Karen Spicer

Karen Spicer (pronouns: she/her) is an older, Queer actor, director, workshop facilitator, access support worker, creative enabler and mental health survivor from working-class Nottingham roots.

Karen has over 30 years’ experience as a theatre practitioner, during which time she also worked as a relief mental health recovery support worker.

Understanding and acknowledging her own story saved Karen’s life. Being allowed to be creative has been, and continues to be, a vital part of her recovery and well-being.

Karen has had the amazing opportunity and experience of performing and touring both nationally and internationally on mainstream stages – from Brazil to the Barbican and beyond. She has also had the thrill of acting on TV, radio and in a number of short independent films, playing a variety of mums, social workers, therapists and art teachers. Plus a super hero…

It is, though, through her work with companies such as Red Ladder, Theatre Centre, Graeae, Diverse City, Damn Cheek and – in the 80s – her own company RandomPact, that Karen has grown artistically, politically and personally. These companies were and are made up of artists who strongly believe that culture and creativity should be accessible to and for us all, and that stories which still remain untold should be told.

Karen has a great desire to keep on challenging herself and her creative practice; to keep learning; to be compassionate, curious and playful; to practise and promote diversity and inclusivity. And also to embrace, to rage, to celebrate, to laugh and to create through this glorious mess we call life.

She is thrilled that Damn Cheek is giving her a golden opportunity to pursue these desires with them.