Our Teachers

Mike Heath

Mike Heath, MA. (PGCE)

Mike Heath has been writing, directing and producing stageplays and short films since 2003 and is co-artistic director of Mediamedea, a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award winning company, originally set up by multi-award winning playwright, Cathy Crabb. They are responsible for a long list of critically-acclaimed works, such as Plus One...?, HotShot, Moving Pictures, The Bubbler, Eighteen and Beautiful House. Mike joined Mediamedea in 2004 after a sell-out run of his award-winning play, The Game of Two Halves. Mediamedea are a certainly a company on the up - having started in small venues on the fringe, with work progressing to full, professional productions and Arts Council England supported tours and R&Ds.

Mediamedea productions have been included at the Manchester Library Theatre’s Re:Play festival of “best of the fringe” on 3 separate occasions, nominated for Manchester Theatre Awards and been included in 4 separate 24:7 Theatre Festivals. They are also the longest standing in-house company of Studio Salford.

Mike has written 18 stageplays, appearing at various venues including The Library Theatre, The Lowry, Studio Salford, Oldham Coliseum, Liverpool Lantern, Barons Court Theatre, and at Buxton Fringe and 24:7 Theatre Festivals. His work has been performed in Welsh and in venues as far afield as Western Australia.

Mike is a qualified teacher (PGCE) and has over 15 years of teaching experience. He has a Distinction MA in Creative Writing: Playwriting from Salford University, in conjunction with The Royal Exchange, Bolton Octagon and Liverpool Playhouse and Everyman.

Mike's latest play, The Big Things, received a rehearsed reading at 24:7 Big Weekend in 2015, was shortlisted for the BBC Alfred Bradley Bursary Award, shortlisted for the Bush Green award and received its debut run at Barons Court Theatre, London, in April / May 2018 to great critical acclaim.

Currently three of Mike's plays and an anthology (Plays: One) are available in paperback and Kindle. Check out Our Publications.

Jayne Marshall

Jayne Marshall, MA. (C&G 7307)

Jayne is an experienced playwright and introduced the Studio Salford WriteForTheStage courses to Glossop in October 2014.

Jayne was inspired to write plays after seeing 'On the Shore of the Wide World' (Simon Stephens: 2005). In 2010, Jayne co-founded New Attitude Theatre Company which has produced her work including 'Safe Hands' (nominated for NWP Best Original Play and long-listed for the Adrienne Benham Award; 2011), 'Onions Cry Too' (The Lowry Studio) and 'Fly By Night' (Kings Arms, Salford). Recognised as an emerging North West playwright, Jayne was one of four writers chosen to develop and showcase an extract of her new play, 'Afterlife', at the 2010 RE:Play First Draft event. Jayne's latest play 'The Lives and Loves of Vera Dymond' has recently delighted audiences and divided critics at the 24:7 Theatre Festival 2014.

Jayne is a qualified trainer (C&G 7307 and CIPD Associate) with over 14 years of teaching experience and has taught creative writing with the Workers Education Authority. She has a distinction MA in Playwriting from Salford University in conjunction with The Royal Exchange, Bolton Octagon and Liverpool Everyman.