Theatre and Performance
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Didi started life as a classical musician before moving into Theatre and Performance as an actress and director.
She has worked as voice over artist, acting coach, actress and director on Television and Radio and with stage companies Beryl and the Perils, The People Show, Hesitate and Demonstrate, Paines Plough, and Ken Campbell’s Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool, and she is internationally recognised as a teacher and director of Commedia dell’Arte. |
Commedia dell’Arte
As a practitioner and director of Commedia, Didi has directed seasonal troupes for the National Theatre’s summer season, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Roundhouse, Glastonbury, other festivals and public spaces across London, and teaches Commedia for the London International Mime Festival, Theatre Schools E15, Central and RHUL, Middlesex. She also runs workshops in Europe, India, the USA, Iceland for actors and teachers. Her partnership with mask-maker Ninian Kinnier Wilson helped put commedia on the map in the UK. |
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‘One Man Two Guvnors’
National Theatre Didi was Commedia Consultant to writer Richard Bean who transferred the action and story of Goldoni’s ‘Servant of Two Masters’ to 1960’s Brighton – putting Commedia on the map for British audiences. |
Royal Shakespeare Company/Restoration
Didi was movement director on Selina Cadell’s production of Love for Love at the Royal Shakespeare Company and has worked with Cadell on her productions of The Way of the World (Northampton), The Rivals (Arcola), The Double Dealer (Orange Tree), The Rake’s Progress, and Turn of the Screw (Wilton’s Musichall). Barbican Lab
Didi was one of artist Chris Avis’ ensemble at the Barbican and her work was chosen to go forward to represent work created at the Lab. |
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The Life I Lead 2019
Wyndhams Theatre, West End A one-man show starring Miles Jupp, written by James Kettle, toured the UK and went to London’s West End, September 2019. |
Beryl and the Perils
Co-founder of the legendary Beryl and The Perils, (Brechtian/Berlin-style cabaret and political songs and sketches) performing in theatres like Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, ICA, Assembly Rooms. They were top of the bill and opening acts in European Festivals, played The Mudd Club, in John Lennon’s House, WOW Festival, Theatre for the New City. They also sang at Gay Pride in Central Park, NY, and were hailed as the ‘Hottest thing apart from the Weather’ in NY’s Village Voice. Additionally, The Perils played acapella at Rock Against Racism gigs at Alexandra Palace and Glastonbury. Not only were they successful in theatre, they also took their work into Battered Wives’ Refuges, Labour Clubs, Youth Clubs, Women’s Prisons, Ladies Clubs and Bingo Halls. |