Brighton 24 Hour Play Festival 2025
CREATIVES
Writer
Cerys Duffy
Brighton based Cerys Duffy has had her writing performed all over the country including The Park Theatre and The Southbank Centre. Her sell-out play ‘A Trans Fairy Tale' (**** - Broadway Baby) was described as ‘entertaining, moving and thrilling’. Her most recent play ‘Before The World Ends’ was longlisted for The Papatango Playwriting Prize. Outside of writing, she is the Artistic Director for Open Handed Theatre. FB - @cerysevans Insta - @ceryseansinsta Bluesky - @cerysevans
Writer
Esohe Uwadiae
Esohe Uwadiae is a multidisciplinary creative, with a focus on stage and screen. She has been part of programmes with theatres including the Royal Court, the Almeida and the Old Vic. Her work has been shortlisted for awards including the Women's Prize for Playwriting and the Alfred Fagon Award.
She is represented by Maddie O'Dwyer at Berlin Associates.
Writer
Isaac Freeman
Returning for the second year, Isaac is a writer and theatremaker originally from Mid Sussex. who has trained with the Old Vic, RSC, and Royal Central. Their work as a writer includes Frankenstein (Anatomy Museum), Dionysus in the Underworld (Greenwood Theatre), From the Machine (digital), Route 12 (Theatre Peckham/Old Vic), and Medium (Lantern Theatre/Brighton Fringe). They love folk tales, mythology, and horror, and have a particular interest in queer and alternative histories.
Writer
Louise Monaghan
Louise is a past winner of the Papatango Prize and her winning play PACK ran at the Finborough Theatre for a month where it attracted rave reviews. She's also a past winner of a Bruntwood Prize Judges' Award for SHADOW PLAY which was championed by Jackie Kay. In addition to her theatre work, she's had three radio dramas broadcast on BBC Radio 4. ALONE IN THE GARDEN WITH YOU was produced and directed by Jessica Dromgoole and THE MAN INSIDE THE RADIO IS MY DAD starring Charlie Brooks - and SLIPPING THROUGH TIME - starring Ellie Kendrick - were produced and directed by Tracey Neale.
Louise's debut short film WEIGHTLESS starring Toyah Willcox has won multiple awards on the international film festival circuit and her second short film CELEBRATING TCHAIKOVSKY is now in post-production.
Her full biography is available here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-monaghan-b457a733/?originalSubdomain=uk
Writer
Leah Philbin
Leah was shortlisted for the 2024 Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize and was runner up in the UK Power Plays competition. One of her plays, Broke, was included in the 37 Plays Festival at the Theatre Royal Nottingham and in 2024, her play The Queen of The Sun was performed at the Old Electric Theatre in Blackpool. One of her screenplays, First Shift, was produced by Gather By the Ghost Light and released on their podcast across various platforms including YouTube and Spotify. Leah's play Glitter was given a Special Honourable Mention by Scriptwriters & Co as part of their Pride and Fall night. Her play, Confession, was recently performed at The Palace Theatre in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Leah can mostly be found writing in her garden, surrounded by her dog and many cats.
Leah's Instagram account is:
Director
Andrew Allen
Andrew is a writer, director and actor, whose previous credits include Year Without Summer, One Woman Alien, and Four Play. He creates bespoke stageplays for local youth theatres, and is the author of several books including The Haunting Of Gabriel Chase and The City Of Dr Moreau. He is the co-founder of Ironclad Creative, a CIC dedicated to providing networking, training and opportunities to writers, artists and theatre-makers. He is also the co-founder of Cast Iron Theatre, which produces new writing from across the world.
Director
Kim Wright
Kim Wright is a director and theatre maker with a background in movement and intimacy. She has worked with Sheffield Theatres, Shakespeare’s Globe, New Vic Theatre and the National Opera Studio, creating movement and intimacy work alongside her directing practice. Recent directing credits include MAST Mayflower Studios, NT Connections, NYMT, GLive, London College of Music, Performers College and Leeds Conservatoire. A keen supporter of new writing, Kim has also begun her own scriptwriting journey, which recently underwent its first R&D. Kim creates bold, collaborative work rooted in care, improvisation and embodied storytelling.
