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By Margaret Perry. VAULT Festival / Edinburgh Fringe / Abbey Theatre (Dublin Fringe) / Bush Theatre.
Hi there, I'm Tom.
I'm a director and educator working at the intersections of performance, participation and play.
Directing
I direct acclaimed productions of new plays by exceptional British and Irish writers, as well as working with young people and community groups on ambitious, multidisciplinary shows.
My work has toured internationally and won multiple awards, including two Stage Edinburgh Awards. I trained on the National Theatre Director's Course, and am a JMK Finalist.
Flights
By John O'Donovan. Glor / Project Arts Centre / Clapham Omnibus.
If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You
By John O'Donovan. Old Red Lion / Project Arts Centre / Glor / Mick Lally Theatre / VAULT Festival.
Sing Before You Speak Again
Music by Joseph Atkins. Lyrics by Deanna Rodger. Young Vic Taking Part.
Ross & Rachel
By James Fritz. Edinburgh Fringe / Battersea Arts Centre / 59E59 New York / UK Tour.
Siren
By David Elms. Edinburgh Fringe / VAULT Festival.
Bromley, Bedlam, Bethlehem
By Rachel Tooky. Old Red Lion.
Followers
By Stewart Melton, after William Shakespeare. Southwark Playhouse.
Lad
By Rhys Dunlop & Alan Mahon. New Theatre (Dublin Fringe) / VAULT Festival.
Talk Me Down
Devised with the Cambridge Junction Young Company.
Sink
By John O'Donovan. Smock Alley Theatre (Dublin Fringe).
Lines
By James Fritz. Rosemary Branch Theatre.
Script Development
With a track record of working on debut plays, I know the value of a well-timed note on form, structure, character or story. Ultimately, I believe writers should shoot for the moon, and love acting as the astronomer/rocket scientist/mission controller that gets them there.
Dramaturgy
I have developed work at the Royal Court, BAC and Camden People's Theatre, and directed readings for Audible and the Bush Theatre. In 2022 I ran the development process for Clive Judd's Here at the National Theatre Studio, the next draft of which won the Papatango Prize.
Reading
Between 2020 and 2022 I was Senior Reader for the Hampstead Theatre, managing the open scripts submission process there and recommending writers on for further development. I have also served on the panels for the National Theatre and the Bush.
Freelance Rates
You can hire me to provide notes on your script! This will include an introductory call to determine how developed the piece is and what you're looking to find out, detailed script notes, and some suggestions on future pathways to production.
- Up to 75 pages: £150
- Up to 100 pages: £200
- Up to 125 pages: £250
Just shoot me an email to discuss.
Actor Training
I have trained actors in improvisation, Shakespearean verse, and approaches to new writing, as well as teaching university classes, directing showcases and running audition workshops. Past employers have included: Lir Academy, Year Out Drama, Richmond University, ALRA North and City University London.
Public Engagement
Outside of theatre contexts, I am a passionate believer in how innovative live experiences can get audiences thinking about their surroundings - and each other - in new and exciting ways. I have developed and delivered public-facing engagement projects for stakeholders including Natural History Museum, Wellcome Collection, Tate Britain and Andy Field, as well as acting as performance director on two XR education pieces for INSEAD Business School.
Workshops
Public speaking, tropical zoology, revisionist anthropology for kids - you name it, I've run a workshop on it!
I have engaged with classrooms, workplaces and community groups for over 40 partners, including Young Vic, National Maritime Museum, and Battersea Arts Centre. If you have an educational project you'd like to talk about, do get in touch.
Teaching Game Design
I hold an MA (Distinction) in Game Design from UAL, and taught undergraduate Game Development for five years at the University of Bedfordshire, progressing to the position of Senior Lecturer. In my time there I lead introductory prototyping workshops, multidisciplinary group projects, and units on advanced game design.
Somewhat more esoterically, for two years I led the postgraduate seminar week 'Serious Games' at the Insitute of Advanced Architecture Catalunya, working with architecture and urban planning students to translate their research and design proposals into playful experiences. I have also taught game fundamentals at the Architecture Association School of Architecture.
Beta Public
From 2013 until 2020, myself and Pat Ashe curated and produced Beta Public, London's only night of experimental theatre and video games. We presented the work of over 100 artists and game developers, curated work for the V&A's Friday Lates, and our incredible commissioned event posters featured in the exhibition Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt.
