Deep Down And Personal - The Talk

We are pleased to be hosting a talk from highly experienced director and performer Freda O'Byrne who will be visiting us from her base in Edinburgh.

Deep down and personal. ..walking the tightrope.

The Talk: Making work from personal experience, interpreting political and dark matters of our worlds, requires rigor and constant navigating of ethical and emotional maps. This will underpin the conversation.

Freda O'Byrne in her own words:

I am a physical theatre director, performer, teacher, puppeteer and maker with a first class honours degree in performing arts from Middlesex. I have trained in mask, clown, bouffon, devising, directing and Feldenkrais with John Wright, clown with Pierre Byland, Deaf and Forum theatres with London Bubble, Puppetry with Curious School of Puppetry and with Puppet Animation Scotland. I am Artistic Director and founder of Tragic Carpet Visual Theatre and use an eclectic mix of genres to explore the stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I was formerly co-founder and artistic director of First Bite Theatre in Health Education Company which toured in the central belt of Scotland and the North West of England for 12 years. More recently I have been exploring ways to bring theatre, puppetry and storytelling to diverse places, spaces and communities. This project is called Suitcase Stories and I currently have three productions ready for touring in the UK and abroad in 2026-28.

Tragic Carpet – movement based visual theatre. We use puppetry, object theatre, circus, mime, music, projection, and light to explore the stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The work is developed iteratively with audiences and partners. We hope to foster connection between audiences, and the issues and life stories explored.

Sandra Hall. Director of Friction Arts hosting at the Edge.

Sandra was a performer with ‘Tragic Carpet ensemble, creating 5* work at Edinburgh, ‘Heart of a Dog’ and ‘Fish or Man’. … we are delighted to host a talk and workshop with Freda O’Byrne marking an exciting reunion and the start of future collaborations.

Look forward to meeting you.. Sandra and Freda.