The Company
t a n g l e d f e e t are a physical theatre ensemble dedicated to devising original, accessible and innovative work. Since 2003, our productions have been pushing the boundaries of theatrical practice, exploring and exploiting the live encounter between audience and performer, and rethinking where and how performance happens.
Over 40,000 people have encountered our work.
We make transformative theatre in public places, found spaces and theatre buildings. We have a reputation for creating work explicitly conceived for public spaces that involve and interact with the public, including; shopping centres, parks, nightclubs, school playing fields, disused buildings and high streets.
We are regularly commissioned for bespoke events and specific projects.
t a n g l e d f e e t studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Middlesex University and graduated in 2003 and have been working collaboratively since then. Using physicality, image, music, text and atmosphere to create truly “live” theatre, tangled feet tries to capture the audience in a total experience. We aim to push the boundaries of what theatre can be, to make bold performances that inspire thought and question.
At the heart of our work is performance but surrounding and supporting that is dedicated and innovative work with young people and the community.
t a n g l e d f e e t gained charitable status in December 2011.
Mario obtained his BA in Drama & Theatre Studies at Middlesex University in 2003. Along with a number of graduates from the course he went on to become a founder member of the t a n g l e d f e e t Theatre Company. To date he has devised and performed in most t a n g l e d f e e t productions. Outside of t a n g l e d f e e t he has performed with companies such as Fallen Angel (‘The Custom of the Country’ and ‘Dracula’); Fascimale Productions (as the lead role in ‘Rasputin Rocks’) and at the Kings Head in Islington with Dancing Shadows Theatre Company. Mario is also a session musician whose has worked with artists such as Nataraj Trebino (PM Dawn) and Gary Powell (The Libertines).
Nathan is the Co- Artistic Director of t a n g l e d f e e t and the Associate Director of Greenwich + Docklands International Festival.
For t a n g l e d f e e t Nathan has directed: The Measurement Shop, The Cells (with Theatre Venture), Wishful (with Emergency Exit Arts) Home, IConfess, Game? Emily’s Kitchen, Lost Property and Catching Dust. They have won The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence and been short-listed twice for the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award. Nathan won the LOST Theatre Festival’s Best Director for Catching Dust.
Nathan joined The Bush Theatre as a Creative Associate in 2008 and directed Bunfonidae by Bryony Lavery as part of the Broken Space Season. He became Associate Director of the theatre in 2010. In January 2011 he directed Steve Waters new play Little Platoons to great critical success. Nathan’s part-time role at the theatre involved him commissioning, programming and managing the artistic output, as well as fulfilling Artistic Director duties in Josie Rourke’s absence.
Other Directing Credits include: As You Were, (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), One Mile Away by Kat Joyce, (promenade performance in Elephant and Castle), Fixer by Lydia Adetunji (HighTide Festival), Romeo and Juliet, (New Wimbledon Studio), Weapons of Happiness by Howard Brenton (Finborough Theatre), Ya Get Me? By Ashmeed Sohoye (for the Old Vic Education Department). Nathan also developed Movieplex: an interactive outdoor experience with The National Theatre Studio and Nutkhut Theatre Company.In Feb 2011 he developed a new piece of work with Shelly Silas at the National Theatre Studio.
Nathan was the Assistant Director on A Moon for the Misbegotten on Broadway NYC and at The Old Vic and was Staff Director at The National Theatre on The Life of Galileo, both assisting Howard Davies.
Nathan trained at Middlesex University and subsequently has received training from The National Theatre Studio Directors Course, Katie Mitchell Directors Course, The Royal Shakespeare Company (with Cicely Berry) and The Stary Theatre, Krakow.
A co-founder of the company, Jonathan graduated from Middlesex University in 2003 with the original t a n g l e d f e e t ensemble. After performing in the first few t a n g l e d f e e t productions, Jonathan moved on to production and development, co-producing four national tours for the multi-award winning Y Touring Theatre Company. Now focussed on fundraising and development, Jonathan worked for at a charity consultants Action Planning, before moving to onto become Fundraising and Development Manager at London Bubble Theatre Company. Jonathan is currently Development Manager at RADA.
Emily graduated with a BA Hons degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Middlesex University in 2003. She is a founding member of t a n g l e d f e e t and has worked as a performer on t a n g l e d f e e t’s shows Catching Dust, Lost Property, Emily’s Kitchen and Home and has toured nationally and internationally with the company. She has led and facilitated educational workshops for t a n g l e d f e e t and has assisted on devising the company’s developing educational programme. Emily works as as a qualified secondary school Drama teacher, teaching students aged 11 to 18.
