Theatre Maker
Catching UP
In 2016, having just graduated from drama school, Octavia created Biting Block Theatre with fellow ArtsEd graduate Emily Schofield. They co-wrote and co-produced the play Catching Up and performed it at the Edinburgh Fringe to wonderful packed out audiences!
Having enjoyed sell out success at the Edinburgh Fringe two years earlier, Octavia and Emily re-worked and developed the script in 2018. They performed the new version of Catching Up at Theatre N16 in May and were selected to perform it at the Stockwell Playhouse One Act Festival that summer. Catching Up played at four venues to critical acclaim, along the way Octavia learnt about every element of theatre production from marketing, to sales, to set design.
Reviews
London Theatre 1 ☆☆☆☆
'A work worth checking out from a young and talented new company.'
Last Minute Theatre Tickets ☆☆☆☆
'Catching Up is a well acted, emotional piece and is well worth going to see.'
Broadway Baby
‘The skillfully written script provides a strong realism and flow to the speech… Catching Up is a gripping piece of new theatre’
Beginner’s to the Stage
‘The emotionally charged performance led by ArtsEd graduates Emily Schofield and Octavia Gilmore was gripping from start to finish. The dramatic plot included new twists and turns which could never be expected, which left the audience enthralled to see what would happen next. The piece is not short of heartbreaking drama, as the plot unravels, the audience and actors are pushed into an emotional realm as morals and human nature are tested.’
The F Word
‘Gilmore and Schofield draw the audience into an intense drama which starts off as an innocent catch up between friends and then unfolds with shocking revelations, unsolicited advice and a sinister ultimatum. The play touches on some feminist themes such as motherhood, abortion and the frequently discussed question of whether women can ‘have it all’ when it comes to career and family. Amid the tension, there are a few welcome moments of unexpected humour and just when I think I know where the plot is going, another twist surprises me. Gilmore and Schofield are accomplished performers and I find myself hooked by the powerful simplicity of this piece of theatre.’
Synopsis
They’ve held each other’s hair back in club toilets, squeezed each other’s back spots and shared their deepest secrets. Becka and Flo know everything about each other… at least they think they do. When their catch up takes an unexpected turn, they discover that their lives are more entangled than they could have ever imagined. Shocking revelations spark betrayal, manipulation and sinister revenge. Through the unravelling of this friendship, Catching Up explores what it means to be female in the 21st century and asks: can a woman ever have it all?
DirectING
2017 Assistant Director to Olivier award winning director Donnacadh O'Briain - roles included everything from script reports to show notes.
Mother Christmas
2017, Octavia acted as Assistant Director to Donnacadh O'Briain on David Lewis' Mother Christmas at the Hampstead Theatre. The play starred Diana Quick, Alexandra Gilbreath, Jamie Ballard, Joseph Mydell and Ritu Arya.
Lightning
2017, Octavia worked as Assistant Director to Donnacadh O'Briain on the rehearsed reading of Charlie Ward's Lightning at Park Theatre.
Curtain Call
2014, Octavia and three colleagues organised a week long drama workshop for children in Dorset. They created a promenade devised performance which they performed to the community at the end of the week.
Review
“The audience was brought into the story by moving the cast around to different locations in and outside the barn, which had also given the children the opportunity to be more creative in building their own sets. The promenade show was slick and funny, full of movement with some nice ensemble moments. It was very entertaining and well received by an enthusiastic audience of parents and local people.”
Symondsbury Notes, Jenifer Roddy