New Wolsey Theatre Welcomes Four New Associate Artists in Ipswich

New Wolsey Theatre has announced four new Associate Artists: Josh Overton, Ellie Isherwood, Amy Wragg and James McDermott.

They join continuing Associate Artists Mae Munuo, Martha Loader and The Paper Birds, further embedding a growing cohort of artists within the life and creative ambition of the theatre.

The new Associate Artists were selected through an open regional call, with a particular focus on practitioners based in or connected to Ipswich. The call received more than 40 applications, reflecting the breadth, diversity and vibrancy of creative practice across the region. Artists were chosen because their ambitions align with the theatre's ability to provide the expertise, infrastructure and support necessary to help them take a significant next step in their careers.

Over the next 18 months, each artist will develop an ongoing relationship with New Wolsey Theatre - one that goes beyond a single project or commission. The programme offers tailored support shaped around individual artistic practice, together with access to the theatre's spaces, technical resources, expertise and professional networks.

In return, the Associate Artists play an active role in the creative life of the organisation. Their ideas, perspectives and working methods help shape the theatre's artistic output as well as its civic and community-facing activity, contributing to a more vibrant and representative cultural ecology for Ipswich and the wider region.

Associate Artist Biographies

Josh Overton

is an award-winning writer born and raised in Ipswich. His work has been performed across the UK and internationally, spanning theatre for adults, young people and families. Recent projects include an opera exploring the Doomsday Clock, a Star Trek parody created with and for audiences aged 70+, and a large-scale fire circus show for children through his company From Below Theatre.

Ellie Isherwood Ellie Isherwood

is a sound designer, composer, actor / musician and synth-pop artist (BYFYN). Her "dynamic" and"quietly ground breaking" work spans musicals and straight plays alike, embracing an array of forms from site-specific theatre to immersive binaural audio experiences. In 2025, Ellie was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize with her song "Nice Girls Never Win." from the upcoming new musical, "VAMP". Recent work includes performance and composition for the stage adaptation of Lemony Snicket's "The Dark" and composition and sound design for "Dweeb-a-mania" at Polka Theatre.

Amy Wragg

is a poet, zine-maker and producer, and Director of SoapBox Spoken Word CIC in Ipswich. Through SoapBox, the first organisation of its kind in the East, Amy champions spoken word poetry and creates development pathways for local artists of all ages. Her work is known for its warmth, humour and political bite, amplifying marginalised voices and supporting grassroots creative communities.

James McDermott

is a Norwich-based writer and teacher whose plays have been staged nationally and published by Concord Theatricals. His work has received multiple Off West End Theatre Award nominations, and he has written for stage, radio and television, including episodes of EastEnders. James also lectures in creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

Continuing Associate Artists

Mae Munuo is an actor and director working across theatre and audio, with credits including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare's Globe and Complicité. She is the winner of the Marc Beeby Award for Best Debut Performance at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2025 and is an Associate Artist of both Complicité and New Wolsey Theatre.

Martha Loader is an award-winning writer, actor and producer. Her work has been performed across the UK and internationally, and she is the winner of the Judges' Award at the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2022 and the George Devine Award 2025.