Jack Bennett is an actor and theatremaker, who first worked with ARC as a performer in Daniel Bye’s How to Occupy an Oil Rig in 2013. Since then, ARC has supported Jack to make his first solo show, Too Much Too Young, which received Special Commendation in the PULSE Festival Suitcase Prize, before successfully touring nationally in 2015.
Jack then returned to ARC to make Winners, his second show, directed by James Blakey, performed by Jack with Jennifer Jackson, designed by Hannah Sibai. He also became an Evolve Artist in Residence for Oxford Playhouse, and has two shows in development: Who is Oxford?, commissioned by the Playhouse, and Culture for Sloths, commissioned by ARC.
Further devising/collaborating work includes: The Situation Room (Oscar Mike), After the Rainfall (curious directive) and The Bloody Great Border Ballad Project (Northern Stage). Jack’s debut film, The Busker & The Coin, premiered at the Gala of Danny Boyle’s inaugural Shuffle Festival.
As an actor, Jack has worked for companies including the National Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, Chichester Festival Theatre, the New Vic, Hampstead Theatre and the Reduced Shakespeare Company. He has twice appeared in the West End, in productions directed by Nicholas Hytner and Mike Leigh. Much of his work has been in new writing, including plays by John Donnelly and Mark Ravenhill.
Jack is currently taking a break from his own theatre-making activities whilst he performs in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
ARC is a building full of people who are passionate about what happens there. My experience of making work at and with ARC is of a community of people who are always keen to know what you are doing, always up for coming to see what you’re developing and providing constructive feedback. Having such an encouraging, astute and positive collection of people helps you to take risks, reassured that you’re in a safe environment to do so.
Being made a part of a group of associate artists of whose work I think a great deal of is a lovely recognition of developing as a maker myself. Being able to say I make work with ARC immediately provides a level of legitimacy and endorsement, furthering the possibilities in terms of the people I might future work with, and the places that work may be seen.
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