THE TEAM
Actors, Producers, Musicians
A script is just words on paper.
Here are the people who help bring it all to life.
ZANNA FOLEY-DAVIES
ACTOR, DIRECTOR
In The Glad Giver, Zanna is the wise and compassionate voice of Julian of Norwich. Zanna’s involvement in drama, both as actress and director, goes back 25 years. She is part of the Norwich Radio Players based at the University of East Anglia, performing live golden age horror plays inspired by the supernatural fiction holdings in the Harry Price Library of Magical Literature.
In real life, Zanna is a retired head gardener and horticultural therapist.
MaRIE COOPER
ACTOR, WRITER
Marie Cooper is a versatile actor with a passion for captivating audiences; she plays the faithful Sarah in The Glad Giver. Recent stage roles include Sarah Hollis in The Welkin, and Margaret Thatcher in Handbagged. She has been fortunate to train with Norwich Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Wright School of Clowning, Teatro Strappato and Theatre Fragile. From murder mysteries and film to scare acting and street theatre, Marie's artistic journey is diverse and inspiring and showcases her versatility. With each project, she leaves a lasting mark, and her website offers a glimpse into her career.
JAMIE WILLIMOTT
Jamie Willimott is the rich, Norwich voice of the Street Hawker in The Glad Giver, tempting Julian with honey from the East. This is his first voice acting role. Jamie has been acting onstage since 2018, when he appeared as Sid James in a number of Carry On plays at the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. Since then, he has appeared in a range of parts, as well including a role onstage at Stratford with The Royal Shakespeare Company in Henry VI. Jamie also performs in Murder Mystery Evenings.
SOPHIE BLYTHE
ACTOR, DANCER
is an actor originally from Norwich, now living in London, having graduated from Fourth Monkey last year. She was excited to be a part of The Glad Giver in her hometown and she plays Lizzie, a young woman in trouble.
Since graduating Sophie has performed in a touring London pantomime and spent the first three months of this year touring Italy with a production teaching English to children. Sophie is embarking on a UK tour of Bluey’s Big Play in November, which you can catch next year at the Norwich Theatre Royal!
SIMON MICHAEL-MORGAN
ACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTOR, ARTIST
Simon is from South Wales; he is a published poet and short story writer, and the writer and director of Strange Fascination Theatre. In The Glad Giver, Simon gives a moving performance as the lost young man, Thomas.
Simon trained at The Rep College in Berkshire, graduating in 2003. Acting credits include Hamlet at the Kenton, Puck with Cambridge Shakespeare, Lucky in Waiting For Godot, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Dr. Who for the BBC, and radio plays with the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft. Simon is also a keen artist, having exhibited at the Yare Gallery in Great Yarmouth.
JOANNA SWAN
ACTOR, NARRATOR
Joanna plays Margery Kempe in The Glad Giver. A native of Norfolk, Joanna is no stranger to the mystics of the county, having performed Margery Kempe of Lynn, a one-woman live show written by local poet Gareth Calway, at Margery's beloved Kings Lynn Minster in 2015. She is a versatile character actor, at home on stage, screen and behind a microphone. TV credits include Doctors (2017) and Eastenders (2021) and she has toured with Baroque Theatre Company and Stuff of Dreams. Her narrated novels on Audible include Remember to Love Me by Becky Wright, The White Horse by Rebecca Harrison and Lore of the Saevatici by Steven C Davis. Listen out for her on episode 73 of the hit US horror podcast The Sheridan Tapes (Season 3).
JOHN BOYD
AUDIO PRODUCER
John has been fascinated with the jiggery-pokery of recording and processing audio for more years than he cares to admit. John worked his magic on the sound design of The Glad Giver, so that we feel we are standing beside Julian in her medieval cell. Applying what he calls “whiffle dust” John has provided the very different and creative soundscapes for Galore! and The Escort during lockdown; for High Spirits, where he recreated the sounds of Scotland’s western isles, and The Lady and The Poet, transporting listeners back in time to Robert Burns’s Ayrshire.
