Stunning....superb directorial interpretation

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR  ANNA FRIEND

 

Anna Friend has been working as a Director and teacher for the past 20 years after completing her PGCE at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She has always been passionate about bringing theatre into everyone's everyday experience and making it accessible and exciting for audiences and participants alike.

 

She has founded and run two Youth Theatre companies, inspiring many members to continue onto to further training in the arts. Quirky Bird Theatre has gained a reputation for compelling, surprising theatre with young actors at the heart of it. She directed the phenomenal Wroughton Passion Play from Gatecrash Theatre and 'Tusk Tusk' which won several awards at the All England Theatre Festival. Most recently she has directed DNA by Dennis Kelly and That Face by Polly Stenham which both tour schools and colleges across the UK. Other projects include Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss at the Shoebox Theatre, Heartbreak Beautiful by Christopher William Hill and the 2018 Old Town Nativity. In 2021 Quirky Bird will be adding to their popular schools tour to enable more students to access theatre in the light of the COVID 19 crisis.

 

Anna is also Resident Director at one of Bristol's much loved studio theatre's, The Alma Tavern Theatre. She directed and performed in their debut homegrown production of 'Two' by Jim Cartwright and has received 5* reviews for her adaptation of the Ibsen classic 'A Dolls House' and 'flawless' interpretation of Mike Leigh's 'Abigail's Party'. Most recently she starred in the one woman tour-de-force 'Shirley Valentine' by Willy Russell which is set to return to the stage in November 2020.

 

Quirky Bird Theatre runs classes for 4 - 19 year olds, professional productions for young actors, schools packages and one-to-one Speech and Drama lessons.

 

She lives in Wiltshire with her family and holds a current DBS check.

​

​

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR   BIRDY LANE

With 26 years of experience in drama and performance, Birdy is an experienced facilitator, director, and actor who creates imaginative, supportive spaces for people to grow in confidence and creativity.

She has taught GCSE and A Level drama across the state, independent, and further education sectors, as well as delivering engaging workshops and directing scripted and devised productions that focus on storytelling, ensemble work, and authentic expression. She also offers one-to-one tutoring, helping individuals develop their skills and confidence personally and professionally.

Birdy has trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in approaches to teaching Shakespeare and brings that expertise into her work, making classical text accessible, dynamic, and relevant to all learners. She has also worked with Shakespeare for Schools on a Macbeth ClickView project and collaborated with Anna Friend of Quirky Bird Theatre on a GCSE drama resource for DNA, helping to create engaging, curriculum-focused content for students and teachers.

As part of her ongoing professional development, Birdy has attended the Drama Teachers Conferences at the National Theatre for five consecutive years, training with leading companies and practitioners including Gecko, Kneehigh, and many others.

In addition to her directing and facilitation work, Birdy delivers specialist workshops on Brecht, Stanislavsky, and Artaud, tailored to suit learners up to A Level.

She is also an actor working in TV and film.

Her approach is playful, inclusive, and rooted in a deep belief that drama can empower, connect, and inspire at every level.

​