Born in Liverpool, I’m a writer/actor, with roots in dance, fringe theatre, comedy and performance art.

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, creating myriad, comic characters for TV, stage and radio.

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

As a freelance arts education journalist, I was Dance Editor of TES and Health Editor for City Limits. My published work includes non-fiction books, short stories, poetry and memoir. I’m currently working on a new memoir: The Stretch and Criminal, a comedy drama. In fact, fiction and drama I have written about my post-war, radical Russian/Jewish/Liverpudlian heritage.

My dance, theatre, comedy and journalism background influenced me when I was setting up Vital Sparks workshops. These have been helping people from all walks of life develop their confidence and interview skills. They have been highly successful in helping people 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 and cabarets. I currently work as a writer, actor and Vital Sparks coach. Interviews: https://tinoorsini.podbean.com/ (2018) http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/interviews/interviewees-a-e/norma-cohen/.   

Photo left: Leszek Halasa with thanks to Frog Morris @ Purple Network