SPOTLIGHT ON... LAURA TURNER
- theatrereviews
- Jan 21
- 5 min read
Our third instalment in the 'Spotlight On...' series throws light on writer, producer and actor LAURA TURNER.
Q. Where in Lincolnshire are you based, and what was your first ever live performance that you participated in?
"I'm based in Lincoln, having grown up in rural Lincolnshire and returned to the city as an adult. The first memorable performance I was part of was the play 'Vinegar Tom', about the UK witch trials, when I was in Year 8 of secondary school. This definitely captured my imagination, both in terms of its topic, theatrical style and the need to tell stories about real women."
Q. What was it that first drew you to the local theatre/arts scene? Has it been a constant in your life, or was there a hiatus due to work/life commitments? What sparked or, indeed, relighted your interest?
"It's always been a constant, but wasn't necessarily something that I foresaw being a career for me. I went to the University of York to study English Literature and it was during this time that I really realised I wanted a creative pathway, rather than academic. I started working with Chapterhouse Theatre Company, an internationally touring company based in Lincoln, and was soon scripting adaptations of classic novels, a process that I loved. I moved to London after university but soon realised that I missed the communities, landscapes and creativity of Lincolnshire; for me it's a very inspiring place to live in its history, geography and people. Almost everything I write now is set back in Lincolnshire, and a lot of the work I make myself has its origins in local collaborations here."
Q. Give me three words that describe what theatre means to you.
"Agency, freedom, empowerment."
Q. I see, via the website (www.furytheatre.co.uk) that you've also worked with BBC, and have completed a feature film. Is your work more dictated by other, 'outside' factors, (such as producers, budgets, deadlines etc.) when you write for other mediums?
"It's definitely very different making work yourself compared to working to commission. I love my career collaborating with other theatres and production companies, but you certainly experience less autonomy over your work. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for me, I did get to a point where I wanted to carve out a space for myself and the work that I was most passionate about making, through the very clear lens of female emotions. That led to me setting up Fury Theatre. My voice crosses my work in different mediums, genres and with different collaborators - I think we absolutely have to have integrity in what we create and know we're being true to our own beliefs about the world - but I also love having a space through Fury where I can completely say what I want to say."
Q. Can you share with us your fondest, or a particularly strong, onstage/backstage memory?
"Playing Elizabeth Proctor in 'The Crucible' with The Asylum Players in 2019. I hadn't acted for a very long time (10 years) after a long break from being on stage, and returning to that role and that play was incredible. You always meet an amazing group of people when you perform together, but that play will always have special memories for me - not just because I was so happy to be acting again, but also because I ended up meeting my now-husband, Steve Gillard, who was playing John Proctor. It was a real turning point in my life, bringing me fully into contact with a lot of amazingly talented creatives working in Lincolnshire."
Q. What is the current production you're involved in, and your role within the company?
"We're currently presenting 'Body or Soul' at the Omnibus Theatre in London. I'm co-writer, actor and producer of this one so it's been keeping me pretty busy - as most of the work you create yourself tends to do! I enjoy taking responsibility for more than one area of the process though, I think it makes you better at everything you do. 'Body or Soul' takes a 'Sliding Doors' style concept to contrast the same woman making two very different choices in the world of work. One that sees her judging and condemned by starting an Only Cams account; the other she is applauded for as she becomes a social media influencer and brand ambassador for a fast fashion company with dubious ethics and known indictments for child slavery. The play asks, aside from what life today tells us about success, which would you do? Is it better to sell your body or your soul?"
Q. As a writer, what do you look for in a director?
"An openness to discuss. I think conversation and communication is the most important factor of any creative collaboration and relationship, and that has to work both ways. Lots of questions, lots of discussion - that makes for the most productive rehearsal rooms."
Q. Do you have any incidences or stories from this or previous productions where it has, perhaps, been far from an enviable situation?
"Like many creatives, I've certainly had experiences where the process hasn't been as positive as others. But I think what this teaches you is about yourself, mostly. You learn what's important to you - what your core values as an artist are - so then you're better equipped to protect yourself from the same thing happening in the future. You can ask the right questions of potential collaborators, figure out if it's a good match. It's a two way street with working together, even when it feels like there's a power imbalance, so the more you know about yourself, the better placed you are to keeping pushing forwards with the work that represents you."
Q. What creative work is on the horizon for you?
"I've just finished a new adaptation of 'Jane Eyre' which will premiere at The Blue Room Lincoln in March, and I'm currently Associate Artist at Nottingham Playhouse which involves a lot of creative planning and administration, dramaturgy and reading and seeing plays. I love working in these different ways with artists as you learn so much about yourself and your practice too. On the creating side, I'm putting together a lot of pitches for television at the moment for my agent to send out, as well as working on my second feature film."
Q. Back to 'Body Or Soul', could you give me one popular song title that describes the 'Body or Soul' experience for the audience. NB. It doesn't have to be a song in the show, but it may well be.
"Stylistically, 'Body or Soul' was quite influenced by female-led rock - bands like The Pretty Reckless, with their strong female voice and ethos and lyrics that really push the listener/audience to think, which is exactly what we wanted to do with this show. If I had to pick one song, it would probably be "Everybody Wants Something From Me" by The Pretty Reckless - there's a fury in the lyrics, and an awareness of the challenges around female body agency that really speaks to the play's themes and story."
'Body or Soul' is being performed on 22nd January 2025 as par of Chronic Insanity's residency at Omnibus Theatre, Clapham. Book tickets by clicking below.
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