2026 Productions/Projects include a London sharing of EAT (Hinterland New Writing), FOUR PLAYS IN MAY (Flesh & Blood Stories New Writing Arts Council Wales), a London & Edinburgh run of AM I LOSING MY MIND OR JUST MY FIGURE? (Untethered + Hinterland at Camden Peoples Theatre SPRINT Festival & Edinburgh Festival), a London run of JUSTINE STOPS OIL, a northern tour of Rona Munro’s IRON (including HOME Manchester & The Dukes Lancaster) and a devised/verbatim piece DETRITUS for Bloomsbury Festival.
2025
“Powerful and mesmerising” “Absolutely exceptional” “Superbly acted”
“Well observed” “Very funny”
Audience Reviews 2025 Lyric Bridport
Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
The Lyric Theatre Bridport 8th November 19:00
Small Scale Venue (100 seats) 1 Performance
Cast: Holly Cassidy, James Coward, Mel Hudson, Ashley O’Brien, Jay Villiers
Writer: Kate Scott
About: Carole sees food as art and validation. Peter sees it as an opportunity to indulge or to hold forth. Julia uses it as a means to fight the will of her mother while Keith sees it as a way to appease her. And Jean-Marc is just hungry for love.
Eat is the story of a family over one table, three decades and many meals.
This comedy-drama explores how family relationships settle into unhealthy patterns while delving into the themes of ageing, expectations of social care and what food can mean to us beyond
2025
“A sharp, funny, and heartfelt one-woman show exploring activism, identity, and climate crisis […] Writer Louis Catliff’s well-observed suburban sarcasm permeates his uplifting one-woman show […] Actor Lehla Eldridge vacillates through her canon with aplomb, whilst always remaining in the warm relatability of ‘fish out of water’ Justine […] Director Sam Holland Bunyan makes good use of in the in-the-round seating as the audience becomes the rallied troops […] a well-oiled production with great potential for reaching, and perhaps revolutionising, further audiences.” ★★★★ Everything Theatre 2025
“Skillfully told story of a menopausal woman’s journey to climate activism […] It is good to see new work happening. It is particularly good to see new work where the protagonist is a woman over 50 […] Lehla Eldridge uses the space dynamically, painting each situation with precision, seamlessly switching characters […] Louis Catliff’s writing offers detailed imagery, plenty of humour and a playful mix of poetic devices […] Sam Holland-Bunyan’s direction makes the most of the space. Tabby Bunyan’s sparse design is effective, and it is theatre at its best when the simple unzipping and zipping of a boiler suit contains a whole evening of wine drinking followed by instant regret […] A particular scene on a motorway stops my breath and time itself” ★★★ A Youngish Perspective 2025
Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
The Glitch (Vaults) 3rd September 20:30, 4th September 20:30, 5th September 17:30 and 20:30
Small Scale Venue (50 seats) 4 Performances
Cast: Lehla Eldridge
Writer: Louis Catliff
Designer: Tabby Bunyan
About: Justine has it all figured out. Pilates, curry nights, The Chase. Does it get any better?
But when her daughter Claire announces she’s leaving home this bubble of domestic bliss is violently burst.
Faced with a rocky marriage and rising dread, Justine searches for meaning and finds it in a group of activists bravely protesting oil and pissing everybody off.
As she gets deeper into the group, Justine must face up to the fact that if she wants to help save the world it may mean blowing up her own life first.
Justine Stops Oil is a funny and fast-paced exploration of hope and rage in the digital age. It asks what does it take to get people out of their echo chambers and onto the streets and how much would we be willing to sacrifice for change?
https://www.instagram.com/justinestopsoil/
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/1735644
AM I LOSING MY MIND OR JUST MY FIGURE?
