TIME & LOCATION
About
Chair
SPONSOR
Panel
Actor & Writer
Ryan Dylan is an actor and writer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Leaning on naturalistic improv-based comedy acting, Ryan began producing and performing in online skits with sketch troupe, Super Lemon, before moving into film and TV professionally, having since been commissioned on various projects with BBC Comedy, Channel 4 and BBC NI Radio. As an actor his most recent credits include lead roles in Poli Production’s darky comic thriller feature – HOUSEJACKERS - which is currently in post-production and Village Film’s horror, THE GLENARMA TAPES, which recently premiered at the 2023 Fright Fest in London. Ryan also serves as co-writer on BBC Comedy short FUNBOYS produced by Camden Productions which premiered at the 2023 BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff.
Actor
Lee R. James is an actor and comic based in Belfast, known for a grounded, character-driven style. Starting out with sketch troupe, Super Lemon. Lee R. James has since appeared in notable projects for Channel 4s Random acts, NI Screen and the BBC
Producer
Leah is a Broadcast Digital award winning producer. She has collaborated with some of the UK’s most prominent comedy performers and writer-directors at the very forefront of their career. She spent time in house as a development producer, working on a multitude of formats including Inside No 9’s first animated episode and has since gone on to produce BAFTA winner Siobhan McSweeny’s directorial debut, Spud and founded her own production company, Runt Films. Their first production, Meat Puppet starring Rye Lanes David Jonsson, was recently nominated for a BIFA and received SXSW’s prestigious Special Jury and publicly voted, Audience award. With a continued focus on developing distinct and tonally ambitious scripted comedy Leah is expanding her slate. Most recently she wrapped on producing the BBC Three comedy series Funboys.
Writer & Director
Rian Lennon is a writer and director from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has written and directed projects for BBC Comedy, Channel 4's Random Acts, and BBC NI Radio. He is currently in post-production on his debut feature, produced by Poli-Productions and funded through NI Screen's New Talent Focus scheme. He also recently directed, co-wrote, and acted in FUNBOYS, a comedy short produced by Simon Mayhew-Archer, which premiered at BBC's annual comedy festival in Cardiff and is currently being adapted into a pilot with the BBC. His follow up feature is in early stages as well. Rian's work plays with a blend of the absurd and the natural. He enjoys exploring the tender sides of comedy, often juxtaposing them in surreal or horrific settings. A strong emphasis on delivering naturalistic performances, Rian's directing work involves building characters through improv and collaboration with actors
Producer
Simon is a BAFTA and RTS-winning comedy producer, writer and script editor, whose most recent work has been to develop and produce three series and a special of the critically acclaimed This Country for the BBC. Other previous credits include co-creating and co-writing the Micky Flanagan comedy pilot 'Til it Shines and co-devising and producing three series of Josh Widdicombe’s Josh for BBC Three, three series of Small Scenes for BBC Radio, three series of Newsjack, two series of The Guns of Adam Riches and an Arthur Mathews sitcom called The Golden Age. Simon is working out of Mayhay. He is passionate about writing and developing projects from scratch with talent