About
Samuel is an actor, performer, and puppeteer currently based in North East Lincolnshire, working in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.
Since the age of 7, Samuel has been involved in the performing arts, taking weekly Ballet and Modern Jazz lessons at a local dance school, Estelle Jayne Theatre Dance School, until he was 18. Through these years, Samuel took a GCSE Drama qualification and gained a Distinction* Distinction in BTEC Performing Arts. Samuel studied at the University of Lincoln 2017-2020 and graduated with a 1st Class Honors. Notable modules throughout the degree include: Avant-Garde Performance and Popular Performance. In his degree studies, and during COVID-19 lockdowns, Samuel became interested in the study of 'audiences' and his dissertation explored National Theatre Live and similar streaming services, the role of audiences and the experience of theatre-going.
From November 2023 - February 2024, Samuel was supported by Create North East Lincolnshire's Development Fund to develop as a puppeteer. The development fund allowed him to build a bank of resources for research on the fundamentals and history of puppetry, exploring different styles, techniques and puppetry companies. He used the fund to see puppetry shows alongside training. Throughout his Development Fund activity Samuel trained with Natasha Holmes (Tell Tale Hearts Children's Touring Theatre Company), Kathleen Yore (Odd Doll) and Sophie Powell (PuppetBox).
Since March 2023, he has been a volunteer Critical Friend at Lincoln Arts Centre.
In March 2025, Samuel was selected as a SO Festival Supported Artist. As a Supported Artist, Samuel hopes to build on his current skills as a puppeteer and performer in outdoor performance, learn about different companies and practitioners, creating his own outdoor work. Samuel is exploring different styles of puppetry, currently marionette work.
Samuel is a Breakwater Theatre regular and gained his first theatre credit playing Daniel in 'With Love From Ruhleben' in 2019. He now works with their sister company Kazbah Theatre
Sixteen Trees (2024) | Breakwater Theatre,
work commissioned by Lincs Inspire Libraries and funded by ACE
Requires Improvement (2024) | Evening Cat Productions
untitled R& D Workshop (2024) | Moonstone Theatre
Samuel attends regular training at Acting Lincs
Acting Lincs Pro Group Member
actor
puppeteer
Throughout 2024, Samuel has worked extensively with Kazbah Theatre. The work includes:
a performance commissioned by Lincs Inspire Libraries
a music video
digital film of Cap'n Fishcake and His Fabulous Fish Fingers
and appearances at The Lincolnshire Show, 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, No Limits Festival at Normanby Hall and the Beverley Puppet Festival
From November 2023 - February 2024, Samuel was funded by Create North East Lincolnshire's Development Fund to further develop his puppetry skills.
Founding
member of
Kazbah Theatre
workshop leader
The MOB, Retford - 2024
Franklin College Creative Careers Conference - 2024
Samuel has been developing and running 'Intro to tabletop puppetry' workshops. These workshops are inspired and crafted around Samuel's training to date with practitioners including Sue Buckmaster, Natasha Holmes, Kathleen Yore and others.
Samuel typically works with the PuppetBox puppets which are simple training puppets and works through a range of exercises looking at the basics of puppetry and developing a sense of play for the introductory sessions