ABOUT US
Levy Little Theatre is a Community Interest Company which aims to bring the community together through drama. The company lead weekly drama classes for young people and adults, one-off events for the community and public performances. The company is looked after by actors and facilitators Gemma North and Chris Brett.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
LEVY LITTLE THEATRE CIC was founded in 2018 by Gemma North. The company is now run by Gemma North and Chris Brett who also facilitate the majority of classes together.
Gemma and Chris both live in Levenshulme (the 'Levy' In Levy Little Theatre) and love the community spirit here. There is such a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds and our young community are very lucky to be growing up in such a rich environment.
It is Levy Little Theatre's belief that, since our children are the future of our local communities, we should encourage them to connect creatively, so they can learn to work as a team - a micro-community, if you like - in which they can communicate positively and grow together through drama.
As community is at the heart of our ethos, Levy Little Theatre is a Community Interest Company (CIC) of which Gemma and Chris are directors, overseeing the company's best interests and therefore the community's. So, what better place to collaborate with young people than in an old library, a centre of knowledge and imagination which was once the heart of its local area. Levenshulme Old Library CIC is establishing itself as an arts, community and culture centre and we're pleased that LEVY LITTLE THEATRE CIC can be a part of that.
We offer weekly drama classes for young people, TOTS (ages 3-5), KIDS (ages 6-11) and YOUTH (ages 12-17) and weekly acting classes for ADULTS (ages 18+).
LEVY LITTLE THEATRE is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC), which means all profits go back into the company and therefore the community.
THE TEAM
At Levy Little Theatre we pride ourselves on the highest quality drama facilitation and coaching, led by industry professionals in film, television, theatre and radio who are highly experienced individuals. All of our staff are DBS checked.
GEMMA NORTH
Founder | Director| Workshop Leader
Gemma is an actress, director and writer with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Acting from Bretton Hall and with over 15 years professional experience in acting and leading workshops. Her television work includes The A Word (3 series) playing Sarah, Peaky Blinders (series 5) playing Mrs Conners, No Offence (Series 2) playing Kerry. Other work includes So Awkward for CBBC playing Lou, The Syndicate playing Abigail. Her theatre work includes Much Ado About Nothing playing Beatrice and The Merchant of Venice playing Portia, both for Lancaster Castle, Once In A House On Fire playing Andrea for The Lowry and was once part of a comedy double act called Saints of Humour. Her film work includes The Caravan, Cotton Wool and Northern Lights. She has also recorded plays for Radio 4 and is a voice over artist.
Gemma leads all of Levy Little Theatre's classes and has a wealth of teaching experience. She has taught LAMDA examinations and qualifications for over ten years and has been leading drama workshops for just as long for companies such as The Royal Exchange, HEDGE (Home Educated Drama Group at The Lowry), Shakespeare 4 Kids and Polka Dot Theatre. She also has a wealth of experience in working with individuals on a 1:1 basis to improve confidence, speech and presentation skills.
CHRIS BRETT
Co-Director | Workshop Leader
Chris trained at Bretton Hall for his BA(Hons) in Acting and has worked professionally in TV, Theatre and radio since graduating, appearing as a lead cast member in BBC sketch show Scallywagga , Coronation Street (ITV), The 4 O’clock Club (BBC), various theatre productions including performances at the Lowry, Contact, Home and New Vic theatres as well as outdoor touring with North Country Theatre. Chris has also worked extensively on BBC radio, provided voice over for Hollyoaks, filmed advertising campaigns for Dreams Beds and Sanofi and recently started to write and perform stand up and sketch comedy.
Chris is also a drama practitioner with years of experience directing / devising plays, providing workshops for prestigious youth theatres such as LIPA 4:19, with large cast shows being performed in processional theatre settings.
He most recently spent a year teaching and directing plays with students of Oldham College’s performing arts course in The Grange Theatre and providing skills based workshops for the Royal Exchange Theatre.