Gambolling Arena Theatre Company

Babette Bell is a hugely talented actress singer and dancer. Her theatre credits include 'Peter Pan', 'Blood Brothers', 'Aladdin', 'Get Happy' and 'Sound'. A new Gambolling Arena recruit, she has slotted into the company well and is currently moving audiences with her portrayal of Edith Piaf in 'I Wish You Love'.

Eddie Bixter is an acclaimed poet and talented musician. His theatre credits include Christy 'Playboy of the Western World', Lucky 'Waiting for Godot', Joe 'Blue' (LIverpool Irish Festival 2004). With Gambolling Arena, Eddie has appeared in 'Blue Remembered Hills', 'The Twits' - which he also composed the score for, and 'Portia Coughlan' . Eddie also played the lead in short film 'Everyone Wants To Be Ed Norton'. Eddie is a trained workshop leader who has worked with numerous companies most notably Cardboard Citizens, The Liverpool Lantern Company and Hope St Ltd.

Tom Burroughs trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 2001. His theatre work includes: “Portia Coughlan” (Liverpool-Irish Festival 2007), “Blue Remembered Hills” (Liverpool), “Without Laughing” (Theatre 503), “A Christmas Carol” and “Hobson's Choice” (Liverpool), The Soldier in “The Soldier's Tale” (Bristol), Franco Zeffirelli’s “Absolutely! perhaps” (Wyndhams, West End), “Frog In Love” (National Tour and Edinburgh Festival 2003), “Dealer's Choice” (Barons Court), “Journey's End” (The Courtyard), and “Move It and It's Yours!” (The Pleasance).His Film work includes the controversial British film “Kidulthood” (Stealth/Cipher Films 2006), “Flowers” (2004) and “Making Waves” (Eden Films 2003).
Tom's TV work includes “Coronation Street”, “Mobile” (ITV 2007),” and Surviving Disasters: The Fastnet Yacht Race” (BBC 2006).

Clare Chandler has been working with Gambolling Arena since her return to Liverpool having completed a first class honours degree in Drama at Queens University, Belfast. Clare’s credits with Gambolling Arena include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Audrey in Blue Remembered Hills, Portia Coughlan in Portia Coughlan, Mrs Twit in The Twits, Mel in Shakers, Marlene Dietrich in I Wish You Love, and The Vagina Monologues. Clare has also acted with GASP! Theatre company in Poverty Purity & Chastity: A Victorian Guide to Modern Morals, provided voices for the animated short Mostly Daunted and performed in The Cagebirds, Passion 08 & This Little Babe for Sefton MBC.
Clare is an accomplished singer and musician who has recorded with several bands. Clare regularly performs with vocal group The Harmony Belles and the acclaimed acapella choir "Sense of Sound". In her spare time Clare works as a singing teacher, musical director & drama facilitator for a range of organisations including Liverpool Community College, LIPA & Wirral Grammar School.

Since graduating from the Guildford School of Acting, Simon Henson has been working as a professional actor for about twenty years, doing everything from a play about surreal nursery rhymes for infants, through to Shakespeare for ‘A’ level students (inc. the lead in ‘Macbeth’ and Prospero in ‘The Tempest’), large scale open air productions, playing the goodie, the baddie and the Dame in various pantos, and a play about Hell in a wine cellar (disused, alas!) at the Buxton Festival. Last seen on TV as a waiter tangoing with Christopher Biggins and giving Kerry Katona sniffy looks in the Iceland ads during “I’m a Celebrity...”, fame and fortune are surely just an Equity contract away. He has a young daughter and therefore rarely sleeps

Sarah Hymas is primarily a poet. 'I Wish You Love' is her first play, she has previously collaborated with other writers, musicians and artists. Her work has appeared in single collections, anthologies, magazines, multimedia exhibits, dance videos, improvised operas and theatre brochures. Currently Sarah is developing a new piece for Gambolling Arena about John Denver. You can read more about her at www.sarahhymas.blogspot.com

Erin Walker's career began when her mother (Suzy Walker) had Dracula's Brides chase her through a graveyard when she was two years old for the perfect publicity shot! For Gambolling Arena Erin has appeared in 'The Twits' and 'Portia Coughlan'. She is also a member of the critically acclaimed all female vocal harmony group 'The Harmony Belles'.

Suzy Walker formed Gambolling Arena in 1999 with a view to creating exciting work and high quality theatre. An accomplished actress, her credits include the title role in Shirley Valentine, Annie Wilkes in Misery and Beverley in Abigail’s Party – a part which gained her critical acclaim. Suzy is more likely to be found in the directing seat nowadays.The last ten years have seen Gambolling Arena go from strength to strength; highlights include tours of Poland & Belgium, appearances at the Manchester Royal Exchange and the UK premiere of Portia Coughlan at The Liverpool Irish Festival. The companies tenth year saw Suzy move Gambolling Arena in a new direction comissioning their first piece of new writing I Wish You Love - a conversation between Marlene Dietrich & Edith Piaf which premiered at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool in 2009 and met with critical acclaim and was awarded 5 stars at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Simon Pennicott is an actor, musician and writer who graduated from The Bridge in July 2008. Formerly a professional buyer, Simon made the decision to change from an office desk to the stage in 2006 and has never looked back. Theatre credits include the leads in new musicals The Dating Game and The Bovary Tale ; Grumpskin in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe ; Bob Acres in The Rivals; and Shakebag in Arden of Faversham. He has toured extensively with Boxclever, Theatreand and M & M as well as ticking off most of the comic panto roles over the last few years (Wishee Washee, Silly Billy, Buttons). Recently he produced and appeared in a critically-acclaimed site-specific version of Jim Cartwrights Two with his company Dispense Theatre.

Steph Hazlett is a solo artist and member of the 'Harmony Belles'. Steph currently works in child care but has remained close to her musical roots. Originally beginning as a member of Sefton Youth Theatre, Steph chose to leave the music and theatre path for a few years only to return as part of the 'Harmony Belles' and a solo artist with Gamboling Arena.