Luke Gledsdale is a freelance Production and Technical Manager working primarily in drama, dance and physical theatre. Along side this; he is progressing as an Art Director in the Television and Film Industry.
Luke trained at Middlesex University, leaving with a BA Hons in Technical Theatre Arts. This is where he joined t a n g l e d f e e t. Luke works in the UK and internationally, having toured with theatre to Italy, Egypt, Poland and Romania.
Alyson Jones is a founding member of t a n g l e d f e e t and performed in their early shows, Catching Dust, Lost Property, Emily’s Kitchen and Game? before taking on a management role in the company. She now works closely with Nathan and Kat looking after the finance side of the company.
Alongside t a n g l e d f e e t she is a very proud Mum of little Rosey Jones
Kat is Associate Director of t a n g l e d f e e t. She is also undertaking a practical PhD at Royal Holloway examining how devised non-text based theatre performance is situated the British theatre landscape. She is engaged in exploring alternative approaches to playwriting and dramaturgy; creating drama with both sole- and collaborative authorship and a range of physical and textual approaches. Kat works as a playwright and scenographer as well as a director (and sees these three roles as intertwined methodologies for creating performance). She has long-held interests in multi-lingual, multi-media and spatially-specific work, and work which explores spectator perspective.
For t a n g l e d f e e t Kat has directed All That Is Solid, Remote Control, Undercover, Showtime, Crowd, Rantbox (with Biding Time) Home, Measurement Shop, Showtime, Wishful (with EEA) and game?
Her first play Inside/Out was shortlisted for the Royal Court Young Writers season. She was a delegate (a the invitation of the Royal Court) at World Interplay 2005, and subsequently taught playwriting on the Royal Court’s Young Writer’s Programme, as well as for other organisations.
Kat was writer-in-residence for Spread The Word in 2009, and produced One Mile Away, a site responsive play written in response to the Elephant and Castle area and with creative contributions from over 100 local people.
Other directing works include Heart In Case and word on the street at the Royal Court (both site-specific), and El Conspiracion Velado at Sala Impermiable, Seville, and Bilbao international drama festival. As an assistant director Kat has worked with dreamthinkspeak and at the Royal Court.
Kat trained at Hull University (BA Hons Drama) and also has an MA in Scenography from Central Saint Martins. She has undertaken additional training in Laban methodology, choreography, stage fighting, physical theatre and capoeira.
Alex is an accredited dramatherapist and founder member of t a n g l e d f e e t. Having performed in many of their shows her role within the company has now evolved into that of participation manager. She is also the director of young peoples’ theatre school Stage by Stage. She has worked as a dramatherapist extensively throughout the Middle East including a year in Palestine with the Red Cross. She trained at Middlesex and Roehampton universities.
Leon is a founder member of t a n g l e d f e e t. He has performed extensively throughout the UK and toured internationally. Awards and nominations have included a Stage Award for Acting Excellence: Best Ensemble 2005 nomination, UK representatives at the Cairo International Theatre Festival and Pick of the Fringe 2005 and 2006. Leon has performed in all of the company’s shows to date and co directed/ choreographing Undercover in 2010. Leon leads workshops for the company and co-designed Lost Property and Emily’s Kitchen. Leon also trained at Laban and works as a designer, performer, movement director and teacher. Leon performs extensively with Award Winning Made By Katie Green, Operafication and Lizzie Kew Ross, has worked at The Place, London Contemporary Dance School and with various companies, most notably; the RSC, The BBC, Rambert, Hofesh Shechter, Random Dance, Mark Bruce, Jonathon Lunn, Jasmin Vardimon, H2 Dance, Lea Anderson, Richard Alston, Rafael Bonachela and Dance United/ Sadlers Wells
A founder member of the ensemble, Sara has worked as a performer and workshop leader with t a n g l e d f e e t since 2003. Shows to date include Catching Dust, Lost Property, Emily’s Kitchen, Game? Home, Undercover, Wishful, The Measurement Shop, The Hide as well as devising and performing in a number of short pieces and one off commissions too. Her other acting credits include Miss Casewell, ‘The Mousetrap’ (St Martins Theatre/West End) Actor/Dancer in ‘The Red Shoes’ (Secret Cinema) Bella ‘Inches Apart’ (Old Vic New Voices/Theatre 503), Peasebloosom/Snout/Fairy ‘A MidSummer Nights Dream’ (MillPond Media) and ‘Exoplanets’ with Curious Directive. Sara has toured with numerous bands and shows gaining many singing credits and is a vocalist with the band ‘Louise & The Pins.’
