Simon Usher JOINT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
For Presence Theatre Simon's productions include CHORALE - A Sam Shepard Roadshow, If So, Then Yes and Warm. Staged Readings include They Have Given Us The Land, You Can't Hear Dogs Barking & Luvina, Perkin Warbeck, Uncle Vanya and, as co-director, The War in Heaven. He co-led the Reading Group Live! event at the Nottingham European Arts and Theatre Festival, the Performance of Directing workshops at Rose Bruford College and the workshops and discussion sessions at Dreams Before Dawn Festival in Paris.
He has also directed The Tempest, The Dead Dogs and Ivy and Joan at The Print Room, The Complaint at Hampstead Theatre and Making the Sound of Loneliness for Actors Touring Company at Latitude Festival. He has also staged major productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court Theatre, the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and in London’s West End. He has been Artistic Director at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and Associate Director of the Leicester Haymarket.
Further credits include The World’s Biggest Diamond, Herons, Mother Teresa is Dead and Black Milk (Royal Court), King Baby and Tamar’s Revenge (Royal Shakespeare Company), Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre), Timon of Athens, The Broken Heart, Pericles and The Winter’s Tale (Leicester Haymarket), Pond Life, Not Fade Away, The Mortal Ash and Card Boys (The Bush), Burning Everest and Exquisite Sister (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Mr Puntilla and His Man Matti and Holes in the Skin (Chichester Festival Theatre), Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Waiting for Godot, Hamlet and Whole Lotta Shakin’ (Coventry Belgrade), Great Balls of Fire (Cambridge Theatre, West End), No Man’s Land (English Touring Theatre) and The Wolves (Paines Plough
He has also directed The Tempest, The Dead Dogs and Ivy and Joan at The Print Room, The Complaint at Hampstead Theatre and Making the Sound of Loneliness for Actors Touring Company at Latitude Festival. He has also staged major productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court Theatre, the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and in London’s West End. He has been Artistic Director at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and Associate Director of the Leicester Haymarket.
Further credits include The World’s Biggest Diamond, Herons, Mother Teresa is Dead and Black Milk (Royal Court), King Baby and Tamar’s Revenge (Royal Shakespeare Company), Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre), Timon of Athens, The Broken Heart, Pericles and The Winter’s Tale (Leicester Haymarket), Pond Life, Not Fade Away, The Mortal Ash and Card Boys (The Bush), Burning Everest and Exquisite Sister (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Mr Puntilla and His Man Matti and Holes in the Skin (Chichester Festival Theatre), Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Waiting for Godot, Hamlet and Whole Lotta Shakin’ (Coventry Belgrade), Great Balls of Fire (Cambridge Theatre, West End), No Man’s Land (English Touring Theatre) and The Wolves (Paines Plough
Colin Ellwood JOINT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
For Presence Theatre Colin coordinates the regular actors' play reading group sessions and created and co-led the Performance of Directing workshops at Rose Buford and the workshops and discussion sessions at Dreams Before Dawn Festival in Paris.
He has also directed extensively throughout the UK including at the RSC, Traverse, Soho Theatre, Norwich Festival, Finborough, Kings Head and Shakespeare's Globe. He was Artistic Director of Strangers Gallery Theatre Company 1995-2002 and Opening Acts T.I.E. company touring Scotland 1987 - 91. Colin has taught and directed at many of the UK's major drama schools including Guildhall, Central, ALRA, Webber Douglas and has regularly led workshops at for example the Actors Centre and the V&A Theatre Museum. He was also Administrator of the Scottish Society of Playwrights, Colin is course director on the Theatre Program of the US-based organisation IES Abroad. He was Programme Director (2007-2011) of the Rose Bruford Directing BA, teaching students who have since gone on to Artistic Directorships at Manchester Royal Exchange, Live Theatre Newcastle, The Watermill Newbury, Charing Cross Theatre, Bolton Octagon and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and who have also directed main house shows at the RSC, National, Donmar, the Royal Court and Shakespeare's Globe, amongst others.
