Chris Wiltshire

Previous productions: Red Sun, Yellow Moon; The Boy with a Cart; The Chalk Circle; The Clowns; The Lying Doctors; Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Chris is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest.

I have been with Firebird Theatre from the very beginning when we were the Portway Players. I enjoy the things we do, learning different things, being involved with other people. Doing different plays is great and learning Shakespeare is hard but I like that challenge.

It is good being part of a group; over the years we have got on, it has been a challenge but we have carried on.
I enjoy comedy. I enjoy playing different parts. I think about myself that I have been able to become the actor I am because of the Portway Players and Firebird Theatre. I am proud of what I do. I hope to tour with The Tempest, I want audiences to see me as a good actor, that’s all.

Lizzy Lane

Previous productions: Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Liz is currently working on The Tempest.

I love acting, I think it is brilliant. I like doing plays and showing them to audiences. It is great. I love Firebird Theatre and I think it is fantastic to work at the Old Vic. We are doing the story of The Tempest. I hope people come to see what we have done and they like our work. It is good to get it out there.

Sarah McGreevy

Previous productions: Red Sun, Yellow Moon; The Boy with a Cart; The Chalk Circle; The Clowns; The Lying Doctors; Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Sarah is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest.

I started with the Portway Players at the beginning and I do love Firebird Theatre. I like dance and movement and using our bodies to tell a story. I love working at Bristol Old Vic. It is very good doing acting, especially in front of an audience. I like everyone in Firebird; we are a proper team and help each other to be what we want to be.

Marilyn Rees

Previous productions: Red Sun, Yellow Moon; The Boy with a Cart; The Chalk Circle; The Clowns; The Lying Doctors; Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Marilyn is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest

I am one of the original members of Firebird Theatre when we were known as the Portway Players. I like Firebird, it is very good. I love making plays; it makes me feel happy and a bit sad sometimes because of the stories we tell. Firebird is very exciting because we like working together. Sometimes I raise money for Firebird with my knitting. I have been with Firebird since the beginning and I'll stay with them until the end - or until I retire!

Tina Kelly

Previous productions: The Clowns, The Lying Doctors, Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Tina is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest

I like all of it, I like making pictures on stage, physical theatre. I am really interested in British Sign Language, it is beautiful to watch. I am not a deaf woman but I love how people can work using sign, movement and gesture. I love working with an ensemble of actors to tell a story. I want to continue developing my performance work.

Richard O'Brien

Previous productions: Faustus.

Richard is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest

I joined Firebird in 2002 and worked on Faustus. I am now working on The Tempest. I love working on stage, it's brilliant and I really enjoy it. I love being part of the group; I also enjoy music, sound effects and song to tell a story. I want to do more plays and show our work to the world.

Steve Canby

Previous productions: Red Sun, Yellow Moon; The Boy with a Cart; The Chalk Circle; The Clowns; The Lying Doctors; Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Steve is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest

I am one of the original members of Firebird Theatre when we were known as the Portway Players. Red Sun, Yellow Moon was my first play at Bristol Old Vic. My real love is music. I love playing the drum. Music helps tell the story. I like working with musicians. I like touring because of the different venues; it's good fun working in new theatres, meeting different people. We are a family of actors who like different audiences. The audiences are important to us and we want them to be happy and see good theatre, our theatre!

Steve Knight

Previous productions: Sharing the Stars and Faustus.

Steve is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest

I wanted to be an actor because I wanted a challenge. I love drama, dance and storytelling. I like working in a group, it gives me experiences, a chance to perform and I get support with everything from the group. Touring means we have journeys, see new places and work with new people. In the future I would like to have my own website linked to Firebird Theatre. Being an actor has made me strong, if someone ever tried to stop me from acting, I wouldn't let them!

Mary Lansdown

Previous productions: Sharing the Stars and Faustus

Mary is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest

I like being the narrator, telling the story. In Faustus, I really enjoyed playing the role of the pregnant Duchess! Firebird Theatre is a family of actors and there is a good atmosphere, everyone supporting one another. We are working on The Tempest now and I am looking forward to opening at Bristol Old Vic.

Brian Davis

Previous productions with Firebird Theatre: Sharing the Stars, Faustus and Faustus, the touring production.

Brian is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest.

I like playing evil parts because I find them more of a challenge. I also like doing comedy roles.
I enjoy the challenge of making theatre and being on stage. I like working with the Company and all the other people we work with. It means a lot, working in front of an audience and meeting up with them afterwards.

Carol Chilcott

I am the visual artist with Firebird Theatre. I draw the rehearsals and give the Company ideas about the stage, props and costume design.

Also, by making drawings of the rehearsals, I help the Company with their understanding of the story, how they tell the story.

I like doing the drawing and giving more ideas for the play and being part of it all.

Jenny Stafford

Previous productions with Firebird Theatre: Faustus, the touring production.

Jenny is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest.

I like music, reading, acting…everything about the theatre. I like learning lines. I like being part of Firebird because it is a very good theatre company and we all support each other. I would like to expand a bit more with The Tempest and take on a bigger role.

Alex Long

Previous productions with Firebird Theatre include: The Chalk Circle, The Clowns, The Lying Doctors, Sharing the Stars, Faustus and Faustus, the touring production.

Alex is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest.

I like comedy, I love touring. I enjoy using my body in movement and dance. Being part of Firebird Theatre is really important. It is exciting telling stories to an audience. I would like more deaf people to be involved in theatre and have more deaf people in the audience. Lastly, I love working with young people, students and schools, it is very exciting, sharing our work with them.

Kevin Hogan

Previous productions with Firebird Theatre include: Red Sun Yellow Moon, The Boy with a Cart, The Chalk Circle, The Clowns, The Lying Doctors, Sharing the Stars, Faustus and Faustus, the touring production.

Kevin is currently working with Firebird Theatre on The Tempest.

I like being with all my friends that is what I like about Firebird Theatre. I like acting best when we are all on stage. I have loved all the plays we have done; each one has given me more confidence to be on stage. I love touring because we take our plays out there to different places. I want to get better and I want Firebird to get better and I want to get better, bigger audiences for our work.

Penny Goater

Previous productions with Firebird Theatre: Faustus, the touring production.

I was invited to join Firebird Theatre in 2006, for the role of Storyteller in ‘Faustus’, and since then I haven’t looked back! I am passionate about the power of theatre to change people’s lives – the magic and excitement of live performance cannot be underestimated – and Firebird’s work is original and groundbreaking because of who we are and how we work together on a play.

I have been involved in the arts for many years and was awarded the first Arts Council Traineeship in Theatre Administration for a Disabled Person, working with Graeae Theatre Company and at the National Theatre in London. In the South West, I have been a Disability Arts consultant and Equality Trainer but since 2005 I have concentrated on my own work as a visual artist and writer.

Firebird’s exploration and development of ‘The Tempest’ – our current production – has given me opportunities to write and to paint, as well as to develop as a performer. I also enjoy taking part in the workshops we run in schools and colleges because most young people are so keen to work with us; their enthusiasm and openness are appreciated by everyone in Firebird.

Connecting with our audience is a key element for me. To sense people’s reactions, to feel them responding to the play, is a wonderful experience and makes all the hard work, nerves and stressful moments worthwhile (not that there are many of those, of course!). I hope everyone who comes to see our ‘Tempest’ will connect with us and find plenty to enjoy in it – but also be moved by our portrayal of this complex story. Even if you know the play well, Firebird’s Tempest may surprise you!