OUR Team

ERRENN BALL

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Errenn Ball is the founder and Artistic Director of ZigZag Theatre.

Originally from the UK,  Errenn achieved her degree in drama, theatre and performance studies at Aberystwyth University. She then went on to perform professionally in many theatrical productions, alongside running a youth theatre group.

Errenn travelled to Australia in 2012, met her partner, started a family and decided to call Australia her forever home. Since being here, Errenn has further strengthened her love for working with young people and creating wonderful theatre.

Errenn was a tutor at the ACT’s renowned Canberra Youth Theatre for five years and directed many original works. Later, she became their Admin and Marketing Coordinator and acquired first-hand knowledge of running a youth theatre company.

After moving to Queensland in 2019, Errenn has worked in various theatre tutoring roles and still tutors for NIDA Open. Since ZigZag Theatre opened in March 2020, the company has gone from strength to strength, hitting the Gold Coast news for their ‘Stay Home Superheroes’ project that connected young people across the world during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Errenn lives and breathes youth theatre, but when she’s not at ZigZag she is having fun with her own two little ones and spending plenty of time at the beach!

PORTIA MORRIS 

TEACHING ARTIST | WORKSHOPS CO-ORDINATOR

Gold Coast/Brisbane based performer Portia Morris has always had a passion for
performing. She initially started her training at Hinterland Dance Academy, performing in the youth program at Spotlight Theatre, while majoring deeply in the arts at high school.

She spent two years studying and performing at the Brisbane Academy of Musical Theatre,
where she obtained her Cert IV in Musical Theatre. Currently she is working as a performer
in Entertainment at Dreamworld, as well as Teaching Musical Theatre and Private Singing
Lessons at HIPA Studios.

Here at ZigZag Theatre, Portia currently works Part Time as a Teaching Artist and Administrator. She loves inspiring the young minds here at ZigZag
teaching across ages prep – grade 12. Her recent credits include SANDY in GREASE THE
MUSICAL, Featured Ensemble in WE WILL ROCK YOU (SPOTLIGHT THEATRE), Ms
Herman in SWEET CHARITY, Wendy Jo in FOOTLOOSE (BAMT), Natalie Haller in ALL
SHOOK UP, Alice in ALICE IN WONDERLAND THE PANTOMIME, Pilar in LEGALLY
BLONDE (SPOTLIGHT THEATRE). 

ALANA SCHOKMAN

TEACHING ARTIST

Alana Schokman has an avid love for everything performing arts.

She has spent the past year completing her Diploma of Musical Theatre at the Queensland College of Dance, where she was taught by some of Queensland’s most reputable teachers.

Alana has been in theatre for a large portion of her life, being in productions such as ‘25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ ‘Beautiful the Carole King Musical,’ ‘42^nd street,’ ‘All Shook Up,’ and ‘FAME’ just to name a few.

She also was a strong participator in her senior drama classes, receiving awarded acknowledgment for her exceptional work in the Gold Coasts’ drama fest.

She has a strong passion for all areas of acting, singing and dancing, and instilling in others a confidence in themselves to achieve their goals and dreams. Alana is extremely excited to share all that she has learnt, and is absolutely thrilled to be starting her ZigZag Theatre journey.

MANDY PLUMB

TEACHING ARTIST

In her late teens, Mandy made her professional stage debut in the musical HAIR while studying theatre at university. After five years of performing on stage (nationally and internationally), the odd television show appearance, a few commercials, film body doubling, and an attempt to introduce Theatresports to Thailand, Mandy segued into the corporate world but continued to perform improv on the side at comedy festivals and theatres in Brisbane—including the Brisbane Comedy Festival (2018), Anywhere Theatre Festival (2017 & 2021), Bris Funny Fest (2019), and Brisbane Improv Festival (2021 & 2022). 

As the former physicality director for Queensland’s only improvised comedy musical theatre troupe, she has trained other improvisers in various techniques as well as facilitated improv jams at Big Fork Theatre. She has been invited twice to join exclusive performing arts’ panellists to speak about the lack of diversity in the Queensland improvised comedy scene, and how it impacts the audience and performers’ experience.  

Mandy founded brisbanestage.com, which enables her continued involvement within the Queensland performing arts sector. She also recently cofounded Blah Blah Blah Improv to encourage adults to be in the moment and have fun through comedy improvisation. 

When Mandy is not performing improvised comedy musical theatre, she is either in the air doing the flying trapeze, rock climbing a cliff, or swimming in the ocean.