OFFIES ASSESSORS’ CHOICE and LONDON PUB THEATRES STANDING OVATION FINALIST 2025
“A must-see for anyone navigating the complexities of modern womanhood. Labuschagne is a whirlwind of energy and authenticity. An essential commentary on the modern female experience. An inspiring testament to resilience. For anyone who has ever felt at odds with expectations, or faced a life-altering decision. This show is a profound, hilarious, and ultimately uplifting embrace”. ★★★★ @theatretoseelondon review 2025
“It feels as though every word is intentional; not in a clinical way – quite the opposite, actually. The text is unpretentious and sincere […] Holland-Bunyan’s direction makes the show feel spontaneous, yet intentional awkwardness is leaned into rather than shied away from. It all feels very authentic, the opposite of showy […] This is a reminder that theatre can be effective without hefty monologues and reams of detail, as long as you believe in the story you are telling and have a skilled performer to pull it off. Tick.Tick. Labuschagne’s performance is a versatile and quietly powerful one. Gliding through the scenes, her ability to convey Fin’s charmingly awkward disposition and emotional journey throughout is really something to behold. An utterly crushing twist takes her from upbeat to heartbroken and is superbly acted. Her comic timing is also impressive. Every beat hits, and no opportunity is missed to speak directly to the audience. Holland-Bunyan and Labuschagne are evidently a formidable team. Subtlety is key here, in both performance and Bunyan’s direction. There’s a lot of heart in this show, and I have a feeling that Camden Fringe is just the beginning for this reimagined play’s journey”. ★★★★ Everything Theatre 2025
‘What makes the production remarkable is its balance. Nothing is showy, and in that understatement lies its brilliance […] What makes the production remarkable is its balance. Nothing is showy, and in that understatement lies its brilliance. Genevieve Labuschagne’s performance is versatile yet deeply sincere. Her presence holds both fragility and humour, grounding the story in honesty. The projected illustrations flow seamlessly, adding texture without distraction […] And then there is Sam Holland-Bunyan’s direction: clear, wistful, and generous. She resists the temptation to dwell solely in the heavy or sombre, instead weaving humour and warmth throughout. Her gaze on the character—and by extension the world—is tender, perceptive, and deeply humane. Her ability to find weight in the small, while carefully balancing tone, image, and rhythm, reveals both her artistry and attention to detail. In the end, this is a small and quiet show in a world that often shouts. It does not try to compete. It simply holds space for what matters—the everyday, the overlooked, the quietly heavy things that shape us all. That makes it a true gem of the 2025 Camden Fringe: a show for anyone who finds beauty and meaning in our so-called mundane lives”. ★★★★★ London Pub Theatres (Standing Ovation Nomination)
“Quirky and heartfelt” Audience Review of new adaptation Coronet Theatre Notting Hill 2025
“A delicate and wistful reflection on pregnancy, something rarely explored in the theatre” ★★★★ The Stage 2001
“One of the braver, more sensitive, and infinitely more memorable shows on the Fringe” ★★★★ The Scotsman 2001
Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Etcetera Theatre (Camden Fringe Festival + Women Writers Festival) 28th July 17:00, 17th August 13:00, 18th August 19:00, 19th August 19:00, 8th September 19:00.
Small Scale Venue (42 seats) 5 Performances
The Coronet Theatre (RADA Lab Works) 18th July 19:30
Small Scale Venue (175 seats) 1 Performance
Cast: Genevieve Labuschagne
Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan with additional material by Genevieve Labuschagne.
Designer: Tabby Bunyan
Lighting Design & Technical Stage Manager: Abhinav Misra
Assistant Designer: Louisa Borneman
About: Fin a freelance illustrator is working a zero-hour contract as a cycle courier, her free-spirited and unconventional approach to life at odds with the expectations of those around her. Her discovery in her late twenties that she is pregnant leads her to confront her own belief systems and examines the othering of expectant mothers. ‘Am I Losing My Mind Or Just My Figure’ premiered at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 24 years ago winning a transfer to the Pleasance in London. New elements have been introduced since its first outing in 2001, with actor and theatre maker Genevieve Labuschagne collaborating with the show’s originator Sam Holland-Bunyan. This version, whilst maintaining much of the original considers some of the crises that Labuschagne has herself experienced as a woman in her late twenties attempting to manage the pressures of an unconventional career, misguided relationships, and the decision to have a child.
Inventive, physical and achingly human. The show comically explores life, pregnancy & parenthood. It shines a light on how not only so much of who we are and what we do is shaped by those who raise us but also how so much of what we experience changes us.
Instagram amilosingmymindorjustmyfigure
https://www.citizenticket.com/events/etcetera-theatre/am-i-losing-my-mind-or-just-my-figure/
2024
“Superbly acted and directed. Drew me in from the beginning, I was invested in their lives, I was on the journey with them. Mesmerising.” ★★★★★
“Absolutely blown away by the performances… As someone who doesn’t go to theatre much I was totally enthralled. A must see!” ★★★★★
“Powerful and emotional, I was in tears by the last scene, it got me right in the feels. Both performances were incredible … Absolutely captivating.” ★★★★★
“… If I tell you that after the show I was clinging to the handrail at the tram station openly sobbing because of the journey that this piece took me on it might give you an indication of my experience. I have never been more affected by a piece of theatre. ★★★★
53two Audience Reviews
Director/Designer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Theatre 53two
Small Scale Venue (135 seats) 1 Performance
Cast: Lois Mackie, Ashley O’Brien.
