Category: Gender

Elaine is from, and is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
She studied Performing Arts at BIFHE, before moving to Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland to continue her education, graduating with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Degree in Creative Arts Studies – majoring in Drama, and minoring in Art.

Whilst still at University, Elaine was a co-founder of Rucksack Theatre Company which devised and performed site specific Theatre in Education plays for local Primary school children, in conjunction with the West End Safety Team.

Elaine has extensive Theatre experience, and has toured with productions all over the UK and Ireland, as well as to the USA. She has worked with numerous local Theatre companies during her 25+ year career including Spanner in The Works, Accidental Theatre, Bruiser Theatre Company, Tinderbox and Wireless Mystery Theatre – she also sang with WMT as a member of the Mystery Sisters, a 3 part harmony trio, performing adverts in the “radio” Intervals during the performances.

Elaine created and performed the “30 Musical Minutes” and “Showreel” singing shows as part of the ArtsCare Here and Now Health and Wellbeing Festival for Older People which was funded by the Public Health Agency.

An experienced Voice Over Artist, Elaine voiced News Announcer “Tonya Drainer” in Weird Sisters (BBC Two Minute Masterpiece) & “Nurse” in Chemo Express, a 6 part audio play by Sarah Lyle. She is regularly heard over the airwaves voicing commercials for TV and Radio.
In 2004, Elaine was selected as one of the first team of Clown Doctors in Northern Ireland, a role she continues today.

Making regular visits to the Acute Children’s wards in hospitals and health care settings across Northern Ireland, as “Dr Twinkle” she and her colleagues create a little bit of silliness and contained chaos on the wards, helping to lift the spirits of the children, their families and visitors as well as the staff members.

Cathy has been a professional jobbing actor for nearly forty years in Theatre, Radio, Television and Film.

Her early career highlights are Elaine in the comedy “Foreign Bodies” by Graham Reid, which ran for 3 series on BBC; the lead role of Deirdre in Stewart Parkers six-part Channel 4 drama “Lost Belongings”; Rosaleen in Graham Reid’s gritty Belfast film “You, Me and Marley”

Recent highlights include: Sheila in “The Deceived” for channel 5 , Sister Mary Agnes in the horror film “The Devils Doorway” on Amazon. She was immensely proud to work with Sole Purpose TheatreCompany as Anna in “Blinkered” in New York atOrigin Theatres First Irish Theatre Festival (2019.)where they won the Jury Prize.

Cathy has performed in many short films.  Most recently ”By Appointment”, “Young Ones”, “Waste”and “Coffin Fit” which are all in the 2023 festival circuit

She has been nominated for Best Actress at the Pan Pacific Film Festival in California and the International Christian Film Festival in Orlando, asElizabeth in the short film “Respite at Christmas”.  

She won the Best Actress Award for her role of Catherine in “Days Gone By” at the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival.

She also regularly works as a role player for high profile clients in support of their businesses.

She is a member of the Comedy group “Murder She Got Wrote Off”, and they perform together 4 times a year.

In 2016, to increase work opportunities and diversify within the industry, she achieved a HND with Distinction in Creative Media at The Northern Ireland Film School. This has led Cathy to write,produce and direct various short film projects,training and promotional videos for clients such as Autism N.I, Prima Linea Associates, Kabosh Theatre Company and Powerstone Theatre Company.

She produced and performed in the short film “After” with funding from N.I Screen