Kate Beresford – Producer
Hi, I am Kate! I am currently a third year drama student at the University of Lincoln. I have always been interested in theatre but as my degree has progressed I have become more interested in the Directing/Producing side. My role in ‘Lifting the Barriers’ is Producer and my role includes duties such as managing the business side of the company with a focus on the finances. In the past I have been Assistant Director for William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure as well as Producer and Director for the Drama Society production Through Emerald Embers.
A woman I admire is my friend and housemate Bethany Skuce. The reasons I admire her are not for things she has done but more so for her outlook on life. Bethany is strong, independent and loyal frequently fighting for what she believes in.
Chloe Radford – Director
Hi! My name is Chloe, I am 20 years old. My role in the theatre company, Lifting the Barriers, is the director.
As the director, my job is to create and form the show. Through the research and ideas given by the group, I am the person who guides them into a performance. I have a heavy influence on the end show and have the final say over any artistic decisions. My job means I give constructive criticism and feedback to the practical and researching elements of the rehearsal process. It’s also my job to make sure that any rehearsals conducted are practical and productive.
I have had experience directing in the past. Throughout my University experience I have directed every performance I have been involved in. The biggest project I’ve worked on is William Shakespeare’s As You like It as the student director. I love directing as I get a better sense of achievement and satisfaction watching a piece I’ve directed than actually partaking in the show.
The woman who inspires me the most is my mum. Her passion, hard work and dedication to her work and family are inspiring to me. She is the person I look up to for advice and direction as she has managed to follow her own dreams in life. Her work ethic and passion in her work inspires me to apply that to my own life.
Kristina Hollier – Stage Manager
Hello! I’m Kristina and I am the deputy stage manager. I will be working alongside the stage manager to ensure the performance will run as smooth as possible. I will be oversee the costume department by working closely with the creative designers. I will also be sourcing all the props for the show. On the day of the performance I will be the one responsible for ensuring everyone has what they need during the performance and changing the set between scenes. I am also a supporting performer, taking on minor fill in roles as and when needed.
One inspirational woman to me is my Mam. I think everyone had that rock in their family, the glue that holds everyone together and for me she is that woman. She may not have changed history but she will always put those she cares about first before herself. She is the shoulder to cry on, the one to tell me to get a grip and follow my dreams. She is caring and funny and I wouldn’t change that for the world.
Jessica Carter – Deputy Stage Manager
I’m currently a third year drama student, although I do enjoy performing I’m becoming more interested with the technical side of the productions. My role as stage manager means I have to over see the entire running of the show. I have been a stage manager (SM) once before for a production of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, this was where I found an interest in this role. Being a SM means on the day I will be calling the show, which means cueing all the lights and sounds. Other jobs I undertake are; working alongside the lighting and sound technician in order to voice the director’s vision. Additionally looking into the health and safety of the cast, which includes doing risk assessments while rehearing and for the actual performance. Looking into where the set and props are placed and ensuring that the actors know where there are for the show.
A woman I look up to is actually my twin sister Ashleigh, although she is not famous nor widely known she is someone who inspires me everyday. Although we are extremely similar we are different in so many ways. For instance she was brave enough to live in Australia for a whole year and travelled the continent. This is something I admired hugely, I know that many people do travel the world, however Ashleigh was able to save up and plan the whole trip, I don’t think I could would be that daring to do something like that. Additionally, I know I must seem a little bias however, the main reason I look up to my sister is because I believe she is the better half of me. She is confident, productive, caring and generous even when she is not feeling great herself she makes me always want to be the better version of myself.
Megan Langer – Marketing Officer/Performer
Hello! I am Megan, one half of the Marketing Team and a performer for Lifting The Barriers.
My role as a Marketing Officer is to publicise our company and performance to the public and our audience, in which my job responsibilities include creating marketing documents and communicating with the press and theatre. I am also a member of LPAC Producers, and hope that the skills I have learnt will be valuable to our company. My previous performing roles include Blousey Brown in Bugsy Malone, Hobby in Teechers and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Whilst at university, I have played Mariana in Measure for Measure, Laura Wingfield in a duologue from The Glass Menagerie and Phoebe in a scene from As You Like It. I love performing on stage, and very much look forward to devising and performing in our production.
One woman I find very inspiring is Audrey Hepburn, who was not only a great British actress and icon, but also devoted much of her life to working with UNICEF. After growing up through World War 2, she had such a grand acting career in both film and the stage. I admire her generous spirit and charming personality, and think she is a wonderful woman for people to look up to.
Kate Kelly – Marketing Officer/Performer
I’m 20 years old an a third year drama student. I love to perform and be on stage, however I have always been interested with the marketing side of a theatre company. In my role as a Marketing Officer is to try to get the name of the company and of our shows out there and to draw in the crowds, I will be focusing on social media. It will also be one of my tasks to arrange fundraising events so we can fund our projects. when it comes to performing it is what I would like to continue doing, it is my main passion in the past I have played Celia in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It as well as Lady Anne in an assessed scene of Shakespeare’s Richard the Third.
