Siobhan is a fight director and a stage combat instructor whose services are in demand worldwide. Fight Direction credits include A Christmas Story and The Hobbit (The Grand Theatre, London), White Biting Dog (Soulpepper), The Trial of Judith K (Thought For Food Productions), Such Creatures (Nightswimming and Theatre Passe Muraille), Death of a Chief (Native Earth), James and the Giant Peach and To Kill a Mockingbird (Young Peoples’ Theatre) and Frankenstein’s Boy (Eldritch Theatre). She has taught stage combat across Canada and Europe, including London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Munich, Brittany, Norway, Finland, Estonia, and Sweden, and taught at the recent World Stage Combat Conference. Acting credits include And Then The Lights Went Out (Stage West Calgary), Mo and Jess Kill Susie (Harley Dog Productions), and The Last Resort (Stirling Festival Theatre).
Her teaching career has taken her across Canada and Europe. She has taught at international events such as the Paddy Crean International Art of the Sword Workshop, Fight Directors Canada’s National Workshop, and the Nordic Stage Fight Society’s Summer Workshop. She has completed two European tours, which included Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, England, Ireland and Scotland. Siobhan’s approach to teaching stage combat includes connecting to the actor’s process, examining biomechanics to prevent injury and expand physical vocabulary, and infusing style with Western and Eastern martial arts. She believes in the necessity of continuous growth and development, and so devotes a significant amount of time to professional development, whenever a break in the work schedule allows.
In 2009, she was a recipient of the Chalmers Arts Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council, which allowed her to do extended study in acting, stage combat and fight direction. Other awards include:
- Breakout Action Star, Female, Short Film (Action On Film Festival).
- Best Action Sequence, Martial Arts, Short Film (nomination, Action On Film Festival).
- Stage Combat Competition Champions with partner, Matt Richardson (CombatCon)
- Artists in Education (Ontario Arts Council)
Siobhan and her partner run Burning Mountain, dedicated to the growth and development of stage combat for the art form and for the artists.