Connect to John’s own podcasts here
JACQUELINE FITZGIBBON
Settled now in the west of Scotland, Jacqueline is an oboist and recorder player whose education, teaching and performing career have taken her from Ireland via London, Wales, USA, Iceland, Faroe Islands and the north of England. She is co-founder of both West Kilbride Village Band and Thistle Doo recorder ensemble, as well as playing oboe and percussion in Glasgow Senior Citizens Orchestra. Jacqueline has always enjoyed arranging and composing incidental music and songs. When she read Jill Korn’s script for The Glad Giver, she knew she had to write a piece for Thistle Doo.
LORENZO NOVANI
WRITER, ACTOR, MAGICIAN
Lorenzo is both a sought-after magician and established dramatist, performing professionally since 2010. Lorenzo is best known for his close-up magic and his critically acclaimed play Cracked Tiles. He has performed at festivals and events throughout the UK, including shows at Brighton Fringe, Carlisle Fringe, West End Festival, The Scottish Mental Health Festival, the International Magic Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.
As Robert Burns in The Lady and The Poet, Lorenzo brings the poet’s letters to life, showing us both his vulnerability and his cheeful arrogance. As William Craufurd in There Goes Craufurdland, Lorenzo plays the slightly bewildered and indulgent Laird whose family’s past is uncovered by his determined wife.
Read more about Lorenzo’s work here
DIANE BROOKS
ACTOR, FILM PRODUCER
Diane Brooks is a highly versatile voice actor whose contribution to the Ayrshire Trilogy is unforgettable: as Auntie Bee, the unforgettable elderly heroine of High Spirits, as the reproving Mrs Dunlop in The Lady and The Poet, and as the gossipy Nurse in There Goes Craufurdland.
Bringing her considerable skills as an actor to the Scottish Independent Film scene, Diane has shared her skills and knowledge with others, expanding her career recently as a producer of short narrative films; Diane’s latest project is a full-length film, due to release in early 2023.
For more about Diane’s work, click here
KERRY BURLEY
ACTOR, SINGER
Kerry, originally from Kilmarnock, is a lecturer and musician who enjoys voice acting. She has done commercial voice-over work for Bauer media including a campaign for the Glasgow Subway, and continues to lend her voice to various projects for the Burns Federation and the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway. Kerry also does a great deal of after-dinner speaking on the Burns circuit and enjoys recording vocals for various musical projects.
In There Goes Craufurdland, Kerry plays the role of Janet Houison Craufurd, a real life diarist writing in the early 1800s, whose boredom leads her to delve into the family archives and discover a dramatic story of friendship and betrayal.
Follow Kerry on Instagram
KIRSTEN MAGUIRE
ACTOR, DIRECTOR
In There Goes Craufurdland, the final play of the Ayrshire Trilogy, Kirsten Maguire plays Janet Craufurd’s disapproving sister-in-law, Isabella, who tries in vain to curb Janet’s insatiable curiosity about the family skeletons hidden in the castle library.
Kirsten is a highly accomplished actor who brought all of her skill to the role of Edith Piaf in Collaboration, delivering a stunning sound portrait of a woman larger than life. Kirsten also played Martha in Sea Change, who finally spots the lovers on the rock.
Kirsten has appeared in a number of productions for Theatre Alba & Screen Academy Scotland. She is the co-founder of Battery Theatre Company, which aims to create site-specific theatre drawing on the rich history of Dunbar.
More about Kirsten and Battery Theatre Company here
EUAN GALBRAITH
ACTOR
Euan first turned to acting in 1998 after a period working as a stage manager. He went on to study drama at Langside College in Glasgow, and since then has played a wide range of roles in both the theatre and films. Euan’s film roles include that of Jackie in the Scottish production Conmen (2015).
In There Goes Craufurdland, Euan plays the part of William, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock whose fate is linked inextricably with that of the Laird of Craufurdland himself. There Goes Craufurdland was Euan’s first experience of working in audio drama.
IAIN McALEESE
ACTOR, DIRECTOR, EDUCATOR
Iain has worked in theatre, radio, & onscreen for more than four decades. He is a very talented actor and director, as well as working in education to pass on his skills. Iain has lectured in Drama at both Motherwell College and the University of Strathclyde where he delivered workshops in The Art of Acting. Iain worked as devisor and director with Stark, a pop-up theatre group based in Glasgow. He was the founder of Theatre Revolution and Speech Action Studio.
