Tanya Dunford
Bio
Tanya as Phileas Fogg in 'Around the World in 80 Stories'
When Tanya’s Great Uncle directed a local show, at the tender age of 5 she knew then that she wanted to be an actor.
She soon discovered only a few years later that she had a flare for comedy, when she did an adaptation of Sleeping Beauty and played Tom Baker’s
Doctor Who.
Pursuing the stage wherever the opportunity arose, Tanya’s local success in the small city of Peterborough continued when she accepted the role of the woman in Women in Black.
This propelled her into a world of varied acting styles, drawn from her interest in reading plays that came when she was still very young.
In 2006 Tanya began studying acting at New College Stamford were she obtained an A-Level in Theatre Studies and a BTEC National Diploma in
Performing Arts.
During her time there she played various roles including: Tanya in University Challenges, an obsessive stalker of a celebrity that showcased comedic traits in her performance, later she played Lady Bracknell in a Brechtian adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest, Annabel in The Crucible and Martha Livingston in Agnes of God among other roles.
East 15 was to be her drama school of choice, in 2010 Tanya ambitiously
pursued a performance course in her journey to become a story teller, comedian and stage actress.
In that time she played and created many different characters, from Angels, to messengers, to Queens, to Mad Nurses.
As well as on stage creations Tanya also had a hand in creating and helping as a Stage Manager in her final year of studying.
Tanya as Ralph in 'Red Thread'
Tanya as Mother in 'Forgive Me for Your Betrayal'
Outside the classroom, Tanya has since been a deputy stage manager for Blue/ Orange in association with Contexture Theatre, worked alongside fellow directors Helen Bovey & George Boundy (founders of Above Bounds theatre company), Student Representative for the RSC in 2012, co-directed and co-wrote two short movies 'Aw Crumbs!' and 'Don't Cry Outloud', became a repeating story-teller for Red Bridge City Council, performed in The BrazilArte Carnival with The Travelling Suitcase Collective, played Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Stories with Spinning Globe Collective, Amish in a school tour of Rags to Riches with Fabula Dico Collective and toured around Italian schools teaching English through theatre.
Ultimately she is a lover of comedy and voice over, but adores all aspects of the industry.
She considers her idol to be Julie Walters and hopes that one day she will reach the same level of achievement through comedic recognition.