Solo Acts: A Masterclass on the Unique Art of Solo Theatre

Pip Utton Born, raised, and educated in Cannock, Pip Utton is today considered one of the UK’s leading solo performers. Pip writes, produces, and performs one-man acts around the world, inspiring audiences with his innovative and engaging monodramas. Educated as a gemologist, Pip was a jeweler by trade with no formal training as an actor. He entered amateur dramatics in his thirties, and has been known to call theatre his “midlife crisis.” Pip earned his first taste of success with his portrayal of Tony Hancock in Hancock’s Last Half Hour. Eighteen months later he founded his own company, Pip Utton Theatre Co., and enjoyed his next major triumph with Adolf, which he both wrote and performed. Adolf has been performed in over twenty countries to rapturous reviews and continues to tour widely. After his depiction of Adolf Hitler, Pip garnered a loyal following enamored by his interpretations of famous men, including Charlie Chaplin, Charles Dickens, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The prolific Pip is a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, having performed every August for the last 21 years, and currently has seven shows in his repertoire, the newest of which is Churchill, and is working on three new shows at the moment. Pip in Churchill. Though in his sixties, his energy is boundless, and he aims to continue producing one new piece each year.

Jailoshini Naidoo is a woman of many trades—an actress, a popular TV and radio personality, a comedienne, and even a much sought after MC. A long-time regular at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban, Jailoshini has received much critical acclaim for her acting prowess, with multiple nominations for FNB Vita Awards and a Durban Theatre Award for Best Lead Actress for the one-woman show 1949, in which she portrays 38 different characters, including men, women, and children. Born and raised in Chatsworth, Durban, South Africa, Jailoshini attended Southlands Secondary School in Havenside, and it was there that her passion for the performing arts was first sparked. She continued on to the then University of Durban-Westville, where she earned a B. Paed in English, Speech, Drama, and Communications. She attributes much of her grounded attitude to her strong family roots, crediting her parents, two sisters, and a brother for providing a foundational support system from which she could flourish. Currently, Jailoshini is most recognized as a presenter on SABC2’s Eastern Mosaic. Jailoshini currently works as a full-time speech and drama teacher and serves as Marketing Executive at Calypso Event Management in addition to her many other ventures. She brings relentless energy and enthusiasm to her many professions, working tirelessly through long and demanding hours, all in the name of passion.

Yuki Ellias is a performer, teacher, movement director & filmmaker. As an actress she has performed in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Italy and India. She played Hermia in the highly acclaimed production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' directed by Tim Supple at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford AponAvon and the Roundhouse London. She was the Movement Director for UK’s leading opera company Opera North on their production of Mozart’s Magic Flute. The show toured major UK cities and venues. She trained in movement-based theatre from the Jacques Lecoq School of Theatre in Paris and is a trained pedagogue from the London