company members
Lillie Stoute
Lillie has been a Drama and Movement Therapist since 2005 working with young people/children and women in the social care sector. She had worked with women in the criminal justice system in a creative arts and education setting; as a social worker, youth worker and employment and mental health specialist. Lillie completed the Playback Theatre core training in January 2006, and was invited to join London Playback Theatre Company in April 2007. Since this time Lillie has continued to enjoy, be challenged and inspired by Playback Theatre.
Andi Haase
Andi is from Argentina and has been involved with theatre and education for many years. She trained as a Physical Education teacher before travelling and moving to London. She has performed and toured with Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company, and trained in Forum Theatre and other theatre techniques. Andi co-founded Tierra Theatre Company, producing, performing and teaching in Spanish. She joined London Playback Theatre in 2012, and is deeply enjoying the challenge of responding to real stories and improvising within this inspiring company.
Agnieszka Rolkiewicz
Agnieszka was born in Poland, where she gained degrees in Cultural Studies and Pedagogy. She has lived in Hackney for last 15 years, from where she completed a BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Performance at University of East London, and works as an event organizer and facilitator, committed to creating community-based experiences for both artist and audience. Having trained with the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards, she has a deep interest in organic, embodied performance work, and believes in powerful function of theatre to transform our lives, in the collective capacity to make meaning.
Belinda Sherlock
Belinda joined London Playback Theatre in 2018. She is a creative and embodied psychotherapist (Roehampton, 2014; Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy, 2022), clinical supervisor, facilitator and performer. She is currently doing a PhD with the Cultures of Incarceration Centre in Hull, exploring autobiographical creative practice with women in prison. As a therapist and facilitator she has worked extensively within the NHS, freelance and privately, specialising in forensic mental health, and working with those who have experienced trauma. Belinda is an advanced practitioner of Playback Theatre (School of Playback Theatre UK, 2018), and passionate about people sharing their stories as an act of power, connection and healing.
Jon Blend
Jon is European, an adult and child psychotherapist, trainer, author and Lifemusic practitioner ( www.gacp.co.uk). His background includes forty years working in NHS psychiatry, social work and performing arts; Jon's Masters dissertation explored Playback Theatre and Gestalt Therapy. Jon trained in Community Music Workshop Skills at Goldsmiths University. He was Playback South’s resident musician from 2000 until 2019 when he joined London Playback. He plays in several jazzy/rock projects and teaches expressive arts practice to counsellors, education and health professionals at several UK and European institutes, also improvisation, songwriting and sound healing for Wellness.
Alexus Burke
Alexus currently works as a youth mentor for young people with challenging behaviour and learning difficulties. Alexus has her degree in Psychosocial Studies from Goldsmiths University. Following that, Alexus went on to do her 1st year certificate training in Psychodrama at London Centre for Psychodrama, and intends to complete the rest of the training. She uses the training gained from work experience in addition to creativity to work dynamically with young people. After moving to London from the USA, Alexus has performed in shows across London, including the Roundhouse. Due to her passion for mental health, Alexus also works as a therapist assistant for OH Services where she is responsible for the social media management and co facilitating workshops. Outside of her professional commitments, Alexus enjoys writing blogs and poetry to publish on her own upcoming page and projects.
Ferran Luengo
Ferran Luengo is a Spanish actor, improviser, and applied theatre facilitator based in London. He has trained with renowned international improvisers and honed his skills at The Annoyance Theatre in Chicago. With over two decades of experience in theatre and improvisation, Ferran has been deeply involved in Playback Theatre for more than ten years, becoming an accredited trainer in this practice.
He actively performs and facilitates with London Playback and True Heart Theatre, while also improvising with the acapella musical troupe Acaprov, Not GCSE Drama, and Shuffle. As an applied theatre facilitator, he is dedicated to theatre in education, regularly facilitating and performing in schools across London and beyond, including work with SEND students.
More info and projects through linktr.ee/ferranluengo
Max Wood
Max was first introduced to playback in 2018 whilst travelling, and started playing upon his return to the UK. He joined London Playback in 2022. He works in the NHS as a clinical psychologist in training, and otherwise spends his time climbing, dancing, drawing and travelling. He loves playback because it’s one of the most intuitive, fun and immediate ways he knows of bringing people and communities together.
Veronica Needa - Founder
Veronica was a theatre professional and a playback practitioner and pioneer since 1991. A graduate of the School of Playback Theatre in 1995, she was President of the International Playback Theatre Network (1997-2003), and taught internationally. Co-founder of London Playback Theatre, she was also director of True Heart Theatre, serving the UK Chinese community, and Coordinator of the School of Playback Theatre (United Kingdom).
Veronica passed away peacefully on 12th April 2023. She was a magical force of creativity, courage and vitality, wonderfully inventive, unstoppably generous, a community creator, a feeder, intrepidly bringing playback theatre to the margins, drawing people from all walks of life to her. She was a playback mentor to hundreds of playbackers globally. She is greatly missed.