Writer: Joe White.
Movement Director: Lauren Ellis-Stretch.
Assistant Director: Laurie Bayley-Higgins
Lighting & Sound: Tom Sutcliffe
About: A brilliant piece of new writing by Joe White, originally performed at Hampstead Theatre Studio and subsequently transferred to Hampstead’s main theatre. The production at 53two was a sell out success with audience queuing for returns. It introduced a North West based audience to the play and received 5 star audience reviews, praise for its extraordinary acting (Lois Mackie and Ash O’Brien) and powerful direction.
2024
FIRST LOVE (R&D)
“Sensitive and insightful direction. A joyful celebration of humanity, relationships and the simple yet profound moments that make up a life” Community Producer, Royal Exchange Theatre.
Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Front Room)
Small Scale Venue (40 seats) 1 Performance
Cast: Gemma Ryan, Andrew Sheridan
Writer: Samuel Beckett (Adaptation)
About: An adaptation of a novella by Beckett exploring an unusual and delicate love between two strangers.
2024
A NIGHT OF NEW WORK WITH SIMON STEPHENS & CARMEN NASR
Director | Co-Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan and Amara Heyland
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Studio Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (100 seats) 1 Performance
Cast: Manchester School of Acting
Writers: UOM & Manchester Met
Sound Technician: Matthew Masson
Lighting Technician: Matt Lever
About: This celebration of new writing talent emerging from the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing was a sell out success. Award-winning playwrights Simon Stephens and Carmen Nasr hosted the evening of new work for stage, screen and radio, performed by actors from the Manchester School of Theatre’s conservatory repertoire.
2024
★★★★★ Manchester Theatres ★★★★★ Manchester Evening News ★★★★★ North West End ★★★★★ Frankly My Dear ★★★★★ Lost in Theatreland ★★★★ The Stage ★★★★ The Times ★★★★ The Telegraph ★★★★ What’s On Stage *★★★★ Theatre Reviews North ★★★★ The Theatre Talk ★★★★ West End Best Friend
Assistant Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Main Theatre)
Mid Scale Venue (750 seats) – 4 Week Run
Cast: Jill Halfpenny, David Moorst, Obadiah, Rowan Robinson, Andrew Sheridan.
Director: Emma Baggott.
Writer: Shelagh Delaney.
Designer: Peter Butler.
Lighting Designer: Simisola Majekodunmi.
Sound Designer: George Dennis.
Fight and Intimacy Director: Kaitlin Howard.
Arranger/Orchestrator: Alexandra Faye Braithwaite.
Movement Director: Sarita Piotrowski.
Voice and Dialect Coach: Natalie Grady.
About: Shelagh Delaney’s iconic play about working-class life in Salford in the late 1950s. The play deals with problematic themes and issues including racism, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse. It exposes the human condition in all its frailty and disfunction. Written at a time of great change politically and of flux with the new housing estates of the 1960s offering a dream of modernity and functionalism against the back drop of 1950s slum dwelling and illuminating the disconnect between aspirational attitudes to life and a rawer more basic sense of community. The play was a sell out show at the Royal Exchange Manchester.
2024
TAKEOVER
“Sam conducts research with incredible exuberance, is creative and thorough in her preparation, works brilliantly with a creative team and holds space for everyone. Sam is a director who works democratically, tactfully and bravely to bring together the ideas of the room to create work that really empowers the participants and uses their authentic voice.” Community Producer, Royal Exchange Theatre.
“Definitely seeing all our ideas come into the final piece” – Participant on their favourite part of Spinning Tales
“Felt like a big treat from start to finish. I felt honoured and truly treasure the memory of that whole day. It was the perfect realisation of the Spinning Tales workshops. I feel very lucky to have been a part of it and now to be connected to such wonderful people from the community. Thank you! Participant – Takeover
Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester Community Project (Studio Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (100 seats) – 1 Performance
Cast: Community Company.
Production Manager/Collaborator: Sam Redway
Dramaturg/Collaborator: Rosie Thackeray
Producer: Emily Oldroyd
Sound Designer: Neil Eskins
Designer: Eleanor Ferguson
Lighting Designer: Connor Owens
Wardrobe: Sarah White
About: Documentary films and news reports of place and people are often seen through a historic lens and from an outsider’s perspective. ‘Takeover’ explored what happens if we expose and explode that lens LIVE? What happens when the people of the area being explored have an opportunity to share stories unfiltered through a particular lens or concept. What would they say? What would they share?
