NAME: Josie Campbell
INSTAGRAM HANDLE: https://www.instagram.com/josiedcampbell/
JOB TITLE: Actor Trainer, Theatre Maker, Actor, Director, and co-founder of Little Britches Theatre Company.
MOVED TO THE UAE IN: first from 2006-2010, then returned in 2019
Essentially Josie trains actors and direct plays. But she is also an actor, with professional experience in short film and theatre in the UK. Josie also worked in radio as a presenter and producer (BBC trained), plus a bit of voice-over acting on the side.
If that wasn't enough, she also runs a theatre company - Little Britches Theatre Company - working with her co-founder, actor-musician Imogen Hope. Their focus is to place the stories of women front and centre stage.
Theatre is her spiritual home, and she always, always gravitates back to it. No matter how hard she tries (and she has), it’s the only thing she feels she could ever do.
So what does her day look like..
8AM: I wake up with my head exploding with ideas and notes to put on my to-do list. I’ll write them all down while I’m sipping my (non-negotiable) morning cup of tea, before turning to emails and messages.
10AM: Working on my dissertation! I’m studying for my MA Actor Training and Coaching at the world-famous Conservatoire, the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in London. This is the only course of its kind in the world and is at the cutting-edge of practice. I spent two terms in London and I’m now back in Dubai to complete it. It’s been such a joy to work with the foremost trainers and practitioners in the industry, as wells as from universities and other conservatoires such as RADA and Guildhall. I’m training with and sharing my developing practice with actors who have appeared with the RSC, the National Theatre, and the Old Vic in London, in TV series such as The Crown and Casualty, as well as a BAFTA-award winning video game actor (Returnal).
2PM: The afternoon is often spent developing or delivering workshops. I am currently co-chair of Dubai Drama group. When I returned to Dubai in 2019, I wanted to direct Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’. DDG were so supportive and helpful with every aspect - from casting to backstage technical support – that I’ve stuck with them ever since. Indeed, I’m now co-chair with Catherine Broad! We have exciting plans in the pipeline for DDG in the next few years, including our upcoming 40th birthday.
One of Little Britches’ specialist areas is schools. I spent over ten years teaching Drama and Theatre Studies at A level, and it’s such a joy to work with sixth-form students. They love their subject (what’s notto like?!) and have the enthusiasm and willingness to try out new ideas and techniques.
I also coach adults/drama students in one-to-one or small group sessions. I teach audition technique, acting and communications skills up to Diploma level using the Trinity Laban syllabus and New Era’s suite of examinations. I draw my inspiration from a range of practitioners, including Konstantin Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, Rudolf Laban, Jacques Lecoq, Jerzy Grotowski, Sanford Meisner, and Mary Overlie/Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints. Research interests include voice and text, consent, and Shakespeare.
4PM: Look, I’m not superwoman. I tend to work like crazy for a few hours and then crash for a bit. So, I might grab a little nap around this time in the company of my cats, Leo and Tippi. If I’m feeling motivated, I might do some cooking. I have an on/off relationship with cooking and only really enjoy it if I’ve got a decent amount of time to potter around in the kitchen with some music playing in the background. I make a good one-pot stew, put it that way!
6PM: Yoga is the one way I de-stress and my favourite practice is yin yoga. The very best place in Dubai for this (in my view) is Inspire Yoga and I wish I was able to carve out a more regular practice.
Otherwise, I’ll be at home when my husband returns from work and we’ll catch up on the day … maybe over my one-pot stew! It’s just us and the two cats here in Dubai. Our son has just graduated from university in the UK and is starting his own career in TV and Film - from the bottom up – as a runner.
8PM: I might be running a workshop, or, if I’m directing a play, this is prime rehearsal time. On that topic, I’ll be putting out a casting call soon for Little Britches/DDG’s next joint production in Dubai … … keep an eye on social media for more details!
Otherwise, you’ll find me chatting to my Little Britches partner, Imogen, in the UK. We toured Yorkshire, UK, last summer with our pop-up production of Shakespeare’s Willand will be bringing the play to Dubai in the autumn.
10PM: If I’m not glued to a series on Netflix, I might read a few pages of someone’s PhD … yes, really. What a geek!