LAURA J HARRIS

Writer | Director | Actor |Theatre Maker

As a director, educator, artist, and storyteller, I am deeply connected to all aspects of theatre and live performance. For over a decade, I've served at the helm of The Boaty Theatre Company, nurturing young talent from Ellesmere Port and leading these Young Theatre Makers to perform on prestigious stages, including The Sheffield Crucible, The Quays Theatre at The Lowry, and The Dorfman Stage at the National Theatre.

My commitment extends beyond direction to empowering young people and both new and established artists and creatives. I have delivered workshops and sessions across the UK. These workshops include Creative Writing, Understanding Shakespeare, Physical Theatre and Voicework for Actors for RSC, NT and standalone.

I believe such workshop experiences to be crucibles that ignite and shape artistic passion.

Navigating my life and career with a range of heart conditions and autoimmune diseases, I've found resilience and healing in the arts. Overcoming hurdles and 'blocks' has been an ever-present experience that intertwines with my work, proving that our vulnerabilities are the very fuel for our creative fire.

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Why Do I Write?

This is a question I've been asked time and again - which is perfectly fine, by the way! - and I think the most honest answer I have to offer is that I write because I love to write.

I love it more than anything.

I love that feeling of getting lost in the words and the worlds you have the privilege of creating; of listening to the characters as they whisper their stories to you... letting them carry you forward along the river of creation. It is simply magical.

I have always enjoyed the research aspect that goes hand-in-hand with writing anything, and am guilty indeed of becoming lost for hours - even days! - when it comes to researching and story planning.

I am particularly passionate about giving (and returning) a voice to those whose stories have previously been overlooked, neglected and eradicated. I very much enjoy exploring the voices and stories of women that His-story has managed to keep hidden from us for millennia. Similarly I am incredibly passionate about queer voices in history and literature. I am very proud to be a walking, talking, 'here and queer' active member of the LGBTQI+ community and have always been keen to do all that I can to uncover and to drive queer stories forward into a more mainstream arena; to see more LGBTQI+ characters take a centre stage in their own stories rather than simply being the 'B' story or the 'unhappy fable'. I long to and to make compelling, queer-centric, character-driven stories more accessible and universal for the kids like my younger self, who longed for such tales and characters.

Influences

Writers who really inspire me include Madeline Miller, Pat Barker, Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes, each of whom appear to share a desire that mirrors my own; to uncover and promote the untold story. To give voice to the often glossed-over herstory that exists in so many ancient/classic texts.

My shelves are filled with incredible, effervescent works of fiction (and non-fiction) brought to life so skilfully by these inspiring authors and I am thankful everyday for discovering them.

I also love reading Ben Kane’s sagas, shorts and stand-alones, as well as Jodi Taylor's St Mary's and Time Police series. Both of these authors bring history to life in their own unique and incredible way!

I'm sure it won't surprise you to discover that I also enjoy many novelised adaptations of Shakespeare's plays by writers including David Hewitt and AJ Hartley and Howard Jacobson.

To all of these Writers - some of whom I have had the joy of meeting, others whose words are the only means by which I know them - thank you for the lessons you have taught me without ever knowing the part you have played.