Jen Malarkey is an artist and practioner of movement. She creates movement for professional theatre, coaches actors and lectures in actor movement.
This year (2024) she is being supported by Company Chameleon through the UPLIFT dance artist in residency programme in Manchester and by the Headlong Theatre Origins Scheme - which “celebrates and nurtures exceptional theatre directors outside of London”.
She runs Encounter, through which she makes new dance theatre performance. She has partnered, collaborated with and toured to Northern Stage, Soho Theatre, The Yard, The Lowry, The Place, Albany, Deptford, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Paines Plough and Fuel Theatre.
Jen Malarkey is a rare artist; She works cross artform – she’s interested in movement led work that has text and spoken language at the heart of the storytelling. The two forms (physical and spoken) have equity in her work and align to create an often explosive practice.
Louise Blackwell, Co-founder of Fuel
Jen’s work really interests us. She combines text and movement with rare confidence, flair and skill. Her ideas are distinct and convincing.
Christina Elliot, Senior Producer, The Place
SCHOOL
Jen holds an MA with Distinction in Movement: Directing and Teaching from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2009/10) as well as a BA Hons Devised Theatre from Dartington College of Arts (2000/03) She also attended The BRIT School, where her study of movement and its application to theatre began.
MOVEMENT DIRECTION
Jen’s skills and interest in bringing the physical world of a performance to life range from larger ensemble movement to characterisation to specific choreography.
Jen is interested in inclusive spaces that celebrate difference, working 1:1 with actors on character embdoiment, working with large casts and ensembles, creating crowd scenes and choreographic movement scores and devising orginal movement with text.
Jen has created choreography and movement directed on both her own and other’s work; recent/current work includes: Northern Broadsides Research and Development, Hamlet, (Shakespeare North Playhouse/National Theatre Studio), Northern Broadsides, Iron People: a co-created community production inspired by Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man and The Iron Woman stories, The Kids Are Alright: A Film (Northern Stage, Albany, CPT, Fuel Theatre) The Kids Are Alright (The Place/Albany/Touring), I Heart Catherine Pistcahio (Soho Theatre/The Lowry/The Yard/Paines Plough Roundabout/LIVE Theatre), Choir (Northern Stage/Traverse Theatre/ARC, Stockton.)
Previous productions include: Lagan (Oval House, Dir. Jane Fallowfield), Vincent River (The Pleasence, Dir. Rae McKen), Twelfth Night (Lion and Unicorn, Dir. Rae McKen), Earthquakes in London (Italia Conti, Dir. Rae McKen) Alexander Supertramp (Roundhouse, Dir. Camille Litalien), Dandy Dick (Italia Conti), Gut Girls (Chelsea Theatre, Dir. Johnny Humprhies), Phaedra (Birmingham School of Acting, Dir. Rae McKen), Othello (Italia Conti, Dir. John Gillet), On The Razzle, (Sheriden Theatre, Dir. Aoife Smyth), Tis’Pity Shes a Whore, (Italia Conti, Dir. John Gillet), Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, (Italia Conti, Dir. Kate Williams), Gormenghast, (Edinburgh Festival, Dir, Lawrence Evans)
TEACHING
Jen’s committment to education and training as led to her contributing to and leading modules across BA and MA Degree programmes across the UK. She is currently a Lecturer in Movement at Leeds Conservatoire across BA Acting and BA Actor Muscianship. Other teaching includes Rose Bruford, Mountview, Italia Conti, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Identity Drama School, British American Drama Academy, Theatre Arts London/University of Conneticut, ALRA and Middlesex University.
Jen is experienced in teaching across the actor movement curriculum; specifically Animal Study, Viewpoints, Laban Efforts, Ensemble Skills, Contact Improvisation, Somatic Practice and Historical Dance.
Jen has trained in the DanceAbility Method, an approach to teaching and choreographing that works to dissolve barriers and connect disabled and non disabled people through dance and movement.