The Big Theatre Team
Jo Shannon
Jo has performed professionally as a dancer, actor and musician. She has taught all three disciplines across a broad age range, from toddler dance and adult theatre improvisation to music lessons to grandparents who have decided to take up the clarinet. Jo is passionate about offering young people experiences that will broaden their horizons, develop their skills as performers and give them confidence in all areas of their lives.
Tallulah Shannon
Tallulah trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Throughout her time in training, she has found a love for teaching and community work, especially working with children and young people. Over the past few years, Tallulah has gathered a variety of experience teaching and assisting – from working on summer schools at NSCD to assisting weekly with Dance United Yorkshire, with their Bradford community classes for 4–18-year-olds. Alongside this, Tallulah has worked for Rusticus Theatre Company, performing as part of family theatre events both in the summer holidays and at Christmas. She also performs with her band “The Tallulahs” as lead singer. Singing, dancing, and acting all play a large part in her private and professional life.
Finn Shannon
Finn has worked in the theatre for 40 years, as writer, director, actor, composer and musician. He spent three years as artistic director of The Hen and Chickens a pub theatre in Islington, London, He spent six years touring Shakespeare with Oddsocks Productions and has appeared in theatre, on television, in feature films and on the radio. Finn has written songs and incidental music for over thirty stage shows and written nationally touring plays for children and family audiences. Between 2009 and 2019 Finn wrote a new play each year for the senior Big Theatre company to perform, each play written specifically for the participants.