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Director
Ophelia Fellhauer
Ophelia Fellhauer is a theatre director and recent graduate from Mountview. Originally from Germany, she specialises in new writing and contemporary plays. With her theatre company Spot on the Ceiling Productions, she made her Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2024 with SOS BRN after a sold-out run at the Exeter Phoenix. Most recently, she has assisted Lyndsey Turner on ‘The Hunt’ at Mountview, and directed 'MUMBURGER' by Sarah Kosar as her final showcase.
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Director
Emmie Spencer
Emmie Spencer is a Brighton-based actor and director. Her directing work includes The Seal Girl (Broken Silence Theatre x Unzipped Theatre, Brighton Fringe 2023), Moving Slowly (Different Theatre), You (New Venture Theatre), and End of Term Vomit (Broken Silence x Pistachio Theatre at Theatre503). As an actor she’s appeared everywhere from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to a Kasabian music video, and most recently shared the stage with Michael Rosen at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall as part of Brighton Festival 2025.
Director
Samuel Masters
Samuel Masters (@theuniquesheep) is a Writer, Director, Actor, and Designer - not necessarily in that order. An MA Screenwriting graduate of London Film School, Samuel is also Co-Founder of the award-winning Relish Theatre (@relishtheatre), and Artistic Director of The Department of Ulterior Motives (aka DUM, @ulteriormotivesdepartment).
DUM made its debut this year at Brighton Fringe with an acclaimed adaptation of G. K. Chesterton’s The Man Who Was Thursday, written and directed by Samuel Masters, which is set to return at Edinburgh Fringe 2026. DUM is developing a new production for Brighton Fringe 2026 during its upcoming residency at Anita’s Room, Brighton Dome.
Samuel’s previous directing credits include A Matter of Life and Debt (Relish Theatre, 2015), The Psychosocial Gathering (Minotaur Theatre, 2014), and The Real Inspector Hound (Brighton Little Theatre, 2024).
As an actor, Samuel’s roles include Tigger in Winnie the Pooh (dir. David Villiers, 2025), Bjorn Bjornson in Voyage of the Carcass (dir. Jo Gatford, 2025), John Kemble in Kemble’s Riot (dir. Tess Gill, 2024), Edmund in Lear (dir. Richard Lindfield, 2024), Ned Alleyn in Shakespeare in Love (dir. Claire Lewis, 2023), Rick in Woman in Mind (dir. Mike Wells, 2023), James in James and the Giant Peach (dir. Joseph Bentley, 2022), and Davey in Jerusalem and Davey in Jerusalem (dir. Milli Bhatia and Ben Rogers)
Samuel appeared at last year’s 24-Hour Play Festival, where he played Manny, the German Robot Nanny, in the short play Manny. He is thrilled to return this year as one of the directors to embrace the challenge of creating a brand-new show in less than a day!
Actor
Melodie Gibson
Melodie Gibson is a versatile actor and voice artist with credits spanning stage, screen, immersive theatre, and international productions. Her work includes feature films such as Dumbo (Disney, dir. Tim Burton) and Angel (Netflix), as well as television appearances in Famalam (BBC) and Hitler’s Circle of Evil (Netflix).
On stage, she has played leading and featured roles in productions including All My Sons (Lewes Little Theatre), As You Like It and Comedy of Errors (Open Air Shakespeare), and Dracula. She has also performed in a wide variety of musicals and pantomimes, portraying iconic roles such as Belle in Beauty and the Beast (Dubai, H2 Productions) and Cinderella in Cinderella Abu Dhabi.
Her voiceover work ranges from animation to educational and VR projects (5 Women 1 Story, Helbling Languages), showcasing her adaptability across media.
Currently, she is expanding her craft into motion and performance capture, training with a focus on becoming a video game actor.
Instagram: @viviandoll_
Actor
Sharon Drain
Originally a professional singer, Sharon graduated drama school at 50.
