Mary Swan is Artistic Director and CEO of Proteus. Prior to joining the company she was Associate Director at The New Wolsey, Ipswich, Solent Peoples Theatre in Southampton and began her career as a performer. During her time with Proteus she has developed the company’s distinctive style for fusing physical performance, circus, puppetry and music. Her work has toured the length and breadth of the UK, and internationally, into all shapes and sizes of venue; from rural village halls in Scotland to the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank via residencies in London’s West End and Off Broadway in New York. Her work has included highly physical adaptions of classic texts and stories like The Little Mermaid, Dracula, Frankenstein and The Bloody Chamber.
She has also developed large scale participatory pieces, working within shelters with families escaping domestic violence, with homeless communities and ex-military personnel suffering with PTSD. This work led to the commissioning of the highly acclaimed play Missing In Action by Brendan Murray. Her work in physical and kinesthetic theatre has been the subject of an academic study in the American Journal of Drama and Theater Criticism, and is used in teaching at the University of Tennessee in the USA. In 2017 she was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of her work in touring theatre.
Proteus Theatre Company
Proteus is a touring theatre company and arts centre in Basingstoke, telling stories that foster empathy for the 'other' and supporting others to do the same. Our artist development, participatory programmes, and accessible performances at Creation Space nurture creative communities and inspire local audiences. We tour ambitious socially aware work across the UK, highlighting issues like PTSD, body dysmorphia, and domestic violence through award-winning and cross-artform projects. For 40 years, Proteus has built a reputation for high-quality shows, including internationally acclaimed productions. We prioritise casting artists from protected characteristic groups, especially in rural family tours.
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