Gemma has been involved in theatre for a number of years, after she fell in love with acting whilst at school. Gemma has directed plays at her local theatre including, See How They Run, The Memory of Water and Mr Wonderful. She has also been Assistant Director for several other productions including, Nicholas Nickleby, Calendar Girls, Jerusalem and Dinner. Her favourite acting roles have been as the lead in Emma, The End of the Affair, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Easy Virtue, winning a Best Actress award. Other appearances include Blue Stockings, London Assurance, Daisy Pulls It Off, Boeing Boeing and Feed the Beast.

First every stage role: Outside of the good old school shows, my first stage role was as a peasant in Anna Karenina back in 2004 at my local theatre MADS. I also had a few other characters to play in that production. I just loved every minute of it.

Dream role: I have always wanted to play Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She is my all-time favourite character since being younger. But in recent years, I would love to play Fleabag. She is just brilliant!

Who would play you in a Biopic of your life? Ooooo this is a tough one! I would say, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I love her and she is a cracking actor. Or Liv Tyler! Or maybe Miranda Hart?… But is she too tall to play me though??

Aspirations as a performer/actor: I would love to perform with the National Theatre! I just love the productions they put on.

Why should people come and see F*ngered by a Wurzel? The play is very funny and well worth watching. It’s a glimpse into the lives of these three sisters who are all so very different, yet being sisters, they make a whole… whether they like it or not. New writing is so exciting to watch and this piece is proof of that. You won’t want to miss it.

Theatre credits include Celia in Blue Stockings, Sybil in Private Lives, Helen in The Cripple of Inishmaan, Sian in Dinner (for which she was awarded best under 21 performance) and Rose Markham/Lady Annabella in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Most recently, Amy assisted Hans Luke Oldham in directing Feed the Beast for MADS theatre. Amy performed in Manchester Musical Youth’s productions of Les Misérables, High School Musical, Jekyll & Hyde, The Hot Mikado, Little Shop of Horrors and Phantom of the Opera.

First role: Outside of school nativities, Calpurnia in a short, kids version of Julius Caesar. That is where my love of acting started.

Dream role: Christine in Phantom of the Opera…cliché I know, but I have wanted to play that role since I was 11.

Who would play you in the biopic of your life? Amy Adams. Another ginger Amy Lou, it’s just too much of a coincidence.

Aspirations as a performer/actor: I’d like to challenge myself in all genres of theatre, particularly comedy roles. Fingered by a Wurzel is an opportunity for me to do this, but I would like to go further and even try a farce one day!

Why should people come and see F*ngered by a Wurzel? Because the script is so funny (hopefully, the performance will be too!) and a wonderful story about sisterly love.

Having performed on stage from a young age, Emily trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in 2013 before pursuing a freelance career as a performer, presenter, and voiceover artist. Emily’s latest appearance on stage was in ‘Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’, directed by Paul Kerryson and performed at Buxton Opera House. Prior to that production, Emily performed in a musical showcase at MADS Little Theatre in Macclesfield for the launch of a musical variety album, Head Over Heels, on which Emily was a soloist for the track, ‘I’ll Be There’. In 2021, Emily was involved in Fiery Flood’s online comedy film ‘5 Times As Wise’, playing the role of Drama, marking her debut Edinburgh Fringe Festival performance. Prior to the pandemic, Emily had enjoyed performing in roles such as Carolyn in ‘Blue Stockings’, Hermia in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Tanya in ‘Jerusalem’ and Sheila Wendice in ‘Dial M For Murder’. During the pandemic, Emily focused on building her skillset as a voiceover artist, lending her vocals on a podcast series for Bake With A Legend, and as a regular presenter for Canalside Radio. Emily is thrilled to be working with Northern Rep Theatre and to be playing the role of Kaye Fox in the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2022.

First role: My first role outside of school plays was as a young rambler called Abby in a production called Claiming The Land, based on the Kinder Trespass of 1932. It was performed at Buxton Opera House and was my first principal role – it ignited my passion for the stage.

Dream role: I would love to play Lady Macbeth one day – my Juliet and Ophelia days are behind me and Shakespeare didn’t typically write strong female characters, but Lady Macbeth is certainly one of them!

Who would play you in the biopic of your life? The zany and ever-optimistic personality of Amy Adams’ character in Enchanted is pretty much me down to a tee, so if I could have Amy-Adams-playing-Giselle playing me in the biopic of my life, that would be perfect.

Aspirations as a performer/actor: To still be treading the boards in my nineties!

Why should people come and see Fingered by a Wurzel: It’s an honest, funny, touching, and accurate portrayal of sibling relationships, and the rollercoaster of emotions you take together. Siblinghood can be complex; one moment you’re best friends, the next you’re worst enemies, and everything in-between! The bond is unique and one which is hard to recreate, and this play shows that despite the trials and tribulations, at the core of every sibling relationship is love.