Iain is an expert in accents, and brought his talent to There Goes Craufurdland, where he played the roles of the impertinent Gaoler, the Crown’s Executioner, and the millionaire banker, Thomas Coutts.
ALEX BENNETT
ACTOR AND PRODUCER
Alex is an experienced podcast producer and editor, as well a . professional voice over artist. Alex produces a variety of podcasts, from B2B and arts podcasts, to shows with the Huffington Post and the BBC, and a range of other clients. Early in our acquaintance, Alex played a number of roles in Collaboration and went on to turn the raw recordings into a real audio drama, transporting the audience back to 1940s Paris under Nazi Occupation. Alex was also responsible for the imaginative production of Confessional, in which he played the Bishop of Nantes, who attempts to save the immortal soul of a child-murderer.
Most recently, Alex played the elusive John Walkinshaw Craufurd in There Goes Craufurdland, whose loyalty to an old friend was to cost him dear. Alex, true to form, also designed the com,plelling soundscape for the play.
Find more about Alex here.
DAVID SIMPSON
COMPOSER
David Simpson composed and performed the dark, disturbing theme music for Confessional in 2020. More recently, he composed and produced the music for There Goes Craufurdland, cleverly entwining the everyday theme of domesticity with the heavy notes of the aftermath to the 1745 Jacobite uprising.
David has worked on three Top Ten albums with the band, CHVRCHES, receiving two gold discs and touring the world several times with them and with other international artists.
David's work has been featured on Netflix, Amazon Prime, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky as well as CBS, NBC and ABC in the US and numerous other international networks.
Find out more about David's work here
RACHEL MACPHERSON-GRAHAM
ACTOR AND SINGER
Rachel is a Scottish actor and singer from Glasgow. She obtained a BA (Honours) in Musical Theatre from Motherwell College, and a Master’s degree in Musical Theatre from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Rachel has played a variety of roles in theatre, including Reenie inthe highly-acclaimed show, Sweet FA, at the Fringe in 2022.
Rachel has voiced many characters in our audio dramas, notably the elsuive Dôbhran in Sea Change (2021) and Joan of Arc in Confessional (2020). Most recently, Rachel played the role of Jean Armour in The Lady and The Poet, as well as singing some of Robert Burns’s best-loved songs in the play.
See more about Rachel here
ROBERT DONALDSON
ACTOR
Robert’s part as the jovial narrator in The Lady and The Poet allows him licence to comment on the poet’s life and loves, as well as his friendship with the respectable Mrs Frances Dunlop. In Sea Change (2021) Robert plays the old islander, Fergus whose lonely walks along the seashore are about to change dramatically. In Confessional, he is the thuggish sentry at the gates of the Château of Nantes where Gilles de Rais, is awaiting his sentence.
Robert has been involved every aspect of local theatre for around forty-five years, taking on myriad tasks from set-building to acting and directing a range of stage plays.
JOHN McQUISTON
ACTOR, MUSICIAN
John is a highly experienced actor with many TV and film credits to his name. John has been acting for more than twenty years and divides his time between that and playing guitar at the weekends. John’s versatility as a voice actor can be heard in The Lady and The Poet. He plays two contrasting roles; the first is that of the enraged James Armour, father of Jean, who throws her out of the house because of her relationship with Robert Burns. At the end of the play, John takes on the role of the gentle and loyal brother-in-law to Jean, Gilbert Burns, as he tries to comfort her after the death of her beloved Rab.
More about John here
KERRI CLARENCE
ACTOR AND SINGER
In High Spirits, Kerri plays the part of Elsa who inspires Breagh to face all of her fears and, in turn, comes to face up to her own.
With a passion for storytelling, Kerri works across the arts, performing, writing and in production. Gaining a degree in Drama, and specialising in playwriting, she undertook a post-graduate diploma in Screen Project Development and later joined Red Kite Animation, working across several International Emmy and BAFTA nominated animated television series. Kerri took a career break to train as an actor, and was thrilled to be part of the High Spirits cast.
