Astrid Hilne Storyteller
Based in the UK and drawing on over thirty years experience as a theatre director, producer, writer and performer, I deliver unique learning events and activities, with consultation and collaboration, for arts, heritage, education and community organisations.
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Biography
Spotlights on my work in theatre and performance.
Theatre Director and Producer
At the University of London and Central School of Speech and Drama, I gained a BA Hons Degree in French and Drama, in 1985.
I started my professional life as a general manager for The Gate Theatre, London, which, at that time, showcased international new work and neglected classics. There, I produced and directed theatre from around the world including: Rodolf's Sirera's The Audition and Marivaux's Island of Slaves.
In the 1990s, I was Artistic Director of The Troupe Theatre Company, for whom I translated and directed Marivaux's Surprised by Love, on the London and Edinburgh Fringe and on the national small-scale touring theatre circuit. I also directed a season of new work by women writers, including Rosalind's Scanlon's, Simples of the Moon, at the Lyric Theatre Studio, Hammersmith and Helene Pednault's, The Statement, at the Watermans Arts Centre, London.
For The Women's Theatre Workshop, I continued to showcase new work by women writers, including The Caracal by Judith Herzberg, back at The Gate Theatre.
At the Bridewell Theatre, London, I developed their lunchtime theatre programme, as a producer and director of one act comedies from the UK and abroad. I also directed several youth theatre productions, covering different performance styles, including comedy, physical and musical theatre.
National Stages and beyond
For Chichester Festival Theatre, 1991, I was an assistant director working on theatre classics and new plays, from the UK.
At the Royal National Theatre, 1994-1996, I was a Staff Director, for Cocteau's Les Parents Terribles; Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music; Arthur Miller's Broken Glass, also in the West End and The Merry Wives of Windsor. I also directed a tour of Someone to Watch Over Me for Not the National Theatre Company.
For the Royal National Theatre's Education department, 1994-2000, I delivered schools workshops; on teacher CPD; worked for the Connections Festival and on its first storytelling projects for schools, for which I received training from renowned storyteller, Jan Blake.
At the Young Vic Theatre, I was invited to be part of the first Director's programme, working as a script consultant, on outreach projects, producing and directing, two South Africa inspired productions, in the Studio Theatre: Beds on Bricks with Iindiza Theatre, a devised piece exploring the Rainbow Nation concept through ancient myths and urban legends and an adaptation of Olive Schreiner's historic feminist novel, A Story of an African Farm.
At Bath Theatre Royal, in the early 2000s, I was a producer and director for their innovative Young People's Theatre.
For Fiery Angel and Limelight Theatre Productions, I was an Education Advisor on national touring shows such as Peppa Pig's Birthday Party, The Octonauts Live and The BFG.
More recently I discovered the joy of street and community opera, as a general manager and consultant producer for Baseless Fabric Theatre Company.
Teacher, Trainer, Mentor
After my degree, my theatre training continued through workshops and internships, offered by organisations such as The Directors Guild of Great Britain, The National Centre for Circus Arts and The International Workshop Festival. My favourite being with Johnny Hutch, one of the great British acrobats of the 20th century, who I worked with again at the Royal National Theatre.
I was a guest theatre director and tutor, at Athens University, Ohio, USA, in 1999. I directed a non-traditional, physical theatre version of Synge's Playboy of the Western World and in a series of workshops for drama students, I explored European theatre techniques and styles, including clowning and surrealism.
For teachers and A levels students, I devised and delivered French theatre and language training sessions, for West Sussex County Drama, alongside two bilingual (English/French) youth theatre productions and an amateur theatre artists training touring production of Ionesco's The Killer.
With the Women's Theatre Workshop, I set up a Mentoring Scheme for emerging women theatre directors.
My work with Early Years has been inspired by Jo Graham of Learning Unlimited and Oily Cart Theatre Company. I have subsequently trained staff at Chiswick Library and the V&A, in storytelling and drama-led play for the under-fives.
In 2011, I completed a PGCE in Secondary School Drama, which enriched my participatory performance practice. I have taught drama at schools in London and Bristol, for GCSE, A Level, BTEC and the International Baccalaureate.
Museums
I worked as a practitioner and producer, for the V&A and its associate museums, on a variety of projects, from 2001 to 2022.
For the V&A, I have performed as a storyteller; created and produced participatory performances for families; play sessions for early years and community performance projects, taking place in the galleries, theatres and outside spaces, inspired by exhibitions and collections, at the South Kensington site, The Museum of Childhood and The Theatre Museum.
V&A Families participatory performance events include: The Strawberry Adventures, inspired by William Morris; The Call of the Sea inspired by the A Pirate's Life for Me exhibition; Music Hall Marvels, Rock Pop & Charming, inspired by the Theatre & Performance galleries; Clara Button and the Magical Hat Day, inspired by the V&A picture book of the same name, The Queen, her Prince and a dog called Jim, inspired by the Victoria and Albert bicentennial and The Nonsense Museum, a light-hearted and imaginative view of museum objects, live and online.
For the V&A Schools' team, I was a leader on the Literacy Live programme, which used museum objects to inspire primary school students to create and perform stories.
At the V&A's Theatre Museum in Covent Garden London, I was Education Activities Manager, 2004-2007. Highlights included pioneering interactive storytelling sessions for families, pioneering gallery based immersive performance experiences for Early Years and a theatrical collaboration with Project Phakama - young refugees.
Since September 2021, I have been a learning specialist at Gunnersbury Museum and Park, in West London, a pioneer in museum drama-led learning experiences. Highlights include outdoor activities including: A 'Wassailing event' for all ages and Creative Creatures, art and drama project for schools and families, in association with The Wild Escape.