Mark Smith

Mark is an active reseracher and developer of arts based projects across the North. He is a A champion for the North's next generation of theatre makers, Mark ignites the talents of emerging artists and companies through mentorship.

Mark is a multi-award-winning actor, director and producer with over 30 years of experience. He Loves improvisation and storytelling, he brings a wealth of knowledge to developing stories and thrives on spontaneity. His PhD further solidifies his expertise in this area.

Mark trained at Liverpool John Moore’s University (1993-1997), and undertook further training at Hope St. Ltd (1997-1998) in Children & Young people’s theatre and Physical theatre. During this period of time he worked with some of the countries foremost theatre practitioners/companies such as Paul Hunter, Jos Houben, Andrew Dawson and Trestle Theatre amongst many notable others.

Mark teaches on numerous modules across all three levels and specialises in improvisation, devising, directing, arts administration and physical / visual theatre practices. Mark has been teaching regionally, nationally and internationally for the past eighteen years. He has taught at a variety of Institutions such as Hope University, Bradford University, LIPA, Exeter University and The Hothouse (Los Angeles).

• Level 6 Modules: Advanced Theatre practice 1 & 2 and Drama dissertation


Professional practice:

Mark has set up a new company called Wing it - Impro & Stories. (2021)
Mark set up the Liverpool Improvisation Festival (LIF) - the first for the region in 2023. LIF is now in its third year.

Mark was Artistic Director of Spike Theatre from 2008-2014 and devised or directed all of their theatre shows to date. Spike theatre was a small scale theatre Company, which toured devised work nationally and internationally for Fifteen years. He has worked for venues, festivals and companies - regionally, nationally and internationally. He has a passion for developing new work either through collaborative theatre making or with the playwright. He has worked with award winning playwright Robert Farquhar, developing ‘When I wake I want to be Famous’ and ‘Sink or Swim’.

(2005) - Jason and the Argonauts
(2005) - Backwater
(2005/06) - This Side Up (1)
(2007) - The Adventures of Robin Hood
(2007/08/09) - Gin and Tonic and Passing Trains (2)
(2008) - Alice in Wonderland
(2008/09/10) - Legless and Armless (3)
(2009) - Aesop’s World
(2009/10) - Hoof Jnr.
(2010) - Top of the World
(2010) - When I wake up I want to be famous!
(2010) - Grimm’s Tales
(2010) - The Games (4)
(2010) - Danny the Champion of the world
(2011) - The Games (5)
(2011) - Alice at the Dock
(2011) - Beasts and Beauties (6)
(2012) - The Games
(2012) - How to read minds and influence people (7)
(2012) - Pieces of Eight
(2012) - A Christmas Carol
(2013) - Sink or Swim
(2013) - I can make you a mentalist (8)
(2014) - A life in 5 scenes
(2014) - I can make you a Mentalist
(2014) - The Judgement of Hakim
(2021) - Story Pot (online) - ongoing
(2021) - The Bunker
(2022) - The Fly - ongoing
(2022) - Those With Tales
(2022-ongoing) - The Incomplete Works of Shakespeare
(2023) - Talk to the Hand (puppet Improv)
(2023) - Curator Liverpool Improvisation Festival
(2023) - Producer - Nosferatu - new score by Danny Bradley
(2024) - A Wake
(2024) - Story Forge: Make your Own Myth
(2024) - Curator Liverpool Improvisation Festival
(2025) - Taxi Tales - One Night on the Town - R and D
(2025) - Story Forge: Make your Own Myth (National tour)
(2025) - Curator Liverpool Improvisation Festival
(2025) - Taxi Tales - One Night on the Town


(1) Nominated for best show at Singapore arts awards 2005
(2) Voted one of the picks of 2007 by Flying Inkpot critics Singapore
Nominated for Best Show at Baltimore Visual Theatre festival 2008
(3) Shortlisted for Best comedy show at the Brighton fringe festival 2009
(4) Winner of Best comedy and Production Liverpool Daily post reader awards 2010
(5) Nominated for Best comedy, production and director Dark Chat Awards 2011
Nominated for Best show by Broadway baby and 3 Weeks 2011
(6) Voted one the picks of 2011 by The Public Reviews critics
(7) Winner of Three weeks Editors choice award 2012
Winner of Best Cabaret at the Brighton Fringe festival 2012
(8) Nominated for Best Cabaret at the Brighton Fringe festival 2013



Publications
The Games (Co-wrote with Jamie Woods, Lauren Silver, Liam Tobin and Toby Parks published in 2012)

Degrees

2023, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PhD, Devised theatre practice
1997, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, BA (Hons) Drama