More about Kerri here
ANGELA NESS
ACTOR
Angela is a professional actor and voice actor and graduate of Rose Bruford. In High Spirits, Angela plays Breagh, the rebel who has returned to her native island of Donan, but who is not sure why.
Angela has narrated and been cast in many audiobooks and audio dramas, including most recently Scots Pine by Nicola Baldwin for The Imperial War Museum and Who Are You by Timberlake Wertenbaker for the Royal Lyceum. She has been cast in new writing podcasts for companies such as Shadows at The Door and Dashing Onions. Angela lives in Dunkeld with her husband and enjoys occasional visits from her skint children.
See more about Angela’s work here
MATTHEW O’HARA
ACTOR
Matthew is a versatile actor who portrays the Ardnahaven’s bemused manager, Stewart, in High Spirits. I met Matthew when he played the lead role in Kenny Burnham’s play, They’ll Get You Now You’re Gone, where I was privileged to play the part of his controlling mother. Needless to say, I was delighted when Matthew agreed to take part in High Spirits as Elsa’s persistent and patient suitor.
NIALL MACDONALD
ACTOR
In Confessional, Niall Macdonald plays the Surgeon in its opening scene and at the end of the play, as a witness to its final outcome.
Niall Macdonald is a man of many voices, having trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Acting Coach Scotland. As well as taking a key role in our first audio drama, Collaboration, Niall plays the bemused News Announcer and Ship’s Steward in the island fantasy High Spirits.
Find out more about Niall's work here
GREGOR KEACHIE
MUSICIAN
Gregor is the composer of the beautiful song, Face Fear, which closes the play High Spirits, and summarises its message perfectly.
Gregor also played the haunting Edith Piaf song, Y A Pas d'Printemps, for Collaboration.
Gregor is a freelance professional musician, musical director and composer performing regularly around the country both as a solo artist, with bands and accompanying various performers, such as Brian Kennedy and Rufus Wainwright. Gregor has been the Musical Director for shows including West Side Story, Rent, Legally Blonde, Joseph, Little Women and Hairspray as well as performing as a trumpet and keyboard player. Gregor is also Musical Director for singer/songwriter artist Christy O’Donnell who is signed to Decca Records.
To hear more of Gregor’s work, click here
CHRISTY SCOTT
SINGER
Christy Scott sings Face Fear, the song that ends High Spirits with its message of courage and hope. Christy’s voice does indeed soar like an angel’s.
Inspired by her Scottish heritage, Christy skilfully channels her wealth of experience in traditional Scots song and folk music through her beautiful, alluring voice. Christy's wealth of talent in the songwriting genre is realised when listening to her sophisticated and impassioned storytelling.
More about Christy here
RACHEL HAIR
MUSICIAN
Rachel Hair plays the Scottish harp, known as the clarsach, to accompany the beautiful song, Face Fear, by Gregor Keachie.
Widely regarded as one of the world’s finest exponents of clarsach playing, Rachel is a prominent performer in the Traditional Music scene and having toured extensively throughout Europe, the US and beyond, she has released five critically acclaimed albums.
To find out more about Rachel's work click here
RON JAPPY
MUSICIAN
A graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, is a highly sought-after fiddle player Ron has performed for some high-profile people including Sir Sean Connery, Karen Gillan and Ewan McGregor and Prince Charles.
And we’re lucky that Ron agreed to play guitar on the haunting track, Face Fear, which ends High Spirits. Ron’s own debut album, Vincular, celebrates the role of the accompanist and has been met with critical acclaim.
More about Ron's work is here
InGram noble
In Sea Change, Ingram plays Paul, a young Englishman who has come to work on the Scottish Isle of Arran for the summer. Unused to the ways of the island and its inhabitants, Paul is utterly seduced by everything about it.
Ingram Noble was born in 1998. He graduated from Glasgow Kelvin College in Acting and Theatre Performance. Ingram is also a playwright and currently hosts the #DramaSchoolDropout Podcast
More about Ingram's work here
DAVID SILLARS
ACTOR
In Confessional, David plays Gilles de Rais, the medieval super-hero turned serial murderer, who is still remembered in French legends as the monster, Bluebeard.
