About Laal Marra Productions

La'al Marra Productions was formed in 2011 by actress and writer Emma Rydal to create professional theatre and short films. The company uses local talent wherever possible. Rydal's first play 'True' chronicled a mother daughter relationship through the decades. It premiered at Manchester's 24.7 Theatre Festival in 2011 and won The Audience Award for Best Production, The Vicky Allen Equity Award and was nominated for a Manchester Theatre Award. It toured around Cumbria where the company are based. Based on the play a screenplay was written and two short films 'One Last Walk' and 'A Bit More Sleep' were made. The latter winning an Osprey Award at Keswick Film Festival.

More recently the company produced 'Soaked' in collaboration with The Rosehill Theatre. The project received funding from The Arts Council and Cumbria County Council and had successful tours of Cumbria, Lancaster and Manchester in 2017 & 2018.

Emma Rydal

Emma gained a BA (Hons) in Performance Arts at Middlesex University in 1994 and went on to start a successful acting career in theatre, television and radio. Notable film and TV roles include Stella in the BAFTA winning Brit flick 'East is East', Miranda in Charlie Higson's 'Swiss Toni' and Mikey in Kay Mellor's 'Playing the Field'. She has also worked with Max Stafford Clark's Out of Joint Company on two tours of 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too / A State Affair'. Recently she has been seen as regular 'Celia' in Sky One's Stella.

Emma returned home to Cumbria in 2005 to start a family and began writing six years ago. Her first piece 'One Last Walk' won two awards at Planet Rabbit's Ovation Awards. She extended this piece to create True which went on to win the Audience Award for Best Play at Manchester's 24.7 theatre festival and an Equity award for Best Production. It was then nominated for a Manchester Theatre Award and had two successful small tours with excellent reviews.

Emma's full CV and Showreel can be found here.

Toby Gaffney

Toby's full CV and Showreel can be found here.

 

 

A bit about Toby and Emma

Toby and Emma met in 2010 in happy circumstance at Eaglesfield playgroup. As their little daughters played happily on trikes and scooters, Emma and Toby sat discussing various creative ideas. Fast forward many years of juggling parenthood, the pair have managed to produce and perform in two short films, write a full-length screenplay, perform in two rural tours together, performed their version of William and Dorothy Wordsworth's life together and have now written 'A Short Supply'. A cutting edge look at the life of supplt teachers explored with humour and physical comedy and a little bit of romance thrown in. Perfect for small scale touring, the pair are currently applying for funding.