Olivia Millar-Ross

The Bench
Written by Jeff Brown.
Co-produced by CaroleW Productions and Gala Durham.

A touching and humorous tale of two young people struggling to survive against the odds in their very different lives. This poignant, heartwarming and sensitive love story is set against the darker side of professional football and life on the economic edge.

Vicky is a single mum, overwhelmed by everyday pressures, while Adi – the local team’s new signing – is struggling to find his place, on and off the pitch. Seemingly worlds apart, the pair meet by chance on a park bench and discover they have more in common than they might at first have imagined.

This is the work of former BBC TV Look North presenter Jeff Brown, an award-winning reporter who has covered news and sport in the North East for almost 40 years.

‘The Bench’ is Jeff’s second play, and is now embarking on a long-awaited regional tour.

Show Racism the Red Card supports the North East & Cumbria tour of The Bench.

Touring Thursday 22nd May to Saturday 21st June 2025.

Various Short Plays
Produced by Short Attention Span Theatre
Performed at Ayr Gaiety, then toured to; Girvan, Mauchline, Straiton, Fairlie and Maybole in February and April 2025.

Plays;
Red Rose, written by Grant McDonald, performed by Sarah Pieraccini.

Shine, written by Sean Fee, performed by Grant McDonald and Sarah Pieraccini.

The Come Back! Written by Chris Patrick, performed by Marnie Thomson, Megan Smith and Grant McDonald.

Pop Princess Hereafter, written by David Salisbury, performed by Cath Barrett, Megan Smith and Sarah Pieraccini.

The Bench
Written by Jeff Brown.
Produced by Natasha Haws, performed at The Customs House.

When you find yourself cast adrift in a strange country, there’s no substitute for finding your soulmate. Even if you’re playing in the Premier League…

Complete strangers, Vicky and Adi's paths cross on a park bench and in the ensuing week they find that, despite their very different lives, they have more in common than they think.

A moving, funny, heart-warming tale of love, loss, and football, and a reminder of how hard it is to be young and to find a glimmer of hope and happiness, no matter what riches are laid at your door.

Cast:
Hannah Marie Davis as Vicky
Jason Njoroge as Adi
Abigail Lawson as Ange
Adam Donaldson as Mike
Dan Howe as Lad
Zac Anders as Boy

Writer: Jeff Brown
Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Producer: Natasha Haws
Technical Manager: Jordon Embleton
Lighting Designer: John Rainsforth
Set and Costume Designer: Lee Ward | Hollow Productions
Marketing: Paul Jeffrey

Photography by Wycombe 89 Media

Reviews

"The play is skilfully directed by Olivia Millar-Ross who does a fantastic job of keeping the story moving smoothly between locations and emotions" - Cultured. North East

"...the direction from Olivia Millar-Ross is crisp and pacy." - Sunderland Echo

"The obvious enjoyment of the full house was shown by frequent bursts of laughter and complete silence in the serious sections, topped off with a standing ovation." - British Theatre Guide

"There are some difficult topics tackled in Jeff Brown’s script and they are presented with a great deal of sensitivity. I was very impressed by the delicate way each of the challenging aspects of this production were presented to the very appreciative audience." - InNewcastle

ART

Written by Yasmina Reza.
Translated by Christopher Hampton.
Produced by Joshua Beaumont and Original Theatre, performing at; Lighthouse Poole, Theatre Royal Bath, Norwich Theatre Royal, Mercury Colchester, Malvern Theatre, Devonshire Park (Eastbourne), Theatre Royal Nottingham, Belgrade Theatre (Coventry) and Sheffield Lyceum.

The smash hit comedy returns starring Seann Walsh, Chris Harper and Aden Gillett.

A seemingly simple purchase of contemporary art - an all-white painting – ignites a hilarious debate amongst three close friends. What begins as a light-hearted discussion about art quickly descends into a riotous exploration of the blurred lines between art and reality.

This multi-award winning play (winner of Best Comedy at the Olivier Awards, Tony Awards and Moliere Awards) is a razor sharp exploration of art, love and friendship that will stay with you long after the curtain falls.

With award-winning comedian Seann Walsh, Chris Harper (Call the Midwife, Coronation Street) and Aden Gillett (The Crown, The House of Elliot), Iqbal Khan (East is East, National Theatre and Othello, RSC) directs a brand-new production of Yasmina Reza's fiendishly clever and hilariously funny play.

Cast:
Seann Walsh
Chris Harper
Aden Gillett

Director: Iqbal Khan
Set and Lighting Designer: Ciaran Bagnall
Composer and Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim
Associate Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Production Manager: Brian Watson
Costume Supervisor: Nancy Surman
Props Supervisor: Katie Balmforth
Marketing: Emma Martin for Original Theatre
PR: Alison Duguid PR

Reviews
✮✮✮✮ West End Best Friend
✮✮✮✮ What's Good To Do
✮✮✮✮ Stage Talk Magazine

Catafalque

Written by Amy Conway.
Produced by Scissor Kick, performing at Summerhall during Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024, touring to Beacon Arts Centre, Paisley Arts Centre and Byre Theatre.

