Biography

EMMA KING-FARLOW
Writer, Director, Producer & Actor


The Artistic Director of Shadow Road Productions (more information below), Fireside Folktales and Secret Storytellers, and Festival Director of mixed arts mental health awareness festival UNBROKEN, Emma is also a traditionally published children's author, former trustee of the OSO Arts Centre, and a professional member of Stage Directors UK, The Society of Authors, and the Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators.

Emma has always been passionate about all forms of storytelling and her work has been performed in a wide range of venues, from the West End to the fringe.  Credits include A Christmas Carol (writer/director/co-producer/actor for Shadow Road), Aesop's Fables/Persephone & The Pomegranate Seeds/A Tale of Robin Hood (writer/director/co-producer/actor, Barnes Children's Literature Festival 2019, Ham House & Gardens, Strawberry Hill House etc), The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (director/producer, fringe), Robin Hood
  
(writer/director/producer, London Wetland Centre), Jesus Christ Superstar (director, fringe), Dreams From The Pit (writer/director/co-producer, Palace Theatre), Californian Lives (director, King’s Head Theatre & OSO Arts Centre), Climate Change (writer, Fortune Theatre), Sorry, Wrong Number and The Hitch-Hiker (director/producer, OSO Arts Centre), Oswald's Return (director/producer, OSO Arts Centre) and The Story (director, Theatre503).  

She has also devised and directed numerous original productions, several of which were staged in aid of the Forces charity Combat Stress and one of which - Diamond Days - was commissioned by the Barnes Literary Society.

Having completed an intensive filmmaking course at The New York Film
Academy in London, Emma went on to attend several supplementary classes and workshops with the Lyceum Theatre, London Film School, The Frontline Club, Theatre503, Soho Theatre, Part of the Main and Raindance independent film school, among others.  She was also delighted to earn a place on the inaugural Directing Studio at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in May 2016 and to attend the Royal Shakespeare Company's Big Directors' Weekend in Stratford Upon Avon in October 2019

Emma's own experience onstage - together with the many examinations she has taken in both acting and singing, and the additional drama training she has enjoyed - have all resulted in a good understanding of and keen empathy with the various actors whom she directs, writes for, and performs alongside.

The work that she has done backstage on a range of theatrical
productions and crewing for other film students has also given her a healthy respect for all members of her own crew and the desire to forge a strongly bonded team, both on each individual production and, more generally, among the members of the company as a whole.
Find out more about Emma's work by visiting the Shadow Road website or following her on Twitter or Instagram.


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SHADOW ROAD PRODUCTIONS


 
Who are we and what do we do?
Founded by Artistic Director Emma King-Farlow, Shadow Road is a small, independent theatre company which specialises in bringing exciting works of theatre, for all ages and occasions, to unusual spaces in creative new ways.  


We have continued that tradition with one of our recent projects,
Fireside Folktales, retelling myths, legends and classic stories from around the world, each presented as an original short play performed by a company of four professional actors to audiences young, old, and in-between. Our repertoire of plays, which continues to grow and to garner audience acclaim, includes curriculum favourites Macbeth and A Christmas Carol.

We will also soon be launching our latest cross-platform venture, Secret Storytellers  (www.secretstorytellers.co.uk - coming soon) which will see us producing some exciting online content based in a new, immersive story-world, in order to enhance the impressive work of our two-person teams, who will deliver a range of thrilling live performances in front of a wide variety of audiences.
 
Our work always involves a charitable aspect of some kind - raising awareness, raising funds, or taking live entertainment out to people who, due to illness or infirmity, might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy it. This voluntary work is an important part of our overall company ethos.

As part of this, we run the UNBROKEN Festival & Short Film Prize - a mixed arts mental health
awareness festival, which not only explores the issues surrounding mental health via many different art forms, but also enables us to provide other festival events and therapeutic workshops to the public at prices low enough to ensure that no one is barred by cost from attending and benefiting.


What can we offer you, your company, or your school?

For private bookings, we offer a wide range of entertainment options, tailored to the client's specific needs - from a full-scale theatre production, or a murder mystery event, to a bespoke production created at the client’s request.  

Our two-person Secret Storytellers shows and four-person Fireside Folktales
plays are also recommended for private and corporate bookings, school visits and library events. These can be staged either in our beautiful 8m bell tent, with all seating provided (for up to 45 people at a time), or at a venue of the client's choice, whether indoors or in the open air. We provide all our own props and costumes, and do not require electricity for many of our productions, allowing us considerable flexibility. 

Finally, whether for corporate team-building purposes, school visits, or those with a simple interest, we also offer several creative and educational workshops. Some of these are designed to accompany a particular production, so that you might watch the play and then take part in the workshop afterwards, while others - such as the general Drama Workshop, An Introduction to Playwriting, and An Introduction to Stage Combat, etc - can be delivered as standalone events. As ever, the choice is yours!

How To Book Us: We are available for individual celebrations, corporate events, school visits, and more. To find out more about booking us for your venue, event, school or library, to ask for a quotation, or to discuss the possibility of a longer residency at your school or venue, please email shadowroadproductions@gmx.com or fill in the Contact Form on this site, found in the sidebar on the right of the screen. . 

Prices for each engagement are calculated on an individual basis and depend on various factors including the choice and duration of play, cast size, travel required, and any chosen extras such as workshops or Q&A sessions. Our repertoire of tales for all ages and occasions continues to expand, so do check the website for updates. 

Should you have any trouble choosing the right production, we are happy to advise - and if you are looking for a particular folktale you do not see listed, or you would like to discuss the creation of a bespoke event or play, please get in touch. Given sufficient notice, we are confident we can craft the perfect event for you.

We look forward to working with you!