Hella Granger - Superstar,
devised and performed in France, then translated and adapted for Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe in 2016.
Different Theatre - Sam Chittenden -
Sary, at Brighton Fringe and award-nominated at Edinburgh Fringe in 2019.
Clean, Best New Play at Brighton Fringe 2019.
Clean - The Musical, Outstanding Theatre award in 2021
The Conor Baum Company -
4 seasons with One Fell Swoop annual Summer Shakespeare in a day festival
Homestead, part of Brighton Festival 2024
Electra - Outstanding Theatre Award 2025
Suddenly Last Summer, BOAT 2025
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Actor
Mariama Bah
Mariama Bah is a British-Portuguese actor soon to be seen starring in the horror short ‘The Willows’, projected for a festival run in 2026. She has been producing short films and is very keen to start doing more theatre again.
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@mariamacebah -
https://www.instagram.com/mariamacebah?igsh=YndqdXk4NWwycGRi&utm_source=qr
Actor
Ali Kemp
Ali's theatre credits include Ghosts on A Wire (Union Theatre, London), Penny's From Huddersfield (Royal Theatre Haymarket Masterclass, Queen's Theatre), Face the Camera and Smile (Arts Theatre, London), Still I See My Baby (Theatre 503), The Echo Chamber (The Cockpit), eXclusion (Edinburgh Festival Fringe and tour), Under Milk Wood (Pentameters), A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Lear (national and international tours, TNT/ADGE). Screen work includes: The Promised Land with Joanna Scanlan (Somesuch), Why? and Into The Silent Land (Campbell Cloud Productions) both shown at Cannes. Commercials include: a Channel 4 ident for British Gas, Yorkshire Tea, the John Lewis Christmas campaign, and VW Commercial Vans. Ali is with Rosebery Management. She's really looking forward to taking part in the Brighton 24 Hour Play Festival. @roseberymgmt @alikemp75
Actor
Maya Kihara
Maya’s introduction to theatre is from the original story tellers: East Africans. Having been born and raised in Kenya, history was shared by the retelling of myths and legends, to the beat of a cowhide drum.
This year she has spent her time acting in multiple short films, Company by Steven Sondheim and recently performed in Les Misérables at the Theater Royal.
As she starts her Masters in UX Design this September she hopes to continue her screen work and dip her toe into voice acting.
Agent: Audere Talent Management
@insta Maya._.kihara
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Actor
Catie Ridewood
Catie is a Brighton-based actor. She has just finished performing her solo show, “That Witch Helen” at a number of fringe festivals.
Other recent theatre includes: Charlotte in “Wasted” (Twisted Angel Theatre); Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” (One Fell Swoop); Edith Gascoyne in “Blue Blood” (Brighton Fringe/Blue Devil Productions); and Amanda in “Not Talking” (New Venture Theatre).
Catie trained at the Academy of Creative Training in Brighton.
Instagram: catieridewood
Bluesky: catieridewood
Actor
Lorraine Yu
Lorraine Yu is a Hongkongese actor and life model with a movement practice in capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art. Her recent stage credits include Open Source Intelligence and Counterinsurgency for the Jobbing Hater (Brighton Fringe), BATSU! (Edinburgh Fringe), The Good Device (Camden People Theatre), The Tower (Brighton Fringe) and That Witch Helen (Brighton Fringe). She is drawn to acting projects that are unconventional and physically challenging. When she’s not performing or playing capoeira, you may find her daydreaming by the sea.
Actor
Alfie Bridle
Alfie is an actor and theatre-maker with a love for bold stories and big characters. He just wrote and performed his very first one-man show, The Shadow in the Mirror (wild ride, by the way!).
Right now, he's training in Acting at East Sussex and gearing up for his final year.
For him, nothing beats diving headfirst into new stories, connecting with an audience, and breathing life into characters that jump off the stage.