Fern doesn't get invited to dinner parties anymore. They used to love her tales of the macabre. But now? The mask is slipping.

Written by Amy Conway and directed by Beth Morton, Catafalque is a one woman eulogy to death through the lens of a civil celebrant. How do we grieve the ungrievable? How do you speak of death when no-one wants to look? A show about love, loss and a lifetime of secrets.

Join Fern as she navigates the complexities of a grieving family and learns to tell the truth when it repels the bravest of us.

Writer/Performer: Amy Conway
Director: Beth Morton
Associate Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Sound Designer: Gary Cameron
Lighting Designer: Aisha Oyedeopo
Production Manager: Colin Bell
Stage Manager: Susan McWhirter
LX Support: Benny Goodman
Producers: Stephanie Katie Hunter and Nicola Lawton
Assistant Producer: Sophie McAlpine

Reviews
✮✮✮✮✮ EdFringe Review
✮✮✮✮✮ The Real Chrisparkle
✮✮✮✮ The Scotsman

Silence

Based on Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories, written by Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood.
Produced by Tara Theatre, performed at Queens Theatre, Leicester Curve, Birmingham Rep and HOME Manchester.

The 1947 partition of India saw millions uprooted and resulted in unspeakable violence. The partition resulted in the formation of three countries: India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan – now Pakistan and Bangladesh. It would also shape modern Britain. Witnesses to this brutal moment in history live among us, yet the stories of that time remain shrouded in silence.

SILENCE is a new play focused on communal storytelling – presenting a shared history inspired by the remarkable personal testimonies of people who lived through the last days of the British Raj. Commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of partition, SILENCE is adapted from Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories and was originally co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse.

Cast:
Aaron Gill
Alexandra D'sa
Asif Khan
Bhasker Patel
Mamta Kaash
Tia Dutt

Writers: Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood
Original production directed and developed for tour by Abdul Shayek
Director: Iqbal Khan
Associate Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Movement Director: Seeta Patel
Set Designer: Rachana Jadhav
Lighting Designer: Simeon Miller
Production Designers: Rachana Jadhav and Simeon Miller
Sound Designer and Composer: Beth Duke
Casting: Polly Jerrold
Original Costume Designer: Rose Revitt
Associate Costume Designer: Malena Arcucci
Executive Producer: Bella Rodrigues 
Production Manager: Chloe Stally-Gibson
Costume Supervisor: Malena Arcucci
CSM: April Johnston
DSM: Emily Davies
ASM: Florian Lim
Wardrobe Manager: Sophia Raja
Production Video Engineer: Grace Duff
Production LX: Chris McDonnell
Sound and Video Technician: Grace Duff
Tour Re-lighter and LX Operator: Chris McDonnell

Reviews
✮✮✮✮✮ - What's Good To Do
✮✮✮✮✮ - The New Current
✮✮✮✮✮ - Behind The Arras

Dancing Shoes

Written by Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith.
Co-presented by A Play, A Pie and A Pint and Traverse Theatre.

A bold and life-affirming comedy-drama about an unlikely friendship between three men in recovery from addiction.

Donny lives with his mum and has been struggling with addiction most of his life. He also has a secret hobby…dancing alone in his bedroom.

Determined to get help, Donny attends his local support group where he bonds with two other men, Jay and Craig, who change his life. But when a video of Donny dancing goes up online and makes him an accidental viral superstar, the men’s new friendship is put to the test with the whole world now watching on.

Dancing Shoes is a life-affirming comedy-drama about isolation, support groups and bedroom dancing that challenges how we treat the most vulnerable people in society.

Cast:
Ross Allan
Stephen Docherty
Craig Mclean

Writers: Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith
Director: Brian Logan
Designer: Heather Grace Currie
Movement Director: Jack Webb
Assistant Director: Olivia Millar-Ross

Photo by: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Reviews
✮✮✮✮ The Scotsman
✮✮✮✮ The Guardian
✮✮✮✮ The Stage

Medea on the Mic

Written by Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh.
Produced by A Play, A Pie and A Pint, performed at Òran Mór.

A feminist, queer retelling of the epic Greek tragedy that turns the tables on being gaslit without losing your sense of humour.

Tonight on the mic, it’s Medea!

Join everyone’s favourite princess-sorceress for one hell of a good time as she shares stories of when she was Scottish and swaggered into the wonderlands of Berlin, Tehran and New York.

It’s not just Medea though, other guests on the mic include her ex Jason (of the Argonauts), old pal the Chariot Queen and the brutally honest Mother Superior.

Cast:
Hannah Jarrett-Scott
Reuben Joseph
Marc Mackinnon

Writer: Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh
Director: Philip Howard
Designer: Kenny Miller
Assistant Director: Olivia Millar-Ross

Photo by: Tim Morozzo

Reviews
✮✮✮✮ Broadway World
✮✮✮✮ Theatre Scotland
✮✮✮✮ theQR

Beauty and the Beast

Written by Alan McHugh.
Performed at Beacon Arts Centre.

