Theatre Elusive and The Fringe
by Gillian English
Gillian English is the Artistic Producer and founder of The Theatre Elusive. Originally from Nova Scotia, Gillian trained in theatre at Dalhousie University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). A Toronto based performer, Ms English is one half of the comedy duo “The Young Geologists”, who have headlined the London Big Comedy Go-To, and The Spring Fever Festival. In the past year she has been featured by the CBC, CTV, The National Post, and NOW! Magazine and many other media outlets for her work in the theatre and comedy. Recent theatre credits include: A Woman of No Importance (Alumnae Theatre), Antony and Cleopatra (The Theatre Elusive), I Don’t Like You (The Theatre Elusive), Matt and Ben (The Theatre Elusive), The Wormwood Prince (Next Stage Theatre)
With a great deal of help from Mikaela Dyke, Dahlia Katz and Rob Salerno I mounted my first production. There was a very steep learning curve, but I managed to come out of it alive. I didn’t burn down the theatre. I called it a win. After that I just wanted to keep going, so I did. I produced a Toronto run of Mikaela Dyke’s award winning show “Dying Hard”. I put on a festival of new works called “The Spring Fever Festival”. In the summer the company did a sketch comedy show in Halifax called “I Don’t Like You”. While in Halifax I picked up a copy of Mindy Kaling’s book “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)”. I read it on the flight back to Toronto, and one piece of advice really stuck with me. It was essentially this: If you’re a young actor in this business trying to get noticed, write yourself the ideal role in the ideal play, then do it. It made enough sense to me. I set out to do exactly what Mindy Kaling told me to do.
