Assistant Directors
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.
Grace Marshall
Assistant Director - Wednesday 11-14s
Grace is an actor and theatre-maker based in Edinburgh. She is currently finishing an HND in Acting and Performance with Performing Arts Studio Scotland, and is about to begin a BA Honours degree in Dance and Drama.
She has performed in theatres all across Edinburgh, including at the Royal Lyceum and the Traverse Theatre.
She is passionate about creating theatre that sparks conversation, and using it as a unique tool to educate, and hopes to inspire young people to do the same!
Dan Webb
Assistant Director - Friday 8-10s
Dan Webb is an Actor who recently graduated with a BA Honours Degree in Dance and Drama from Edinburgh College. He enjoys devising and creating pieces of work that put smiles on the faces of his audience, and is always looking for new avenues to bring happiness to people through Drama.
Rebecca Forsyth
Assistant - Monday 8-18s
Rebecca is a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University where she studied Acting and English Literature. She since joined Strange Town youth agency and has toured extensively around Scotland with performances for high schools, in the premiere of STORM LANTERN in 2022, and BALISONG (Strange Town in partnership with Fast Forward productions).
She has also toured the UK with various shows including ANTIGONE NA hEIREANN (Aulos Productions) and THE SHAKESPEARES; SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE (Storyboard Theatre), which was also taken to high school pupils.
She has enjoyed working with young people in various theatrical settings: post-show discussions/workshops, script development and short film work for BFI/Screen Education Edinburgh. She has a great passion for music in performance and has assisted in teaching songs in a children’s theatre group.
She cares about allowing young people to create and play in a way that lets them learn and express themselves, and she enjoys learning just as much from them.
Ellie Duncan
Ellie is a Scottish theatre-maker, facilitator and performer, who graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Drama and Dance with Kingston University and Edinburgh College in 2023.
Ellie has been involved in the industry from a very young age and has experience and training in both Film and Stage. Ellie is fascinated about moments of history and implementing that into her work. In 2023, she wrote and co-directed her own show ‘The Fool’ which was set in the regency era and performed in The Voodoo Rooms.
Ellie enjoys exploring theatre through improvisation and play and strives to create work that activates the voice of young people, whilst having a lot of fun in the process.
Charlie Houston
Charlie has been working in Youth Theatre since 2016 and joined Strange Town in 2019 as part of the After School Drama program.
Charlie graduated from Edinburgh College with a HND in Acting and Performance in Summer 2021. They have performed all over Scotland with many theatre groups and they have also directed several times as well. They love their work with StrangeTown and enjoy working with all the young people to make art that the young people can be proud of.
Jenny Quinn
Jenny trained in Acting with Musical Theatre at the MGA Academy of Performing Arts in Edinburgh where she gained extensive experience within the Arts.
In December 2015, she travelled to Warsaw, Poland to perform in a play to entertain and educate children in International Schools with Manhattan Childrens Theatre.
After graduating in 2017, she toured around the UK with several plays including Antigone na hEireann (2018) written and directed by James Beagon, and The Grandmothers Grimm (2019) with Some Kind of Theatre. She is now a freelance teacher and loves working in youth theatre.
Amy Wilson
Amy is a theatre maker, performer and youth arts facilitator from West Lothian. She graduated with BA(hons) Dance and Drama from Kingston University and Edinburgh College in 2020, during which she completed a placement with Strange Town.
Amy is passionate about working with children and young people and has worked extensively in the youth and participatory theatre sector for the past 9 years.
Amy enjoys using theatre and drama to play, explore, and learn more about the world in which we live and allowing a fun, creative safe space for young people to discover themselves and their voice.
Cara Moloney
Assistant Director: Friday 8-10s
As a current 4th year Drama student at Queen Margaret University, Cara enjoys all things theatre and performance.
While studying and performing through her degree, Cara works part-time as a youth worker at Granton Youth. Further, she has gained work experience such as with Halo Arts, assisting in workshops and leading drama activities.
Working closely with communities and young people in creative and development settings in Edinburgh, she feels passionate about utilising her love for theatre and creating opportunities for young people. Cara wishes to encourage others to utilise drama as a tool in developing confidence, self-expression and celebrating friendships!
Debi Pirie
Assistant Director
Debi is a queer, disabled identifying actor, director and theatre-maker from rural Aberdeenshire with a keen interest in imaginative new writing. Based in Leith, they are one half of arts collective Theatre Fakers – a space seeking to address imposter syndrome within the industry. In 2021 Debi gained 5 star reviews and a sold out venue for their MFA Directorial showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As well as theatre, Debi has a love of art, illustration, comedy and Scots folk music.
Megan Rough
Megan is a theatre and tourism professional based in Edinburgh. She has a First Class M.A. (Hons) in English and Modern History from St. Andrews University and is qualified in Acting through Trinity College London’s Speech and Drama Diploma. She passed the course with Distinction last year. Megan was also part of the Junior Conservatoire of Acting programme at RCS between 2015 and 2016.
Megan joined Strange Town as a Young Company and staff member in 2022. She worked as the Assistant Director on Storm Lantern by Strange Town Touring Company and now assists at Strange Town Youth Theatre. She has been working with young people through tour guiding and tutoring for nearly four years, and enjoys using creative learning to build confidence and inspire young people to think for themselves.
Day-to-day, she can be found at The Real Mary King’s Close, where she has worked in tour guiding and marketing for the past year.
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 documentaries, run workshops for emerging writers, created several new-writing audio series, organised scratch nights for performance artists in Glasgow and dabbled in stage management. Basically, she’ll say yes to everything and loves a challenge!
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 and is now an Assistant Director with Strange Town.