Once upon a time, in the fairytale land of Auchterdreich, Inverclyde… the vain Prince Sebastian refused to marry the Witch Queen - Deadly Nightshade - who cursed him to live as a hideous beast unless he could find true love.

When Dame Betty Blumenthal, her hapless boy Boabby and their best friend Belle arrive on holiday with nowhere to stay, the Beast’s trusty servant, old Angus McFungus, thinks that Belle might be the one to break the curse, and invites them up to the castle… whilst hoping to get aff with Betty!

Join our evil witch, our cursed prince, our fairytale princess, our dopey dame, her silly son and a castle full of enchanted prisoners on a roller coaster ride of thrills and spills, to cheer the goodies and boo the baddies and discover if true love will win the day in time to defeat the curse.

Cast:
Jane McCarry
Mark Cox
Jimmy Chisholm
Lee Samuel
Shannon Swan
Sam Willison
Alison Hunter
Natalie Tedesco
Alistair Fitton
Sean Van Oostum

Writer: Alan McHugh
Director: Beth Morton
Assistant Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Musical Director: John Kielty
Sound Designer: Corey Jackson
Choreographer: Georgina Mannifield
Lighting Designer: Simon Hayes
Production Manager: John Wilkie
DSM: Dayna Cumming
SM: Laura McGarvey
ASM: Lara Cassidy
Wardrobe Supervisor: Karen Short
Props Assistant: Chloe MacMaster

Reviews
✮✮✮✮ The Stage
✮✮✮✮ Broadway World
✮✮✮✮ Braw Theatre

Sugar Coat

Written by Lilly Pollard and Joel Samuels.
Produced by Emma Blackman, performed at Southwark Playhouse.

A feminist gig theatre show about love, loss and lubrication. Based on a true story, Sugar Coat is a hilarious and heartfelt mix of rebellious empowerment and laugh-out-loud teen angst.

Performed by an all female and non-binary band, Sugar Coat follows one woman’s coming-of-age journey, spanning across eight years of sexual highs and lows, with sprinklings of 90s nostalgia and an unashamedly queer and feminist call to arms.

Cast:
Dani Heron
Eve de leon Allen
Sarah Workman
Rachel Barnes
Anya Pearson

Co-writers: Lilly Pollard and Joel Samuels
Director: Celine Lowenthal
Assistant Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Co-musical Directors: Lilly Pollard and Anya Pearson
Composer: Lilly Pollard
Producer: Emma Blackman
Associate Producer: Josephine Shipp
Sound Designer: Lucy Baker-Swinburn
Sound Operator: Raffaela Pancucci
Lighting Designer: Martha Godfrey
Set and Costume Designer: Ruth Badila
Production Manager: Misha Mah
CSM: Summer Keeling
Social Media Marketing: Millie Whittam
Marketing Consultants: Emma Martin Arts Marketing
PR Consultant: Chloe Nelkin Consulting

Photography by Ali Wright

Reviews
✮✮✮✮✮ Broadway World
✮✮✮✮ The Guardian
✮✮✮✮ The Stage

Exodus

Written by Uma Nada-Rajah.
A National Theatre of Scotland production, it performed at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, then toured Scotland performing at; Macrobert Arts Centre, Eastgate Theatre, An Lanntair, CentreStage, The Lemon Tree, Tron Theatre and An Tobar.

Bold, satirical and uncomfortably funny, Exodus explores systematic deception and the indifference to human suffering.

In her bid to become the country’s leader, Home Secretary Asiya Rao prepares to make a major policy announcement that will establish her as the front-runner of the political race. Alongside her cut-throat and calculating advisor Phoebe, she embarks on a publicity stunt starting with a photo shoot by the white cliffs of Dover. But rather than the tide washing her reputation clean, something else washes up…

An omen or an opportunity? The women are determined to keep their eyes on the prize, no matter the human cost.

Cast:
Aryana Ramkhalawon as Asiya
Habiba Saleh as Haben
Sophie Steer as Phoebe
Anna Russell-Martin as Tobi

Writer: Uma Nada-Rajah
Director: Debbie Hannan
Assistant Director: Olivia Millar-Ross
Producer: Ailie Crerar-Blythe
DSM: Katie Stephen
Set and Costume Designer: Alisa Kalyanova
LX Designer: Laura Howard
Video: Rob Willoughby
Sound Designer/Composition: Mark Melville
Casting Director: Laura Donnelly CDG
BSL Interpreters: Ali Gordon and Amy Cheskin
Dramaturg: Rosie Kellegher
Fight Director: Janet Lawson
Off-stage voices: Tyler Collins
Opera Singing: Lea Shaw

Reviews
✮✮✮✮✮ The Sunday Express
✮✮✮✮ The Scotsman
✮✮✮✮ The Guardian