Regrets, I've Had a Few

From their first encounters as a ‘dude’ of a teacher with a trademark leather jacket, a ‘sophisticated’ student joining Middlesex Poly en route from a summer working in France and a ‘short bloke from Birmingham’, our three co-founders John Wright, Hayley Carmichael and Paul Hunter recount the last 30 years of Told by an Idiot. In this Christmas special of  Regrets I’ve Had A Few, expect discussion...

Learning to do flips in the playground at school, his choreographic inspirations and playing Agent Smith in Danny Boyle's mind blowing stage re-boot of the Matrix. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring dancer and choreographer, Mikey Ureta.  About Mikey Ureta Mikey Ureta is a dance artist based in London. He has been working professionally a...

An unmatched admiration of Cats the Musical, the role of persona in her work and “having a good idea and doing it”. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring one of the UK’s most charismatic performers and theatre makers, Lucy McCormick.  ABOUT LUCY MCCORMICK: Lucy McCormick makes nightclub interruptions, cabaret interventions and extravaganza t...

The beginning of his career as Alan Rickman’s follow spot operator, being referred to as a grubby thruster by an Equity councillor and his tenures as Artistic Director at both the Bush Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth. All of this and more is discussed in our 30th episode of Regrets I've Had A Few , in our 30th year, featuring celebrated Director, Simon Stokes. About Simon Stokes Simon became an...

Celebrating his 5th birthday with TV legends Sooty and Sweep, his interest in directing Tom Hanks on stage and his recent appointment as Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre. All of this and more is discussed in this month's episode of Regrets I've Had A Few featuring award-winning Director, Justin Audibert.

The audition process for Kate and Koji, throwing custard pies at Latitude Festival and his dad's need for all electricity to be off overnight interfering with his brothers' need to record late night Jackie Chan films. All of this and more is discussed in this month's episode of Regrets I've Had A Few featuring stage and screen actor, Okorie Chukwu.

Learning about hard graft through working in a sweet shop in Elephant and Castle, coming second to the League of Gentlemen for a coveted Total Theatre Award and her preference of canal boats over caravans. All of this and more is discussed in this month's episode of Regrets I've Had A Few featuring the New Vic Theatre’s Olivier Award winning Artistic Director, Theresa Heskins. About Theresa Heskin...

Living in a van during the early days of Kneehigh, her time on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, and memories of her father cleaning the kitchen floor in his pants. All of this and more is discussed in this month's episode of Regrets I've Had A Few featuring stage and screen actor Mary Woodvine. About Mary Woodvine Mary Woodvine is an Actress based in West Cornwall. She has an extensive...

A childhood heckle in defence of the Queen, a love of eccentric dance and working with some of theatre's all time greats. All of this and more is discussed in this month's episode of Regrets I've Had A Few featuring award winning actor, director and writer, Simon Callow.

Being on the committee of the school film club, adapting and reinventing works for other forms, and his preference of crime over punishment. All of this and more is discussed in this month's episode of Regrets I've Had A Few featuring acclaimed writer, Will Eaves.

Jerone Marsh-Reid trained on the Physical Theatre course at East 15 Acting School.  Theatre credits include:  Marvellous (@sohoplace); 4 Walls (Derby Theatre); Marvellous (New Victoria Theatre Newcastle); Charlie and Stan / The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel (Told by an Idiot ); The Deep (Clifftown Theatre); The Things I’ve Dismissed (Clifftown Theatre, Project Lockout); Feel The...

Matthew Dunster is a theatre and film director and writer. He was born and raised in Oldham and now lives in South East London. Previously an actor, he has directed or written over sixty shows, often with major national companies (including RSC, NT, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Bridge), as well as directing on the West End, Broadway and internationally. He has b...

Over the past 25 years Tanika Gupta has written over 25 stage plays that have been produced in major theatres across the UK and has written extensively for BBC Radio drama. Tanika’s plays The Empress and her adaptation of A Doll’s House are on the National Curriculum in the UK for GSCE school examinations. Theatre credits include: Out West and A Doll’s House (Lyric Hammersmith); Lions And Tigers (...