A woman that I admire is Anne Frank. although shed died so young she has left such a lasting legacy. I read her diary when I was the age she wrote it and it has stayed with me ever since. they way she expressed herself was so above her years and. The innocence in which she describes her situation is heartbreaking with the knowledge of how she dies. I hope the struggles of Anne Frank and the many others like her will never being forgotten.
Maddie Harris – Creative Designer/Performer
The moment you connect with someone on stage is the moment for me that theatre can create true chemistry, and that’s why I love acting and theatre. It can transport you to different places, ages or events.
Previously, I have performed in ‘Love, Marilyn’ as Marilyn Monroe in the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre as part of the University of Lincoln Drama society. I was incredibly lucky to play such a complex, fragile and influential woman. The connection between the two women creates a unique insight for myself and I am able to use my experience as Marilyn to show the relationship that Jackie and JFK had.
In the company I am one of the creative designers, I will be taking charge of the costume, make up and set. This means, along with two other women, I will be working towards making the company look perfect in the different time eras through the individual looks and the set.
As the company is made up of women and we are all playing women, it is only fitting to describe the woman that inspires us the most at this devising stage of our performance. Kerry McCarthy. She has gone through a huge a mount of change in the last few months. Her entire body is now different but Kerry is wonderful, spirited and the most resilient person I will ever have the pleasure of meeting. She is positive, kind and fiercely loyal to her friends and family which I admire greatly. She is a wonderwoman, she’s been through so much and she does it all with a beautiful smile on her
Hannah Taylor – Creative Designer/Performer
Hello! I am Hannah, one of the teams Creative designers and performer for lifting the Barriers. My role as creative designer, involves researching and designing the costume for the characters in the production. To be successful in my job role, I must ensure that I am organised, work efficiently to a budget and be able to work well under pressure. I will have to produce costume sketches and provide research material that I will take to the director and together we will be able to make a collective decision on what image we feel best suits the style of the show. As part of my job role, I will also be required to take the measurements of the actors so that I can buy costume and select appropriate fabrics for the overall look of the clothes. As part of the creative designer team, I will also be researching into what Make-up will be needed for the production. This is something I am very excited about, as theatrical make-up is an area I would like to explore alongside my acting career. This role within the team will also require me to work alongside the actors and recognise individual actors skin conditions and possible side effects of chosen products. Performing has been a passion of mine from a very young age and I feel that working in an industry that allows me to be creative and work as part of a team is very fulfilling. In the past, my performing roles include, Blousey Brown in a college adaptation of Bugsy Malone and Frenchy in Grease. Since being a student at the University of Lincoln, I have also worked as an assistant director and actor in the production of Shakespeare’s Henry V, and taken on smaller acting roles in various assessed performances. A women that inspires me is Zoe Sugg, most commonly known as Zoella in the Youtube industry. Zoella started out as a normal girl who made Youtube videos as a hobby in 2009 and has since a very successful women, who is an inspiration to many young girls, like myself. Many of Zoe’s most watched video’s on Youtube are Primark Hauls and Make-up tutorials, which is why I find her inspirational, as I feel like we share a lot in common and easily find myself getting lost within her world on Youtube.
Abigail Earlie – Creative Designer/Performer
22 year’s old, enthusiastic third year Drama student! I enjoy being creative and performing. In the theatre company, my two roles are as a creative designer and a performer. My role as a creative designer, I will be researching the characters history and style, I will speak to the actors and director and produce costumes for the actors under the directors vision of the production. The costumes that we create are important because they can reinforce the mood of the production, suggest changes in characters development and growth and add detail to the performance. Also, the characters in this production were all real people so it’s important that the costumes are accurate and detailed to that character. I will be using mood boards/ scrap books to develop ideas and I will be researching the famous women by looking at their documentaries and films. Often costumes will distinguish one character from another and I will enjoy researching and being creative in this role. In the past I have performed in Shakespeare, Restoration and Melodrama, Devising Documentary Theatre for Gay Rights in Russia and I have done production skills and Arts Management. I have been a volunteer at LPAC building the stage for the Shakespeare season.
One of the women I look up to Oprah Winfrey, she has endured a hard life and overcame this, she educated herself and now inspires other people to grow, she uses her power as a celebrity and her show as a platform to influence audiences in a positive way, she has worked hard to get where she is and is still remains competitive with herself.
Charley Spragg – Sound and Lighting Designer
Hey! I’m currently a third year drama student at the University of Lincoln. Although I’ve enjoyed my three years as a drama student I have realised I have a greater passion for music and sound design, therefore I’ve incorporated that into my final student performance. As lighting and sound designer for our upcoming performance it is my responsibility that the technical side of the show fits well with what is happening on the stage.
Many female music artists such as Ellie Rowsell (Wolf Alice) and Molly Rankin (Alvvays) have had a strong influence in my life. However, Courtney Barnett, indie-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, has had the most impact. Her use of intelligent lyrics combined with a personality that defies the traditional stereotypes of her gender, make her an individual that I have a personal empathy with.