Spinning Tales was the brainchild of the Royal Exchange Ambassadors for Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley in the Greater Manchester Borough of Wigan. The group wanted to delivery monthly workshops of different aspects of theatre making and at the end of the year provide an opportunity to bring what they had learned to life. A mix of practical exercises, previous research and using text written by the community enabled a group with a mixed level of experience and ability to come together to create a piece of work supported by a professional creative and technical team from RET. The participant experience was kept at the centre of the dramaturgical process. Using stories, writings and recordings from the participants which were submitted ahead of time, and with plenty of hands-on research getting to know the areas, a framework was created for the play, within which the participants were be able to play and improvise within a structure, which provided the balance between holding a narrative together and the pure joy of creative worlds from scratch on the day.
2024
AGE IS REVOLTING
Independent Mentor: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Tramshed – NT Connections – Young Company (Main Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (153 seats) – 1 Performance
Cast: Tramshed Young Company.
Director: Rosie Thackeray.
Writer: Abi Zakarian.
About: When a group of school kids rebel against their boring music lesson they hit the wrong note and magically transform into their 80 year-old selves…and now live in a care home. Suddenly age, and their understanding of it, feels very relevant as they begin to confusedly navigate their way back to the present; no longer older, but maybe just a little wiser. The play was performed by the Young Company at Tramshed.
2024
INTERGEN
Assistant Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Studio Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (100 seats) – 2 Performances
Cast: Intergen Company.
Project Lead: Natalie Diddams.
Co-Producers: Katrina Heath & Ruvarashe Nyakupinda.
Production Technician: Matt Webster.
About: Elders and Young Company members collaborated exploring the boundaries of comic taste, what makes interesting content, and how to unlock their comedy personas.
2023
DEAR MANCHESTER A CITY FOR LIFE
Collaborator: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Manchester City Library)
Small Scale Venue (50 seats) – 1 Performance
Cast: Elders Company.
Director: Andy Barry.
About: A devised piece exploring what Manchester and ageing meant to a group aged between sixty and eighty-four. Performed by members of the Elders Company.
2023
ROMEO & JULIET
★★★★★ Morning Star ★★★★★ North West End ★★★★★ About Manchester ★★★★ Opening Night ★★★★★ The Reviews Hub ★★★★★ Theatre Reviews North
Assistant Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Main Theatre)
Mid Scale Venue (750 seats) – 4 Week Run
Cast: Geoff Aymer, Ike Bennett, Adam Fenton, Conor Glean, Kate Hampson, Dominic Holmes, Shalisha James Davies, David Judge, Ashley O’Brien, Daniel Poyser, Gemma Ryan, Community Company.
Director: Nicolai La Barrie.
Writer: William Shakespeare.
Designer: GOOD TEETH.
Lighting Designer: Azusa Ono.
Composer and Sound Designer: Mark Melville.
Movement Director: Jade Hackett.
Fight Director: Kev McCurdy.
Intimacy Director: Bethan Clark.
About: A contemporary version of Romeo & Juliet as a love-letter to Manchester, a celebration of youth, love and aspiration. A vision of hope in troubled times.
2022
TWELFTH NIGHT
Assistant Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
RADA (Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre | Schools Tour)
Small Scale Venue (183 seats) – 2 Week Run
Director: Anna Marsland.
Writer: William Shakespeare.
Designer: Anna Cierpal.
Lighting Designer: Lucinda Plummer.
Sound Designer: Matt Webb.
About: Shakespeare for Young Audiences. A production which looked at Shakespeare’s play through a queer lens included a two week tour of inner city schools in London.
2022
CONTEMPORARY DUOLOGUES
Assistant Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
RADA (RADA Studios)
Small Scale Venue (200 seats) – 2 Performances
Director: Nona Shepphard.
About: An evening of monolologues and duologues performed (and some written) by RADA final year students.
2022
THE EFFECT
Assistant Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
RADA (Gielgud Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (50 seats) – 2 Week Run
Cast: Tawana Dingembira, Patrick Fleming, Elyssia Rowe, Anna Tolstoy.
Director: Gari Jones.
Writer: Lucy Prebble.
Designer: Pip Beattie.
Lighting Designer: Abrahram Walkling-Lea.
Sound Designer: Rob Donnelly-Jackson.
Video Designer: Ting Fang.
Movement and Intimacy Coach: Lizzie Ballinger.
About: This devastating and darkly comic story revolves around two protagonists who volunteer in a drug trial.A play exploring clinical depression but above all love was performed by RADA graduate students.
2017
Director/Designer/Adaptor: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Salisbury Museum (Theatre Space)
Small Scale Venue (90 seats) – 1 Performance
About: A theatrical adaptation based on the correspondence and friendship between Bishop FIsher and the painter John Constable as a companion piece to the Constable retrospective exhibition at Salisbury Museum.