Rachel Mars is a writer and performer based in the UK. She has been working at the cross-over of performance art and theatre for 13 years. Her work explores female, Jewish and Queer identities and their intersections.   Her recent performance work includes Our Carnal Hearts , a choral dissection of envy; Your Sexts Are Shit: Older Better Letters , a queer archive of sex letters; Roller , with Mars...

Stephen is an actor, teacher and director and has worked in theatre for the past 26 years. A long time collaborator of Told by an Idiot, he has performed in a total of seven of our shows and has been part of the research and development team for many more. Stephen has worked at the National Theatre on War Horse and Theatre of Blood and the RSC on A Mouse and His Child and Merry Wives of Windsor as...

From a background of sculpture, Sophia creates installations, sets and objects for audiences and performers to inhabit, manipulate and transform. Much of her work is participatory and interactive, collaborating with artists in theatre, dance and music and with the general public. Recent work includes: Would You Bet Against Us? (Told by an Idiot, Birmingham Rep); Space to Be (Oily Cart); Get Happy...

Dennis Mortimer was born in Liverpool April 1952 and his professional football career spanned 721 league, Cup and European games. He was captain of the Aston Villa team which won the 1st Division Championship in 1981 and the European Cup in 1982. Dennis' career began at Coventry City F.C. in 1967 with a 3 year apprenticeship. Dennis signed his first Professional contract in 1969 and transferred to...

About Omar Elerian Omar Elerian is a freelance director, dramaturg and theatre-maker. Italian of Palestinian descent, Omar trained in Italy and then graduated from Lecoq International Theatre School in Paris in 2005.He was the resident Associate Director at the Bush Theatre from 2012 to 2019, where he commissioned and directed some of the theatre’s most successful shows.  Omar is currently develop...

Lolita Chakrabarti OBE is an award-winning playwright and actress. Her adaption of Yann Martel's Booker prize winning novel Life of Pi for the stage, premiered to 5-star reviews at the Sheffield Crucible in July 2019 and opened in London's West End in November 2021. It has been nominated for nine Olivier awards including Best New Play, won four UK Theatre Awards and the WhatsonStage award for Best...

Phil Belfield has a BA in Drama & Theatre Studies from Middlesex University. He worked in a number of arts organisations including the NT, Lyric Hammersmith, Riverside Studios & Royal Court. He then helped set up the Stage Holding UK office and assisted Matthew Bourne at Adventures in Motion Pictures (now New Adventures) for 6 years before joining Cassie Mayer Ltd as a junior agent in 2000...

London International Mime Festival ( LIMF ) is an established, annual festival of contemporary visual theatre. Essentially wordless and multi-disciplinary, its programme embraces circus-theatre, puppetry/animation, object theatre, mime, live art and physical theatre. Founded in 1977 at the Cockpit Theatre as a one-off event to showcase the work of British mimes, theatre clowns and other physical a...

Lisa is an actress, writer and theatre maker. She has worked regularly with Told By an Idiot performing in Shoot me in the heart, A little fantasy, Beauty and the beast and Too clever by half. She has also worked with Improbable on No idea and The hanging man. Other theatre work includes The National Theatre, Trestle, The RSC, Graeae and many other regional and international theatres and companies...

Sophie Scott CBE is a British neuroscientist and Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London (UCL). Her research investigates the cognitive neuroscience of voices, speech and laughter, and she is very interested in how our the neural basis of human vocal communication. She was the 2017 Royal Institution Christmas Lecturer and she was awarded the Royal Society's M...

Jos Houben is internationally acclaimed as a leader in the field of Comedy and Physical Theatre. Performing, writing, teaching, and directing world-wide for the past 30 years he has worked with leading international organisations and artists including: Peter Brook, Ecole Jacques Lecoq, The Right Size, Georges Aperghis, Theatre de Complicite- Simon McBurney, National Theatre London, Ragdoll Ltd, Th...

Jason Barnett biog: Theatre includes:    THE VISIT (National Theatre), INSTRUCTIONS FOR CORRECT ASSEMBLY, THE VICTORIAN IN THE WALL, FRIDAY NIGHT SEX, PRIMETIME, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE (all Royal Court Theatre), SAINT GEORGE & THE DRAGON, EMIL & THE DETECTIVES, WAR HORSE, AMATO SALTONE (all National Theatre), LIFE OF GALILEO (Young Vic), ABOUT A BOY (Young Vic and tour), MOGADISHU (Manc...