Meet the Team
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Benjamin Gould --------- Artistic Director
Benjamin founded Commedia of Errors in 2014 and is Artistic Director of the company. His productions have toured across Ireland, the UK, Italy and the USA. He won the 2019 John Fernald Award for Emerging Directors in UK and Ireland and is a multiple Arts Council Northern Ireland and British Council Award winner. He graduated with a BA (Hons) Drama (1st Class) from Liverpool Hope University, trained in Commedia dell’Arte in Bologna, Italy, and earned his MA Professional Acting at Alra, London, in 2010.
Recent credits as director / producer include: The Gap Year (Lyric Theatre), Shakespeare’s Women (The Studio at GOH/Tour); Rose+Bud (Dublin Fringe/Lyric/Tour), I Am Maura (Belfast Children’s Festival/Tour); Bernie (VR Film), Lily (VR Film), The Gap Year (1st Irish
Festival, New York), I Am Maura (Lyric Theatre and NI Tour); That Scottish Play! (Lyric Theatre and NI Tour); Women Troubles (CQAF); Shakespeare’s Women (CQAF, Lyric Theatre and National Tour); The Táin (Teatro Oscar, Milan, Italy and tour of Ireland) and Romeo and
Juliet (Hen & Chickens, London).As Assistant / Associate Director: The Three Sisters (Singapore International Arts Festival with SITI Company and Nine Years Theatre); Molly Sweeney (Goodman Theatre, Chicago); Sweeney Todd (NI Opera / Lyric Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Terra Nova).
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Clare McMahon --------- Co-Creative
Clare trained as an actor at London's Royal Central School of Speech & Drama and has performed in theatres across the UK and Ireland.
In 2017, she wrote her first play, Shakespeare’s Women (Lyric Theatre Belfast & NI Tour), followed by Women Troubles (Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival). She holds an MFA in Playwriting from Trinity College Dublin, where she earned a distinction and the Patricia Leggett Scholarship.
Her work has been featured by Fishamble Theatre Company (A Play for Ireland), the Lyric Theatre (I Am Maura and The Gap Year), and 1st Irish Origin Theatre Festival in New York. The Gap Year ran to sold-out audiences in 2022 & 2025 playing to over 14,000 people.
Clare has received commissions from Lyirc Belfast, Commedia of Errors and Kabosh Theatre and was awarded an Abbey Theatre Commemoration Bursary in 2021. Currently, she is developing new work with the National Theatre London Studio, and developing her first pilot.
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Charlotte Smith --------- Plays Aloud Coordinator
Charlotte is the Project Coordinator for Plays Aloud at Commedia of Errors, where she oversees the planning and delivery of performances and workshops for older audiences across Northern Ireland.
With nearly twenty years of delivering projects in the Third Sector, Charlotte is passionate about creating inclusive and accessible arts experiences. She brings expertise in advocacy, project management, event planning, stakeholder engagement, communication, marketing and accessible information creation.
A strong advocate for the rights of individuals, Charlotte’s background in social care fuels her work in fostering connection and creativity in the community.
She holds a BSc in Anthropology from Durham University and an MPhil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
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Carrie Neal --------- Project Assistant
Carrie brings extensive expertise to Commedia of Errors, combining a first-class honours degree in Media Production with a Master’s in Arts Management from Queen’s University, Belfast. Her academic background has supported her in working to use the arts as a force for positive change.
With years of experience working for a well-established arts and health charities, Carrie has successfully supported and managed various impactful projects. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a volunteer, using her facilitation skills to lead art and crafts workshops.
She continues to hone her skills in video production and ceramics in order to explore bringing these elements into her private practice.
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Geoff Hatt --------- Resident Artist
Geoff has been an integral part of Plays Aloud since our inaugural tour in 2017. A talented artist with a passion for making a difference, Geoff has dedicated much of his work to enriching the lives of older individuals through music.
He has performed for organizations such as Music in Hospitals and Care and The Alzheimer’s Society's Singing for the Brain. Since 2021, he has collaborated with storyteller Sharon Dixon to deliver engaging musical reminiscence sessions and intergenerational events.
In recent years, Geoff has worked with various organisations, including Ashton Community Trust, The Armstrong Storytelling Trust, Volunteer Now and Engage with Age, serving diverse groups with unique needs.
Geoff’s enthusiasm for his craft and his commitment to community engagement make him a cherished member of our team!
Our Board
Sally Campton (Chair)
David Gould (Hon. Secretary)
Neill Cauwood (Treasurer)
Fiona McAnespie
Mark Francos
Rebecca Mairs