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Instagram:
@Alfiebridle_
TikTok:
@Alfiebridle
Actor
Amelia Leigh
​Amelia trained with National Youth Theatre throughout her English and Drama Bachelor's degree in Bath. She is currently training with The Screen Acting Workshop and is a member of Run at it Shouting. Theatre credits include: Anna in Anna Karenina (The Wick), Sarah Woodruff in The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Brighton Little & The Minack), Nikki/Irma in 'Picnic at Hanging Rock', Barbara in 'The York Realist' and Regina in Ibsen's 'Ghosts' (all at the New Venture Theatre, Brighton). Screen credits include: Steph in ‘Stuck in’ (Crybaby Productions) and Anna in ‘Tiny: Proof of Concept’ (MET Film School). Amelia's instagram is @amelialeigh.actor
Actor
Georgia Clarke Georgiou
Georgia Clarke Georgiou, trained at East 15 Acting School and has worked in TV,
films and theatre.
Moved from London to Brighton to raise her family and initiated Drama Workshops in
her children’s primary school.
In Brighton, Georgia has trained with Savage Heart and following the success of last years’ 24 hour Fest, she has joined us again.
Most recent work includes a short film written and directed by Kate Lloyd.
Actor
Joanna Ackroyd
Joanna Ackroyd
@joanna.v.ackroyd
Thrilled to be part of #Brighton24hourplayfest and also treading back the first boards she performed on professionally.
Joanna is a West Sussex based actor who trained at @nationalyouththeatre and Webber Douglas.
She's currently playing Elizabeth Proctor in 'The Crucible' at @brightonlittletheatre. Prior to this, she relived her musical days in Oh What a Lovely War! this Summer at @brightonopenairtheatre.
Other recent theatre roles include Elizabeth Luke in 'The Welkin' and Mrs Sowerberry in 'Oliver Twist, both for @identity_theatre_company, and Marmee in 'Little Women' and Charlotte Bronte in Polly Teale's 'Bronte', both @brightonfringe award nominated productions at @brightonlittletheatre.
Joanna has also worked in television, commercials, voiceovers and short film.
Actor
Robin Hodges
Returning to Brighton 24 Hour Play Festival for the second year running, Robin Hodges is an actor, improviser, human being and 1997 Junior Maths Challenge Silver Award winner. He has appeared in film, television, stage and the odd commercial. You've probably seen him as Lt. Paul-Eugene Milliet in the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated Loving Vincent. Or perhaps you saw him in BBC1's Secret Service, or Sky One's Yonderland.
Robin lives in Brighton, enjoys boardgames, computer games and writing in the third person.
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Actor
Assia Jalloh
Assia is a stage and screen actor. She has done workshops at Unseen Drama and various other places.
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The Brighton 24 Hour play festival marks her stage debut! Her screen credits include Faith in the Family 2 where she portrayed the character Maya.
Assia's instagram is:
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@assiaj_
Actor
Philippa Hammond
Philippa has appeared in many theatre productions including Shakespeare and original work for Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe, Shoreham Wordfest, Brighton Shakespeare Company and One Fell Swoop. Her lead role as ‘Fanny Hill’ and her solo show ‘Glimpse’ both won 4* Scotsman reviews at Edinburgh.
Film and audio drama include the Lord of The Rings-inspired indie ‘Born of Hope’, 'Protect and Survive' and ‘The Boleyn Brothers’ for TBC Audio, several indie Doctor Who stories for Tales of a Timelord and B7 Productions’ ‘Extraordinary Tales’.
She also runs the Brighton Actors Networking Group.
Spotlight: app.spotlight.com/7917-8972-5099
Insta: @philippa.hammond
Actor
Lewis Todhunter
Lewis is an actor and musician who loves to play on stage and is thrilled to be collaborating again on this 24hour project. He was Pip in Great Expectations (the Barn) Banquo In Macbeth (NVT) and AA Milne in Winnie The Pooh (BOAT) this year.
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Actor
Jordan Southwell
Jordan trained at Sylvia Young Theatre School. Theatre includes Oliver! at Theatre Royal Drury Lane and most recently Suddenly Last Summer (The Conor Baum Company) at Brighton Open Air Theatre and Duty (Twilight Theatre) at the Lantern Theatre as part of Brighton Fringe 2025. TV includes Doctor Who, Holby Blue and short films for Blue Peter. He has worked as a presenter for Children’s TV channels including Boomerang and Cartoon Network.
