HENRI MERRIAM

Henri Merriam achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2009 at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. As if that was not enough, she is skilled as a water skier and horse rider. She is also a fully qualified boat pilot (international).

Henri gave a memorable performance as Hedda Gabler at the International Ibsen Stage at Hoxton Hall in April 2012, a clip of which is seen below. Ragnhild Lund, Artistic Director, took the reigns as director of this production. The play opens up with Henri Merriam (Hedda) playing the piano accompanied by a cellist on stage. Henri now plays the part of Mercutio as a Smooth Faced Gentleman, with equal gusto.

Year	Role / Type	Production / Director	Company / Venue

2011	Portia	The Merchant of Venice Crystal Arons and Curt Tofteland	Amphitheatre Queensland
2010	Uriah Shelley Theatre	Man is Man Peter Beck	Theatre Paradisum Norwich Playhouse
2009	Niamh Theatre	The Peddler's Tale Liz Thaler	Director Showcase
2009	Tatiana, Evgenia, Anna Theatre	Nina Matt Poever	LAMDA
2009	Sarah Theatre	Speculators Joseph Blatchley	LAMDA
2009	The Hawker Theatre	Tommy John Baxter	LAMDA
2008	Gratiana Theatre	The Revenger's Tragedy Rodney Cottier	LAMDA
2008	Olga Theatre	Three Sisters Jenny Lipman	LAMDA
2008	Mrs Temptwell Theatre	The Grace of Mary Traverse Lyndsey Turner	LAMDA
2007	Isobel Theatre	The Secret Rapture Penny Cherns	LAMDA
2007	Martine Theatre	Sagnarelle John Bashford	LAMDA
2007	Anabella Theatre	Tis Pity She's a Whore James Kerr	LAMDA
2007	Rosalind Theatre	As You Like It John Link	LAMDA
2007	Harriet Theatre	Man is Man Hannah Eidenhow	LAMDA
2005	Susan Theatre	Abigail's Party	EUTC
2005	Brighton Theatre	Victory Andy Field	EUTC
2005	Mary Theatre	Mystery Plays Charlotte Jarvis	EUTC

Smooth Faced Gentlemen were at one point the UK's only all-female Shakespeare company, now Anne Hathaway is due to perform in an all female production of Taming of the Shrew. The SFG all female ensemble perform fast-paced, dynamic productions of Shakespeare's much-loved classics. Their approach, which marries tradition with innovation, seeks to dismantle the audience's preconceptions of the Bard's work. Through the prism of an all-female cast Smooth Faced Gentlemen examine the mastery with which Shakespeare pictures humanity - a humanity which an actor can explore and share whether male or female.

In 2012 the Smooth Faced Gentlemen set sail on thier maiden voyage - a production of Romeo & Juliet - helmed by the award-winning Three's Company. Shakespeare's greatest love story was faithfully and provocatively retold by the exceptional all-female cast at the Buxton Festival Fringe, July 2012. This bold production of the classic tale of love and rage met with critical and popular acclaim and went on to win the festival's Best Production award.

Building on this success, Henri is now tackling the lead role of Titus in Titus Andronicus. On this demanding role and how it is being tackled we quote Henri herself:

"This year the team have integrated workshops into the rehearsal process. Gary Horner leads a voice workshop – based largely on Kristin Linklater‘s theories; a process that I have been lucky enough to have had a fair amount of training in. It reminds me of a promise I made to myself to maintain voice work every day in order to be able to access this more easily… Must try harder."

"James Farrell then introduces us to some Suzuki work – I have heard about this, but never experienced it. And I have missed out. The world of the play is suddenly thrown into sharp perspective – it becomes something earthy, something deeply affecting and moving. I watch the rest of the cast move around the space and feel strongly that this is the world that Titus can exist in. It makes sense; bold and brilliant sense. There is one hang-up that niggles at me after our workshop. I feel very VERY feminine. This is strange – it happens very infrequently and I find it peculiar that such a visceral physical workshop should bring this out in me."

"Titus is a man. An old man. It is not something that I am going to forget quickly but it is one of the things that niggles at the back of my mind. I have been at war for forty years of my life – surely I must have sustained injuries – what atrocities have I seen? What atrocities have I committed? This is one of my favourite parts of any theatrical process – immersing myself in the delicious realm of imagining the world my character has lived in. I take a walk in Titus’ shoes. It’s summer. The sun beats down. Corpses litter the battlefield. I have led a perfect campaign – and I am deep in enemy territory. I am making a single-handed bid to capture my nemesis, he is near – I can sense him; I dive, arrow-like, across a moat, receiving a slight nick to my left calf from an errant arrow (it’s quite deep, but it doesn’t hurt, I’m tough after all) and plunge my shining blue sword into the heart of an orc-like foe. Mmmmm.. wrong play. And potentially overkill. But in Titus’ life according to Henri, he is a legend – a melting pot of whatever I want him to be."

"That’s the fun bit, but I remind myself I actually have to play the man who has experienced that – play the man who Shakespeare has written, not the fantasy ninja general I have just imagined. I falter. How does a man of this calibre, a man of this unswerving determination deal with emotion? I feel that this is where he comes unstuck. He has lost most of his sons in battle – that is surely something that a man of the army can cope with. The world of warfare he understands. But this world that he is plunged into after Lavinia is raped and mutilated – after his sons are condemned? For the first time he can’t control the situation – he can’t fix it. I rifle through my mental store to find something in my own experience to equate this with – everything seems woefully inadequate. I start to panic about how I am going to play Act III – an act rife with trauma..."

VARIETY - SHAKESPEARE'S CANONICAL PLAYS

The plays are here according to the order in which they are given in the First Folio of 1623. Plays marked with an asterisk (*) are now commonly referred to as the 'romances'. Plays marked with two asterisks (**) are sometimes referred to as the 'problem plays'.

Comedies

The Tempest *
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Measure for Measure **
The Comedy of Errors
Much Ado About Nothing
Love's Labour's Lost
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Merchant of Venice **
As You Like It
The Taming of the Shrew
All's Well That Ends Well **
Twelfth Night
The Winter's Tale *
Pericles, Prince of Tyre * (not included in the First Folio)
The Two Noble Kinsmen * (not included in the First Folio)

Histories

King John
Richard II
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry V
Henry VI, Part 1
Henry VI, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 3
Richard III
Henry VIII

Tragedies

Troilus and Cressida **
Coriolanus
Titus Andronicus
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens
Julius Caesar
Macbeth
Hamlet
King Lear
Othello
Antony and Cleopatra
Cymbeline *

playing age	29
height	5' 10" (1.78 m)
weight	11st. 0lb. (70kg)
hair color	Blonde
eye color	Brown
build	Medium

Accents (International)	Australian, RP
Accents (UK)	Cockney, London, Northern England, RP, Scottish
Accents (US)	General American
General Dance Skills	Folk, Jazz, Tap
Ethnicity	White/Caucasian
Experienced in	Radio, Rehearsed Readings, Theatre (Fringe), Theatre (Professional)
Hair Length	Shoulder Length
Interested in	Film (Professional), Radio, Rehearsed Readings, Teaching Theatre, Theatre (Fringe), Theatre (Professional), Theatre (Touring), TIE/TYA, TV, Voice Over
Languages Spoken	French
Musical Skills	Clarinet, Piano
Specific Singing Skills	Alto, Soprano
Stage Combat Skills	Yes

Be sure to follow Henri as these improvisational ladies tackle both male and female roles with gusto.