What ignites the beginnings of a design, taking inspiration from the grotesque to the world of film and the importance of mentors throughout your life. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring the three Naomi Wilkinson Award for Stage Design winners, Ioana Curelea (2019), Lulu Tam (2022) and Sonya Smullen (2025).

About Ioana Curelea

Ioana (she/her), is a queer Eastern European set and costume designer based in London. She works across theatre and film, building visual worlds that are rooted in politics, psychology, and lived experience.

She trained at Wimbledon College of Arts UAL (BA and MA in Theatre Design), and now teaches on the MA course there as well as Central Saint Martins and East 15 Acting School. She also runs guest sessions and creative workshops in places like the London Screen Academy. Teaching is an essential part of her practice—a two-way exchange that constantly recharges her creative approach.

Most of Ioana’s work sits in devised and physical theatre, often circling themes like power, identity, displacement, and survival. She tends to gravitate toward projects that amplify marginalised voices and challenge conventional forms. Long-term collaborators include sanctuary company PSYCHEdelight, Open Sky, and Turtle Key Arts.

About Lulu Tam

Lulu Tam is a scenographer who likes to explore the relationship between materials, body, and space in performance. She trained on the MA Scenography at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now she teaches Performance Design at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

 Theatre credits include: The Mountaintop (Curve Theatre); The Children’s Inquiry (Southwark Playhouse); Bindweed (Mercury Theatre); Showdown (Chamäleon Theater, Berlin); I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life (Mercury Theatre); Woodhill (Edinburgh and UK Tour); The Killing of Sister George (Told by an Idiot at New Vic Theatre); Wáltsáil Abhaile (An Taibhdhearc); A Pretty Shitty Love (Theatr Clwyd); The Prince (Southwark Playhouse); This is Paradise (Traverse Theatre); Lit (Nottingham Playhouse/High Tide Festival); Seeds (Pleasance Theatre); Red/Chaos (ArtsEd); Invincible (Stephen Joseph Theatre, UK Tour, Off-Broadway Tour) and A Winter’s Tale (Les Kurbas Theatre, Ukraine).
 
Awards include: Linbury Prize 2015 (finalist); Taking the Stage, British Council (winner); World Stage Design 2017 (selected designer) and Naomi Wilkinson Award for Stage Design 2022 (winner).

About Sonya Smullen

Sonya is a set and costume designer from Glasgow who graduated from Wimbledon College of Arts with a BA in Theatre Design in 2022. Her focus is to make exciting new work that celebrates playful and devised processes. 

Design credits include: How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney? (Told by an Idiot / Unicorn Theatre); Three Sisters (WCA Theatre); Wasted (Lyric Hammersmith); The Poetry Brothel: I Spit Roses (The Century, Soho); Four Felons and a Funeral (Pleasance Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome); Lose the Path, Find your Way (Arts Depot); Listen to The Forest (Tramway, Roxy Assembly); Speed Queen (Museum of Comedy, Soho Theatre); Callisto (Jermyn Street Theatre).

Living between cultures and the impact this has on theatremaking, navigating the pull between self-led work and collective creativity and a preference for Bolivian Salteñas over Coventry Godcakes. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring award winning theatre maker, Jennifer Jackson.

About Jennifer Jackson

Jennifer Jackson is a Midlands-born, award winning British-Bolivian theatre-maker, movement director, choreographer, and performer whose work exists at the meeting point of performance and the excitement of a sports spectacle. 

With Jennifer Jackson Company, Jennifer creates exhilarating and empowering experiences for audiences and participants which invites them to dream into new kinships and cosmologies, and her performances encompass theatre, contemporary dance, live art, Bolivian folk dance, martial arts, and co-creation. Drawing from her mixed-heritage, Jennifer tells stories that speak to her diasporic heritage; exploring power & gender biases.

Jennifer’s recent production, Wrestleladswrestle, features a gang of 30 local women and non-binary folk who are trained to playfight with her. Her solo work, Endurance, was shortlisted for the Stückemarkt at the Theatertreffen (Berliner Festspiele, 2022). 

