Born and raised a Geordie in the North East of England, and with interludes in Düsseldorf, Tokyo and Auckland along the way, Julia is now a Kiwi living in the Marlborough Sounds. She trained as a secondary school teacher of English and Drama at Bretton Hall (West Yorkshire, UK) and has subsequently worked in both education and community engagement, including at The PumpHouse Theatre, Auckland. She still teaches drama classes for children.
After moving to Marlborough, Julia was tempted back into the world of theatre - more specifically, community theatre - which saw her return to the stage as an actor, director and playwright. For Julia this has highlighted the fact that, within community theatre, there are frequently more women auditioning for parts than men, and we’re often no spring chickens! Community theatre groups and their audiences like to have fun and tend to favour comedies, particularly those set in New Zealand with a Kiwi vibe. Julia writes her scripts with all of these things in mind.
In 2024 Julia’s comedy Rain Stops Play was Highly Commended in the Playwrights Association of New Zealand one-act play competition. Her plays have been performed in Havelock, Blenheim, Nelson and Christchurch.