Gemma works as a creator, director and actor.

After a degree in English Literature at Cambridge University, Gemma moved to London for a year of theatrical training at Central School. There, she met nine friends and they became the SHUNT collective. Around this time, she studied clown with De Castro and Commedia dell’Arte with Antonio Fava. Years later, she went to Gaulier to dig further into her love of clown.

In 2000, Shunt created their own venue in a railway arch in Bethnal Green. Their first show, The Ballad of Bobby Francois was described by Time Out as an ‘an astounding piece of theatre - an immersive experience’. Dance Bear Dance (2002) was their smash hit show, drawing crowds from across the world. The Telegraph called it ‘the greatest fringe show on Earth’.

In 2003, Nicholas Hytner saw Dance Bear Dance and invited SHUNT to be part of his inaugural season at the National Theatre. For this, Shunt took on 80,000 sq ft of railway vaults in London Bridge, where they built an artistic empire! Tropicana (2004) was the National Theatre’s first ever main programme show off-site. It was a cult hit and brought immersive theatre into the establishment. Shunt went on to create the legendary Shunt Lounge night club. In 2014, Shunt worked together for the last time on The Boy who Climbed out of his Face before deciding to stop.

During her time with Shunt, Gemma directed An Execution (Time out Critics’ Choice) and she began working with Silvia Mercuriali on theatre which used real world spaces as the location of the work. Pinocchio travelled the world.

In 2017, she created and directed the first immersive theatrical extravaganza for the RSC. The Stage called it ‘Bold, brilliant work = an almost orgiastic visual experience’.

Over lockdown, she wrote extensively on the History of the Kiss : The University of O - and curated an online advent calendar.

She continues to work as a director and performer - a recent new collaboration has sprung up with Deadweight Theatre with whom she has just played Hedda Gabler…

And she is writing a book about theatre nowadays.

Image: Gemma (Monument)