She has been presented at Battersea Arts Centre, HOME Manchester, Sheffield Crucible, Cambridge Junction, The Lowry and The egg (Bath Theatre Royal). She was the inaugural artist to be awarded the Artist Takeover at Factory International, and has been supported by Britten Pears; Choreodrome (The Place, London); Theaterhaus Mitte (Berlin); Barbican Open Lab; Jerwood Arts; Leverhulme Arts Scholarship; Without Walls;  MGC Futures; The Lowry; The egg; Sheffield Theatres; and Oxford Playhouse. She was invited onto the ‘Scene Change Residency’ in 2023 by Battersea Arts Centre, HET Theater Festival, and Nederlands Theater Festival. In 2024, Jennifer presented at Caravan Assembly, and was selected to pitch Endurance at Manchester International Festival 2025.

As a movement director, Jennifer’s recent credits include The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse (Nottingham Playhouse); Bindweed (Mercury Theatre); Cowbois, Julius Caesar, and Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC); as well as I, Joan, Merchant of Venice, and Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe).

The wicked Queens unruly mirror, being chased by flaming torches and sharing the stage with the wild man of Billingham (aka our wonderful Idiot Stephen Harper). All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring Mercè Ribot and Patrícia Rodriguez of award winning theatre company, Little Soldier.

About Little Soldier

Little Soldier Productions is a London-based theatre company founded in 2010 by Patricia Rodríguez and Mercè Ribot. From the beginning, we wanted to create a platform to explore how clowning and physical comedy could be used to subvert traditional modes of making theatre.

Since then, our work has been presented at leading theatres in the UK, US, Mexico, Poland and Spain. We have been supported by HOME Manchester, Battersea Arts Centre, Jackson’s Lane and Ovalhouse in London, and Arts Council England. In everything we make, we try not to let go of the joy and recklessness we believe are essential to comedy. At the same time, we use those same tools to provoke questions—sometimes uncomfortable ones—for ourselves and our audiences, about theatre and about life.

We’re drawn to exploring ideas around authorship, genius, success, and canon. Our shows are made through a collaborative process with other professionals - including acclaimed directors, writers and dramaturgs Kirsty Housley, Ursula Martinez, Adam Brace and Aitor Basauri - whose knowledge and experience feed directly into the work. Research and documentation are at the core of each project, which we test on stage before sharing it publicly. Each production is imagined as a space for thinking and for play.

“A riot of invention and risk-taking” THE SCOTSMAN

“These clowns know exactly what they’re doing” THE GUARDIAN

For more information, visit: https://littlesoldierproductions.co.uk/  

Hauling boxes as Josie Rourke’s removal man, his lifelong love for Les Mis and taking the helm as Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep earlier this year. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring celebrated director Joe Murphy.

About Joe Murphy
Joe Murphy joined The Rep in March 2025, following a transformative five-year tenure as Artistic Director at the Sherman Theatre. During his time there, the theatre saw record-breaking audience numbers, staged over 18 world premieres, and earned nominations for both The Stage’s Theatre of the Year Award and the Sky Arts Theatre Award. Joe was previously Associate Director at The Old Vic and before that Soho Theatre, and formerly the Artistic Director of new writing company nabokov.

His directing work spans both national and international stages touring work to New York, Moscow, St Petersburg, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bengaluru (Bangalore).

Joe’s directing credits include Woyzeck and No’s Knife for The Old Vic, Housemates, Christmas Carol, Odyssey 84 and Dance to the Bone for the Sherman, What I Learned From Johnny Bevan, which won two Fringe First Awards at Edinburgh and ran at Soho Theatre. He was Associate Director for Wolf Hall Bring Up the Bodies with the RSC in Stratford and the West End.

Joe’s earlier credits include The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas for the Children’s Touring Partnership, Bunny (Fringe First Award winner), and Blink, which toured the UK and New York. He also directed Virgin by EV Crowe at Watford Palace Theatre and Incognito by Nick Payne at the Bush Theatre.

Additional highlights include the 2nd May Response Plays at The Bush, featuring work by James Graham, Penelope Skinner, and Jack Thorne, and the West End run of Ghost Stories at the Duke of York Theatre.

Joe brings to The Rep a bold artistic vision, a deep commitment to new writing, and a proven ability to connect with audiences through powerful, thought-provoking theatre.

Her mum’s tendency to cover her dad in ketchup, accidentally becoming an actor and writing a song about racism that went viral. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring Olivier nominated singer, songwriter, actor and playwright, Anoushka Lucas.