Actor
James Merganser
James Merganser has been acting for just over a decade, gaining his degree in acting in 2023.
He played Oberon and Theseus in an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Spire during Brighton Fringe and has appeared as an angry Englishman in BBC Scotland’s Scot Squad.
Most recently, James filmed for a documentary which is scheduled for release in late 2025.
Instagram: @TheJamesMerganser
Represented by: @GLSTalentManagement
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Actor
Emily Ballantyne
Emily is a Brighton based Actor, Singer & Writer.
Trained at the Academy of Creative Training,
Most recent credits include
Cheeky Chappie Brighton Fringe, Radio and TV Voiceovers including Radio 1 & QVC, International tours including My Fair Lady,
Recently working on a novel and currently 3rd year training in Horticulture. Having been in the audience for several Savage Heart Productions, ahe is now very excited to return to the stage to be in one of them as part of the 24 hour play fest!
Actor
Chris Orr
Chris is an actor/improviser/director and occasional; writer . Recently developing stand up and character comedy as part of Rabbit Hole Comedy.. He's worked in the UK,Ireland and Germany.. Represented by Kew Personal Management. find him https://www.instagram.com/christopherjorr/
Actor
Ryan P. Faulkner
Ryan is an actor, musician, and video game developer with a particular love for comedy and the delightfully absurd. He has trained with Savage Heart, where he acted and co-wrote original plays, and recently completed a foundation year at ACT Brighton. His latest role was Khlestakov in The Government Inspector at the Lantern Theatre. Ryan is thrilled to be part of the Brighton 24 Hour Play Fest!
Actor
Sophie Methuen-Turner
Sophie Methuen - Turner gained a BA ( Hons) in Drama and Theatre Arts from Queen Mary, University of London, A PGCE in Lifelong Learning in Drama from the University of Greenwich and an Acting Diploma from The Rep College. Recent credits include Caroline in I Killed Solomon Reid, the Call Handler in The Caller, Virginia and the Contessa in the Maestro and Lacey Drawes in Transmission. Sophie is an experienced interactive performer, regularly performing in Medical Roleplays and Murder Mysteries. Recently Sophie became a reviewer for Fringe Review.
Host
James Bennison
James Bennison has performed around the country in almost every capacity you can imagine. More recently he performed his sell out comedy show RPJ: Role-Playing James at Brighton Fringe this May, as well as parts in The Voyage of the Carcass (Brighton Little Theatre, 2025), The Real Inspector Hound (Brighton Little Theatre, 2024), Bedroom Farce (New Venture Theatre, 2023), and Humble Boy (Hustpierpoint Players, 2023).
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​'The Show Must Go On'
Written by: Leah Philbin
Directed by: Ophelia Fellhauer
Cast: Amelia Leigh, Robin Hodges, Assia Jalloh, Lewis Todhunter
Prop: The Inflatable Seagull
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'The Puppet''
Written by: Louise Monaghan
Directed by: Samuel Masters
Cast: Sophie Methuen-Turner, Lorraine Yu, Catie Ridewood, Georgia Clarke-Georgiou
Prop: The Puppet
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'Pasta La Vista'
Written by: Esohe Uwadiae
Directed by: Andrew Allen
Cast: Maya Kihara, Melodie Gibson, Chris Orr, Philippa Hammond
Prop: The Typewriter
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'Unalive '
Written by: Cerys Duffy
Directed by: Emmie Spencer
Cast: Mariama Bah, Alfie Bridle, Joanna Ackroyd and Jordan Southwell
Prop: The Picture Frame
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'Panic!at the year SIX end of term school disco'
Written by: Isaac Freeman
Directed by: Kim Wright
Cast: James Merganser, Ali Kemp, Sharon Drain, Emily Ballantyne
Prop: The Disco Ball
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THE PLAYS
First Line: "They're almost here. So please. . . please just tell me why "