Founder & Original Kidder

Fiona’s career as a theatre maker began as a four-year-old at Station Caravan Park, Hopeman. As the summer began and the holiday-makers arrived, she gathered her new found friends to take full advantage of her ‘residency’ in the old platform house with its ready-made stage. Popping flyers on caravan steps, held down with pebbles from the beach, promises of the best show to see this summer were made and pennies were collected in aid of the local lifeboat charity. Forty plus years later, she is still as true to those early values of community, storytelling, and the magic of creating something from scratch.

After training at East 15 Acting School and working in the industry as an actress, she founded Kidder in 2013 and went on to write, perform, and produce the company’s debut play, Normal/Madness. The original "Kidder,” she named the company in memory of her dad, who gave her the nickname. It serves as a constant reminder to keep that cheeky, playful spark of curiosity alive.

As an actress, Fiona’s experience spans stage and screen, with roles in Shakespeare, new writing productions, the BBC, feature and independent films, as well as a performance at the Houses of Parliament. Alongside her creative practice, Fiona has lead youth theatre at The Rose Theatre, Kingston, teaches on HND & HNC Acting & Performance programmes, and is a specialist screen acting coach, carrying forward the legacy of Patrick Tucker’s Secrets of Screen Acting methodology.

Associate Director

Jessica is a British-American theatre artist specialising in new writing, devised work, and musical theatre. Previously an Artistic Associate of The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter (2011–2018) and an Associate of Theatre503, London (2004–2010), she has built a career on making work from scratch.

Building on her success as a theatre maker, Jessica is now an award-winning audio producer, creating flagship programmes and podcasts for the BBC, NPR, The Guardian, and Bloomberg.

Having worked extensively in the industry, she joined Kidder as Director and Dramaturg for Normal/Madness. Bringing a positive, experienced perspective, she was the architect and supportive force behind the realisation of Kidder’s first project.

Associate Director

Katharina Reinthaller is a theatre director and dramaturg based in London and Vienna. She has developed award-winning productions for leading venues, including Soho Theatre, The Arcola, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Tobacco Factory Theatres.Specialising in new work, Katharina thrives on collaborating with artists to create theatre that is thought-provoking, unconventional, and socially engaged.

Director of London’s Voilà! Theatre Festival, Katharina champions international work. Her recent credits include the VAULT Origins Award-winning Batman aka Naomi’s Death Show and the Off West End OffFest Award finalist Diary of an Expat. Her production of *Labels *(Worklight Theatre) *remains a landmark success, winning *The Scotsman Fringe First Award, The Holden Street Theatre Award, and The Peace Foundation Award. She continues her collaboration with Worklight Theatre on their latest show, It’s the Economy, Stupid!

Katharina joined Kidder as the Assistant Director on Normal/Madness. An absolute diamond, we simply couldn’t let her go. She soon moved from Assistant to Associate, and is now a leading member of the Kidder creative team.