Troubadour Theatre

Actor

I took on the role of a talking hedge — specifically, a talking Devon hedge — shortly after getting involved with Troubadour. I took it on simply because it sounded fun — and I wasn't wrong! Because of the way we did the show, I was able to write my own lines for the monologues I had to perform. These were based on outlines drawn up by Laura, the director, and mixed climate messages with light humour to engage the audience whilst the stage was empty. I used a microphone connected to the venue's speakers to deliver my lines.

The idea of the hedge was that it would be something of a wise old character which had seen a lot of change in its environment through the years, but which never speaks when other characters are around (hence the stage being empty). I wrote my monologues with the goal of getting across relevant key facts about climate change and biodiversity whilst not being self-righteous, and whilst also including some humorous asides to match the tone of much of the rest of the show.

I received a large amount of positive feedback after the show, with many audience members compilmenting my performance. This inspired me to look into ways of developing the role of the hedge during the 2025 show, which we did through including a physical element in the form of a butterfly kite which I held up above the hedge at the end of the show.

Music and audio

I took on the role of managing the music and other audio for both the 2024 and 2025 productions. I used a specially-composed theme tune to link each scene in the show, as well as putting together a scene for the show which was told entirely through audio played through the venue's speakers. The scene focused on a storm flooding a man's elderly mother's house, and made use of recordings of some members of the cast, including myself, as well as various sound effects to mimic a telephone call, in order to convey the highly emotional tone of the story. The scene was further aided greatly by a poignant silent performance by one of the actors in the show.

Programmes

I also designed the programmes for the 2025 show. I completed this quickly and to a high standard, making a detailed four-page illustrated booklet which compiled all of the credits for the show alongside a comprehensive list of ways in which the audience could work to be more environmentally-friendly in their everyday lives. To make this booklet, I adapted the 2024 leaflet design, keeping key elements and building on them to create a cohesive brand identity.