Lisa's Profile

Lisa won the coveted Belfast Telegraph 'Woman Of The Year In The Arts' Award in 2009.

Lisa May is the Artistic Director and Founder of Bruiser Theatre Company. In 1997, Lisa believed there was an opportunity in the market for a new, innovative touring company in Northern Ireland. The aim was to produce consistently high quality theatre, with the flexibility to specialise in outreach and education where applicable.

Lisa coined Bruiser's artistic policy of "minimal set for maximum impact." and has directed all of Bruiser's previous productions bar "Two" which was directed by Karl Wallace, in which she appeared. Also a freelance director, Lisa has directed numerous productions for other companies including Seamus Keenan's "Flight" for the Derry Playhouse, an outreach devised piece for "Charlotte's Web" at the Lyric Theatre, "Don't Send me Flowers" at OMAC (suicide awareness play), "The Gift of the Gab" for Stage Beyond (adults with learning difficulties) and most recently the award winning "Chronicles Of Long Kesh" for Green Shoot Productions.

Lisa's style of direction focuses on the actors' ability to engage the audience, without relying on elaborate sets, costume and lighting. The actor is the central mechanism of performance, and Bruiser's choice of scripts allows exploration of the essential dynamics of theatre: the actor, the audience and the space.

Lisa is also a freelance actress, a trained playworker, workshop facilitator and consultant. Over the last ten years she has worked with many arts organisations including UAYD, Shakespeare Schools Festival, Sound Inventors, Queen's University and OMAC in varied and exciting drama-based projects.

Lisa co-ordinates all of Bruiser's education and outreach programmes and is committed to making theatre accessible to all. This is evident in Bruiser's critically acclaimed Theatre Schools and Graduate Academy programmes.