea where interactive characters took over a shopping centre creating an artificial beach with 4 tons of sand, to Tower Town a piece devised by local teenagers celebrating their experience of living in tower blocks where 64 different languages were spoken, to the innovative interactive character residencies in Elderly Care mental health facilities, that still carry on to this day.
I left Ladder in 2005 and went on to take part in the Clore Cultural Leadership programme – included secondments with The Royal Albert Hall where I helped them devise their 5-year vision and mission, it’s a surreal moment when the CEO of the Royal Albert Hall calls you up and asks your advice on their next direction!
In 2008 I met my first real-life storyteller on a professional development weekend, and it was the first time I realised that that was something that existed and I could do. As I spoke the words ‘I think I want to be a storyteller’ to a friend over a coffee, she responded by offering me paid work to do just that, and that seemed as good a way as any to start my storytelling practice!
Over the years as a teller I’ve told at festivals, events and schools across the country, created story play sessions for under 5s, created adults-only pub nights and been involved in story projects with prisoners and trained librarians in multi-sensory storytelling. I’ve told stories and run workshops at many festivals including Cambridge Folk Festival, Bath Literary Festival, Edinburgh Literary Festival, Hay Festival and The National Centre for the Folk Arts.
Click on the above image to visit my Performance Portfolio
In 2013, I started running spoken word open mics in pubs to bring together all my favourite tellers, which eventually led to becoming a founder and then Artistic Director of the East Anglian Storytelling Festival from 2015 – 2018. I also perform regularly as a singer-songwriter and with my band Lady J and the Troublemakers, and in 2017, I added music open mics to my open mic programme. My hosting celebrates everyone’s talents with a warm playful atmosphere, that brings stories and music to people who might not otherwise get to hear them.
In 2018, I added another string to my bow, co-founding the Improv company ‘The Unqualified Yes’ with Alex Menhams, teaching adults improvisation – which is really just spontaneous story creation with others!
In 2020 I took my storytelling and teaching online, performing at The World Storytelling Café, and international as far as the US. I hosted online open mics, bringing featured tellers from across the country together in Zoom Rooms that recreated all the joy and banter of our real life events. I also began creating and working with stories that explored and celebrated my being autistic, creating the ‘Stories of Otherness’ show and writing a chapter for the new edition of Dr Nicola Groves’ book Storytelling, special needs and disabilities: Practical approaches for children and adults (London Routledge).
And as if storytelling didn’t keep me busy enough, as a proud Autist I support other autists through advocacy online, via my blog Royal Circle of Autism and with school assemblies that I lead with my middle kid, to promote autistic appreciation.
I live in Suffolk with my three kids and am a keen bellydancer!