Sophie Willan

she/her Contact Patron

Sophie Willan is a sharp, eccentric and provocative multi-award-winning writer, producer, comedian and actor from Bolton. Her BAFTA-showered BBC comedy Alma’s Not Normal draws on her history of care and escort work and has its own history with Contact’s rehearsal and performance spaces. Alma’s audition scene was filmed in Contact’s main theatre space and Sophie’s precursory show Branded (2017) was developed and performed there before taking the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by storm. In the formative years of her career, Sophie was a member of Contact Young Company and co-founder of Contact’s long-time friends, theatre/cabaret group Eggs Collective.

“Contact is more than an arts venue. It’s a home and a community where new artists and young people are listened to, nurtured and expertly developed in a way that no other venue does. I learnt so much about myself and my practice growing up in that building throughout my twenties. And I’m so excited to now be a patron, who will have the privilege and joy of watching and supporting the next generation of voices at Contact as they become leaders, activists and creative spearheads.”

Related items

  1. three artists posing in three separate photos posing for the camera

    Announcing the Artists of 50 Hours of Freedom

    21 June 2023
    In celebration of International Non-Binary People's Day on 14 July, Contact and Manchester International Festival are bringing together three local, non-binary artists to create a new piece of work – and you’re invited to the sharing! This…
  2. Black and white illustration of a woman in the middle, surrounded by stars.

    Announcing the Cast of STARS

    26 April 2023
    Tamasha and ICA announces the cast for Mojisola Adebayo's STARS: an Afrofuturist Space Odyssey.

  3. 14%: Q&A WITH KEISHA THOMPSON AND NATHAN POWELL

    15 September 2023
    We sat down with Keisha Thompson, writer of 14%, and the show’s director Nathan Powell, to find out more about the work, its inspirations and what you, the audience, will experience.