Artistic Director Darren Raymond is the Artistic Director of Intermission Theatre which was established in May of 2006. Darren trained as an actor with the London Shakespeare Workout where he was introduced to Intermission by performing Othello in a guest production. Intermission first met Darren as a deeply charismatic actor but also came to realise his incredible gifting as a writer and a director whom actors, were and still are, desperate to work with. He was offered the post of Artistic Director to create and develop a professional Theatre Company which concentrated on new work that spoke about and related to, life today. In all the pieces produced, there is always an element of hope, for without hope, we are lost. Theatre and film have become the sole focus of Darren’s professional life. His first short film 'Shoot and Score' featuring Cathy Tyson, was short-listed for the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. He has written two major theatre pieces, collaborated on a further two, all of which have won critical acclaim from the audiences, including industry stalwarts, Cicely Berry and Sylvia Syms. Darren grew up in Hackney and understands the pressures and temptations of living in an inner-city community. In film making and in his writing for theatre he displays an immediacy and a poignancy which mirrors society dealing with cutting edge issues. He will ask the questions even if the answers are not easily found which makes for gripping theatre. His passion is also to bring drama to young people in order to give them the tools to live positively and make choices having gained confidence and developed a sense of self worth. Because of this, Intermission Youth Theatre was born and continues to nurture future generations.