STEPHANIE CONNELL

ACTING

Stephanie Connell, born to an Irish actor father and a celebrated film editor mother, shares a deep familial connection to the arts. Her brother, Michael Connell, further enriches the family’s artistic legacy as a feature film music editor.

Her journey into the world of the performing arts began with professional ballet training at the Hampshire Ballet School, which notably counts Anthony Dowell among its alumni. However, a heartbreaking setback in the form of a leg injury revealed the incompatibility of dance and skiing, leading her to pivot towards her true passion—acting.

Her theatrical roles include: Can’t See For Looking (SM/Co Producer – Old Fire Station Oxford/The Cockpit), Home, I’m Darling (UK Tour), Penetration (The Cockpit), An Inspector Calls (Oxford Playhouse); The Curious Case of Lady Fowler (September 2019 short tour); Go for it, Girl! (September 2018 short tour); Beneath the Blue Rinse (lighting technician and co-producer, 2018 short tour); The Wet Peacock and The Owl & Pussy-Cat: What Happened Next (October 2017 short tour); The Wet Peacock and Heart Broken, (May 2017 short tour);  Silent on the Matter (Old Fire Station, Oxford); William Langland, Poet & Dreamer (Malvern Festival); Storyteller (Watermill); The Merry Wives of Essex (Watermill); Best Laid Plans (Soho Theatre); The Song of the Shore (Windsor Festival); The Nearly Man (Windsor Festival); The Merry Wives of Windsor (Salisbury); An Inspector Calls (Everyman Cheltenham & Oxford Playhouse); Table Manners (Wycombe Swan); Les Liaisons Dangereuses; Bold Girls; The Norman Conquest Trilogy, to name but a few.

Film and television appearances include Raging Grace, Pfizer PharmaceuticalsVauxhall Heroes Ident, The Paradox Series, Rapture, Like a Rolling Stone, Isadora, Call of the Wild, Triple Zero, Angel Baby, GSOH, Shop Spank, National Trust Away Day, Halifax fp, Good Morning Australia, Oxy on the Spot and Living Dangerously.

For full information on her acting credits, click any of the follow icons:

She is a member of Actors & Writers London and the Watermill Theatre’s Actors Forum, a trained computer systems analyst and an award winning web designer.

ROLEPLAYER

Stephanie is not only an accomplished actor but also a professional medical roleplayer, actively engaged in enhancing the training of doctors.  Her role involves assisting medical students in acquiring the essential knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours required for effective communication with patients, their families, and colleagues in various clinical scenarios.

Stephanie serves as an Actor Facilitator at Buckingham University, where she imparts communication skills to aspiring medical students.

She is a valuable contributor to the NHS, where she focuses on training clinicians to develop a deeper understanding of patients with chronic conditions, particularly diabetes, depression, chronic pain, and COPD, as well as those with challenging lifestyle behaviours.

Her commitment extends to her role as a MRCGP Medical Roleplayer Co-ordinator for NHS England Thames Valley region.

She was the lead in simulator training for GP Registrar Recruitment and now serves as the Lead Roleplayer Co-ordinator for Paediatric ST1 Interview for the Thames Valley.

More recently, she has assumed the role of Lead Simulator and Co-ordinator for NHS England’s Midlands regional Paediatric, Specialty and Palliative Medicine recruitments, showcasing her dedication to medical education and training.

PLAYWRIGHT

Stephanie has written the following plays:

AWARDS & REVIEWS

TVU Media Award 2007 for Best Actress for Like a Rolling Stone

Nominated for Best Actress for The Bold Girls, 1996 Waverley Festival, Melbourne

Oh yes that was some performance.. you did it, you did it all. The audience were hanging on every line ….So much raw emotion energy lightness, you had it all.

Maurice Thorogood

Director, Liz Felding in Past Forward

When you did the first reading of Betty I was completely ‘knocked out’“.

The late Anthony Murphy

Playwright, Betty Taylor in Skating on Thin Ice

Wow. An awesome display of total commitment. No easy task to achieve such deep emotion, to ‘live’ the moment so fully. A casting director’s dream, because clearly you could handle anything less demanding as well – which makes this type of “All-In” audition a wise, strategic approach. Best of luck to you! Cb

Christian Badami

Lead Actor, Audition: Karen in The Interior

Stephanie, good job. Just the right measure of pace and unflinching school mistress. You have also given thought to your relationship with Mendel in this clip, which is very subtle and was missed by most.”

Eve Hawking & Steve Nesbit

Producer & Director, Screen Test: Lena Kusta, Rapture

“Stephanie, these three clips do you proud. You live up to your excellent reputation and even force us to think beyond what has been written… TWICE!  We could go on and on about how great you are, but it’s already been said. You are a fine, fine actor and a wonderful influence on this whole project.” 

Eve Hawking & Steve Nesbit

Screen Tests: Alek Bardici, Lena Kusta & Eshu, Rapture

You were so moving and very real and good… how great and utterly believable you were.”

Carolyn Pertwee

Playwright, Past Forward

You were absolutely wonderful on Monday night, a truly moving and beautifully realised performance, congratulations to you and the rest of the cast. A fine play.”

Martin Wimbush

Betty Taylor in Skating on Thin Ice

Stephanie great work here, your Sandra was certainly flirty and sassy, but there was a definite edge to her that allowed us to understand the predator within – it was mainly in your eyes and how you used them as a tool. Having achieved this layering, the final notes of comedy were just missing or not pronounced enough. That’s a minor criticism of an great audition.”

GSOH Reviewing Team

Screen Test: Sandra in GSOH

Stephanie, this is a strong performance. Your Eshu reeks of authority, intelligence, sophistication and threat. You sell this performance alone with your eyes. Your best and bravest work yet.”

Eve Hawking & Steve Nesbit

Producer & Director, Screen Test: Eshu, Crime Lord, Rapture

Your face is a picture of heartache. This is solid work that continues to prove your range and talent. Great stuff.”

After Stephanie’s two auditions, the producer and the director were so impressed they changed the character’s gender to female, and renamed him Alika Bardici.

Eve Hawking & Steve Nesbit

Producer & Director, Screen Test: Alek Bardici, Rapture

You were unbelievable good last night – amazing acting in a great play. You had all the emotion and drama in there. Congratulations.”

Lea Sellers

Liz Felding in Past Forward

Many thanks for playing Cindy so beautifully last night. Just right and great fun. I thought the whole evening was excellent.”

Nicolas Ridley

Playwright, Cindy in The Mistress Bedroom

“Stephanie, this was very enjoyable, well done. It’s a difficult brief and you gave yourself a clever helping hand by adopting the school mistress style character. Excellent decision making here. You clearly knew there was a comedy moment in the whole “It’s complicated” section and you went digging nicely for it. Great work.”

GSOH Reviewing Team

Producer, Screen Test: Patricia in GSOH

The casting too is superb, individually and when mixed together….and equally impressive….The production was marvellous.”

Jeremy Austin

The Stage, Ruth in Table Manners, Wycombe Swan

Both Astrid Manfield and Stephanie Connell were nominees for the Best Actress award.   I would not have liked to have had to split them, they were both fantastic. Suspension of disbelief was very easy watching these two; it is impossible to say how much I enjoyed their performances.  Astrid won, and I thought it was unfair.   Had Stephanie won, I would also have thought it was unfair.

George Bissett

Marie in Bold Girls, Melbourne