The Journey

The Ej is currently in the infant stages of what we hope will be a long, prosperous and exciting journey. What you see before you is the product of two inspired, enthusiastic minds who, back in 2002 decided to launch an attack on British theatre with their fresh approach to the industry.

Well, that's what we like to think anyway...

In reality, The Ej is the result of a highly ambitious plan to take a show to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2003, giving ourselves nine months to find the play, the venue and the funding whilst simultaneously breezing through all our exams and getting into university. In the end, practicality caught up with us and gave us a much needed cold shower. However, every cloud has a silver lining and in our case it gave us time to re-group and construct a solid company so that we could establish ourselves in earnest.

The decision to open our repertoire withpieces of new writing was not incidental. We felt that, as a company who are on the cusp of their professional lives, we wanted to offer ideas on life in the 21st Century and what exactly it means to be a member of today's society.

The work that we choose to present is moulded around questions that we feel are prominent not only to humanity, but in a theatrical context.

 The People

The following people are all involved in the creation of The Ej's first production, Half Marathon.


Julia Burchell: Performer (Half Marathon, 2003/04)
A member of the Carlton Junior Television workshop, Julia has starred in Crossroads for Carlton Television. Theatre work includes: Female Transport, Oh! What a Lovely War, Why Did the Monkey Fall Out of the Tree? (Carlton Workshop), The Rocky Monster Show (St Martin's School), Volpone (Nottingham University). Julia has worked as a presenter at Birmingham's Arts Fest and the Midlands RTS Awards.




Sarah-Jayne Butler: Performer (Half Marathon, 2003)
Sarah-Jayne is a member of the National Youth Theatre and the Carlton Junior Television Workshop. Previous work includes: Daisy Pulls It Off (Betty Fox at the Edinburgh Fringe), A Midsummer Night's Dream, Female Transport, The Innocent Mistress, Keeping Tom Nice, Under Milk Wood (Carlton Workshop), Dahling You Were Marvellous (Stratford-upon-Avon College), Murder in the Cathedral, Miss Dorothy.com (NYT)




Jayne Edwards: Sound Operator (Half Marathon, 2003), Performer (Half Marathon, 2004)
Jayne is an associate of Maverick Theatre and the Young Rep. Previous work includes Faust and Furious (Young Rep), The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Ibsen's Choice (King Edward VI, Camp Hill)Cinderella, Henry V (Maverick), Descent (Birmingham Rep), Much Ado About Nothing (Crescent tour). As a singer, Jayne has performed with Birmingham band, My Imaginery Friend.




Philip Holyman: Writer (Half Marathon)
Half Marathon is Phil's fourth full-length play and was commissioned by the EJ company. His second play, Fourmis, A L'Attaque! received a rehearsed reading at London's Pleasance Theatre in December 2002. Sections of his first play, Asgard and Vanaheim, and his third, Professor Yaffle Speaks To The Nation, were performed as part of Birmingham Rep's Transmissions festivals in 2002 and 2003; Birmingham Post described Professor Yaffle... as "a twisted web of relationships whose brooding atmosphere verged on the Pinteresque" (04/07/03). He is currently working on a new translation of Genet's The Maids and writing a companion piece for it, scheduled for performance by The Other Theatre Company next February, and also on The Wood Golem, a new play intended for performance in the RNT's Olivier theatre. Alongside that, he is putting his Oxford education to good use by working in the Box Office at the Rep...


Emma McLaughlin: Producer, Artistic Director, Director (Half Marathon, 2003/04)
Emma has performed in a variety of shows including Descent (Birmingham Rep) and Faust and Furious (Young Rep). Emma has a wide range of experience in technical theatre, including lighting and stage management. She has worked extensively with the stage management team at the Birmingham Rep where she assisted on shows such as The Wind in the Willows and Of Mice and Men. Em is now studying Theatre, Film and Television at Bristol University.



Eleanor Morgan: Publicity design, Lighting operation and design (Half Marathon, 2003) As a performer El has taken roles in The Birds, Faust and Furious (Young Rep), Dahling You Were Marvellous (Stratford-upon-Avon College) andVotzek (Birmingham Opera Company). El's primary interest in theatre design and she is now studying technical theatre at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.




Jennifer Pick: Producer, Performer (Half Marathon, 2003/04)
A member of Carlton Workshop, Young Rep and NYT. Jenny's previous work includes: The Wind In The Willows (Birmingham Rep), Descent, Transmissions (Birmingham Rep - The Door), The Wedding, Faust and Furious, After Juliet (Young Rep), Female Transport, The Innocent Mistress (Carlton Workshop), Dahling You Were Marvellous (Stratford-upon-Avon College) Pygmalion, Much Ado About Nothing (Crescent)





Ben Whybrow: Performer (Half Marathon, 2004)
Previous work includes, Edward II (Bare and Ragged Theatre), Popcorn (University of Bristol Spotlights), Oedipus, Marat/Sade (Stratford College), Macbeth, Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company) Night Shift, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (University of Bristol) Our Town Story Warwickshire (Millennium Dome)






Max Wilson: Performer (Half Marathon, 2003)
Max is a member of the National Youth Music Theatre and the Young Rep. Previous work includes: Votzek, Fidelio (Birmingham Opera Company), The Ramayana (Birmingham Rep, Royal National Theatre), The Birds, Faust and Furious, After Juliet (Young Rep), Crazy for You (Youth Onstage), Cabaret, Measure For Measure (King Edward VI, Stourbridge), The Grapes of Wrath (MAC), Cabaret (Warwick University)