Other Theatre Work
Su has been fortunate enough to work in many theatre departments, gaining extensive experience, and the pleasure of working on a wide variety of shows.
Wardrobe
Dressing in the West End was Su’s first experience of professional theatre, and in the over twenty shows she has dressed on she has been fortunate enough to work with some lovely people including: Gary Wilmot in Me & My Girl; Liz Robertson in The Sound of Music; Emma-Jayne Appleyard in The Producers; Doris Troy & Denice Williams in Mama I Want to Sing; Liz Robertson & Shezwae Powell in The King & I; and David Haig, Niall Buggy, Danny Webb and Beattie Edney in Dead Funny.
Stage Management
Su then worked her way up through stage management, working on nearly eighty shows in a range of venues. She was ASM on charity and fringe shows and in provincial theatre, including a No 1 tour; DSM in provincial theatre and for a youth production; Stage Manager on rep, panto and fringe shows; and Company Manager for panto and weekly rep.
Front of House
While a student Su worked at the National Theatre and St Martin’s Theatre (The Mousetrap), and has been a volunteer steward at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Production
Su worked as Production Administrator for Charles Vance who each year had two rep seasons, two No 1 tours, and at least three pantomimes. She went on to become his Associate Producer. She also, with his daughter Jackie, co-produced three seasons of weekly rep for Charles in Sidmouth, at the Manor Pavilion Theatre, until 2012.
Young People
Working with young people has formed a large part of Su’s work, mainly but not exclusively in theatre. Most recently she has been a Drama Practitioner for National Citizen Service, where she facilitated devising workshops for 15-17 year olds for three summers. She taught a ‘Political Theatre’ module on a Performance Studies A2 course for Sale Grammar School, was a teaching assistant in various schools in Manchester, and was a private tutor of English for several children aged from 5-15. She has run various drama workshops for Bitesize Theatre in schools and youth groups, and led young people in two-week summer drama workshops in Luton, Redditch and Bournemouth. She was an actor and workshop leader for a tour of an improvised play about war to schools around Shrewsbury, and she was a Venue Director for Shakespeare Schools Festival in 2007 in Bolton, Crewe and Wrexham. She also taught drama for five summers on an American summer camp.
Acting
Acting highlights include Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest, Aunt Gert in Lost in Yonkers and Osric in Hamlet, all at the Palace Theatre in Redditch. She has also played Mother Christmas for two seasons in an immersive theatrical production for LaplandUK. She played Granny Hood in Red Riding Hood and Baby Bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears in touring schools’ productions, and two characters in General’s Playtime, a devised play touring schools around Shrewsbury. She was Babushka in The Cherry Sisters at the Theatre Museum, directed by Christopher Biggins.
She has done walk-on work for Thames TV – Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, BBC – Play for Tomorrow, and LWT – Dempsey & Makepeace, and background work for various commercials. She has also done post-synch and voice-over work for various commercials and corporate videos.
The costume characters Su has portrayed include: Baby Bear; Rupert the Bear; Super Ted; Billy the dinosaur; Kid Vid (Burger King mascot); Roaring George (Chelsea American Football mascot); Stanley (Tetley Tea Folk); and Brilliant Bassett (red jelly baby).
Murder Mystery Evenings
Mr Marlowe’s Murder Mystery Company is a professional Murder Mystery company run by Clive Marlowe, a West End actor, and Su writes and directs the shows.
They were the resident company at the John Bunyan pub in Wheathampstead, and the shows they have written and performed are: Murder in a Jiffy!; John Bunyan’s Birthday; Who Killed Dame Diva? …They’re Behind You!; All’s Well That Ends – Aargh!; Murder at the Mile High Club; Lights! Camera! Murder!!!; Cycle of Crime and Mozzarella Murders.
Clive and Su take the murder mystery element of the shows very seriously, but not themselves, and they bring you whodunits with a great sense of fun – mystery and suspense mixed with laughter and audience participation.
The shows are very adaptable, and can be tailored to suit any situation and occasion.
For more details email Su on su@sugilroy.co.uk