About Anoushka Lucas
Anoushka Lucas is a singer, songwriter, actor and playwright. With a debut album championed by Jamie Cullum, Anoushka has built a career that successfully straddles the worlds of music and theatre. To date she has been nominated for an Olivier Award (Best Actress in a Musical, 2023), an Evening Standard Award (Best Playwright, 2023) and she is a recipient of a Stage Debut Award (Best Writer, 2023). Her second album, Make Believe, will be out in 2026. 

Sleeping in her dad’s guitar case as a child, being inspired to become an actor by Eddie Murphy’s performance in Beverley Hills Cop and the importance of not having something to fall back on. All this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few with stage and screen actor, Amaka Okafor.

About Amaka Okafor

Amaka is one of the UK’s most exciting rising stars. She recently filmed the female lead in Black Rabbit, a limited series for Netflix starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law. Directed by Bateman, Justin Kurzel & Laura Linney, it will be released in late 2025. It has also been announced that Amaka will star in Secret Service for Pot Boiler and ITV opposite Gemma Arterton. 

In 2023, Amaka led the cast of Netflix/Moonage Pictures hit drama Bodies, opposite Stephen Graham; and 8-time BAFTA nominated BBC drama The Responder. In film, Amaka starred as one of the four female leads in Coky Giedroyc’s Greatest Days, the glorious Take That movie-musical. She has also built a fantastic reputation in the UK with an incredible range of standout theatre. Working with some of our finest directors and dramaturges including Robert Icke, Lyndsey Turner and Rufus Norris. 

Being star struck by Les Dawson, realising you ‘re not as good an actor as you thought you were and following in the footsteps of legendary figures Mike Bradwell and John Godber All this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few with Hull Truck’s Artistic Director, Mark Babych.

About Mark Babych
Mark is the Artistic Director of Hull Truck Theatre where he has directed: The Borrowers, Pinocchio, Pop Music, Ladies Unleashed, Teechers Leavers 22’, 71 Coltman Street, The Railway Children, Romeo and Juliet, Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker, Two, Peter Pan, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Paragon Dreams, Oliver Twist, Mighty Atoms, A Christmas Treasure Island, The Gaul, Educating Rita, Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis, Sleeping Beauty, Dancing Through the Shadows, The Ladykillers, Cinderella and A Taste of Honey. 

He has directed a wide range of classic and contemporary theatre, new plays and Shakespeare, and his work has been seen throughout the UK, Republic of Ireland and Europe, including the Vanemuine Theatre in Estonia. He has twice won Fringe First Awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and several Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for Best Production. Between 1999 and 2009, Mark was the Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, where he directed over 47 productions, including work by Arthur Miller, Shakespeare, Martin McDonagh, Conor McPherson and new plays by Tanika Gupta, Alan Plater and Les Smith. He has held senior posts at several theatres, including Community Director at Oldham Coliseum, Associate Director at Worcester Swan Theatre, and Associate Artist at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, and Theatre Absolute, for whom he directed the award-winning Street Trilogy. 

Other theatre credits include: To Sir With Love (Royal & Derngate, Touring Consortium and UK tour); Cooking With Elvis (Derby Theatre); Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Hampstead Theatre and UK tour); Wuthering Heights (Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Welsh tour); The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (LAMDA); Auto (Vanemuine Theatre, Estonia); All the Way Home (Library Theatre in association with the Lowry); Associate Director of the 2011 production of the Olivier Award-winning The Railway Children; co-creative director of The Complete History of Drinking in the Northern Quarter for Northern Quarter Stories and Co-creative Director of Littlebigman Films. 

Film and television credits include: Blackburn (Littlebigman Films); Burner and Bedlam (ALRA North); and Coronation Street (ITV). 

Sliding down bannisters at Bristol Old Vic, throwing snowballs at his headteacher and his journey from The Wardrobe Ensemble to becoming Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate, Northampton. All this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few with celebrated director Jesse Jones.

About Jesse Jones

Jesse Jones joined Royal & Derngate as Artistic Director in July 2023. Jesse co-founded the multi-award-winning company The Wardrobe Ensemble, has been Associate Artistic Director at Paines Plough and first worked with Royal & Derngate in 2015 as Resident Assistant Director supported by a Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme bursary. In 2011 Jesse founded The Wardrobe Theatre where he was Co-Artistic Director until 2015 and is currently a trustee of Shoreditch Town Hall. 

