I am a writer, theatre director, facilitator and teacher, and a counsellor.

Born in Canada, I graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent my early 20s in the Twin Cities. I acted on the University Show Boat, in rep, summer stock and children's and community companies, and worked as a presenter, programme maker and interviewer for KUOM Radio and KTCA-TV.

I moved to Europe in the late 60s, joined the experimental company Die Komödianten in Vienna, and then moved to London where I free-lanced for Canadian Broadcasting. I was an original member of Red Ladder Theatre from 1969-75. I went on to co-found Broadside Theatre, perform with Theatermanufaktur in Berlin, and work with many campaigning community theatre projects.

Richard Stourac and I co-authored Theatre as a Weapon, Workers' Theatre in the Soviet Union, Germany and Britain 1917-1934 (Routledge & Kegan, 1986).

I have written and collaborated on dozens of plays ranging from street theatre to classic adaptations. My work has been produced by Avon Touring, Chester Gateway, Cleveland Theatre Company, Northern Stage, Snap, community and youth theatres, schools, colleges and universities.

A Northern Arts Writers' Exchange Bursary took me to Zimbabwe, and led to work in Ghana with Street Child Africa, and in Lesotho and South Africa. I directed Wole Soyinka's The Trials of Brother Jero for Rooftop Productions in Harare. Recently I contributed a Zimbabwean story to the anthology Give Me Shelter.

Following a Year of the Artist residency with the NHS I began studying counselling. I was awarded my Diploma in 2006. I counselled young people at Streetwise and at Walker Technology College in Newcastle, and facilitated a support group for young people who self-harm at Nacro. I was a volunteer counsellor at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.

In the summer of 2009, I moved to Glencolmcille, Co. Donegal, Ireland, where I am working on my first novel.