Amy is a Scottish actress and presenter who studied Film, Media & Broadcast Journalism at the University of Stirling before gaining a Masters in Classical and Contemporary Text, with Merit in Acting, from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Amy has written 3 pieces for Strange Town so far; comedy shorts Please Give: 1 & 2 for the Young Company, about strangers meeting in a blood donation centre and Cinderella, a modern pantomime for the Youth Theatre, later adapted and retitled Cindy for its revival at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in 2014.
0131 629 0292
info@strangetown.org.uk
Meet more of the Team
Lori Cook
Lori graduated from Performing Arts Studio Scotland in 2023 with a BA Hons degree in Dance and Drama with Kingston University.
She has been involved in theatre her whole life from performing to assistant-directing and choreographing for amateur theatre groups. She wants to encourage children get into drama and to make it a fun enjoyable way for them to express themselves.
Jenny Anderson
Jenny has worked in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders as a drama practitioner since 2017. Through this work, she helps young people to develop their confidence and perfect their drama skills whilst having fun and making new friends.
She also runs Zoom workshops for young people across the UK with the same rare syndrome (Kabuki) as herself. They gain so much by connecting through drama. She loves all aspects of my work both face to face and in the virtual world and is very much looking forward to this new chapter working regularly with Strange Town.
Anna Whealing
Anna is a highlands-born writer, theatre-maker and producer. She has worked with community groups, volunteers, children, artists and industry members. Anna has produced award-winning short films and documentries, run workshops for emerging writers, created several new-writing audio series, organised scratch nights for performance artists in Glasgow and dabbled in stage managment. Basically, she’ll say yes to everything and loves a challange! Anna is currently a creative trainee on textLAB, a writers programme run by Scottish Youth Theatre and Playwrights Studio Scotland. She has acted as Assistant Director for A Play, A Pie and A Pint and Mull Theatre.
Ola Olsinova
Ola is an actor with experience working as a school, nursery, and language teacher, and as a nanny for several years. She has a degree in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Edinburgh, as well as Acting from the MGA Academy. Ola is passionate about supporting children in finding out what they love (her favourite is when that happens to be theatre), exploring the world through creative lenses, and helping children develop empathy and understanding of the world and other people through drama.
Adam Butler
Originally from Edinburgh, Adam has recently moved back from Glasgow where he spent four years training and developing his craft.
Adam holds a BA Acting degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Since graduating, Adam has worked as an actor, director, producer, and tutor.
His current and previous tutoring work includes the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Rose Bruford College, Edinburgh Acting School, and Edinburgh Council’s Adult Education Course. His latest directing credit was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed in June 2024 at the Church Hill Theatre.
Adam is a supportive and approachable tutor, and looks to help students discover their full potential.
Pollyanna Esse
Pollyanna has worked with Strange Town for 2 years assisting various workshops. She graduated from Edinburgh University in 2022 with a Fine Art degree and is now training to be an Art Physiotherapist.
She has worked in theatre throughout her life and found her love for directing and producing in her final year of her undergraduate degree. In 2022, she wrote and directed her own Fringe show, going on to work for a New York based Theatre company. There she produced a programme for young and emerging playwrights as well as taking their show to Fringe in 2023. Some of the playwrights she mentored have now been commission to write for multiple theatres in New York. She has always had a love for arts education and giving people the space and opportunity to express themselves.
She has worked for Edinburgh International Festival for the past 2 years as their Digital Content Officer. So she has an strong organisation head too as well as being a creative at heart!
She recently set up Ophelia Hare Arts, where she aims to develop creative experiences that challenge the barriers of pay for early career creatives. She believes that no matter who you are, you should have access to the arts and experience the freedom of expression.
