Balvinder Sopal
Balvinder is a British Indian actress from Gillingham. Her career spans film, TV, theatre and radio, leading her to work with award winning companies both nationally and internationally.
Balvinder has appeared on Coronation Street, Call The Midwife, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, and most recently she has portrayed the role of Sukii Panesar in EastEnders since January 2020.
Along side her acting career Balvinder is a contributor to the Dominic King show on BBC Radio Kent.
Twitter: @BalvinderSopal
Instagram: leesopal
Mark Conway
Mark is an actor and movement director.
As an actor he's worked mainly in new writing and theatre for young audiences, including 6 Christmas productions at the Brook Theatre.
As a movement director, his work notably includes Land of Our Fathers which was Time Out critic's Choice and Fringe Show of the Year 2013, which went on to a West End transfer and UK Tour. He now works with another movement director under their company - Play Dead.
Twitter: @MarkConway87
Instagram: @MarkConway87
Anthony Elliott
Anthony is one of the original founding members of Play On Words and worked extensively with the company for many years, most recently in a 2016 Play On Words/Brook Theatre co-production of Anjin San based on the life of William Adams (a solo performance written and performed by Anthony).
Recent roles include The Mayor/John Watson in Masters of Mystery (Marlowe Theatre Studio 2017), Salerio in The Merchant of Venice (Little Theatre, Whitstable 2018) and William Cecil, Lord Burleigh in Schiller’s Mary Stuart at the 2019 Canterbury Shakespeare Festival.
An Actor and Teacher, Anthony is currently the Head of Performing Arts at St. John Fisher School in Chatham.
Hayley Everitt
Hayley is an actress, puppeteer and clown based in Rochester, Kent.
Hayley currently co-runs the Play On Words Youth Theatre with fellow actor and husband Tommy Murray. Together they have recently written and directed the Youth Theatre Production of 'The Twit's Cabaret '. They are about to work on their next project with the group and love working with the young people.
Hayley's Play On Words work extends to their professional productions, including: Doc Yard's Deep Dive: An Exploration of Underwater Worlds, Step into the Past (Whose Hoo Heritage Festival), Meet Medway's Monarchs (Upnor
Castle).
Hayley's other professional credits include: Sophie in 'Goose: An interactive musical for under 5's' (UK & International Tour 2024). Hayley has also performed in pantomimes across the UK and has toured Children’s Theatre in Spain. Hayley is one half of Fools Talk Theatre, a clown company that she co-runs with her husband.
Instagram: hayley.everitt1
Website: www.hayley-everitt.weebly.com
Tommy Murray
Tommy is an actor and drama facilitator from the Medway Towns.
With Play on Words Theatre, he has been involved in various productions, including Doc. Yard’s Deep Dive at Chatham Dockyard, Step into the Past for the Whose Hoo Heritage Festival, Captain Axel’s Here Be Dragons, and Snow Goblin in Reginald Rabbit Rescues Christmas at The Brook Theatre.
At Play on Words Youth Theatre, he co-facilitates weekly Play On Words Youth drama classes and has co-directed productions such as ‘The Wonders of Alice’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, and ‘The Twit’s Cabaret’, performed by young actors at Chatham Library.
Additionally, Tommy has experience in Children's Theatre, Pantomimes, and professional opera in London’s West End. Recently, he toured in ‘Goose the Musical’ with Talegate Theatre. He also writes and performs with his wife under the company Fools Talk Theatre, showcasing their work at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Instagram: @tommy.murray3.0
Becca Townsley
Becca is our dancer, movement facilitator, and communications manager.
She joined Play On Words in the Brook Theatre's Creative Companies Christmas productions, including The Timid Hedgehog and the Forgotten Christmas Forest (2015), and has since danced in several shows, like Sammy The Sheep Saves Christmas (2018).
In her role at Play On Words, she utilizes her social media and web design skills to share her passion for how theatre enriches lives and promotes positive change in communities.
As a choreographer and facilitator, Becca has extensive experience in delivering high-quality movement sessions, trained at Trinity Laban. She currently lectures in dance and musical theatre at Canterbury Christ Church and runs community outreach projects in Kent and London, focusing on the benefits of movement for mothers and primary carers.
In 2024, she began studying for an MA in Dance: Participation, Community, and Activism, to enhance her skills and broaden her impact in performance and theatre.
Instagram: @beccainmotion_uk
Website: Loop Dance Collective