The Team

Janice Connolly, Artistic Director
Janice is a founder member of the company and has been the Artistic Director for the past 15 years. She has written, directed and performed in very many projects for the company.
Janice is a trained teacher, she has worked for Barnardo’s with excluded young people and also has a freelance career as a comedy actress and Stand up. She has been on telly as Holy Mary in Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights on Channel 4, Dead Man Weds on ITV and Thin Ice on BBC2. She has played two roles in Coronation Street, first appearing as Peter Kay’s mother in 2004 and then as Sheila Wheeler in the Kabin with Norris in 2009.

Her comedy character, Mrs. Barbara Nice is a well loved comedy circuit headliner who also tours one woman shows. You can visit Barbara at her very own website.

Terina Talbot, Associate Director
Terina has been working as an Associate Director with Women & Theatre since September 2004 – which means she is part of the ‘core team’ continuing to shape & develop the work of the company. This also involves directing, facilitating, devising and performing. She worked on a freelance basis with the company for many years before this – so this seemed a natural progression!

Previously a member of Big Brum TIE company where she worked as an actor- teacher & director; A singer/performer on Newsrevue (satirical comedy show); A visiting lecturer at Wolverhampton University, Newman University College and Fircroft College; An ice- cream van driver.

Originally from South Wales, Terina has now lived here in England for over 20 years and though not really a ’sporty type’ gets an inexplicable thrill whenever Wales thrash England in ‘the Rugby’!

Sarah-Jane Watkinson, Interim General Manager
Sarah-Jane is covering the role of General Manager while Jess is on maternity leave. Her connections with W&T go back many years and she is really pleased to have a proper job with the company at last. Previously, she’s worked with Sampad South Asian Arts, Theatre Writing Partnership, National Dance Teachers Association and Sound It Out Community Music. Her post at W&T is part time so she’s also carrying on with her own freelance projects. She’s done a variety of things to earn a living such as selling cakes at festivals and building giant ostriches.

Sarah-Jane grew up in Ilkeston in Derbyshire and moved to Birmingham in 1985 when she studied Theatre Design at Birmingham Polytechnic and hasn’t been able to escape since. In her spare time she likes growing vegetables, cooking, eating, hill walking and camping and is a recent convert to cycling.

Pippa Frith, Project Co-ordinator
Pippa is the newest member of the Women & Theatre team, and is very pleased to join them! Pippa has fitted a lot into her still relatively young career, most recently having spent 2 years Programming at The Drum Arts Centre in Birmingham. Prior to that Pippa worked on the delivery team for the prestigious decibel 2007 International Showcase and on the exciting Fierce! 10 Festival.

She has also worked at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Derby Dance Centre. Pippa graduated in 2003 from Manchester Metropolitan University, successfully completing a degree in Contemporary Arts.

Kat Bailey, Administration & Marketing Assistant
Kat has been at W&T since 2005, first as Administration Assistant, with the Marketing bit coming along later. Her role includes finance, assisting on project admin, and that all-important marketing, from grappling with strategy to making sure the newsletter gets out on time.

Kat is part-time and in her other life works for Sonia Sabri Dance Company. She loves working at W&T with a great bunch of people committed to making theatre with a real purpose.

Melisa Harrison, Associate Artist
Melisa Harrison joined the Women and Theatre team as an apprentice in May 2009. Her role comprises many things, from research and devising to acting to making copious cups of tea for the rest of the team.  Having had many previous incarnations along lifes highway including trampolining coach, call centre worker and university student, she came to us via the Creative Alliance Apprenticeship Scheme and is completing an NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Community Arts Management. She has proved a handy member of the team especially when things on high shelves need to be brought down.

She uses her spare time to read, write and sing as well as being a prolific user of Ebay. A glory supporter, she supports Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea depending on league position and potential for ritual “We won – you didn’t” evenings with friends.

Jess Williams, General Manager
Jess has been at Women & Theatre for over 6 years and been the Company’s General Manager for 5 years – with a brief 9 month break when she had her daughter Cassie. She’s currently on maternity leave having another, and will be back with the company later in the year.

Previously she worked as Marketing & Information Officer at DanceXchange. She also has extensive experience of hands-on theatre work having performed and stage managed a wide range of small-scale and pub theatre productions with local companies such as PD, Maverick and Rear Window.

Jess grew up in Birmingham having moved here from London at the age of 8. After graduating from Sheffield University with a English Literature Degree, she returned to Birmingham to pursue a career in arts administration.