Tom worked with t a n g l e d f e e t on their early productions and was lighting designer for Catching Dust, Emily’s Kitchen and Game? Tom is a freelance lighting designer and Chief Electrician with Technical credits ranging from Head of Lighting for Longborough Festival Opera through Production Electrician/Catalyst Programmer for ROH & The Opera Group to Production Electrician at the Roundhouse.
In addition he is a Vectorworks Spotlight Draughtsperson and draughts plans for a number of other lighting designers for venue’s including Laban, The Royal Opera House, The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, The Southbank Centre and Carnegie Hall NYC. For Lighting Design Tom is represented by Karen Baker at Associated Arts his recent design credits include many productions ranging from Theatre, Opera, Music and Dance both in the UK and Internationally.
Associate Artists
Over the years t a n g l e d f e e t has grown to include a number of artists with whom we work on a regular basis.
Sarah trained at Lecoq and The Central School of Speech and Drama. Recent theatre includes The Table (Blind Summit, Pleasance Edinburgh and Tour), All that is Solid Melts into Air (t a n g l e d f e e t), The Circle Game (TimeWarner Ignite OVNV), A Mid Summer Night`s Dream (Gameshow, Catford Broadway) The Snow Dragon (Tall Stories) Moshing Lying Down (FanShen, Soho and Tour) The Family (The Public Theatre NYC, OVNV). She has been involved in the development of a variety of productions for companies including Offstage, FanShen, Fabulous Beast, The Wooster Group and new writing development for Theatre 503, Hightide and BAC. Sarah co- founded La Compagnie de l~Escalier in Paris and will be directing their first UK based piece next year. She will be playing Emily in the tour of`Twelve Miles from Nowhere´(Action Transport Theatre) and will be performing in The Table (Blind Summit) as part of the London International Mime Festival at the Soho in January.
Born in Romania, Cristina trained at East 15 Acting School in London. Theatre includes: Quicksand (Duke’s Lancaster/Keswick Theatre By The Lake), This Other City (Tinderbox), Home (t a n g l e d f e e t), Wishful (Tangled Feet/Emergency Exit Arts), I Confess (Tangled Feet/Firehouse), The Actual House (nabokov/Southwark Playhouse), Mushroom (Storytellers), The Thought That Counts (theatre-rites/The Barbican&Sadler’s Wells), Underground (dreamthinkspeak/Theatre Royal Brighton), The Secret Garden (Tobacco Factory), Big Baby (Oxfordshire Touring Theatre), The Diary of Anne Frank (The Courtyard, Hereford), Nesto (Polka Theatre). TV and Film include: Any Human Heart (Ch4), Helter Skelter, Primeval, The Bill (ITV) Holby City, Doctors, Nuclear Race (BBC), Murder Prevention (Ch5); Treacle Junior, Eastern Promises, Almost Adult and Echoes. Radio for BBC4: Next of Kin, The Tower and No Trampy Immigrants. Cristina translates plays from Romanian into English and is currently studying for an MA in Creative Producing at the London South Bank University.
Tunji was born in London, and then moved to Nigeria the age of 5 where he had his first training as a performer. He later moved back to London where he gained a BA Hons in Drama and Theatre Studies at the Unversity of Roehampton before going on the train at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, where he gained a postgraduate Diploma in Acting in 2005.
