Heather Long

Heather Long is a director, writer & performer, represented by Hatch Talent. She makes work which is process centred and actor led. She often works in collaboration with other practitioners, developing shows with a variety of writers and makers. Heather is particularly interested in manifestations of shame and seeks to makes work which explodes taboo using bold and innovative forms.

Most recently Heather directed, Mike Bartlett’s Earthquakes In London at Ovalhouse theatre, following the release of her comedy web-series, Slipped Disco and her one woman show, Memento Mori for Vault festival 2018. Other collaborations include working alongside, Marcello De Santos, Alice Birch, Curious Directive & Gail Louw, working at many different venues including the, Soho Theatre, The Bush & The Arcola.

Heather also established Do What You Dare, in association with Dare Festival & Shoreditch Town Hall, an annual artist’s collective where performers are invited step beyond their comfort zone, performing or sharing work outside of their discipline to raise money to fund further creative opportunities for other artists.

Heather also works as a teacher and workshop facilitator. She is passionate about working with community groups, particularly female centred groups, including refugee women at Praxis and AGLOW, a group for queer women aged 60 + struggling with mental health challenges. Heather used to volunteer with Spires, a homeless charity, putting together a community choir which raised money for the service users and also performed for them. Heather worked with City Academy for two years as an acting tutor and currently tailors bespoke courses and tutors freelance.

Heather completed the three year actor training at RADA and holds a first in Drama from Queen Mary, University of London, winning the Westfield Prize for Academic excellence. She has lived in London for 13 years and is proud to call Camberwell home. Heather is currently interviewing local residents, talking to them about their experience of gentrification for her next show Camberwell.

Credits

Directing:

Earthquakes In London, Ovalhouse, Mike Bartlett, 1 week, 2019

Earthquakes In London, The Courtyard Theatre, Mike Bartlett, 1 evening, 2019

Do What You Dare, Shoreditch Town Hall, 2015 - 2018 annually

Memento Mori, Vault Festival, Heather Long, 1 week, 2018

The Narcissist Project, Shoreditch Town Hall, 1 week, 2017

Slipped Disco, Viral, Heather Long, 9 eps, 2017

Assistant Directing:

American Idiot, Mountview, Josh Seymour, 2 weeks, 2018

Band Solo, Shoreditch Town Hall, James Blakey, 3 weeks, 2018

Romantic Comedy, Shoreditch Town Hall, James Blakey, 3 weeks, 2017


Work with Young People Community:

Camberwell, 16 - 90, stories with local residents exploring gentrification for verbatim performance, 2019 - 2020

City Academy, 18 - 70, putting on a variety of production with non-actors, 2017 - 2019

Soho Young Playwrights, 10 -11, realising short plays written by young people in inner city schools, 2 weeks, 2018

Home, working with Praxis Community Projects, a charity in East London, using poetry and spoken word to empower refugee women with their stories of putting roots down in Britain, 2015

Camberwell Christmas Community Choir, 19 - 65, raising funds for homeless charity Spires in Streatham, also performing for and with them, 2014

F.I.N.E, 20 - 50, collaborating with sex workers and service users of the charity Trust, telling their stories in collaboration with Alice Birch, 2013

AGLOW, 60 - 100, creating devised projects with older queer women with mental health challenges in collaboration with Lois Weaver, 2010

Training

RADA, Three Year Acting BA, 2013

Queen Mary University of London, Drama BA, 1st Class & Westfield Prize for Academic excellence, 2010