Actor to Director

This year I've stepped into the world of directing.

I've had the pleasure of working with The Smashed Project GB for the past few years as an actor, touring up and down the country; Yorkshire, Cumbria, the North-East, Leicester, Surrey to name a few - even the mighty Lancashire. So I jumped at the chance to direct a project that I not only know well, but also believe in.

The Smashed Project is a global alcohol awareness campaign on track to reach 10 million young people by 2030. This involves a hard-hitting short play about 3 teens experiencing peer pressure, followed by an interactive workshop based on the show. The session is delivered in mainstream schools, pupil referral units, SEMH and SEND schools. In my experience the show goes down incredibly well with it's early-teen audiences and engagement in the workshop is brilliant.

My first Smashed team to direct were going to be touring Scotland. A fabulous trio of actors and true team players. It was so interesting to see each actor draw out different personalities for their characters, and lean into moments that I'd not noticed before. We created a pacy, energetic and honest portrayal of the Smashed story.

Equally important as the show, is the workshop part of the session. Going into schools myself I really enjoy leading the workshop and adapting to the energy of the young people in the room, so I was very happy to train the team in workshop facilitation skills. We looked into different techniques to lead the room and ensure the best participation from each individual.

The brilliant Scotland team hit the road and received excellent feedback from students and teachers.

(Image belongs to The Smashed Project. Pictured are actors Emma Lindsay and Lewis Gillion)

In the coming months I'll also be directing teams who'll be heading out to Wales, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire.