Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool
Hot on the heels of last year’s sell out shows, comes an exciting new production of Finger Food Shorts and another exclusive, unmissable night of theatre and entertainment in Liverpool.
For this our second year, Finger Food Shorts explores the theme of Boundaries through a diverse and exciting collection of monologues penned by a thrilling line up of fabulous Northern writers.
Six writers, emerging and/or established in their own fields:
A local performer of dance, poetry & music. An actor who sings. An activist & trouble-causer. An award winning journalist & author. A prolific blogger. A screenwriter for TV & film.
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With huge thanks to the Everyman & Playhouse Theatres, Arts Council England & with support from National Lottery Project Grants
Finger Food Shorts '22
Writers 2023
Dorcas Sebuyange
Dorcas is a Christian Congolese performer and writer who specialises in drama, music, poetry and dance. Her recent writing credits include Vice Versa commissioned by Eclipse Theatre & HOME Manchester with development support from Unity Theatre, Liverpool. Also Buttercup (for BBC Arts/20 Stories High/Tigerlily Productions), Big Up (Theatre-Rites & 20 Stories High) and
Black Men Walking (Eclipse). Dorcas has supported urban music artists such as Akala, Lady Leshurr, Yasmin, Sway, Bashy, Lowkey and Cherri V Mz. Bratt amongst others. As a poet she has worked with Sky Arts, BBC North West, Africa Oye, Netball World Cup and more.
Felix Mufti
Felix is a scouse activist, performer, writer and chaos-causer who loves to tell his unhinged life stories through rhythm n’ rap inspired spoken word. He co-founded Transcend Theatre where he writes and performs authentic, usually unexplored stories of trans experience. His sell-out shows: ACE funded play and debut How to Kill a Rose was rated 4.5 stars by North West End and his following
project Be Gay, Do Crime, blew the roof off at the Shakespeare North Playhouse. Felix’s professional credits include: Sex Education (Netflix); When All Is Said (Fuel) & Transpose: Joy (Barbican). Felix is an organiser for Trans Pride Liverpool, Transgender Day of Remembrance and is the Trans Rep for Socialist LGBT+ Network.
Gary Bainbridge
at the Canal Cafe Theatre in London. He is a writer and designer at Bus Stop Editorial Services, and travels a lot on buses.
Gary is a journalist and screenwriter from Liverpool. He wrote a nationally syndicated weekly column for 10 years, and provided material for the comedians Adam Kay and Dave Gorman, contributing to four series of the Dave TV shows Modern Life Is Goodish and Dave Gorman: Terms And Conditions Apply. His comic play Shelf Life, co-written with Griff Phillips, was performed
Isobel Campbell
Izzy is an actor, singer and aspiring writer from Liverpool. She trained in theatre at Salford Uni and has contributed creatively to various Liverpool & Manchester based theatre including LIPA, Contact & Unity. Izzy made her screen debut with 20 Stories High in their short film series Touchy (2021). More recently Izzy is pursuing her love of writing and her first play
You Are My Sunshine has been selected to be a part of Unity Theatre’s Up Next 2023 Spring programme. Izzy is inspired to make theatre for positive change, creating work that platforms those who are underrepresented and giving other artists opportunities to collaborate.
Terri White
Terri is a journalist, author and screenwriter based in the northwest. Her book, Coming Undone: A Memoir was published by Canongate in 2020 and she is developing it for the screen – as writer and Exec Producer with Netflix and Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials, I Hate Suzie). Terri is a columnist for The Sunday Times and her journalism (for the likes of New
Statesman, The Observer, British Vogue, The Guardian, ELLE UK and The Big Issue ) is focused at the intersection of life-writing and culture, class, VAWG and society. She most recently made the BBC radio documentary and podcast series, Terri White: Finding Britain's Ghost Children. Terri worked in publishing for two decades, editing magazines including EMPIRE and Time Out New York. She was a three-times Editor of the Year (British Society of Magazine Editors); one of the 150 Female Leaders redefining the creative industries; and a Folio Top Woman in US Media. She received the BSME’s lifetime achievement award, the Mark Boxer, in 2022 and was made a Fellow of the RSA in recognition of her work in journalism. Terri was recently named the incoming Chair of the Gordon Burn Prize and is currently working on a short film, her second non-fiction book and first novel.
Soulla Tantouri Eriksen
Soulla is a busy (knackered!) mum. Also a writer for radio, film and television - having left her day job as a secondary school teacher of English to pursue her dream of writing for the screen. She is currently developing two original projects for TV.
Actors 2023
Funke Adeleke
Funke is an actor/musician who was a lead singer in the band London Afrobeat Collective for 4 years before turning to acting full time in 2017.
She studied at Royal Central school of Speech and Drama and is also a member of Clean Break where she won her bursary to study. Funke has been working in the industry consistently since leaving Central.
She has been in numerous commercials, and can currently be seen in the SodaStream campaign airing worldwide on all platforms. Her theatre credits include I and the Village at the Bread and Roses Theatre for which the cast were nominated for an offie as an ensemble cast, Sweatbox nationwide tour by Clean Break, an R&D with Wretched Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Greaea Theatre. Funke's screen credits include Sweatbox the short movie on Youtube, Oba which is currently making its American Festival film rounds in which she plays Aunty Aduke and also wrote and sang the film score.
Macaulay Cooper
Macaulay is a Welsh actor currently based in Manchester and signed to Urban Actors Talent. Previously Macaulay has appeared in The Bay on ITV and Casualty on BBC as well as two independent British features that are due for release later this summer.
Molly Windsor
Molly is best known for her performance in Three Girls for which she won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress. Recent credits include the feature Make Up directed by Claire Oakley, season 1 & 2 of Traces and season 3 of War Of The Worlds on BBC1. Molly has most recently been seen in the feature film SHE SAID, directed by Maria Schrader (UNORTHODOX).
Joyce Branagh
Joyce is a writer, director and actor based in the North West. Theatre includes: Ladies That Dig, Ladies That Bus (Duke’s Lancaster & tours); Jack & the Beanstalk (LBT Huddersfield); TWO (St George’s Theatre); Diane Online (Outstageous); Comedy of Errors, Macbeth (national tour). Television: Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Porridge, Hollyoaks, Das Netz
– Prometheus. Film: How to Date Billy Walsh; The Burying Party; Belfast.
Jake Hagan
Jake is an actor from Liverpool and alumni of Young Everyman Playhouse. He recently appeared in ITV drama Malpractice, alongside Niamh Algar and directed by Philip Barantini. He also appeared in BAFTA Nominated BBC drama The Responder. He is no stranger to Finger Food Shorts and is set to reprise his role from last year in Mama's Secret Recipe.
Felix Mufti
Felix is a scouse activist, performer, writer and chaos-causer who loves to tell his unhinged life stories through rhythm n’ rap inspired spoken word. He co-founded Transcend Theatre where he writes and performs authentic, usually unexplored stories of trans experience. His sell-out shows: ACE funded play and debut How to Kill a Rose was rated 4.5 stars by North West End and his following project Be Gay, Do
Crime, blew the roof off at the Shakespeare North Playhouse. Felix’s professional credits include: Sex Education (Netflix); When All Is Said (Fuel) & Transpose: Joy (Barbican). Felix is an organiser for Trans Pride Liverpool, Transgender Day of Remembrance and is the Trans Rep for Socialist LGBT+ Network.
Plays 2023
As For Me And My House
by Dorcas Seb.
This is not just a story but an exploration of the human spirit's resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy. The journey of a woman whose humble dreams to serve as a Christian missionary take a turn after a series of events.
And I Wait For God To Come
by Felix Mufti.
Felix’s soul-searching monologue explores the impact of internalised homophobia and a near death experience. His dark comedic tale follows the recurring cycles of shame and addiction. Melancholy yet musical, this heartbreaking, tender play will make you question who it is we live our lives for.
Mammas's Secret Recipe
by Gary Bainbridge
Gary’s black comedy in which a trip to an Italian restaurant on holiday turns into a Godfather-esque nightmare serves up laughs aplenty and is sure to satisfy your appetite for fun and intrigue.
Me VS The World
by Izzy Campbell
Izzy’s hard hitting (pun intended) monologue explores the social pressures of a successful MMA fighter which have led to the neglect of his true identity. This monologue challenges the ‘masculine image’ within sport and explores the pressures which can have negative impacts on mental health.
Body Count
by Terri White
Terri’s funny, raw monologue, BODY COUNT, is the story of a young working-class woman who has made a career for herself as a journalist on the country’s biggest men’s magazine. Not only has it been a route out (and up) for Toni but she believes it’s one for other working-class girls, the ones she gets to appear semi-naked in the pages of the magazine. But one night, Toni experiences something that makes her reassess her role in re-shaping sexual politics for a generation of young men and women.
Heatwave
by Soulla Tantouri Eriksen
Soulla’s play about a middle-aged woman who just wants to go for a walk at night and feel
safe will resonate with many & leave you unsure about whether to laugh or cry.
Producer & Director
Soulla Tantouri Eriksen
Soulla's vision for Finger Food Shorts began with a desire to connect local artists, explore unheard voices and showcase working class stories brought to life on stage by fabulous local talent.
Assistant Director
Isaac Nixon
Isaac graduated from Liverpool John Moores university in 2018, winning the Yasmin Jones award for creativity.
He is a working class, queer creative and has a drive to search for stories that reflect this. After being deaf as a child, he is interested in creating work that explores physical communication, combining text with movement. This led him to work with disabled artists in
RAWD (Random Acts of Wildness Disability) Theatre Company in creating shows reflecting their communities. He furthered his training in the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Director course where he directed Shook by Samuel Bailey. He is also a children's storyteller, going by his alter ego 'Og the Giant' and a drama facilitator. Isaac is excited to work with Finger Food Shorts, directing three amazing monologues from 3 phenomenal writers.
Soulla would like to thank The Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse for their incredible
and continued support. This would not have been possible without them.