As Theatre-Maker
In 2016, I co-founded Blown Fuse Theatre with my colleague and friend Michelle Barrington.
Sharing the title of co-Artistic Director, we make innovative projects for inquisitive minds.
Working with the local community in initial stages of the creative process, authenticity of experience and inclusivity for all are at the heart of what we do.
We create new performance possibilities by exploring the combination of storytelling, theatre and technology, with a particular focus on showcasing underrepresented voices and women’s stories.
Explore Blown Fuse’s projects below:
RELEASE - A Play.
RELEASE is a new play conceived by Blown Fuse Theatre, written by Kate Austen with poetry by Sadie Davidson.
Developed in response from workshops with women with lived experience of the criminal justice system, Release asks if the UK Prison System is working for women.
In January 2024, Blown Fuse Theatre entered into a devising workshop of the play kindly supported by Harlow Playhouse.
Directed by Michelle Barrington with Dramaturgy from Eleanore Frances, a cast of 5 immensely talented actors brought the play to life.
In March 2024, the first act of Release showcased in a rehearsed reading at Metal Southend, and a full work-in-progress performance at Harlow Playhouse.
Throughout 2024/25, Blown Fuse Theatre will continue their arts offer in the Criminal Justice System, working in women’s prisons throughout the UK. Experiences from these workshops will inform the second act of the play.
IN HER SHOES
In Her Shoes is an immersive installation experience exploring the concepts of identity, stereotypes, and relationship to home.
Your 20-minute adventure begins as you step inside a shoe shop built for one.
With former Bata Shoes employee Joan as your guide, you're transported through time and along the way, you’ll meet real women from Essex, past and present.
As if by magic, the shoeboxes will transport you to the Bata Shoe Factory & Estate, the Marconi Factory, Kynochtown, and the Thames Explosive Works.
You’ll visit Zimbabwe, Jamaica, and Southend Seafront in an intimate adventure that asks you: what is an Essex Girl? Will you take a walk In Her Shoes?
