Team/Bagas:
Here is our team for 2024. We are always keen to recruit new people to help with many aspects of performance and FOH. Please contact us using our contact form below if you would like to join our next adventure!
Tamara Stidwell - LAFTA CREATIVE DIRECTOR, WRITER & ACTOR
Tamara studied Creative Media Production at Cornwall College and produced an award winning animation exploring UK immigration. She went on to study English Language & Literature with a focus on Writing for Stage & Screen at The University of Brighton. During a year abroad at Salzburg University, Austria, she read Philosophy, Climate Ethics & Climate Science, her dissertation looked at the potential to use the dramatic arts to provoke discussion around climate change and destruction of landscape.
After Covid-19, Tamara returned to Cornwall to study Performing Arts at Cornwall College. She began writing short plays for the Cornwall college students which combined Cornish heritage and local humour. She wrote a long poem for St Austell's White Gold Festival, which combined physical theatre and music to celebrate Cornwall's China clay legacy, performed through the streets of St Austell. She also created a drive-through horror-comedy based in a fictional Cornish tin mine.
In 2021,Tamara developed this community theatre group in The Lizard Village and in 2022, she secured £10,000 National Lottery Community funding to support her community through Theatre, film and arts.
In the summer of 2022, Tamara's debut feature-length play "Catching Rabbit" was performed in The Lizard to critical acclaim, the local history academic Mike Sagar-Fenton wrote "it should be taken up by someone - it deserves a bigger audience." The production was awarded "Technical Excellence" from The Cornwall Drama Association for the technical use of shadow puppetry, film and 'clever' use of Cornish archive film.
For over a year, Tamara has been the sole editor of Lizard Lives Magazine, a publication which goes to 500 homes and businesses and aims to connect people in The Lizard village with local news, stories and events. The website can be found here: www.thelizard.uk
Tamara is currently directing her original multi-media play "Fault."
Tamara studied Creative Media Production at Cornwall College and produced an award winning animation exploring UK immigration. She went on to study English Language & Literature with a focus on Writing for Stage & Screen at The University of Brighton. During a year abroad at Salzburg University, Austria, she read Philosophy, Climate Ethics & Climate Science, her dissertation looked at the potential to use the dramatic arts to provoke discussion around climate change and destruction of landscape.
After Covid-19, Tamara returned to Cornwall to study Performing Arts at Cornwall College. She began writing short plays for the Cornwall college students which combined Cornish heritage and local humour. She wrote a long poem for St Austell's White Gold Festival, which combined physical theatre and music to celebrate Cornwall's China clay legacy, performed through the streets of St Austell. She also created a drive-through horror-comedy based in a fictional Cornish tin mine.
In 2021,Tamara developed this community theatre group in The Lizard Village and in 2022, she secured £10,000 National Lottery Community funding to support her community through Theatre, film and arts.
In the summer of 2022, Tamara's debut feature-length play "Catching Rabbit" was performed in The Lizard to critical acclaim, the local history academic Mike Sagar-Fenton wrote "it should be taken up by someone - it deserves a bigger audience." The production was awarded "Technical Excellence" from The Cornwall Drama Association for the technical use of shadow puppetry, film and 'clever' use of Cornish archive film.
For over a year, Tamara has been the sole editor of Lizard Lives Magazine, a publication which goes to 500 homes and businesses and aims to connect people in The Lizard village with local news, stories and events. The website can be found here: www.thelizard.uk
Tamara is currently directing her original multi-media play "Fault."
Chris Ager - LAFTA CHAIRMAN, WRITER & ACTOR
Chris is passionate about comedy and heavily inspired by the likes of Monty Python, Milton Jones, Tim Vine and Tommy Cooper! Chris wrote and performed in a number of short comedy sketches and joined a performance group in London in 1986, one most notable performance acting as a waxwork dummy where he had to keep still for 90 minutes ("and no, that's not where my wooden acting started," he says). Chris moved to the Lizard in 2017 and after his retirement, joined The Lizard lifeboat station, the golf club and of course, returned to the stage!
He is currently playing the lead part of "Mr Skins" in our production of 'Fault.'
Chris is passionate about comedy and heavily inspired by the likes of Monty Python, Milton Jones, Tim Vine and Tommy Cooper! Chris wrote and performed in a number of short comedy sketches and joined a performance group in London in 1986, one most notable performance acting as a waxwork dummy where he had to keep still for 90 minutes ("and no, that's not where my wooden acting started," he says). Chris moved to the Lizard in 2017 and after his retirement, joined The Lizard lifeboat station, the golf club and of course, returned to the stage!
He is currently playing the lead part of "Mr Skins" in our production of 'Fault.'
Esther Johns - LAFTA SECRETARY, DIRECTOR & ACTOR
Esther is a Gorsedh Kernow Bard, Cornish language speaker, writer and Cornish language teacher who runs the Cornish cookery show Kegin Esther (Cooking With Esther) on the An Mis television programme. She is our specialist for using Cornish language in plays and films. In her recent musical play "We're Off To See The Lizard" (a local adaptation of Wizard of Oz), Esther wrote a musical chorus for Dorothy entirely in the Cornish language.
Esther will be helping as an assistant director in our production of 'Fault.'
Esther is a Gorsedh Kernow Bard, Cornish language speaker, writer and Cornish language teacher who runs the Cornish cookery show Kegin Esther (Cooking With Esther) on the An Mis television programme. She is our specialist for using Cornish language in plays and films. In her recent musical play "We're Off To See The Lizard" (a local adaptation of Wizard of Oz), Esther wrote a musical chorus for Dorothy entirely in the Cornish language.
Esther will be helping as an assistant director in our production of 'Fault.'
Gillian Higgs - LAFTA PROPS & COSTUME LEAD
Cornish costume and props designer Gill is a specialist in using creativity for children's psychosocial development and wellbeing, she has worked extensively in schools around Cornwall supporting children through creative outdoor activities including immersive theatre shows, which she has produced, directed and designed set and props for. Gill has also developed artistic short films with children, helping them to understand the impact of ocean plastic pollution.
Cornish costume and props designer Gill is a specialist in using creativity for children's psychosocial development and wellbeing, she has worked extensively in schools around Cornwall supporting children through creative outdoor activities including immersive theatre shows, which she has produced, directed and designed set and props for. Gill has also developed artistic short films with children, helping them to understand the impact of ocean plastic pollution.