Theatre Company
"Expect big things...
they're scarily good."
-DOGMOUTH THEATRE
We are Expial Atrocious - a West Midlands-based theatre company who are carving our way into the horror theatre scene. Co-founded in the back of a Wetherspoons in Worcester by theatrical soulmates, Nic Lawton and Ez Holland, we aim to find new and unusual methods of storytelling and present the familiar in unfamiliar ways. With the weird, wonderful and wicked at the heart of our practice, we are inspired by creating dynamic visuals, immersive soundscapes and shows that make you say "what the f*ck?"
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We pride ourselves on being physical storytellers through our signature use of exaggerated body language, vocal work and complex characters. Tapping into the darker side of human nature, the lengths people will go for their deepest desire and the intricacies of human interactions are part of what makes us tick.
"the company delivers powerful performances... with their strong delivery and inventive physicality."
-FRINGEBISCUIT MAGAZINE
We are committed to making message-fuelled stories that bring to light issues we face as artists and as humans.
With a passion for absurdism, horror and turning theatre inside out, we aim to create work that you've never seen or heard before. We want to hold a mirror up to our audiences and show them that the most terrifying creatures in this world don't live under beds. The true monster is man himself.
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
NIC LAWTON AND EZ HOLLAND
Nic and Ez met at University in 2018 when they both jumped at the opportunity to perform Alfred Jarry's 'Ubu Roi' for an assessment. During this time, their love for absurdist theatre grew and their drive to make unique and challenging work reared its ugly head. Since then, they have not stopped creating, always coming up with something bigger, something better, something more bloody.
Their combined love of absurdist theatre has shaped their practice and pushed them forward as a team, leading to their latest piece 'BUTCHERED' which went on to receive 5* reviews at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022 and VAULT Festival 2023. They are both overwhelmed by the response to their monster of a show and can't wait to see what the future holds.
It's bound to be a bloody good time.
NIC LAWTON
they/she
Nic has been making and enjoying theatre for as long as they can remember. They studied Drama and Musical Theatre throughout secondary school and college, and later found their passion for the world of Fringe theatre during their time at University, when studying for their Masters in Touring Theatre. In more recent years, Nic discovered their deep-seated passion for physical theatre, absurdist storytelling and stylised/original performance pieces.
Past credits include: Moriticia Addams in The Addams Family Musical (2018), Ma Ubu in Ubu Roi (2018), Becca in Lord of the Flies (touring production 2020), performer and writer for Expial Atrocious' Hear. Speak. See. (digital, 2021), writer of CTRL DEL (for Worcester Young Rep, 2022), The Apprentice in Expial Atrocious' BUTCHERED (2022-present), director of Is My Microphone On? with University of Worcester for National Theatre Connections (2023.)
They are also a crazy cat person with excessive eyeliner and hopes that they will one day haunt the theatres and libraries of the world.
EZ HOLLAND
she/her
Ez has always been theatrically inclined, starting at a young age with her dream role as Mary in her primary school’s nativity. Her passion for the arts drew her to study GSCE and A Level Theatre Studies in her later years, she later went on to direct, produce and star in Henrik Ibsen’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ which was first of many big projects. During her university years she accomplished many different projects and graduated with a First Class Masters in Touring Theatre. Expial Atrocious however, is her proudest achievement and she looks forward to her future of weird and wacky theatre making alongside co-artistic director Nic and associate artists, Faye, Sophie and Oliver.
TOURING STAGE MANAGER / TECHNICIAN
SOPHIE KEEBLE
