About Us – Fully Booked Theatre

ABOUT

Fully Booked Theatre is an interactive dance theatre company specialising in performances for families and young audiences.

We combine fast-paced physical comedy with deliciously surreal stories, from giant eggs that want to be the best in the world at break-dancing to mysterious alien commanders whose favourite game is Countdown. Bringing make-believe to life is at the heart of what we do.

The company has gained a cult following among both indoor and outdoor theatre audiences.

The company was formed in 2017 by Canadian dance choreographer Jennifer Essex and poet Harry Man.

We offer a wide variety of workshopsand mentoring for established and emerging theatre practitioners. For more information contact us.

Our work has been supported by Arts Council England, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Birdhouse Family Festival and Youngfest among others.

“IT’S RARE TO SEE A CHILDREN’S SHOW THAT HAS ALL OF THESE COMBINATIONS: STORYTELLING, DANCE, PARTICIPATION, MUSIC AND LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN!"

– Claire Bigley, Creative Producer, Tmesis Theatre

“FULLY BOOKED THEATRE COMPANY HAVE BEEN A ABSOLUTE DELIGHT AND A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH. FROM DANCING, RAPPING, ART AND POETRY, THEY HAVE IT ALL.”

– Lisa Connor , Creative Director – Priory Woods School and Arts College

Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Essex

With over 17 years of professional experience, Jennifer has performed across Canada, Europe and Mexico. She has performed in the feature films Anna Karenina and Les Miserables and toured with Ben Hur Live to arenas across Europe, including London’s O2. Her digitally interactive outdoor dance work REPLICAS was premiered at Stockton International Riverside Festival in 2016. She has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Council England, Pavilion Dance, Dance City, Middlesbrough Council, Stockton International Riverside Festival and Tees Valley Dance, among many others. Jennifer is a Senior Lecturer in Dance and Performance at Teesside University.

Co-Artistic Director Harry Man

Harry has been a Clarissa Luard Wordsworth Trust Poet in Residence and a TOAST Fellowship Poet. His most recent pamphlet, Utøya Thereafter, a collaboration with the Norwegian poet Endre Ruset has received a number of accolades, with one of the poems winning The Stephen Spender Prize 2021. Harry has also taught in schools, libraries and universities throughout the UK, including Cumbria, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Teesside and elsewhere. Harry is a Core Tutor in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford.

JUST LIKE WE DID WHEN WE WERE KIDS, CHILDREN LOVE TO IMAGINATIVELY ENGAGE WITH STORIES AND TO EXTEND THAT INTO PLAYTIME, ENJOYING BEING IMMERSED THROUGH REPETITION, WONDER, LAUGHTER AND THE RAW ENERGY OF A SHARED THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE. IT IS NOT SO LONG AGO WHEN WE WERE ALL BUZZING WITH THAT SAME I-CANNOT-WAIT-TO-PLAY RUSH OF WISHING SO DEEPLY TO BE ABLE TO GET DOWN FROM THE TABLE, RUN THROUGH THE WET GRASS AND TEAR ACROSS THE THRESHOLD BETWEEN REALITY AND THE IDEAS AND WORLDS THAT WE COULD SO EFFORTLESSLY IMAGINE, TO INTERACT WITH THE STORIES IN OUR LIVES, TO FOLLOW, TO NAVIGATE, TO EXPLORE AND TO DELIGHT IN EVERY POSSIBILITY, TO INVENT LIMITLESSLY AND ENVISION AND TRY ON BOLD AND BRILLIANT NEW DESTINIES FOR OURSELVES. WE ARE ALL IRRESISTIBLY DRAWN TO PLAY, TO DISCOVER AND TO CREATE. BEING ATTENTIVE TO CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THIS WAY AND TO THE EMPOWERING THEATRICAL POTENTIAL OF CO-IMAGINATION IS CENTRAL TO BOTH OUR JOURNEY AND OUR AMBITIONS AS A COMPANY – JENNIFER & HARRY – ARTISTIC DIRECTORS