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ABOUT US

“While others were rushing to fling whatever they had in their archive on line, these two companies have pioneered live interactive storytelling that has provided rollicking family entertainment and made it feel as the audience is not an afterthought but essential”

Lyn Gardner

We bring world class theatre to small communities in Northern Ireland, and we bring their voices to the world stage.

We are a conduit between rural communities and urban platforms, providing a space for exchange, brokering wider conversations about the local, the global and our place in society.

We are pioneering playmakers, using creativity as a catalyst, and placing people at the centre of our work to provoke thought and explore the possibility of change.

We work closely with communities to establish frameworks which offer new ways to connect. All of our work is interactive, co-created and bespoke, addressing issues of sustainability, accessibility, and diversifying views on cultural identity.

We hijack familiar stories and spaces such as houses, shops, cafes in order to make audiences feel both safe and brave, mixing up traditions with tech to make bold new story worlds with and for the wider community.

We believe in the transformative power of the arts. We believe in this place, in the people who call it home.

ZOE

Zoe Seaton

Artistic Director

Zoe is the founder and artistic director of Big Telly. She is one of Northern Ireland’s most respected theatre directors, and has worked extensively in the UK. In 2018, Zoe was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Ulster for her commitment to the dramatic arts in NI.
collette

Collette Quigley

Finance Manager

As the company’s financial manager, Collette navigates the company finances and keeps a tight rein on budgets and governance .

Linda McCracken

Project Manager

Linda joined the Big Telly team in 2008. She manages a wide range of projects and describes her role as extremely varied - no two days are the same.
crissy

Crissy O Donovan

Producer and Company Manager

Crissy joined Big Telly on secondment in August 2020 and took on the post full time in January 2021. Crissy has over 7 years experience in producing national and international touring work, with a specific focus on digital and site responsive work. Previously, Park Theatre, London, Young Actors Studio, London and Creation Theatre Company, Oxford. She has worked as an actor, director and producer and a member of faculty at Oxford School of Drama from 2015-2019, where she taught Devising and Professional Development.
Board of Directors

Big Telly Theatre Company is governed by a Board of 7 voluntary Trustees who meet quarterly.

Company Trustees: 

  • Tom Maguire (Chair) – Head of School of Arts and Humanities, Ulster University; 
  • Cara MacMahon – Cultural Consultant; 
  • Tony Hennessey (Treasurer) – Accountant; 
  • Chris Hurd-Wood –  Human Resources Consultant (IBM);  
  • Rosana Trainor – Secretary of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society; 
  • Claire Sugden – MLA for East Londonderry (Independent Unionist) and former Minister for Justice (until 2017); 
  • Alison Grundle – Business Improvement Consultant.
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