Most recent directing credits include The Jolly Christmas Postmanand Simple8’s Moby Dick in association with Royal & Derngate. Other notable directing credits include Mog the Forgetful Cat, a co-production between Royal & Derngate, the Old Vic and Wardrobe Ensemble, West End hits Death Dropand its sequel Death Drop Back in the Habit, Sorry You’re Not a Winner for Paines Plough, and the world premiere musical adaptation of Pippi Longstocking, for Royal & Derngate and Wizard Presents. Other collaborations between Royal & Derngate and The Wardrobe Ensemble include Education, Education, Education and The Last of the Pelican Daughters. Productions for The Wardrobe Ensemble also include 1972: The Future of Sex and WINNERS. Other credits include The Wind in the Willows for The Core at Corby Cube, The Grandfathers with the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic, For the Record at Pleasance Theatre, This Perfect World for Theatre Royal Bath, Exceptional Mercy for The Old Vic, Building the Wall at The Bush Destiny at Tobacco Factory Theatres and Guttermouth, Wildbore and Scumbag for Wardrobe Theatre. 

Watching Blood Brotherson stage every year, hurtling down a mountain together and embarking on their first UK tour; The Intrusion. All this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few with international Lecoq-trained ensemble and Told by an Idiot associate company, Bric a Brac Theatre. 

About Bric à Brac Theatre

Bric à Brac Theatre are a Lecoq trained devising company that champion feminist theatre to address taboo subjects. Unafraid to push the boundaries, their collaborative practice aims to tackle challenging current affairs and showcase stories that deserve to be seen onstage. Combining various theatre mediums, Bric à Brac creates work that causes their audiences to become proactive and ask questions, all whilst maintaining the desire to develop meaningful connections. 

Playing numerous roles within the same production, early ambitions of becoming a surgeon (before he realised the amount of work it involved) and reaching number 46 in the UK music charts. All of this and more is discussed in this month’s episode of Regrets I’ve Had A Few, featuring celebrated performer and seasoned Idiot, Nick Haverson.

About Nick Haverson

His Theatre credits include: The Cat and the Canary (Told by an Idiot & Chichester Festival Theatre);The Yeoman of the Guard (The Grange Festival); Charlie & Stan (Told by an Idiot); Loves Labour’s Lost & Won (Much Ado About Nothing) (RSC Stratford & Haymarket London); Too Clever By Half (Royal Exchange Manchester, Told by an Idiot); Ben Hur (Watermill Newbury); The Devil and Mr.Punch (Improbable, Philadelphia USA/ Barbican UK); ‘1984’ (Northern Broadsides); Low Pay, Don’t Pay (Salisbury Playhouse); The Lost Voice (Southbank Centre); The Venetian Twins (Bolton Octagon); Ruby Moon (Northern Stage); Satyagraha (Improbable at London Coliseum/Metropolitan Opera House, NY); Theatre Of Blood (Improbable at The National Theatre); The Hanging Man (Improbable US tour & Sydney Opera House); And The Horse You Rode In On, Beauty & The Beast (Told by an Idiot); The Pirates of Penzance (Orange Tree, Richmond); The Solid Gold Cadillac (Garrick); By Jeeves (Duke of York /Lyric); The Magic Carpet (Lyric Hammersmith).

TV credits include: Scott & Bailey; Tales from the Old Bailey; The Mimic; Thank God You’re Here (series); Ashes to Ashes; Spooks; New Tricks; Casualty; Head Over Heels (series, for which he also recorded the title song ); Murder Rooms -The Dark Beginnings Of Sherlock Holmes; Sunday; A Fatal Inversion; Last Days of Ashenden; The Bill; Redemption; Devices and Desires; Absolutely True; Wyrd sisters (The Worst Witch 2).

Films include: Matriarch; Muppets Most Wanted; Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd; Hilary & Jackie; Susie Gold; The Tales of Despereaux (animation); Gulliver's Travels; Men Who Sleep in Cars.; Original Skin (BBC short); Gli Zii (short); Sherman (Short).

Radio: Hilda, The Barchester Chronicles, Two to Tandem, Men Who Sleep in Cars, By Jeeves (BBC Radio 4); The Edge (BBC Radio York).