Born in Liverpool, I’m an actor/writer with roots in dance, theatre and comedy.

Via a Laban movement and dance training and radical theatre immersion at Oval House initiated by visionary artistic founder Peter Oliver, I worked as an actor with experimental theatre companies in the 70s and 80s, later creating myriad, comic characters for TV, stage, radio and film.

I founded theatre company Ship of Fools to develop and tour my own cabaret productions including the multi-dance extravaganza: Sympathetic Magic.

In fact, fiction and drama I have written about my post-war, radical Russian/Jewish/Liverpudlian heritage. Other published work for print and radio includes non-fiction books, short stories, poetry and sketches. As a freelance arts education journalist, I was Dance Editor of TES and Health Editor for City Limits.

Alongside my lifetime’s career as an actor, I have written eight plays.

***July, 2025: I’ve just added 3 features to my blog:

IN SEARCH OF SASSOON: WELCOME TO THE NEW DEAL, 21ST CENTURY STYLE: Trent Park revamped

THE STRETCH: my ambivalent relationship with exercise

DANCE ON!: Rudolf Laban – a reappraisal

My dance, theatre, comedy and journalism background influenced me in setting up Vital Sparks workshops. Building on a lifetime’s experience teaching and choreographing, these have helped people develop confidence and interview skills to find meaningful work and make creative changes in their lives: www.vitalsparks.co.uk.

As compère, I’ve worked with writers, actors and poets to deliver their work to audiences at bookshops, festivals, jazz nights, cabarets and zoom benefits.

Interviews: https://tinoorsini.podbean.com/ (2018) http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/interviews/interviewees-a-e/norma-cohen/.   

Member of Equity, NUJ and English PEN

Photo left: Leszek Halasa

with thanks to Frog Morris @ Purple Network