Who's Who

No-one at Brave Bold Drama receives a salary.
We work within the company as freelance artists and administrate the company on a voluntary basis.
We are registered with Companies House as a Community Interest Company.

Gill Simmons 

Artistic Director

gill@bravebolddrama.co.uk

Gill has worked in theatre and drama all her life. After gaining an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway in 2001 she became a secondary drama teacher and worked in education until 2013.


She set up Brave Bold Drama in 2013 and for a while worked solo a freelance drama practitioner, delivering workshops initially in children’s centres, schools and care homes.


In 2015 Brave Bold Drama became a theatre company and has been a registered Community Interest Company since 2017. Gill writes music for the company’s productions and is instrumental in devising new work. She develops Brave Bold Drama’s community and education outreach.


Gill is a freelance performer, facilitator, producer, composer and musician. She has worked as a musical director for Kilter Theatre Company, composed for Knapsack Productions, performed for Bristol Improv Theatre and has produced for Soap Soup Theatre Company.

She is trained to deliver all levels of Arts Award from Discover to Gold.


Paul Lawless

Creative Producer & Safeguarding Officer/Child Protection Lead

paul@bravebolddrama.co.uk

Paul is an award-winning actor/deviser & singer. He has worked extensively as an actor over the past few years featuring in classical, new writing and devised theatre productions accompanying his facilitation work in drama & singing. As a workshop facilitator, he specialises in devising work for adults with learning disabilities. 


Paul co-devises and performs with the company and manages the tours of all Brave Bold Drama shows: Alf the Highwayman (2016), George & the Flight of the Imaginees (2017), Sticky Ends: the spooky edition (2018), Wonderland (2019), The Munch Mission (2021 & 2022) and The Midnight Mission (2022).

Paul is an associate performer at Bristol Improv Theatre and also makes theatre in his home county of Dorset as Frenetic Fox Theatre.


Paul is the company's Designated Safeguarding Lead and Child Protection Officer.

Ruth Hill

Company Director

Ruth is a writer, theatre maker, and community arts facilitator. Having quit history as soon as she could at school, Ruth is now fascinated by it. Her writing often explores the less told stories of people from the past and always muses on what it is that makes us human.

She has written and performed several pieces of theatre for young audiences, produced with her theatre company Knapsack Productions. Ruth's current writing project Walking Words focuses on paying attention to the world and capturing images of what she sees in words. Ruth not only writes, but also facilitates Walking Words sessions for people aged 5 - 95+ to enable them to capture their view of the world in words.

 

www.knapsackproductions.com

Olivia Tetlow

Assistant Producer

olivia@bravebolddrama.co.uk

Olivia is a freelance theatre producer whose work primarily focuses on children’s theatre and new writing. She works with various theatre companies across the UK in producing, facilitation and project management capacities.


Her producing practice centres around accessibility and inclusivity, making theatre accessible and exciting for all.


Olivia is a recent graduate in Theatre and Performance Studies at Bristol University.

Aoife Beer

Assistant Producer and Facilitator

aoife@bravebolddrama.co.uk

Aoife first met us when she took up a placement with us during her final year at Bristol University.


During that time Aoife worked with us on the development of Springtime: a sensory story for care homes, worked with us on the R&D of The Midnight Mission! and supported the facilitation of a Bronze arts award in theatre making.

Since graduating, Aoife has continued to work with us as a creative facilitator on several community art projects, and also tours with us operating sound and lighting for The Munch Mission! and The Midnight Mission!

Associates

Dougie Allward 

photographer & videographer


Dougie is a Hartcliffe-based photographer, videographer and website designer.


He photographs our shows, designs and photographs the images we use on the posters, and also films and edits the trailers for our shows.


www.madeforimpact.co.uk

Evan Lordan

director/dramaturg


Evan is a theatre director and theatre maker based in the UK and Ireland. He is the co-founder of Conflicted Theatre. He was assistant director on Touching the Void with the Bristol Old Vic. He studied at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.


To date he has directed The Munch Mission! and The Midnight Mission! with us.

 

www.evanlordan.com

Jen Roxburgh

lighting designer


Jen designs lighting for theatre, film, television and events. Her credits include lighting designs for the Bristol Old Vic, The Pleasance, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Circomedia.


Jen designed the lighting for The Munch Mission! and The Midnight Mission!

 

wwww.jenlroxburgh.com

Rebecca Plant

set designer & prop maker


Rebecca is a theatre designer and prop maker. Her work includes prop making for Pins & Needles Productions of The Wizard of Oz at Tobacco Factory Theatres.


Rebecca designed several set pieces and props for The Midnight Mission!

 

wwww.rebeccaplant.com