Dannie-Lu Carr (born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Louise Danielle Carr) is a multi-disciplined creative practitioner. She is a writer, singer/songwriter[1], actor, voiceover artist, and award-winning theatre director [2]. She is also an executive leadership coach and training consultant, founding the corporate training and coaching company Flaming Leadership in 2020, in response to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and in particular, to 'achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'. Carr is also a specialist practitioner in The Meisner Technique [3], where she is highly esteemed in both England and France.

Music

edit

On 1 September 2023, Dannie-Lu Carr's first single "Storm in a Teacup" was released by Pastiche Records.[4] Her debut album, Chunky Bitty Mermaid, is produced by Sarah Gillespie and was released on 6 October 2023. Chunky Bitty Mermaid, written by Carr, is a punk vaudeville escapade of narrative music set in a dystopian future around a canal in London's Hackney. It follows the tales of the protagonist, an algae-covered mermaid musing over identity, climate change and what it means to be an artist in a world filled with sirens, oxygen masks and an encroaching tyranny.

Sound engineers on Chunky Bitty Mermaid were George Murphy and Dyre Gormsen and the band members were Paul Silver (sax, saw, keys and melodica), Chris Montague (guitar and mandolin), Will Glaser (drums), Ruth Goller (bass and backing vocals) and Sarah Gillespie (backing vocals). Dannie-Lu Carr is on lead vocals.

TedX

edit

In 2015, Carr gave the TEDx Talk "The Inconvenient Truth for Culture" [5] where she defined 'The Hypercycle' around the digital noise encompassing creative culture - which was followed by her intensive two-year research period into its disorienting effects on communication and collaboration. From this she launched 'Creative Wavelengths', an orientation toolkit for creative practice.

Theatre

edit

Trained at the Bridge Theatre Training Company, and then with Scott Williams (The Impulse Company), Dannie-Lu Carr has acted in a wide range of productions including:

  • Who's Afraid of Virigina Woolf (as Martha), Stables Theatre, Hastings[6]
  • Macbeth (as Banquo) with an all-female cast, John Lyon Studio, London
  • Agnes of God (as Dr Livingstone), Landor Theatre, London
  • Dancing at Lughnasa (as Maggie), Landor Theatre, London
  • Black Dog (as Paranoia), Pleasance Theatre, London
  • Stockroom (as Julie), Southwark Playhouse, London
  • The Heidi Chronicles (as Fran/Molly/Betsy/April), Offstage Theatre
  • The Blue Room (as Au Pair), Offstage Theatre
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Puck), Wales Actor’s Company
  • Treasure Island (as Jim Hawkins), Theatre for Youth
  • Stars in the Morning Sky (as Klara), Cockpit Theatre

Film and television

edit

Dannie-Lu Carr has appeared in the following film and television productions:

  • Prisoners (Short) (as Dr Jones), Helical Scan Productions, directed by Rupert Booth
  • Dead In France (Feature) (as Mother), In Road Production, directed by Kris McManus[7]
  • Que Sera Sera (Feature) (as Anne), Red Brick Entertainment, directed by Dave Thompson
  • Reversing the Polarity (Feature) (as Fiona), MEV Productions, directed by Marq English [7]
  • Private Parts (TV series) (as Urban Myth Angel), Endemol/Channel 5, directed by Sarah Turner

Theatre directing

edit

Dannie-Lu has directed a range of theatre productions including: The House of Bernarda Alba, Chamber Music, Happy End, Threepenny Opera, Whale Music, Death of A Salesman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A View from the Bridge, Summer and Smoke, Marat Sade and Top Girls.

In 2019 she directed Sam Shepard's Fool For Love for Compagnie-du-Vingt-Trois in Paris and Avignon [8], where it picked up three Petits Molière Awards for Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress and Best Production.

Voiceovers

edit

Dannie-Lu Carr has performed voiceovers for web productions and advertisements including the Crisis Christmas campaigns in 2019 and 2020, the Pink Casino ident voice for Celebrity Big Brother and trailers for BBC3 and Channel 4. She played the distinctive character of Morli in Dalek Empire Seasons II and III for Big Finish Productions.

Writing

edit

In 2012 Dannie-Lu Carr penned the book Brilliant Assertiveness, published by Pearsons [9]. She contributed to the Psychologies magazine book, Real Ambition, and in 2018 released a limited-edition poetry and art book called Open [10], on which she collaborated with the artist Claire Zakiewicz.

Activism

edit

Dannie-Lu Carr is an outspoken supporter of the rights of women and girls globally and particularly supports Amnestys work in Afghanistan.

She is Childless Not By Choice[11] and works to raise awareness and support for the complex and under-represented issues involved for all people affected by such circumstances.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Dannie-Lu Carr". Dannie-Lu Carr. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  2. ^ "Alumni". The Bridge Theatre Training Company. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  3. ^ "Meisner Technique with Danni Lu Carr". Actors' Atelier. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  4. ^ "Dannie-Lu Carr - Pastiche Records — Pastiche Records - Pastiche Records - Original Music by Women". Pastiche Records - Pastiche Records - Original Music by Women. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  5. ^ "TEDxNewcastle | TED". www.ted.com.
  6. ^ https://stablestheatre.co.uk/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/#:~:text=The%20play%20is%20set%20on,between%20two%20disenchanted%2C%20cynical%20enemies....
  7. ^ a b "Dannie Lu Carr | Actress". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  8. ^ Doucette, Wesley. "Review: COMPAGNIE DU VINGT TROIS Presents FOOL FOR LOVE". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  9. ^ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brilliant-Assertiveness-assertive-people-Lifeskills-ebook/dp/B00A8EZPU8...
  10. ^ "Claire Zakiewicz: Biography". www.clairezakiewicz.com. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  11. ^ "We Are Not Your Enemy: The Truth About Women Who Are Childless Not By Choice". World Childless Week. 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
edit