Today, we are delighted to belatedly introduce you to Kelsey Duffy, our General Manager. With years of theatre experience behind her, and since starting with us last year, Kelsey is already a hugely important part of Team Scary.
“Hi! I’m Kelsey, and I’ve worked part time as General Manager with Scary Little Girls since August 2024 alongside my own freelance work and studying. It’s already been such an exciting and varied role. As varied as the title suggests, I can end up doing anything from covering admin to creating and editing promotional videos.
I’ve spent the last 10 years working in and around theatre in lots of different roles but mainly as a performer, writer and producer. I was a Co-Creative Director of an outdoor theatre space in North Hertfordshire, organising Art trails, R&D projects and producing shows. Outside of my creative work, I’ve spent many years in hospitality, events management and customer service.
Theatre has always been the more accessible creative route for me and I was lucky enough to have a really active amateur dramatics group where I lived. I gained a lot of experience with them and joined other companies with the people I met there – like the outdoor theatre space. My love for theatre manifested in an interest in Cornish theatre, studying Kneehigh in school, and keeping tabs on groups like Wild Works and the Minack Theatre. I found all these companies that worked so much in outdoor theater and became a little bit obsessed with Cornish theatre, and the culture and community of it. I found myself falling down a research rabbit hole and I came across Becca’s episode of the Cornwall Woman podcast. She spoke a lot about SLG and their ethos as a company. I had a little look on their website, saw that they were advertising for a production assistant, and so sent in an application. Initially, nothing came of it but I kept an eye on their work.
At the beginning of last year, I decided to make some changes. I knew I wanted to move away from my role as a Co-Creative Director of the outdoor theatre space to pursue other interests. I was living in (and loving) London but had been thinking about making the move to Cornwall for a very long time. Film was always interesting to me and what I wanted to learn more about but didn’t have the confidence or route into it. I’d managed to get involved in bits of production work before but I wanted to properly give it a go. I decided to combine my desire to move to Cornwall and interest in film by applying to Film at Falmouth University. The degree felt like my way to build a network, learn skills and have access to equipment and industry knowledge. The very same week I got accepted by the university, I got an email from SLG asking if I was still looking for a job and if I was living in the South West. We had an interview over zoom and I got the job!
The thing that’s been really lovely about working with SLG is that every person I’ve met through them has been so open and friendly. In an industry that can be a little bit tough to navigate at times, everyone has been so forthcoming with information, with connections and opportunities. If something comes up, they don’t hesitate to put me forward for it, or suggest it to me. But in the same breath, there’s no pressure to say yes. It’s just a very, very comfortable, positive working environment. It’s quite unusual, I think, to be in an environment where your opinion truly feels valuable.
Recently, I’ve really been enjoying working on the Karavan – The House of Stories. It’s been so fulfilling going to different parts of Cornwall and talking to people. I’ve always loved projects that grasp at the soul of a place – its people – and share that through stories and objects. The work that the SLG team have put into encapsulating all the tales they’ve collected in such a beautifully decorated Caravan is truly a magnificent thing to experience. As someone who is new to Cornwall, it’s been so nice seeing Cornish people listen and connect to the stories.”