Anna Mors PRODUCER
In 2019 Anna completed an MA programme in Arts and Cultural Management from King's College London, where her area of research was relating to intersemiotic translation and theatre.
Anna first trained acting in Poland and after that theatre directing at Rose Bruford College, where she gained First Class BA Directing degree in 2009.
In the past she received The Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust Bursary in 2008, The Rose Bruford Directing Bursary in 2011 and 2012, and The Kevin Spacey Foundation grant in 2013.
Her debut play, Hannah, was awarded a joined runner-up place for the New Writing South New Play Award at the Brighton Fringe Festival in 2010.
Play Occupied by Carla Grauls, staged in April 2014 received very positive reviews and was nominated to two Off West End Theatre Awards.
Other directing credits include: I am Gavrilo Princip by Oliver Yellop (Edinburgh Fringe festival, Queen's Theatre Hornchurch), Lest We Forget by Marcia Zanelatto (Theatre503, Theatre De Menilmontant, Paris), The Frame by Michael Bhimm (Soho Theatre Upstairs) Showmance by Anna Jordan (Theatre503), A Night Out by Harold Pinter (Rose Bruford College), Someone Like You by Anna Jordan (Theatre503, PLAYlist) Sid by Matt Cunningham, Coming Home by Anna Jordan, (Theatre503: Rapid Write Response), Friends and Family and Other People by Sean Buckley and David Watson (BAC), Holloway Road by Darren Murphy (Theatre503, Urban Scrawl), Dead Dog at Dry Cleaners by Angelica Liddell (Pleasance Theatre).
In 2019 Anna completed an MA programme in Arts and Cultural Management from King's College London, where her area of research was relating to intersemiotic translation and theatre.
Anna first trained acting in Poland and after that theatre directing at Rose Bruford College, where she gained First Class BA Directing degree in 2009.
In the past she received The Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust Bursary in 2008, The Rose Bruford Directing Bursary in 2011 and 2012, and The Kevin Spacey Foundation grant in 2013.
Her debut play, Hannah, was awarded a joined runner-up place for the New Writing South New Play Award at the Brighton Fringe Festival in 2010.
Play Occupied by Carla Grauls, staged in April 2014 received very positive reviews and was nominated to two Off West End Theatre Awards.
Other directing credits include: I am Gavrilo Princip by Oliver Yellop (Edinburgh Fringe festival, Queen's Theatre Hornchurch), Lest We Forget by Marcia Zanelatto (Theatre503, Theatre De Menilmontant, Paris), The Frame by Michael Bhimm (Soho Theatre Upstairs) Showmance by Anna Jordan (Theatre503), A Night Out by Harold Pinter (Rose Bruford College), Someone Like You by Anna Jordan (Theatre503, PLAYlist) Sid by Matt Cunningham, Coming Home by Anna Jordan, (Theatre503: Rapid Write Response), Friends and Family and Other People by Sean Buckley and David Watson (BAC), Holloway Road by Darren Murphy (Theatre503, Urban Scrawl), Dead Dog at Dry Cleaners by Angelica Liddell (Pleasance Theatre).
Amelie Eberle DIRECTING/PRODUCING INTERNSHIP
Amelie was born and raised in Munich, Germany. After her A-Levels in 2015 she moved to London to undergo a foundation course in Performing Arts. She later continued her training at Rose Bruford College, with a focus both on performing and directing. Since graduating in 2020 she had the opportunity to work as an actor in fringe theatre productions as well as joining the Presence Theatre Team as a directing/producing intern.
Board of Trustees James Chalmers (Chairman) Colin Ellwood
Presence Theatre is a Company Limited by Guarantee
Registered in England & Wales no. 6315043
Registered Charity no. 1132900
Registered in England & Wales no. 6315043
Registered Charity no. 1132900
