About Martine

Martine Ann Shackerley-Bennett

Martine Ann Shackerley-Bennett

Playwright/Director, Lecturer, Project Organiser and Therapist

 

Education:
Cert Ed. Battersea College of Education Bed. (Hons) Bristol Polytechnic MA Bath College of Education

Other Qualifications:
Adventure Playground Leader Certificate (GLC) Youth Leader ( Suffolk) Assessor & Mentor (NCPRU) Assessor/Internal Verifier (D32/33/34)

Actor Training:
Director Ted Hicks – Vancouver, Director Del Close – San Francisco, Director Dave Ede – British Drama league, Director John Elsom – London.

Theatre Training:
Voice Production, Set Design, Costume Design, Directing, Play Analysis, Creative Writing, Make Up Design, Stage Management, Lighting Design, Contemporary Dance, Cabaret, Brecht, Stanislavski, Grotowski, Boal, Improvisation Techniques, Physical Theatre, Masks, Fund raising, Mime and Film Techniques, Community Arts

Business Training:
Accounts, People Management, Stock Control, Production, Office Administration, Sales, Customer Services, Transport, Progress Chasing, Time Management, Human Resources, Archives and Library, Research, Statistics, Advertising and Publicity, Promotion, Budget Control, Staff Appraisal

Therapy Training:
Counselling, Psychodrama, Sociodrama (Therapy undertaken – Psychodrama, Hypnotherapy, Art Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Counselling, Drama Therapy, Play Therapy), Anger Management, Social Skills, Life Skills, Behaviour Management

Educational Training:
Monitoring, Question and Answers, Team Leadership, Classroom Management, Mentoring, Independent Learning, Gifted and Talented, Play Leadership, Differentiation, Motivation Techniques, Curriculum Development, Local Management of Schools, Equal Opportunities, Behaviour Management, Health & Hygiene and First Aid

Work Profile:
Business Management (GEC, AEC, Lucas Rotax) Coffee House/Entertainment Organiser (Red Spot – Vancouver) Archivist (JD&DM Watsons) BBC (Television Centre) Adventure Playground Leader/Project Organiser (Roehampton) Youth Leader – Suffolk Youth Theatre Director/Playwright Head of Drama – Mildenhall Comprehensive School Direct of Crawford Arts Centre/Project Organiser – Liverpool Drama Experience/Project Organiser – Bristol Director of Community Services/Project Organiser – South Bristol Teacher in Charge of a Special Needs Unit – Avon Lecturer (Theatre Studies ‘A’ Level and BTEC Performing Arts) Therapist

Theatre Companies:
Natural Theatre Company Mildenhall Fringe Theatre Company Thin Air Bristol Experimental Theatre Company

Youth Theatre Companies:
Bury St Edmunds Youth Theatre Mildenhall Youth Theatre Crawford Arts Youth Theatre Chair of Merseyside Fringe Festival Chair of Fool Time National Circus School Vice/Chair of South Bristol Employment Guidance & Training Network Established: National Association of Youth Theatres

Numerous Committees including:
Estate Working Parties, Avon Community Arts Network, National Play Groups, Merseyside Environmental Community Action group etc.

During the last thirty five years Martine Ann has set up major Arts Projects in London, Liverpool, Suffolk, Bath and Bristol. She has also directed and staged numerous classical and contemporary plays for all age groups. During the years her companies have worked in a wide range of environments such as Theatres, Festivals, Streets, Pubs, Clubs, Conferences and Private Houses. Through her company Drama Experience she has also run a wide range of workshops in Sociodrama, Improvisation, Stanislavskian and Brechtian Acting Techniques, Devising, Directing, Masks, Arts Management, Creative Writing, Play, Youth Work. She has travelled extensively exploring different cultures and spent three years in North America working and experiencing a wide range of Theatre. Besides Playwrighting she has written two volumes of short stories, a large collection of poems and a Rock Opera, ‘Psychedelic Dream’

Martine Ann first started working in the theatre with Director Del Close in San Francisco and learnt how to act and devise improvised shows; later with Director Ted Hicks in Vancouver she learnt basic techniques of acting. In her Coffee Bar The Red Spot she organised a whole raft of sketches mainly in the absurdist style. Returning to England Martine Ann trained under Dave Ede of the British Drama League and developed her acting skills; she also took voice lessons with John Weaver. Whilst at College she ran the Drama Society and produced a wide range of plays, including a play for the Inter College Festival held in London. Finishing College she formed The Natural theatre company and produced a range of natural theatre events including some closet theatre pieces. Under the direction of John Elsom of West Hampstead Theatre Group she appeared in two highly successful plays.

Martine Ann’s first play was a children’s piece ‘Everyday in Fairyland’ which was so successful that it has been produced numerous times. Martine Ann then started to write for Youth Theatres, these included a ‘Crack in the World’ a science fantasy and ‘Grey Dawn’ a play encompassing the principles of Artuad. This was followed by a satirical play called ‘Three Days ‘Till Tomorrow’ and a play about young people participating in street riots. This was followed up with three satirical shows of short sketches for her company Mildenhall Fringe Theatre Company which ran for three years and a satirical play ‘I Bureaucrat’. She also directed a wide range of classical plays.

For nearly twelve years Martine Ann with her partner Jo Clarke ran an Improvisation company called Thin Air Theatre Company working in festivals, clubs, pubs, street and theatre venues. A few years ago Martine Ann produced a Community Play a ‘Flood of Memories’ written and acted by the Community. Six years ago Martine Ann formed the Bristol Experimental Theatre Company with the intention of writing issue led plays in the Brechtian style, plays include, ‘Politica Erotica’, ‘Sex Games and Matching Outfits’, ‘Tom Boys and Sex Objects’, ‘Naked Lies and Violent Messages’, ‘Barely Alive’, ‘Crossing the Divide’, ‘Bi-Chance’, ‘Arms and a Woman’, ‘They’re Everywhere But Nowhere’, ‘Just the way we like it’, ‘Boxed In’ , Without Prejudice’ and Dummy’

Martine Ann also formed Motley a theatre group performing in the Commedia Del Arte style, to date they have performed in festivals, clubs, pubs etc, ‘Fiesty Shag the Lad’ and ‘Samuel Vice’ and shortly performing two new pieces, ‘Lucy Locket’, and ‘Cute Tips Mary’ The Commedia Del Arte pieces are approximately twenty minutes long, fast moving and very bawdy providing excellent entertainment for any venue.

For further information on the plays, or Bristol Experimental Theatre Company, or Motley, or organisation of Drama and Arts projects, contact Martine Ann on 0117-9772946, alternatively her email dramaex@blueyonder.co.uk