The Team

Ali Gorton – Chambers

Artistic Director

Ali trained in classical Theatre at Drama School but also has a BA Hons Degree in English Literature with Creative Writing. Her career in the performing arts industry includes acting, directing, producing and writing for the stage and she has worked in traditional Repertory Theatre, Theatre in Education, Open-Air Theatre and on many National Number One tours. She has taken roles in dramas by well-loved playwrights in theatres across the UK, such as Mabel in Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, Gwendoline in Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Sheila Birling in Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, Olwen in Priestley’s Dangerous Corner, Janet in Priestley’s I Have Been Here Before, Liz in Coward’s Present Laughter, Jenny in Wynyard Browne’s the Holly and The Ivy. Mrs Macready in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She has appeared on TV in David Lodge’s Nice Work, BBC’s Master of the Marionettes, and in numerous adverts and voice-overs.

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More About Ali

She was founder member and producer for Middle Ground Theatre Company for sixteen years, where she co-produced thirty-six large scale tours, taking commercial theatre to venues throughout the UK from Bath Theatre Royal to The Garrison Theatre Shetland. In 2004 Ali left Middle Ground to take up the role of Artistic Director and writer at Theatreworks UK, creating new work and adaptations of well know classics for venues across a wide range of national touring circuits, from Greenwich Theatre London to Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland. Her productions as Artistic Director with Theatreworks include Alcott’s Little Women, Nesbit’s The Railway Children, Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, King-Smith’s Babe the Sheep Pig. She has adapted, produced and directed many classic novels for Open-Air summer seasons for The National Trust, English Heritage and privately owned historic sites, from the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall to Bowhill House, Selkirk.

Ali is a playwright whose plays include Pre-Raphaelite Seeds, which premiered at the National Portrait Gallery, London (before embarking on two national tours of museums and galleries), and Soe Well I Love Thee (The story of Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley), for English Heritage; which premiered at Kenilworth Castle. For younger audiences A Visit from Scrooge, Wood Dragon, The Wars of the Roses, Escape from Oz, Through the Wardrobe, Fabulous Fairies, Pirate Island and Sherlock Bones. Ali has also adapted well known classics Tess of The D’Urbervilles, Little Women, The Railway Children, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Turn of The Screw, The Secret Garden, Through the Looking Glass and Alice for the stage. She is currently writing a new interactive Thomas Hardy Christmas experience entitled Greenwood which will preview in December 2026 and tour in December 2027.

In addition to her current writing work and role as Artistic Director of Tall Hat Theatre, Ali is Principal of the award-winning Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts Worcester where she provides opportunities for young people to participate in theatre, film and television classes, performances and film festivals.

Darcey Chambers

Assistant Director and Performer

Darcey is currently training at East15 Acting School, ranked 1st for Drama by the Guardian, having previously attended the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Recent acting credits include Anna in Blood Harmony, Mary in Consensual, Olivia in Twelfth Night and Angela in Protection. She made her professional debut at nine years old as Lucy in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at Manchester Children’s Literature Festival. Darcey is often cast as the ‘young female’ in our Tall Hat productions, having played many classic roles, from Alice in Alice in Wonderland, to Mary in The Secret Garden. In addition to her work with Tall Hat, Darcey has performed in a wide variety of indoor and open-air productions and played characters ranging from Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Warren in The Crucible to musical leading ladies such as Liz Henshaw in Sunshine on Leith. Darcey has also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in an adaptation of Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost. She has a passion for all elements of theatre, including working behind the scenes, and is often called on to stage manage or operate the tech. Darcey also has directing credits to her name, the most challenging undertaking being an open-air production of The Addams Family Musical for York’s Central Hall Musical Society.

Seb France

Cinematographer and Performer

Seb has a both a BA and an MA in Film and TV Production and has worked in the creative industry for 10 years. He has operated in a variety of capacities from media production to cinematographer, working on short films and music videos, to front of camera acting for films. Some of his short films have won awards and national recognition. He also runs his own film production company. He has performed as an actor in multiple outdoor and immersive theatre performances for family audiences, taking on roles such as Mr Perks in The Railway Children Experience, Mr Beaver in Through the Wardrobe, Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Ben in The Secret Garden, The Hatter in An Adventure with Alice immersive and Ozwald in Sherlock Bones with Tall Hat. He has also taught filmmaking to young people of all ages, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He is an enthusiastic and passionate creative who loves to entertain and inspire young people.

Olivia Beard

Performer

Olivia graduated from Bath University with a first-class BA (hons) in Acting. Since graduating, she has performed in many immersive, promenade and open-air productions with Tall Hat Theatre, including ‘Martha’ in The Secret Garden, ‘Roberta’ in The Railway Children, Dorothy in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Queen of Hearts in Alice and the White Witch in Through the Wardrobe. In addition to working with Tall Hat, she has taken lead roles in multiple projects on stage and screen, from panto seasons to Music videos to Theatre-in- Education tours. She has performed in Sherlock Begins, which toured theatres across Italy in 2023. Olivia has also taught drama to young people. In 2025, Olivia entered the wizarding world as ‘Professor Plume’ in Tall Hat’s highly popular immersive Wizarding School, she then went on to join the cast of Shrek’s Adventure London, where she has spent most of 2026!

Ethan Farmer

Performer

Ethan has recently graduated from the University of Warwick with a Degree in Theatre and Performance studies and, in addition to his work with Tall Hat is a teacher of Drama at Repton School. He has enjoyed performing from an early age and was a Drama Scholar at The Royal Grammar School Worcester and a member of the National Youth Theatre. Ethan has performed in several productions with Tall Hat, as Edmund in Through the Wardrobe, The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, Peter in The Railway Children, Dickon in The Secret Garden and as Sherlock Bones in Sherlock Bones.

Acting credits outside of Tall Hat include Tiresias in Antigone and Ronnie in Chicken Soup with Barley, Shauva in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and Hugh and Blunt in Translations at Warwick Arts Centre.

Chloe Moore

Performer

Chloe is Worcestershire based actress and singer who has recently graduated from Bath Uni with a First-Class Degree in Acting. She joined Tall Hat in 2025 for their open-air productions for young people, playing Dandelion in of Fabulous Fairies and Wanda in Sherlock Bones. Chloe’s acting credits prior to joining Tall Hat include Second Witch in Macbeth, Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, and Jacks in Hot Mess. In her second year at University Chloe also co-wrote and performed in a comedy sitcom and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Chloe has a passion for connecting with audiences and bringing stories to life, so is particularly drawn to Tall Hat’s ethos and performance style.