Sparks in Public

Reflections on BEAM2025 – Mentorship, Musicals, and Making Room for Brave Work I’m still catching my breath after two days of BEAM2025 at Birmingham Hippodrome – the UK’s leading showcase of new musicals, produced by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network. From 360 pitches across 20 pitching days around the country, 28 new musicals and 12 individual artists were selected to share early-stage work with an industry audience. These weren’t polished productions – they were ideas on their feet.Read more

Building Brave Spaces

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, so it felt like a good moment to challenge myself to write something to mark the occasion – so here is a practical look at how I try to embed mental health awareness into the culture of the rehearsal room, every single day. Risk, Rest, Repeat – Directing with Mental Health in Mind We’ve all been talking about safe spaces lately – and rightly so. In theatre, where the work is emotional, physical, personal, andRead more

In Praise of the Portfolio Artist

(Or: Why “I Haven’t Got Any Work” Is a Lie I Keep Telling Myself) This week, my mum asked why we haven’t been asking her for much childcare lately. And without thinking, I replied: “It’s because I haven’t got any work.” Which is – of course – a lie. The truth is, unless I deliberately carve space, I work every day. Not always glamorously, not always healthily – but constantly. And the strange thing is, I almost didn’t notice. (WhereRead more