Meet the team
Ben Yates is a freelance actor based in York. Since he was young, Ben was always enticed by the opportunity to perform for an audience. This inspired the decision to study drama, where he fell in love with the familial and celebratory atmosphere that comes with working alongside other performers.
In the theatrical space, Ben has had experience incorporating his skills to different forms of work. One standout being the making of a 40-minute vignettes theatre production filled with traditionally acted scripts mixed with choreographed movement and his own written work, accompanied by a visual and sound design he created. Ben has also worked with the theatre company ‘Northern Rascals’ as part of his university degree. In addition to this, in his degree, Ben gained experience in putting on a week-long festival as part of the wrap around team in York Theatre Royal. This gave Ben training as a Front of House Duty Manager in the theatre, as well as pitching shows.
Now, Ben has a BA Honours in Acting, and looks to apply the skills he has acquired to a career in making fulfilling work and working with Victoria Lopez and CoPeCky is an exciting opportunity for him. Ben brings a unique perspective and physicality to theatre, applying his breakdance training he received at an early age.
Ben has been a hard-working performer in his training, with a key attribute being his full commitment to several aspects of performance work. Ben appeared in CoPeCky’s very first show ‘Throw The Balls Away! (And Have Fun),’ acting in a duet with Victoria. As an introduction to creating professional work outside of education, Ben enjoys exploring a range of different performance styles alongside CoPeCky.
Ben Yates - Performer
Millie Boyes worked with CopeCky performing backstage and creating makeup looks for their performances. Millie is a graduate from York St John University, and has a passion for creating new, colourful, and exciting makeup looks. She enjoyed working with CoPeCky and looks forward to working with them on future performances. Millie also helped CoPeCky backstage with their performance and would love to gain more experience in working backstage with props and assisting the actors. Millie has worked in a few performances, assisting with music and lighting and would like to further this skill with other performances.
Millie Boyes - Makeup Artist
Jack Moran is a performer, writer, dramaturg, fulfiller of odd jobs, and peddler of the absurd, based in Harrogate.
He has a background in writing and devising ensemble work, graduating with first-class honours in Drama & Theatre at York St. John University, though is eager to get involved with and learn about as much of the creative process as possible. In his third and final year of study, he had the opportunity to help put on a week-long festival as part of the production team at the Theatre Royal in York. Operating lighting and sound for performances in the main house arose as part of this; Jack was ecstatic to then assist CoPeCky in their debut show ‘Throw The Balls Away! (And Have Fun)’ as part of their technical team, consulting on lighting and operating sound cues from the rehearsal process to the performance itself.
Jack Moran - Theatre Technician
Molly Owen is a welsh artist whose main practice is punch-needle rugmaking technique, weaving, and felting in order to create abstract rugs. Molly uses materials such as yarn, wool, thread, and wool roving to create soft and tactile with these materials being familiar and welcoming due to their link to craft. Their artwork focuses on calm and safety within the senses of touch and sight, with their main focus on creating accessible art that people can freely touch and interact with opposed to the ‘Do Not Touch’ gallery etiquette. To explore this idea of ‘art you can touch’ further, Molly has been developing her skills in prop-making to explore how fine art, theatre and craft can collaborate. This new development involves working alongside theatre practitioners to create unique props which serve their function whilst also developing the stylistic voice of the production.
Molly Owen - Prop Designer
My name is Benjamin weir and I am a practitioner currently studying my Ma in theatre and performance. My Aim is to create work that is simple yet compelling. That is emotive yet fact. But all the same giving the audience a chance to enjoy rather than study. My goal is Gain as much experience as I can so that I may strive to become a teacher and lecturer within my career. In my experienced I have performed at numerous fringe venues including Theatre@41 and more noticeable names such as York Theatre Royal.