ABOUT US
THE FUTURE OF THEATRE MAKING
The Bomb Factory Theatre is a women-led emerging theatre company. We believe in the power of storytelling; we engage in contemporary debate to create work that is challenging and provocative.
By focusing on community, we forge meaningful relationships with the writers we work with and support our collaborators to produce work they wouldn't often have the time or space to develop elsewhere. We provide free dramaturgical support, workshopping and R&D facilities as well as directorial support to help the development process of our theatre makers, empowering the creation the stories we believe need to be taken from page to stage.
Bomb Factory Theatre was established in 2019 by India Harrison Peppe and previous member Philippa Lawford. After a sell-out New-Writing Festival 'Love Come Down' and a pandemic later, Merle Wheldon-Posner joined the team as the second artistic director.
Bomb Factory Theatre works in association with the Bomb Factory Art Foundation. The Bomb Factory Art Foundation is an exciting, dynamic arts hub in Archway, North London. Holding high-profile exhibitions and events, they also provide studio spaces, a supportive community for 30 resident artists, and a wide-ranging education programme for the local community. We are very lucky to have a permanent base at The Bomb Factory Art Foundation in Archway, London.
INDIA HARRISON-PEPPE
Artistic Director
(She/Her)
India Harrison Peppe is a writer and theatre-maker based in London. After co-founding the Bomb Factory Theatre Company CIC in 2019, she moved to Bristol to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School as a writer. After graduating, her debut stage play, Something of my o.w.n, won the Bloomsbury Festival Theatre new-writing prize. Following this, her new play, Branded, will be performed as part of the Bloomsbury Festivals New Wave programme in October 2022. Her play Girls With Wings and Trauma was performed in 2021 as part of the Bomb Factory Theatre Summer Festival of New Writing. India was recently commissioned to write a screenplay, Sense of Occasion, for the final year acting cohort at Bristol Old Vic Theatre. She is an alumnus of the Royal Court Intro Writers' Group and a current Soho Theatre Writers Lab member. Most recently, India was made the inaugural Peter Schaffer Playwright in Residence for Trinity College, Cambridge.
MERLE WHELDON-POSNER
Artistic Director
(She/Her)
Merle is a London based theatre maker and Artistic Director of The Bomb Factory Theatre. After graduating from the University of Manchester where she trained in theatre and playwriting, Merle wrote her debut 6 part series Filling The Void. Filling The Void was subsequently shortlisted for the BBC 2020 Comedy TV writing submissions and was later adapted for the stage. Merle has performed and directed at The Drayton Arms Theatre, Canal Cafe Theatre, The Hope Theatre, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Dorchester Arts Theatre, Camden People's Theatre, National Theatre Connections, and Bloomsbury Festival. Alongside theatre, Merle works as a freelancer in Set Decoration. Her film and television credits include A VERY BRITISH SCANDAL (BBC/AMAZON); MAN VS BEE (NETFLIX); LUTHER (NETFLIX); THE GOLD (BBC); ONE LIFE (BBC/SEE-SAW).
HOLLY MCCOMISH
Producer
(She/Her)
Holly McComish is a creative producer and writer from East London. She holds a strong background and interest in producing daring new writing for emerging and underrepresented artists. Holly has previously produced shows for The Hope Theatre and Camden Peoples Theatre and is currently producing for the The Vaults, Soho Theatre, Poplar Union and The Space. Holly has also recently been awarded a bursary to publish her book 'If Tits Could Talk' - a poetry collection pertaining to women's health. Her book launch will take place at The Royal Court Theatre in March 2023.
BRONAGH LENEGHAN
Producer
(She/Her)
Bronagh Leneghan is a theatre producer based in Cambridge and Newcastle. Currently a Politics finalist at the University of Cambridge, she is interested in storytelling that centres queer and regional voices. Whilst at Cambridge, Bronagh has embarked on a number of theatrical projects, acting as Producer and Director for a range of productions at the ADC Theatre and other pub-theatre and college venues in Cambridge. Most recently, she co-produced the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club 2022 Selected Fringe Play, ‘Real, Mad World’ by Laurie Ward for the Edinburgh Fringe. Currently, she is working with ‘Nothing More to Say’ theatre company, producing their devised theatre performance ‘52 Monologues for Young Transsexuals’ for VAULT festival 2023.
DARCY DIXON
Associate Director
(She/Her)
Darcy Dixon is a multidisciplinary creative: she is an actor, singer and movement artist born and based in South East London. Darcy recently performed in Mojola Akinyemi's 'imaginary natural beings' at the Vault Festival. She was also the Movement Director for Rex Fisher's 'Chekhov's Dildo' at The Hope Theatre in Islington, where she will also perform in 'Mortality'; directed by Cayvan Coates. Other credits include: 'My Name is Sandra', Oxford Old Fire Station; 'Smart Casual', The Cockpit Theatre (Camden Fringe), The North Wall Theatre; 'Merrily We Roll Along', Oxford Playhouse; 'The Surplus', The Young Vic Theatre; and 'Emil & The Detectives', The National Theatre. She also recently played the role of Mirajin in a BBC Radio 3 Production of 'The Hummingbird' by Sandro Verenosi, which was shortlisted for the 2023 BBC Audio Drama Awards. Darcy recently finished training with Siobhan Davies Studios in an explorative practice of choreography and movement and is now part of their Artist Collective. Darcy is also thrilled to be making her debut at The Globe Theatre with the Mawa Theatre Company this year.
AMBER HESLOP
Casting Director
(She/Her)
Amber works at IAG Talent, assisting two agents whilst building her own list of actors. After graduating from The University of Manchester, Amber gained experience in various casting offices and agencies and started her career at Clare Vidal-Hall Management, working with award winning creatives in theatre. Amber also works as a freelance Casting Director and is currently casting projects for The Playground Theatre and The Hope Theatre.
JESSY ROBERTS
Associate Director
(She/Her)
Jessy Roberts is a director and playwright who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and studied Theatre at the University of York. Recent credits as Director include: Period Dramas (The Other Palace, The Hope Theatre & Pleasance Cellar), Thirst (Omnibus Theatre), Untitled Sparkly Vampire Play (Omnibus Theatre), Girls With Wings & Trauma (Bomb Factory Theatre), Hitchhiker (Rondo Theatre), I Hate Alone (The Wardrobe Theatre), Details of a Hurricane (BOVTV), When They Go Low (the egg, Theatre Royal Bath), Messy Eaters (York Theatre Royal) and lovely special best and most important (York Theatre Royal). As Assistant Director: Broken Lad (Arcola Theatre, dir. Richard Speir), Absolute Scenes (Motion Bristol, dir. Tanuja Amarasuriya), Crimes Camera Action (New Old Friends/Theatre Royal Bath, dir. James Farrell), Horseshoes for Hand Grenades (East Riding Theatre, dir. Eric Loren). She is an Associate Writer with Middle Child Theatre, Associate Director of Rondo Theatre, and Literary Assistant at Soho Theatre.
