Meet the Team
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Liam Atton
Artistic Director
Liam trained as an actor at Arts University Bournemouth on the BA (Hons) Acting degree, developing into a versatile performer under the guidance of Shakespeare specialists Ken Robertson and Dr Petronilla Whitfield and movement specialist Dr Ellie Nixon. Since graduating, he has worked across theatre, education, and international touring in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Japan, China, Finland, Latvia, and Italy, with a growing focus on theatre as a tool for language learning and engagement.
He has extensive experience in theatre-in-education, working with companies including Untold Theatre, Pintsize, and Katch 22, delivering curriculum-based Shakespeare and issue-led shows and workshops in schools across the UK.
Shakespeare has remained a central focus throughout his career. His performance credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and Macbeth. He is particularly interested in introducing young audiences to Shakespeare and exploring how accessible, relevant, and engaging the work can be.
His wider theatre work includes children’s productions such as Treasure Island, The Little Mermaid, Arthur and Merlin, and Robin Hood, as well as rural touring with Aunty Jen Productions on titles including The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windermere’s fan, The Wind in the Willows, and Oh! What a Lovely War.
As a director, Liam has worked on multiple Edinburgh Fringe Festival productions, also internationally in China with White Horse Theatre, directing several Shakespeare productions as part of English language education programmes. In the UK, he has worked with Rage Arts, directing Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, and The Jungle Book, with a focus on physical, musical, and highly interactive performances.
He is currently the theatrical advisor and resident director for the theatre charity Actccessible, supporting the creation of inclusive theatre and improving accessibility in performance.
His work is imaginative, physical, and collaborative, drawing on mask, clowning, music, puppetry, and visual storytelling. This ethos inspired him to found Pocket of Fools, a company that reflects a continued commitment to Shakespeare, clowning, and theatre-making that is both accessible and playful.
Caitlin Gill
Educational Adviser
Caitlin has been teaching Drama in secondary schools for the past ten years, working with a diverse range of students across an ambitious and engaging curriculum. She is currently Head of Drama at a secondary school in Birmingham, where she leads the department, supports staff development, and plays a key role in shaping a vibrant programme of extra-curricular activities and theatre visits.
Her teaching practice has been enriched through her school’s long-standing partnership with the Birmingham Hippodrome, which has spanned the last eight years. Through this collaboration, Caitlin has accessed high-quality professional development opportunities with leading theatre companies, including Frantic Assembly and Complicité. She has also benefited from regular opportunities to experience live theatre and take part in behind-the-scenes tours, further deepening her understanding of contemporary theatre practice and informing her work in the classroom.
Alongside her teaching career, Caitlin has remained actively involved in performance, appearing in numerous productions with Burton’s Little Theatre Company, including Summer Holiday and Spamalot. Her combined experience as an educator and performer enables her to bring both practical insight and creative enthusiasm to her work with young people.
Alessandro Babalola
Associate Artist
Alessandro Babalola is a British actor, writer, director, and dramaturg best known for his roles in Top Boy, Unforgotten, and Guy Ritchie's films Wrath of Man (2021) and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024). He trained on the BA (Hons) Acting course at Arts University Bournemouth and won an Olivier Award in 2019 for his involvement in Unpolished Theatre's Flesh and Bone.
Alongside his screen work, he has built a notable theatre career as a actor, writer, director, and creative leader. He wrote the one-man play Invincibilly, which premiered at the Wandsworth Fringe Festival in 2019, and The Perfect Companion, staged at the Pleasance Theatre the same year. He has also directed projects at Soho Theatre Walthamstow, including Primary Playwrights, a showcase of new work by emerging writers.
Alessandro maintains a close association with Soho Theatre, serving as Co-Chair, Creative Associate, and Artist in Residence there, where he contributes to artistic development, strategic decision-making, and the support of emerging talent.