Amelia Glydon

My name is Amelia Glydon (she/her). I'm 24 years old, born and bread in Essex but like every creative now live in London.

My three stand out projects I have AD on so far are, Eltham Palace with the company Pappy show. A devised piece to celebrate the Queer community and the historical battles LGBTQ+ members faced throughout their time at Eltham. This was an immersive movement piece across the Palace and Gardens, which we created through the form of play and movement. Just before the pandemic I worked on an R&D Musical called Lilith with Damsel Production. This was 8 women retelling the legend of Adam and Eve through the eye of snake Lilith. This was enriched with female empowerment with an amazing live band on stage. Creating soundscapes and movement to transform the audience to a mystical time while the professional actors freestyled musically on top of the script. Finally, I have just finished being an AD on Maryland the new Royal Court show about gendered sexual assault. This was a new and exciting project for me as the focus was script based rather than devising. The way Lucy Kirkwirk has written this piece is stunning, enhanced with so much research, layers and depth. Therefore, on this project we let the text and the actors’ voices speak for themselves and blocking was very last minute.

All 3 of these shows pushed me creatively and what makes me so proud is that each story needed to be told. Each of these projects were standing up to the social norms and shining a light to issues that still need to be address. My goal is to tell the stories that are unheard through theatre, I believe the performing arts industry has always been influential in making a change to society and I want to use real life stories to create art. Outside of theatre, at the age of 18 I started working one on one with neuro diverse and disabled students in schools. I’ve seen first-hand how hard school and education is for so many of these young adults. It’s something that I am passionate about and will always be a part of my life in some way. Inspiring and working with these young people, showing them there are so many different ways to learn and be, other than the orthodoxy often presented at school. Helping their whole family to view their child’s disability in a different light, bringing performing and play to mealtimes and home life activities. We can observe social pressure for many families to look a certain way. At the moment, I am working with ITV who are creating a spin off from The A Word, using two actors with Down Syndrome. This has been an amazing project to be part of. It’s really hard for the actors to tell this story as the characters have left home and got married, however these are opportunities that the two actors may not have experienced in their personal life. Stories that I have experienced first-hand and seen the joy and the heartbreak within this system, are stories I want to work with. Working with severely disabled people at a young age can be mentally and physically difficult but there is so much joy and laughter along the way and that’s something I think people forget. I am always looking for the joy in things and to share that whenever possible.

From assisting such a wide range of people, I feel blessed that I’m constantly learning and adapting my own practice to develop my directing style. I like to take a pinch of spice from each Director and Creative, seeing where that could sit in my practice. Working with Gbolahan Obisesan I gained experience in text base work and the way he has a plan for the performers to stick to, whereas Kane Husbands works through mainly play and devising where there are very little limits or boundaries. As an AD, I enjoyed both sides of the coin, knowing that I am adaptable when I’m in the space, which is why I love my freelance life as it’s always moving and changing. I love to work with different Directors and Creatives to gain a greater wealth of knowledge and experience.


I thrive when working with a team, both giving and taking energy from being in a creative space. I am highly self-motived and organised with a great ability to read the room and see what is needed from me, whether it is creative note taking, being the ultimate hype women or observing the space to become the communication bridge between different parties. When we were creating Maryland, a very heavy subject for many women, I kept an eye on the atmosphere and what the actors needed as they worked through this vulnerable piece. For example, I led a meditation into a dance party then a vocal warm up through a chant, releasing anything they were carrying in that moment, so they were present and truthful on stage. I know with my varied experience, practical insight and my willingness to learn I would thrive on a new up and coming project.


Young Vic has always been a dream company of mine to work with in any capacity and would love to meet someone from the company face to face to talk more about any opportunities.

Credits

Director Experience:

House Of Shame
(Slap and Tickle) Daisy Marsh
Director : Billy Dunmire & Amelia Glydon
White Bear
Start Up
(National Youth Theatre) Animal Farm
Director : Amelia Glydon Holloway Road
Old Vic Theatre
(Schools Club) Christmas Carol
Director: Amelia Glydon & Ben Salmon Old Vic
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
(Clark Lane Company) John Gordon
Director: Amelia Glydon Cambridge Corn Exchange
Senior & Junior Shows
(National Youth Theatre) 16 different shows
Company Manager: Amelia Glydon Royal & Derngate
AD Experience:
What Do You See
(PappyShow) PappyShow
Director: Kane Husbands Shoreditch Townhall
Maryland
(Opia Collective) Lucy Kirkwirk
Director: Masha Kevinovna Riverside Studios

Now
(National Youth Theatre) The Company
Director: Hamish McDougall Zoom (online)
Lilith 11
(Damsel Productions) Holly Aston
Director: Hannah Hauer-King
2 Northdown
Shout Out Loud
(PappyShow) Ben Salmon
Director: Kane Husbands & Anna Niland Eltham Palace
CRIPtic Arts
(CRIPtic) Director: Jamie Hale
Showcase of Deaf and Disable artist
Director: Jamie Hale The Barbican
Grief Circle
( National Youth Theatre) Iman Qureshi
Director: Hannah Hauer-King Rose Bruford
Refugee Travel
( National Youth Theatre) Gbolahan Obisesan
Director: Gbolahan Obisesan Goldsmiths University

Training

National Youth Theatre Member
Mountview Academy of Performing Arts: Musical Theatre Foundation
2013-15 Tiffany Theatre College: Two Year Performing Arts Diploma. ISTD DDI Teaching Qualification (Modern)