People

Tamsin Fessey (Co-Artistic Director) trained at the International Lecoq School in Paris, after which she founded Angel Exit Theatre. She has performed in most of their productions including tours of USA, Ireland and France, and she directed Otto and the Robin, The Black Curtain, Moonfleet and The Secret Garden. She also co-directed The Ballad of Martha Brown, The Drive, Book Club for Super-Spies, SALT and toooB with Lynne. She works as a freelance director, movement director, performer and deviser and appeared in the National Theatre’s West End Production of War Horse. She has created and performed shows with Gobbledegook Theatre, Kaos Theatre, the Phillipe Genty Ensemble, The Clod Ensemble, and Platform 4 Theatre and helped devise several shows at National Theatre Studios. Tamsin performed in six shows at Northampton Theatre Royal.  Tamsin is a member of the Young Vic Genesis Directors Programme. She is also a regular guest director at Arts University Bournemouth. Tamsin grew up in Dorchester and is now based in Somerset.

Lynne Forbes (Co-Artistic Director) studied Drama at The University of Manchester and trained on the Performance Masters at Goldsmiths College. Lynne and Tamsin met in 2007 when they were both performing in Stig of the Dump in Hereford (Lynne played Tamsin’s Grandma!). Shortly after this she became co-artistic director and they started working on The Black Curtain due to their shared passion for film noir. She has since performed in all and co-directed several of Angel Exit’s productions, and directed their public engagement projects with Kew gardens and Green Man Festival. Lynne is an Artistic Associate and Project Manager for Ladder to the Moon and she works extensively with the company developing creative projects which increase wellbeing for people living with dementia. Lynne is an experienced workshop facilitator, interactive performer, puppeteer, role player, and devisor. Other companies she has worked with include Gobbledegook Theatre, Platform 4, Hoodwink, Stuff and Nonsense, Strangeface, and Quiconque. Lynne grew up in Portsmouth.

Whilst Angel Exit Theatre enjoy meeting and working with new people, we have a pool of people we enjoy collaborating with and have worked with more than once.

Matt Llewellyn Smith (Stage Manager/ Set Builder/ General Magic-Maker) Matt first worked for Angel Exit in 2007 during the development for The Black Curtain. As well as stage managing he designed and built the set, designed the programme and operated sound and lighting. He has been with them ever since stage managing all six tours and Otto and the Robin. Matt enjoys being involved as a collaborator from the early stages of R&D. He has also built the set for every production and carried out other tasks such as lighting design (Moonfleet) to special effects (Otto and the Robin).

Matt studied Theatre Design and Production at Trinity College Carmarthen. When not with Angel Exit he works as a freelance stage manager and has worked on over 90 productions. Highlights include Why the Whales Came (UK tour), Giving (Hampstead Theatre), Beacons (Park Theatre), Wind in the Willows (London tour), I Believe in Unicorns (UK tour), Twelfth Night (Covent Garden), Just So Stories (Pleasance, London), 1936 (Sadler’s wells), 1908: The First London Olympics (Jacksons Lane) and seven pantomimes (Welwyn Garden City).

Tom Ball (Composer/ Sound Designer/ Musical Director) Tom created the beautiful original music for The Black Curtain, Moonfleet , The Secret Garden, The Ballad of Martha Brown, Otto and the Robin and The Drive as well as several of Angel Exit’s public engagement projects. He also works with the company to create live songs and teaches us how to sing them, as well as recording special sound effects. Tom is also a freelance musician.

Simon Carroll-Jones (Actor / Deviser / Artistic Associate) Simon played John Trenchard in Moonfleet, Colin/ Mrs Medlock in The Secret Garden and John Brown in The Ballad of Martha Brown. Simon has also worked with Angel Exit at three Green Man Festivals.