2016
SYSTEMISED
Director/Designer/Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Salisbury Arts Centre (The White Room)
Small Scale Venue (60 people) – 1 Performance
Costume/Prop Designer: Judith Rodgers.
About: A semi-immersive piece of theatre combining film and live performance, exploring how as a society we willingly allow ourselves to be controlled by hidden bureaucratic systems.
2014
DIS_CONNECT
Director/Designer/Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
New Red Studios (Gallery)
Small Scale Venue (50 people) – 2 Performances
About: An immersive piece of theatre using film and an intricate art installation interrogating how increasingly disconnected we have become in an ‘interconnected’ society. The play challenged and parodied bureaucratic systems and governmental over-regulatory practices.
2014
PAPER BIRD
Director/Designer/Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Wiltshire Creative (Woolstore Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (107 seats) – 1 Week Run
Producer: Mark Powell/Salisbury Playhouse
About: A devised play harnessing the performances of 100 young people aged between 6 and 11 years old (in 2 casts of 50) over a week in July 2014 as part of the 100th anniversary of World War One. The play was developed and devised over 4 weeks, and involved improvised world, character and dramaturgy to create a production that brought the community of Wyle Valley together and gave the young people involved a real sense of ownership of the work made together as an ensemble and the skills to develop more theatre independently and as a group going forward.
2014
RUN1914
Director/Designer/Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Wiltshire Creative (Deverills Festival)
Small Scale Venue (100 seats) – 1 Performance
Assistant Director: Iona Johnson.
Producer: Salisbury Playhouse/Deverills Festival.
About: A devised play set in a farm in Wiltshire exploring an event during World War One inspired by local stories. An intergenerational community company was brought together for the day to devise and develop a piece of theatre supported by a technical team from Salisbury Playhouse as part or the Deverills Arts Festival.
2011
PLEASE RETAIN FOR YOUR RECORDS
Director: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Edinburgh Comedy Fringe Festival & London (Spotlites Main Theatre Merchants Hall | Hen & Chickens Theatre)
Small Scale Venue (150 seats | 54 seats) – 1 Week Run
Writer: Mel Hudson.
Producer: Kate O’Sullivan.
About: A comedy sketch show with Kate O’Sullivan, Mel Hudson, Alex Baldacci, Sara J Novak exploring technology, medicine and parenthood. The show mixed slapstick, with satirical review and stand up.
2011
THE PRIME MINISTER’S SPEECH
Director/Designer/Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Wiltshire Creative (Salberg Studio | Schools Programme)
Small Scale Venue (149 seats) – 1 Performance
About: 30 young people (aged 10-11) devised a play about a political heist using suggested worlds and given circumstances to create a parody of a 1950s political comedy using slapstick comedy, satire and improvisation to develop their own piece of theatre.
2010
EL OJO DE VIDRIO/THE TURKISH BATHS/THE TRAIN
Director/Designer/Writer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
The Hungry Actors Theatre Company (Valencia).
R&D (40 seats) – 1 Performance
Co-Writer: Ruben Fraile Gisbert.
About: A devised comedy about a bullfighting spy working for General Franco and the fallout when his cover is blown. The work of The Hungry Actors focused on using corporeal mime to increase the actor’s strength, agility, flexibility and imaginative powers.
2009
SUEÑOS DE VERANO
Director/Designer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Ars Xikanda (Valencia)
Small Scale Venue (200 seats) – 1 Performance
Producer: Louis Garcia Calatrava
About: A devised performance by Ars Xikanda trainee professional acting students using Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ as a jumping off point to explore love, community and connection. A companion piece ran as a site specific performance in urban shopping centres in Valencia.
2008
INAUGURATION
Director/Designer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Ars Xikanda (Valencia)
Small Scale Venue (200 seats) – 1 Performance
Producer: Louis Garcia Calatrava
About: An evening of multi and inter-disciplinary work fusing Butoh, Breakdancing, Character Mask, Improvisation and Flamenco.
2007
LA LUPE
Director/Designer: Sam Holland-Bunyan
Teatro Flumen and Teatro Inestable (Valencia)
Small Scale Venue (200 seats) | (107 seats)- 5 Week Run
*Teatro Flumen is a 400 seat theatre but for this production half of the auditorium was cordoned off to make it a 200 seater.
Writer: Carlos Padron Montoya.
Producer: Yamilet Duran Sosa.
About: A play about the life of legendary Cuban singer La Lupe.
SAM HOLLAND-BUNYAN 