David Sillars trained at the RSAMD and has worked in film, television, radio and theatre since 1968. In 2016 he was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best Performance in a British Feature at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. David is also an Audible audiobook narrator.
More about David, acting and art here
KENNY BURNHAM
ACTOR, PLAYRIGHT, DRAMATURG
Kenny Burnham is an actor, playwright and dramaturg. He has written three performed plays: A Journey Around My Room for Stark Theatre about the French Revolution; Hollow for Govanhill Theatre about the 2008 financial crash; and They’ll Get You Now You’re Gone, a post-modern play on vaulting ambition and its far reaching effects on communities. Kenny was a founding member of Stark Theatre and helped develop 6 productions between 2007 and 2016.
Kenny appears in Collaboration as both a police officer and a prisoner of war. Later, in Confessional, Kenny plays the role of Samuel, a servant caught up in the crimes he strives to ignore, committed by a master whose will he has not the power to refuse. Samuel is looking for absolution. He may not find it.
Find out more about Kenny's work here
E J ROWLEY
ACTOR
E J is a poet and singer as well as an accomplished actress. She was born in England and brought up in the west of Scotland. She performs her poetry mainly in Glasgow, and has recently taken part in audio productions for the L'Histoire series. E J played the part of Simone in Collaboration, who narrates the play.
In Confessional, E J plays Peronne, the bereft mother of one of the victims who was a witness at the trial of their murderer. In the play, Peronne curses those who witnessed the crimes and who did nothing.
SCOTT CANEVY
ACTOR
Scott Canevy is the Narrator in Confessional, providing a timeline for the play and setting it in its historic context. Scott also plays the role of the Gaoler, on guard at the cell of Gilles de Rais, who is terrified of the powerful prisoner within its walls.
Scott Canevy trained in Acting and Performance at Langside College. He has worked with Short Attention Span Theatre, helping writers bring their ideas to life. Confessional is Scott's first audio drama.
ALASDAIR FERGUSON
ACTOR
Alasdair Ferguson is an actor and film-maker whose first movie as a writer, Ghosts of Burgundy Grove, won various festival awards. Since then he has written and directed four more critically acclaimed films.
Alasdair has acted in more than 20 short films and performed onstage in several plays, including Isobel Barratt's recent play, The Islets of Silence. Collaboration, in which he plays several roles, is Alasdair's first audio drama.
More about Alasdair here
IONA DUNLOP
ACTOR
Iona Dunlop plays a child of Anjou in Confessional, one of those who are terrorised by the stories and rumours surrounding Bluebeard, or Barbe-Bleue. She and her brothers and sisters are afraid to sleep at night because of the tales they are told about the monster who takes away children.
Confessional was Iona’s first experience of performing in an audio drama.
GEORGE MCCLURE
ACTOR
Confessional is set early in the fifteenth century, somewhere in the ancient Anjou region of France. George McClure plays the part of the page to Gilles de Rais and also appears as a boy whose village lies en route to the French city of Nantes.
George is an experienced member of Ayrshire's Fib Youth Theatre, playing everything from zombies to super-heroes - and now a medieval boy!
KIRSTY CASSELS
WEBSITE DESIGNER
Kirsty is a multidisciplinary designer who loves a challenge, Kirsty jumped at the opportunity to create a website that was host to audio dramas, something she hadn’t done before.
"Building a website for Jill was a joy - I’ve known Jill for many years, so was determined to capture her bright and engaging personality for this new venture of hers. Jill was very open to ideas, and knew what she was after, which left the design, layout and branding up to me. That’s the fun bit! ”
@koistycassels
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”
SUPPORT ME
You can support me by buying me a coffee…
As you see, I'm a storyteller based in Scotland, with a love of radio drama, history and folklore. I write and produce radio plays with more than a little help from my friends and I want to be able to pay people for the work they do in bringing my writing to life for your ears to enjoy. I capture many of my ideas while sitting in cafés, so of course, writing requires a lot of coffee to be drunk, and every little (as they say) helps the process. If you have enjoyed my stories, then mine is usually a skinny cappuccino, gratefully received!
Follow me on social media