Unholy Mess is an award winning theatre company based in London that tours internationally. We aim to create bold new work that tells important stories of human experience that can be overlooked or under-represented in art. Drawing on performance poetry, live singing and physical theatre, Unholy Mess hopes to create work that entertains, surprises and moves its audiences.

Founded in Manchester in 2011 by Jemima Foxtrot and Lucy Allan, Unholy Mess began life as a company staging new interpretations of classic plays. Since 2014 the company has focused on creating new work.

WHO WE ARE

Jemima Foxtrot is a performance poet and singer shortlisted for the Arts Foundation Spoken Word Fellowship 2015 who performs extensively around the country. Her poetry film Mirror, commissioned by BBC Arts as part of their Women who Spit series, is available on iplayer. She has also appeared on Lynn Barber’s episode of Arts Night on BBC2.

Jemima recently performed in the Barbican main hall as part of Doug Aitken’s Station to Station project alongside Simon Armitage and Don Paterson for a special concert curated by and featuring Beck.

Jemima is also an experienced Workshop facilitator who works with children of all ages as well as with vulnerable adults.

Lucy Allan is a theatre director and teacher from London. Work outside Unholy Mess includes Unsung by Ayndrilla Singharay, which premiered at The Rosemary Branch and was featured as part of Tower Hamlet’s Season of Bangla Drama at Wilton’s Music Hall, before a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Other credits include Rootbound and Rigor Mortis by Fiona Doyle at The Arcola.

Lucy has worked for two years at a secondary school in South London, teaching speech, language and communication skills and ran an English Programme at refugee charity Breaking Barriers.

She is currently studying for an MFA in Theatre Directing at Birkbeck.

Unholy Mess is supported by Arts Council England.