The Vagina Monologues (Reading)

Charlie Hardwick

Charlie, from Wallsend, has worked at Live for forty years including The Emcee in Cabaret, Your Home In The West, Two, Close The Coalhouse Door and Clear White Light. She has also worked in theatres nationally including stints in The West End with The Awkward Squad and Cooking With Elvis.

Charlie played Val Pollard in Emmerdale for 12 years followed by 3 years in Ackley Bridge. Other TV includes Byker Grove, Murder They Hope, Professor T, The Good Ship Murder, and Our Friends In The North.

She has won several awards for both comedy and drama, including Best Actress in Monte Carlo for the film ‘The Scar’. Her latest film Vows will be released next year.

Bridget Marumo

Bridget’s theatre credits include, We Are The Best, Live Theatre, Wintry Tales, Live Theatre, In the Black Fantastic, South Bank Centre, London, Pinball, Alphabetti Theatre, The Vanishing Act, Cap-a-pie and Here Be Dragons, Unfolding Theatre.

Her TV credits include Vera, ITV, Danny and Mick, BBC, The Dumping Ground, BBC , series reg ‘Robin’ in A Kind of Spark, BBC and Casualty, BBC.

On BBC Radio 4 Bridget played 'Bonnie' in I Must Have Loved You, BBC Radio 4, by Michael Chaplin with music by and starring Sting.

Ivanna Nitsak

Ivanna’s theatre credits include Silence, directed by Volodymyr Piterov at Live Theatre, Newcastle, Romeo and Juliet, The Forest Song, The Red Helmet, All Mice Love Cheese, Sworn Virgins and Games in the Backyard.

Her TV and film credits include The Weakest Link, The Bell-Ringer 2, Cop from the Past, I’ll Prove Everything to You, Her Men, Horizons of Love, To See the Ocean and The Mind Reader.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Acting and has professional experience in theatre, television and film across Ukraine and the UK.

Hannah Walker

For over a decade, she has created original work combining autobiography, humour, research and performance art. Her work explores the messier, often overlooked parts of everyday life by bringing warmth and honesty to stories people don’t always feel comfortable talking about.

In 2024, Hannah toured GAMBLE, (★★★★★ “A Shame-Smashing Delight of Hilarity”- The Indiependent), a part-theatre, part-performance art show about gambling addiction, which is now being developed for onscreen.

Her other work includes An Evening with Savvy B, an autobiographical comedy exploring alcohol and identity, and co-creating kids shows for The Stand Comedy Club. This December, she returns as Cinderella in Cinderella v Snow White.

Her latest project, Just One More, is a new co-created performance being developed with community organisations across Sunderland and South Tyneside.

Hannah is currently studying British Sign Language at Level 3 and is passionate about making her work more accessible, with BSL increasingly integrated into her creative practice.

Karen Traynor

Karen is a Scottish actor and theatre director living in Whitley Bay.

As an actor she has worked nationally and internationally with Royal Shakespeare Company, Young Vic, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, Princeton Rep Shakespeare Festival, Theatre By The Lake, Hull Truck, Northern Stage and in many productions here at Live - most recently as Blitzen in Blitzen on Tyne.

TV & radio credits include: Emmerdale (ITV), Vera (ITV), Tracy Beaker (BBC), Doctors (BBC), The Bill (ITV), Stannington, Suffragette Dramas (BBC Radio).

She read the audio version of Sally Magnusson's latest novel The Shapeshifter’s Daughter, published by Hachette and can currently be seen in Laugh Lesson: Becoming a Karen, on BBC THREE and iPlayer.

As director she was thrilled to direct the world premier of Shelagh Stephenson's latest play Astell and Woolf here at Live Theatre.

This year she also created Lawnmowers Theatre Company's 40th Anniversary production Billy and Teddy's Amazing Adventure.

Her production of Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light, by Allison Davies, was produced first in 2023 at Alphabetti Theatre, before touring nationally to widespread critical acclaim.