About us

Human Story Theatre focuses on new plays with a health and social care issue at heart. We are passionate that theatre is for all and believe by highlighting health and social care issues within our productions, that it is an exciting way to engage, entertain and raise awareness. We ‘pop-up’ in any designated space with minimal set, giving a shared light shared space experience.

Our History

Human Story Theatre was founded by Amy Enticknap and Gaye Poole in 2016. They met in 2006 working as role-players and facilitators in teaching communication skills to medical students, qualified nurses, doctors and midwives.

Straddling the two worlds of make-believe and real-life crystallised the idea of Human Story Theatre. It became the perfect vehicle for their concerns regarding health and social care. Gaye’s desire was to help communities using her tools as a writer and actor to convey important messages in theatre form. She moved away from Oxfordshire and HST in 2020.

Meet the team

Amy Enticknap

Co-Founder & Creative Producer

Amy trained as an actor at The Oxford School of Drama. As Creative Producer of Human Story Theatre, she is passionate about exploring real-life issues and uniting communities through the power of theatre and discussion. Her parallel work as a communication skills coach in the health and social care sector enhances her role within HST. Through this work, she aims to improve clinicians’ communication to strive for better health outcomes and being an expert in communication through performance, aims to do the same with the productions HST produces. Amy has produced all projects thus far, including the podcast and short films.

Alex Wright

Design & Digital Marketing

Biography

Alex has been with Human Story Theatre since the beginning. He created our visual brand identity, continues to design marketing collateral for our ongoing projects, and provides support through digital marketing strategies.

Alex is an experienced Senior Graphic Designer with a demonstrated history of working in the Design industry for over 20 years. Skilled in Design for Print, Web Design, Logo Design, Branding, Marketing Creative and Photography, he runs AW Design based in Oxfordshire.

Dr Shamila Wanninayake

Associate GP

Biography

Shamila Wanninayake is an Oxfordshire GP working at The Manor Surgery. Together with 20 years of clinical experience, she has a long held interest in obesity, developed through her first degree of Psychology where she was involved in Obesity research at Leeds University. She currently supports the Oxfordshire Multidisciplinary Working group for Healthy Weights in childhood and sits on the National Child Measurement Programme Board (NCMP). She lobbies central government through the All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Health Childhood and is involved in Health Policy & Governance as Council Member for the Royal College of General Practitioners. On both a professional and personal level she supports mental health delivery for children and young people, recognising the impact of stigma, social media and societal and cultural influences on the their health & wellbeing. Shamila is working with Human Story Theatre to explore and convey important messages to teenagers around weight, mental health and stigma as well as developing a network of GPs interested in tackling overweight and obesity.

Board of Trustees

Helen Fountain

Trustee

Biography

Helen Fountain is Age Friendly Creative Manager with Age UK Oxfordshire and supports the Oxfordshire Age Friendly Creative Network. Alongside this Helen is a Museums Learning and Community Engagement freelancer currently working with Culture Coventry and West Midlands Regional Champion for Museums with the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance. Helen is a Dementia Friends Champion and has contributed a paper on the value of Museum’s Reminiscence work for the book “The Caring Museum” edited by Hamish L Robertson and published by Museums Etc

Danielle Battigelli

Trustee

Biography

Danielle practised as a solicitor for 15 years, in the business and IP sectors, ultimately specialising in charity law. She then moved to work directly in the charity and arts sectors, with freelance work in relation to charity structures and governance; training on legal matters for arts students and practitioners; and project management including fundraising, evaluation and delivery. She has worked in the museum sector, and now works on projects involving music for wellbeing and education and a visual arts festival.

Danielle has always combined her work with voluntary trustee roles in arts and community organisations, with a consistent interest in theatre, including roles as Chair of Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company and Trustee of Pegasus Theatre.

She is committed to the cultural sector and to its many benefits and opportunities for connecting people, and for informing, inspiring and uplifting people of all ages, and looks forward to joining the journey of HST.

Dr Suzanne Stewart

Trustee

Biography

I am a GP and Educator. I have an interest in addiction and previously worked as a tutor in addiction for the RCGP for over a decade. I work with the University of Oxford Nuffield Dept. of Primary Care Health Sciences as Clinical Communication Skills; development and student support lead. I help run a course for the medical school centred on supporting students to develop good clinical communication skills in a range of settings. We work with actors (simulated patients) and this is how I met Amy (and Gaye) many moons ago. I am a coach for the Thames Valley PSWS (professional support and wellbeing service) working with doctors in training. I have been a lover of theatre since my teens. I am a keen amateur potter.