Slot Machine Theatre make bold, contemporary work for audiences of all ages.

Our work is interdisciplinary, always made collaboratively, and frequently with the input of children and young people.
In collaboration with and in response to our young audiences, we push the envelope of theatre for all ages.

Slot Machine are three Co-Artistic Directors Nick Tigg, Fiona Creese and Nicola Blackwell, Producer Emma Dolman, and Artistic Associate Isy Sharman.

We formed the company in 2006.

There are three main strands to our practice: New Work, Commercial Productions and Mentoring.

An example of our most recent new work is The Boy, The Piano and The Beach, which is a live classical piano recital illustrated in projection, contemporary dance and puppetry and was co-commissioned by Brighton Festival and Swaledale Festival.

Our commercial productions (all of which are lovingly-crafted adaptations of children’s books) regularly play main house Christmas runs at venues such as Worthing Connaught, Leicester Curve, Corby Cube and Birmingham MAC.

We have a long-term relationship with Norden Farm Centre for The Arts in Maidenhead, who for 10 years have been a key partner for us, co-producing and commissioning our popular commercial work. To date, these productions have been seen by over 110,000 people.

Our mentoring springs from the conviction that making work is a team sport, and that companies and artists at all levels can benefit from friendly and supportive input. Theatre and live work is an ecology, and we want to play our part in encouraging others working in the field. This could range from whole-company mentoring for a new project, to informal phone-a-friend conversations with an emerging artist. Keep an eye on our website for further news about mentoring.

Photos by Matt Coulton: @matthew_coulton.

contact: nick@slotmachinetheatre.com

Nick studied English at University College London.

He is a talented writer, director, performer and musician.

Nick has worked with the experimental theatre company The People Show since 1992, including on ‘The Ballroom Show’, ‘The Boat Show’ (Lift Festival 2002), ‘Baby Jane’ (Fringe First Award winner, Edinburgh 2003), ‘Play Dead’ and ‘Ghost Sonata’ (commissioned by Liverpool City of Culture 2008).

Other theatre credits include ‘Volpone’ and ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ (Royal Shakespeare Company), ‘Frogs’ and ‘Oh! What a Lovely War’ (National Theatre), ‘The Warp’ (Ken Campbell), ‘TinTin in Tibet’ (Barbican Theatre/Young Vic), Slasher in ‘Down By The Greenwood Side’ (Brighton Festival).

Sound credits include ‘The Golem’ for Richard Waring and ‘The Tribunal’ for Inroads Productions.

Nick composes the music, directs and acts for Slot Machine Theatre and will be playing live on ‘Your Toys’.

contact: fiona@slotmachinetheatre.com

Fiona’s theatre work includes performance, choreography, writing and directing.

Having trained at London Contemporary Dance School, she has performed for many years with ground-breaking company The Kosh. As a core member of The People Show Fiona co-created and performed in many of their shows including recently ‘The Last Straw’ and ‘The Diviners’. She devised and directed ‘We Are Here’ at The Bush and many site-specific pieces for Roehampton University, including ‘Flight’ and ‘Shop’ for Wandsworth Borough of Culture 2025.

She is currently involved in making short films, co-directing ‘Bench’, and acting in ‘Sneeze’.

As co-Artistic Director of Slot Machine Theatre Fiona has been involved in writing, directing and choreographing many Slot stage shows and The Scooter Project and just directed YOUR TOYS at The Unicorn Theatre, London Easter 2026.

contact: nicola@slotmachinetheatre.com

Nicky trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, and a selection of their performing credits include ‘Market Boy’ (National Theatre), ‘ Herge’s Adventures of Tintin’ (Barbican / West End), ‘Perilous Stuff’ and ‘Strike Gently Away From Body’ (Young Vic), ‘The Sound Collector’ (Sheffield Crucible), ‘ You Hang Up First’ (Contact, Manchester), On The Outskirts Of A Large Event(Manchester Home), Kite (Soho Theatre) plus a number of projects with the People Show including Play Dead, The Birthday Show and the fringe first award-wining Baby Jane (Traverse, Edinburgh).

For Slot Machine Theatre Nicky co-created all their shows. Design Credits include: Opera – ‘Etoile’ (New Sussex Opera), ‘Down By The Greenwood Side’ (Brighton Festival); Theatre: ‘I Was A German’(Vaults), ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ (European Arts Company) and for Slot Machine Theatre: ‘Your Toys’, ‘Kipper’s Snowy Day’ and ‘The Boy, The Piano and The Beach’.

contact: emma@slotmachinetheatre.com

Emma has over twenty years’ experience in arts management, beginning leading arts development with rural and urban communities, to arranging large scale events and festivals and outdoor arts, to leading as artistic and executive director of arts venues. Latterly Emma directed the launch and first nine years operation of the highly successful new arts venue Cornerstone, Oxfordshire.

Emma has also conceived, commissioned and produced arts projects, events and new theatre, including a wide range of outdoor public events, cross-genre collaborations, devised children’s theatre, and work for and with people of varying physical abilities.

For the last nine years Emma has been a freelance theatre producer working with dynamic theatre companies on strategy, production and promotion, developing partners and projects, fundraising, associated workshops with hard to reach groups and tour producing.

Lucy’s theatre credits include: ‘I Want My Hat Back’ (Little Angel Theatre/Arts Depot), ‘Kipper’s Snowy Day’ (Slot Machine Theatre, The Berry/MAC), ‘Laika the Space Dog’ (UK tour), ‘Your Toys’ (Slot Machine Theatre, UK tour), ‘Dinosaur World Live’ (Wembley Park Theatre/UK tour), ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (Underbelly/Leicester Square Theatre), ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (Young Shakespeare Company), ‘Twelfth Night’ & ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (Oddsocks).

Lucy is an Associate Artist with Slot Machine Theatre, most recently working on ‘Miki’ as Assistant Director at Norden Farm 2024 and performing in YOUR TOYS at The Unicorn Theatre, London Easter 2026. Lucy is also training in Person-centred therapy and hopes to blend puppetry and movement with therapeutic practice, in their work with children and young people.