Most recent Theatre credits include: Pistol and King Charles in Henry V (Southwark Playhouse) Isa in Fixer (HighTide Festival), Home a Physical theatre production (t a n g l e d f e e t), Christopher in Blue/Orange (Restock Theatre Company) Nicolas in Hunt (Kazzum Arts Project); Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin (Pele Productions); Charles in Ya Get Me (Old Vic theatre Productions); DJ Hopper in Lilly Hopper (Live Theatre Productions Newcastle); Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet (Harlow Playhouse); Donkey in A Handful of Sand (Monster Productions Uk Tour). Credits Whilst Training include: Mrs Warren’s Profession, Uncle Vanya, The Mysteries, Othello and Guys and Dolls. BBC Radio recordings include: Son in Eternal Forever directed by Solomon Mugera; Charles in Death how Funny and Male in Smile both Directed by John Firth. TV and online Commercials include: Gatorade (Gerrard de Thame Films): Cookie Jar viral (Xube Exuberant Video Productions): Oovoo Viral (The Viral Factory)
Jono originally trained from the age of 6 as a Gymnast. Having competed for the British Junior squad he was spotted and asked to perform in Bournemouth Panto. Since then he has been a performer/acrobat in several pantos across the country, he now spends his summers diving off a 10metre platform in Legoland Windsor. Jono has appeared in several commercials and films demonstrating his gymnastics skills. Film appearances include Harry Potter and Sunshine. In his spare time, Jono enjoys riding his motorbike and this led him to appear in Top Gear Live shows where he used gymnastics, driving and stunt skills. He has also been lucky enough to be involved in the opening ceremony of the Asian Games and the opening of the O2 to name but a few.
Simon is a former member of the British gymnastics squad and a highly skilled acrobatic and aerial performer. Credits include various theatre and stunt shows in Europe, UK and corporate performances with Dream Engine Internationally. After joining Notre Dame de Paris in the West End he toured worldwide appearing on The Royal Variety Show and performing for 11,000 people at Arena Di Verona, Italy. TV and film credits include Harry Potter, Sunshine, programs for the BBC and CBBC. Commercials include Wein Energy, Carlsberg, Vodaphone, Sunny Delight, Aral Petroleum and Golden Grahams. Simon is a teacher, trainer, acrobatic consultant and coordinator.
Susan trained at East 15 Acting School (MA Acting), RADA (short course in classical theatre) and with Pierre Byland (clowning) after graduating from a degree in Law at Warwick University. She is co-founder of physical theatre company Pin the Tale (www.pinthetale.org). Her work in theatre includes Before I Sleep with dreamthinkspeak, SohoStreets at Soho Theatre, The Seagull with Factory Theatre and The Diver at Soho Theatre, where she worked as devising assistant with the Japanese director Hideki Noda. Screen work includes Doctors (BBC), Gloaming (UK Film Council), Household Gods (Unrowe Films), Wilby Park and commercials for Sony Playstation 2, Seppälä, Nokia and Vodafone. Presenting credits include Sumo.TV (Sky Channel), the Toyota Lexus showroom launch ceremony in Oman and a film for Associate British Foods. Susan’s home is split between London, Tokyo and Munich and she is a qualified yoga instructor.
John is a Jacques Lecoq-trained actor, director and playwright. He is a founder member of Tangram Theatre in London and Teater EnKor in Gothenburg, and has for the past two years been touring his solo musical comedy about Charles Darwin across the UK and internationally. He has been an integral part of t a n g l e d f e e t for four years, and has developed and featured in their shows Home, The Measurement Shop, I Confess, Cells, Wishful, and the award-winning Rantbox and The Hide. John is also lead singer of intergalactic pop combo Spalien Acecraft.
Abigail trained at Middlesex University and the Oxford School of Drama. Since graduating her theatre work has included ‘That Face’ (Royal Court), ‘Faultlines’ (Union Theatre), ‘Weapons of Happiness’ (Finborough Theatre), ‘The Bomb’ (Dukes Theatre, Lancaster) ‘The Lesson Before Break’ (Theatre 503), ‘True Love Waits’ (Latitude Festival) and ‘The Snow Queen’ (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough). She has also collaborated on a number of projects with t a n g l e d f e e t including ‘Home’ in 2008. Abigail made her television debut in an episode of ‘The Bill’, in which she deservedly ended up in a youth detention centre! Currently, Abigail is touring the UK with Kepow Theatre Company, performing improvised comedy show ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’.
Jennifer trained at East 15 Acting School graduating in 2007. Productions for t a n g l e d f e e t include Remote Control at The Place (Robin Howard Dance Theatre) and RantBox (Stockton International Theatre Festival and Gi20 Panel Award Winner). Other theatre credits include Flathampton for The Royal & Derngate, Fixer for FanSHEN Theatre/Ovalhouse, Amphibians for Offstage Theatre (at The Bridewell), Grains of a Brighton Summer for Forward Theatre Project and Blowing for FanSHEN Theatre/Company of Angels. Jennifer is also co-artistic director of Running Bare Theatre, whose first show My Polar Bear toured festivals in 2010 and their next show is in currently in development, see www.runningbaretheatre.co.uk.
