Fleur Mellor is a Freelance Choreographer and Producer originally from Liverpool and currently living in Northern Ireland. Fleur works for Peter Corry Productions, specialising in live theatre and events as well as developing briefs for the corporate industry.
How did you get started in the industry?
Local dance classes. I started what could be considered late at age 7, so I had a lot of catching up to do. I had incredible teachers who kept dancing fun and were incredibly supportive. I’m really grateful for that.
What genre/style do you create in?
I create mostly in live theatre and events but have the occasional crossover with film, which I love and would like to do more of.
What would you be best known for?
Being a decent person. I do my best to do the right thing, to be fair and to be kind which I think counts for a lot in this industry.
What would you consider your biggest achievement?
Still being in the game and still enjoying it. I remember meeting some creatives and performers in the industry when I was younger who were so bitter and jaded and they would have been around the age I am now. I just remember thinking if I ever end up like that I need to quit. I’m still so passionate about it all.
What would you consider to be the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your industry?
I can do more than I thought I could when I started out. I had a pretty narrow view of my capabilities and saw a lot of flaws but I’ve learned that I can do a lot more than I thought that I could, and I’ve still got a long way to go.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
From a logistical point of view, Cats at the SSE Arena. We had 168 young performers and putting them into their positioning was a military exercise. I had the whole show planned out with a grid system. It took 15 minutes for me and my assistant to get them all into a first position in the space and then another 15 minutes to get them to a second position in the space and that was before they had even danced a step.
We also only had 2 weeks to stage a fully danced musical with that number of performers. What were we thinking? It was mad! Somehow we managed it but, it felt like trying to thread an elephant through the eye of a needle every minute of every day. The workload and planning were immense. I’m proud we managed it though.
Tell us a little about your personal life, are you married, kids, hobbies etc?
I’m married, I work a lot with my husband which for some people would be their worst nightmare but we get on brilliantly and really respect each other’s work. It’s fun!
Tell us about your most recent work?
This summer has been crazy busy, I’ve been helping local actors Shaun Blaney and Gerard McCabe prepare for the 25th anniversary production of Marie Jones’s Olivier award-winning tragicomedy Stones in His Pockets, which was running in the Cotswolds, I was also flat out with rehearsals for the Summer Musical Spectacular at Theatre at the Mill – It was so great to get back to rehearsals.
At Peter Corry Productions we have been working with online game shows for the corporate market and also created a huge programme of animation both in retailer windows and outdoor stages in Bangor with over 200 amazing entertainers dotted around the town, it was a one day event which was fantastic and in true Northern Ireland style it rained! Of course, we managed, the performers were great and completely adaptable, it was a really great success!
What would you like us to tell people about?
We are working on a number of corporate events, I’m working on a hair show for Salon International, one of the biggest hair platforms in the industry and of course the festive favourite, Christmas at the Cathedral which is always so magical!
If you had to describe your work to someone who has never heard of you what would you say?
It’s theatrically driven and informed. It’s technical but not gymnastic and it has its tongue firmly in its cheek. It’s basically all a love letter to the past, informed by aspects of film and theatre that inspired me when I was growing up.
What’s the funniest experience you’ve had in your business?
I was in a Bollywood Musical that was resident in Madrid for a month. We were in the middle of the technical rehearsals and then we came into the theatre and we found out why we hadn’t been required for a lighting call.
The crew had blown up dolls and stuck them on poles to move about on stage so they could get the lighting plotted without us. It was hilarious but awful all at the same time.
What would your advice be to young people hoping to pursue the same industry?
Say yes! Try things you didn’t think were exactly for you, meet new people, travel, get your work and your personality out there. Soak it all in.
Anything else you want to tell people about yourself or your work?
I want people to know that I really love my job and I’m passionate about improving working conditions and helping people to progress.
If anyone ever wants advice or a chat they are welcome to get in touch whoever you are.
Who do you look up to and why?
I really admire Punchdrunk, as a company they really redefined the immersive theatrical experience. The scale and attention to detail are truly immaculate.
To find out more about Fleur Mellor, go to her
To read more about Peter Corry Productions, go to petercorryproductions.com