Director: 

Emma is a freelance theatre director.

For Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre Emma has directed The Peaceful Hour 2 by Gerry Linford (Feb 2026); The Peaceful Hour by Gerry Linford (Feb 2025). Haunted Scouse by Gerry Linford (March 2024); Bingo Star by Iain Christie (March 2023). Stocking Fillers, (Dec 2022). Hey Bunny Get Loose by Wendy Dickinson (May 2022).  She is due to start directing Take Me Home County Road by Adam McCoy in July 2026.

Previously Emma directed critically acclaimed productions at Brighton, Manchester and Liverpool Fringe Festivals. Notably, New Dawn Fades: A Play about Joy Division and Manchester by Brian Gorman, (Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester 2018); King of the World by Brian Coyle (Liverpool & Manchester Fringe Festivals, 2018); Two by Jim Cartwright (Manchester Fringe Festival 2018); Bleeding with Mother by Sarah Cassidy (53Two, Manchester 2017); We Apologise for the Inconvenience by Mark Griffiths, (3MT, Manchester, 2017); A Passion for Rationals (Sara Harris, Brighton Fringe Festival 2014).  

Actor:

Emma began her acting career in 1990. Featuring in a lead role alongside Pete Postlethwaite, in BBC screenplay, Needle. Written by Jimmy McGovern and directed by Gillies MacKinnon. 

Whilst represented by Independent Talent agency in London, she began a successful career in television, most notably as series regular Maxine Price in Casualty (1992). Short films and features followed through her work with director Sandra Goldbacher in Seventeen (with Rachel Weisz, 1996), Piccadilly Circus by Night and The Governess (with Minnie Driver, 1997).

Notable theatre work includes The Good Hope (adapted by Lee Hall) alongside Frances de la Tour at The Royal National Theatre and UK tour, (2002); David Mamet’s Oleanna (Norwich Playhouse) and The Woods (The Finborough Theatre); Educating Rita (Norwich Playhouse) and Terms of Abuse (Hampstead Theatre). 

She performed the title role in Death & the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman (Sept 2019). Directed by Margaret Connell and produced by Siobhan Noble.

Improviser:

Emma began improvising in 2007 and is the founder and artistic director of Liverpool Comedy Improv (since 2015).

Emma is one of the leading teachers of improvised comedy in Liverpool and her theatre productions are known for their improvisational feel and comedic flair. She created the improv teams The Hee Ha’s, The Unscriptables, Boss Birds Improv (Liverpool's first all women team), and improv duo team Moses & Bird. She is currently performing as her alter-ego Cynthia Drabble in her solo improvised chat show ‘Babble with Drabble’.

Originally training in improv with the award winning The Maydays (Brighton/London), Emma continued to develop improvisational theatre skills from world renowned U.S teachers and performers from The Second City, Annoyance Theatre, Loose Moose, iO, The Groundlings and UCB.  

​She has a first class degree in English and Philosophy; PGCE in Drama and an MA in Applied Theatre from Central School of Speech and Drama.  

Find out more about Emma’s improv comedy teaching here.