Adam is currently Co-Creative Director and Co-Founder of Front Room WSM, a fringe theatre venue in Weston-super-Mare working closely with local artists alongside bringing nationally acclaimed touring work to the town.

Adam has worked as a Performer, Writer and Director on over 80 professional touring theatre shows in the last 20 years. He has made acclaimed work for both adults and families that has toured extensively in the U.K. and Europe, including theatre and puppetry festivals around the world. As well as working with companies and venues such as Polka, BAC, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Travelling Light, The Egg, Bristol Old Vic and Jacksons Lane, Adam has worked regularly with companies such as The Wardrobe Theatre, Green Ginger, Pickled Image, Idiot Child, Kilter, Ramshacklicious, Tessa Bide, Soap Soup and many more.

Zhaolin Zhou is a first-generation migrant Chinese theatre maker. Zhaolin trained at the Curious School of Puppetry.

His work explores themes of immigration and belonging through puppetry, objects, sound, and storytelling. His performance Walking Cats tells the story of his experience living in Kilburn as a new migrant during lockdown through the lens of a LEGO cat and won the Origins Award at VAULT Festival 2023. Zhaolin also creates participatory projects and enjoys facilitating workshops with newly arrived communities.

Jane’s current work is primarily with Strange Futures Theatre CIC, workiing collaboratively with fellow Co-Artistic Directors of the company, Will and Matt, and various associated artists to create original devised performance, often around an environmental or social concern. They approach topics from a sideways perspective, using their skills and expertise in clowning, puppetry, devising, physical and visual theatre and new writing. Their 2022 tour of The Endling, a serious yet funny exploration of species extinction, won a 4 star review from The Stage as a “Company to keep an eye on”.

Early in her career, Jane set up and ran a site-specific arts organisation called Coral Arts which became an Arts Council core funded organisation (1992-2004). She then gained a PhD in site-specific performance, and became a lecturer in Theatre & Performance at the University of Worcester, alongside developing her own creative projects.

(FYE-zull UB-dool-lah)

Faizal Abdullah is a Muslim-Malay-Singaporean theatremaker, director, actor and facilitator. Born and raised in Singapore, he moved to London in 2018 to do an MA in Performance Making at Goldsmiths. His work explores themes of faith, roots, racial identity and politics and the decolonisation of mind and body.

Tell us about your project

I’ll be working on a selection of stories from ‘Malay Sketches’ by Alfian Sa’at. It’s an honest look into the lives of the Malay community in Singapore and the realities of life as an ethnic minority.

What’s your favourite story?

The story of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat. They are two warriors from the Malaccan Sultanate and even though Hang Tuah is the titular character, Hang Jebat was the anti-hero that captured my young mind. His character represented justice, love and the antithesis of ‘blind loyalty’.

(PEN-ee DIE-uh)

Since her graduation in 2016, Penny has mainly focused on creating family theatre. She has had the privilege of travelling around the world, performing in many incredible children’s shows. Penny loves storytelling, and she’s thrilled about this opportunity with Tall Stories.

Tell us about your project

My passion for children’s theatre has inspired this project. I will be bringing Rachel Rooney’s picture book ‘The Worrying Worries’ to life and adapting it for the stage. Books with strong, emotive narratives particularly capture my attention.

What’s your favourite story?

My favourite stories come from the world of Winnie-the-Pooh. Its heartfelt messages about friendship and the simple joys of life resonate with both children and adults alike.

(so-FEE-ah gall-OO-chee)

Sofia is a director and dramaturg working across new writing, musical theatre and restaging renaissance texts with a potent social resonance. Her work strives to make even the small and intimate feel powerful and epic, aiming to amplify lost voices and preserve neglected heritage. She was born and bred in Stratford-upon-Avon, trained in the south-west and currently resides in south London.

Tell us about your project

‘Hussy’ is a cabaret show that features actor-musicians and explores the history of the Ladies of Covent Garden. It is the story of the lives behind the names on the Harris List, which was the most notorious catalogue of women working in Georgian London. It’s going to be very messy, very loud and an absolute riot!

What’s your favourite story?

My favourite story is Ludwig Bemelmans’ ‘Madeline’ (closely followed by ‘Paddington 2’).

(oh-ZEE-oh-ma ee-hiss-ee-AY-nay)

Having trained with Start Directing Cohort, Iris Theatre, Ozioma gained her directorial debut for a sold-out one-man show, Before I Go, at Theatre Peckham Fringe Festival. The show has made a return this year at Camden People’s Theatre and Brixton House. She is in the current cohort for Fresh Direction at the Young Vic. Next up, Ozioma will be directing the show ‘Hair That Defies Gravity’.

Tell us about your project

IZWI:(VOICE), written by Dalumuzi Moyo.

The journey of purpose. Dee finds himself in a new environment with contrasting societal norms.

He assimilates. What was the cost?

What’s your favourite story?

The story of Moses found throughout Exodus in the Bible.