The Suitcase Ensemble - Company Members

Andrew Gledhill email Andrew

Andrew is a director, musician and performer from Liverpool, who graduated in Film, Theatre, Literature and Television from Ripon and York St John. He was a founder member of masked theatre troupe Les Poulets Espace, performing at Manchester's Royal Exchange Studio and Contact theatres, and the Dartington Arts Festival. In 2007 he trained as apprentice theatre director at Liverpool's Hope Street Limited. Since then Andrew has worked as a freelance director and dramaturg, taught the Empire Theatre's adult Drama group and performed with FUSE and People Show. He has also performed in various outdoor/ walkabout productions including Hope Street Ltd's Market of Optimism, and as the idiot assistant to the Great Stephano. Andrew directed The Suitcase Ensemble's first studio production Clunk and co-directed the Sound Tracks project. He is songwriter and musical director for the Edgy Cabaret, Sound Tracks and current production Look At Us Now.

Tessa Buddle email Tessa

Tessa is a performer and writer working in contemporary performance, community arts and young people's theatre. She graduated in Theatre Studies from Lancaster University in 2006, and went on to train in physical theatre with Hope Street Ltd. Tessa plays Petal in The Suitcase Ensemble's Clunk and is director of the monthly Edgy Cabaret and current touring production Look At Us Now. Previous performances include Stephano's Christmas Solutions, an intervention performance for The Living Market and People Show 119: Ghost Sonata, in which she played the ghostly Milkmaid. Tessa also coordinates and delivers participatory arts projects. She was previously Projects Coordinator at young people's theatre company 20 Stories High, and regularly works with Liverpool Lantern Company as a Project Manager and as a Performer. Tessa co-directed the Suitcase Ensemble's Sound Tracks project and also leads the youth theatre at Runcorn's Brindley Theatre.

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Beth Pinches email Beth

Beth graduated from Ripon and York St John in 2000 with a BA in Film, Literature, Theatre and TV. She was a founder company member of mask company Les Poulets Espace performing at Edinburgh Festival and Dartington Festival of Arts. She has spent time training in mask and clowning at Utrecht School of Arts as well as working as a performer and facilitator for various Theatre in Education projects. Beth has worked as a Drama Facilitator for children with learning disabilities and regularly leads workshops in storytelling and creative writing. Recently she completed a MA in Dramatherapy at The University of Derby and continues to work on a freelance basis as a drama facilitator and performer. With the Suitcase Ensemble, Beth is a regular Edgy performer, led the storytelling elements of Sound Tracks and is deviser, performer and designer for current production Look At Us Now.

Julie Langford email Julie

Julie is a performer, musician and deviser from Houston, Texas with experience in a variety of performance styles including children's theatre, Shakespeare and improvisation. She trained at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (MA Acting) and Sam Houston State University (BFA Musical Theatre) and was a proud member of the 2009 Hope Street Ltd Apprentice Company with whom she performed at Tate Liverpool (Fool Spectrum) and Crosby Beach (About Another Place), as well as in The Big Nosh and other street theatre exploits. Recent credits include The Ballad of Juniper Davy and Sonny Lumiere (Metal), Walking Through Windows (Liverpool Cathedral/ The Everyman), and Half A Person (A Rebours). Julie performed in The Red Shoes at Unity Theatre and has created Border-less, an ongoing participatory art project exploring ideas of geography, love and internationalism. Following the Suitcase Ensemble's current touring production Look At Us Now, Julie will be undertaking an MA studying folk music in theatre at Liverpool Hope.

Finally Julie is, let's face it, the star of the Edgy Cabaret.

Lauren Taylor email Lauren

Lauren is a contemporary dance artist trained at Laban BA(Hons) in Theatre Dance. Lauren has taught at Springwood Dance in South Africa and Merseyside Dance and Drama College in Liverpool teaching choreography, Contemporary technique, Ballet and A Level Dance. She is currently completing a MA in Dance Theatre at LIPA with an interest in dance devising and durational performance. Lauren has performed for New Shoes Dance Theatre, Lea Anderson, Joanne Fong and Angela Woodhouse and has choreographed for the Durban dance festival in South Africa. Lauren is deviser, performer and choreographer for Suitcase Ensemble's Edgy and current touring production Look At Us Now.

Sam Yates

Sam has been working in popular music and community arts for over fifteen years, touring with companies including Banner Theatre, Red Ladder and M6 and Twisted Nerve band Misty Dixon. More recently Sam trained as a Musical Director and has since worked on projects with Kal Ross, Ian Smith, FUSE Theatre and Hope Street Ltd and is currently writing songs for artists on the Switchflicker Record Label. Sam also runs her own music production company - Eden Songs - and runs music workshops with Manchester-based Drake Music. Sam is an associate artist on Look At Us Now.

Additional artists who have worked with us include:

Mary Cummings

Helen Godfrey

Grace Goulding

Charlie Mallard

Karen McLeod www.karenmcleod.co.uk

Mycroft Milverton mycroftmilverton.me.uk

Chris Murray Chris's Blog

Ceri Rimmer

Alice Robinson www.refreshtheatre.co.uk

Clare Robinson

Phil Saunders