The Board
Scroll down to meet all our Trustees...
ESTHER SNELLING -CHAIR
It sounds like a cliché, but I've always loved theatre. My parents have always been passionate about the value and the joy that storytelling brings to people's lives, and so from a very young age I was constantly exposed to books, any event the library could put on, and theatre. My first experience of theatre was at Hull Truck (back when it used to be on Spring Street!) and it is a form of storytelling that has always captured my imagination, from the magic I now know is brought to it by the careful planning and skill of the production team, to the way the actors immerse you in their tale. She Productions' dedication to making this magic accessible to everyone is a big part of what makes me proud to be one of their trustees. I believe passionately in the power and importance of local theatre, to give communities a voice, and to prove that art is not a luxury, it's a necessity. She Productions carry this ethos throughout all of their work and approach everyone with compassion, and without judgement. They stand apart from the stereotype of a cutthroat theatre industry, and prove that greatness in theatre is possible by working together and lifting everybody up to achieve their best. I now work in theatre myself, as a full time Theatre Administration Officer at East Riding Theatre, and a freelance Wigs, Hair and Makeup Artist, so I appreciate first hand what She Productions brings to the industry. I've worked on big theatre shows and small community projects, getting to peek behind the curtain that held me so rapt as a child, but no matter where I go, She Productions, and their legacy, will always hold a special place in my heart.
BRIDGET COGGIN-THOMSON
I join the team with a BA in Theatre (Hons) and MA in Arts Education and Management (Hons).
Having a lifelong passion for theatre, I started acting at the age of seven and continued as a member of the Memphis Children's Theatre Association until I went to university to pursue my BA.
In particular I am passionate about public engagement and managing volunteer teams. I worked at London's Southbank Centre for 12 years delivering artistic festivals and managing volunteers. Through this role I had the exciting opportunity to work alongside many prominent organizations such as the London Philharmonic, Koestler Trust Art by Offenders, and BAFTA.
I have an on-going role as an Engagement Officer for the RIBA-Royal Institute of British Architects where I deliver educational workshops for school groups and adult learners, as well as guided tours of the London headquarters, and permanent archive at the V&A.
Since my relocation to Beverley I have had the pleasure of being on the delivery team of the Beverley Puppet Festival for 2022 and 2024.
I also enjoy the voluntary work that I do with the East Yorkshire Foodbank, Molescroft and Longcroft friend's associations, and the East Riding Recovery Trust.
I am excited to be contributing to the Board of Trustees and helping She Productions impact the arts in Yorkshire.
GEMMA ADDISON
You could say my passion for all things theatre started at 3 months old when I had the
starring role of Baby Jesus in a school nativity. My older sister informed her teacher she had a real baby at home who could play the part, and she promptly got promoted from an angel to Mary!!
I was born and raised in Cleethorpes, and continued performing with Stage Youth Theatre, both at home and over in Germany, until I left for Manchester Metropolitan University to study Contemporary Arts (Dance/Drama). The arts became a career when I toured schools and colleges as an actor and facilitator in numerous Theatre in Education tours before taking a break and traveling the world with my backpack!
Returning to the UK I was over the moon to join the team at Hull Truck Theatre, a place I will always hold dear. In my (almost) 10 years there I made some amazing friends, gained my CIPD qualification, met my husband and became a mum.
Becoming a parent, and losing a parent my outlook changed. I decided on a big career move and made HR my focus. I am currently the Senior HR Advisor at Groupe Atlantic (Ideal Boilers), a role I love and am passionate about.
I am thrilled to be joining the Board of Trustees at She Productions. The Company’s values really resonate with me as they are ethics and morals which I try to adopt in my daily life and my career.
LIZ EVERINGHAM
My mum enrolled me in speech and drama lessons from a very young age and my
amazing teacher instilled in me a love of drama and theatre that has always stayed with me. I loved performing poetry and prose and a big treat was going to Hull New Theatre to see a show. As my sisters and I grew older our parents started taking us to musicals in London and I watched agog as the actors and actresses transported us into different worlds.
After becoming a teacher, I ran an after school drama club with two of my colleagues. We had great fun sharing acting techniques and performance skills with the children, although I have to admit to finding the weeks just before a performance just a little stressful! I still hear from former pupils what an impact the club had on them.
Whilst visiting ‘Beverley Does Broadway’ by She Productions at the East Riding Theatre in Beverley, I heard the appeal for She trustees and this sparked my interest. On looking further into the ethos behind She productions, that spark was fanned even further and I applied for the role. I am sure you can imagine my delight on being accepted as a trustee and I cannot wait to be involved.
LOUISE BEECH
I live for storytelling, especially when we explore our real-life experiences, both the pain and the joy. I’ve written fiction and non-fiction, novels and plays, columns and short stories. And in all of them, I’ve spoken from the heart with the hope of helping my audience escape, learn, feel, and perhaps even getting them to start difficult conversations.
I’ve always lived in East Yorkshire and grew up dreaming of being a writer. But it took many years and many rejections to finally get a book deal in 2015. My debut, How to be Brave, got to No4 on Amazon and was a Guardian Readers’ Pick; Maria in the Moon was described as ‘quirky, darkly comic and heartfelt’ by the Sunday Mirror; The Lion Tamer Who Lost shortlisted for the Popular Romantic Novel of 2019 at the RNA Awards and longlisted for the Polari Prize 2019; Call Me Star Girl was Best magazine’s Book of the Year 2019; This Is How We Are Human was a Clare Mackintosh Book Club pick. My memoir, Eighteen Seconds, was published in 2023 (also an audiobook as Daffodils, which shortlisted for The Audies 2022). I also write dystopian thrillers as Louise Swanson. End of Story was a Daily Mail Book of the Year, chosen by Sophie Hannah, and Lights Out was reviewed in The Times.
My first play, How to be Brave, toured Yorkshire in 2024, garnering rave reviews and standing ovations. I also regularly write short stories for magazines, and enjoy delivering talks at universities and literary events. This year I was excited to begin my role as Honorary Research Associate for the Creative Department at Hull University.
I love all that She Productions represent, and have enjoyed so many of their shows, from It’s Different For Girls to Beverley Does Broadway, as well as the obligatory festive spectacle. I remember way back, chatting to Alice Palmer about our dreams, while we were still theatre ushers. She talked of an all-female theatre group, and I hoped for a book deal. We made this come true at the same time. So, it feels very special now to be a new trustee with SHE.