Born in Martinique, Antoine started to dance ballet at 4 years old and continued his dance career alongside his studies in film production. Graduated from the University of Lyon lumière, he moved to London. Travelling widely (USA, Caribbean, South America, Europe), Antoine developed a unique dance style influenced by Contemporary, Capoeira, Street dance and Zouk.
Antoine has been working with lead organizations such as Royal Opera House, BBC, Playstation, English National Opera, Vlaamse Opera, LG to name but a few. http://www.antoinemarc.com/
Vala is from Reykjavik, Iceland and based in London. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and is currently studying at Goldsmiths College (MA Performance Making). She has been an associate performer with t a n g l e d f e e t since 2009. Alongside this she is a member of Bottlefed and Footprint Project. Vala also co-founded MADDID. Recent credits include: Stories You Wouldn’t Tell Your Parents (Footprint Project); Pure Pleasure Seekers by Bottlefed (artFart Performance Festival -Reykjavik); Home by Tangled Feet (UK tour, France and Southwark Playhouse); Hold Me Until You Break (BAC, Idno Theater -Reykjavik, Sclachthaus Theater -Bern, Jacksons Lane -London); Showtime by Tangled Feet (Nabokov Arts Club -London); Sh.. and listen! (Assistant Director: In The Flesh festival -Barbican theatre); Creatures born into chaos… (Maddid’s Nordic Festival- London); Bottlefed’s Conceptual Improvisations (Southwark Playhouse Secrets, Shunt Lounge, Tristan Bates); What Now Maddid? (Hafnarfjordur Theatre Iceland/artFart Performance Festival Reykjavik, Kuiperfest Festival, Spain).
Al Orange is a founder member of Exponential Aerial Theatre with whom she has toured internationally as a performer, rigger, composer and director/producer. She has also had a varied career in many other performing art forms including text based and physical theatre, outdoor site specific work and dance with companies such as Wilson and Wilson, RJC Dance, No Fit State Circus, The Institute For Crazy Dancing and Chotto Ookii both in performance and in technical design. She is also a photographer and filmmaker and has involved both of these elements in her theatre practice. Her most recent project was in collaboration with Upswing Aerial and The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme as an aerial trainer, senior rigger and performer on the highly successful production of Peter Pan adapted and directed by Theresa Heskins. 2011 will also see projects in collaboration with Fuzzy Logic and Slung Low theatre companies based in her home county of Yorkshire.
Beatrice Perini trained in native Italy in Drama and Performing Arts at the theatre school ‘Permis de Conduire’, Agorà 80 (Rome), where she works as actress in short films and theatre productions. In the 2000 she approaches the field of aerial work, which she starts to research and investigate a year later in San Francisco (USA) through the work of aerial artists such as Jo Kreiter, Amelia Rudolph, Joanna Haigood and Terry Sendgraff. In 2002, she graduated in Devising Theatre at Dartington College of Arts (Devon), where she develops her experience of physical theatre and site-specific performance, release work and Contact Improvisation. Between 2002-2004, she collaborates and performs across Europe with theatre and dance theatre companies such as, Carovana (Cagliari, Sardinia), Theatre en Vol (Sassari, Sardinia), the Sign Dance Collective (Amsterdam, Holland) in site-specific and dance-theatre performances. Since 2005, she’s regularly performed as aerial dancer in a number of site responsive productions for Scarabeus Theatre; theatre productions such as Office Party, directed by Cal McCrystal, with Ursula Martinez (La Clique) and Chris Green (Tina C); collaborated in several research and dance projects, involving companies such as Company of Angels, RawHead theatre, Temujin Dance; and most recently Candoco, Tangled Feet, Shristi.
Fiona has been an associate artist with t a n g l e d f e e t for 3 years, performing in 5 shows and working on a number of workshops and residencies with them.
With 25 years of experience as a performer working with companies including Birmingham Rep, Liverpool Playhouse, Chester Gateway Theatre, and Contact Theatre, she originally studied Drama at Manchester University, then physical theatre, mime and mask skills at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She regularly works with the Impulse Company in the techniques of Sanford Meisner. Fiona is also a Forum Theatre practitioner having trained and worked with Cardboard Citizens.
TV appearances include Medics, Coronation Street, and The Bill and In Suspicious Circumstances.