STEPHANIE CONNELL
ACTING
Stephanie was born into a family deeply rooted in the arts, with an Irish actor father and a celebrated film editor mother. Her brother, Michael Connell, continues this artistic legacy as a distinguished feature film music editor.
Stephanie’s journey into the performing arts began with professional ballet training at the Hampshire Ballet School, whose notable alumni include Anthony Dowell. However, a leg injury brought her ballet aspirations to an unexpected halt, revealing the incompatibility of dance and skiing. This turning point led her to discover her true passion: acting.
Her extensive theatrical experience includes performances in Can’t See For Looking (SM/Co-Producer – Old Fire Station Oxford/The Cockpit), Home, I’m Darling (National Theatre/Theatre Clwyd/Bill Kenwright Productions UK No. 1 Tour), Penetration (The Cockpit), An Inspector Calls (Oxford Playhouse), The Curious Case of Lady Fowler (2019 Tour), Go for it, Girl! (2018 Tour), Beneath the Blue Rinse (lighting technician and co-producer, 2018 Tour), The Wet Peacock and The Owl & Pussy-Cat: What Happened Next (2017 Tour), The Wet Peacock and Heart Broken (2017 Tour), Silent on the Matter (Old Fire Station, Oxford), William Langland, Poet & Dreamer (Malvern Festival), Storyteller (Watermill), The Merry Wives of Essex (Watermill), Best Laid Plans (Soho Theatre), The Song of the Shore (Windsor Festival), The Nearly Man (Windsor Festival), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Salisbury), An Inspector Calls (Everyman Cheltenham & Oxford Playhouse), Table Manners (Wycombe Swan), Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Bold Girls, and The Norman Conquest Trilogy, to name but a few.
Her film and television credits include Raging Grace, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Vauxhall Heroes Ident, The Paradox Series, Rapture, Like a Rolling Stone, Isadora, Call of the Wild, Triple Zero, Angel Baby, GSOH, Shop Spank, National Trust Away Day, Halifax fp, Good Morning Australia, Oxy on the Spot, and Living Dangerously
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She is a member of Actors & Writers London and the Watermill Theatre’s Actors Forum, a trained computer systems analyst and an award winning web designer.
ROLEPLAYER
Stephanie is a versatile professional, excelling as both an accomplished actor and a medical roleplayer. She plays a pivotal role in enhancing the training of doctors by helping medical students develop the essential knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed for effective communication with patients, their families, and colleagues in a wide range of clinical scenarios.
As an Actor Facilitator at Buckingham University, Stephanie taught communication skills to aspiring medical students, equipping them with vital tools for patient care.
Her contributions to the NHS are invaluable. She has focused on training clinicians to better understand the experiences of patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression, chronic pain, and COPD, as well as addressing complex lifestyle behaviours.
Stephanie also serves as the MRCGP Medical Roleplayer Co-ordinator for NHS England’s Thames Valley region, ensuring high standards in GP training. Previously, she was the Lead Simulator Trainer for GP Registrar Recruitment and now holds the position of Lead Roleplayer Co-ordinator for Paediatric ST1 Interviews in the Thames Valley.
Stephanie also takes on the role of Lead Simulator and Co-ordinator for NHS England’s Midlands region, overseeing recruitment for Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, Specialty, and Palliative Medicine. Her work underscores her dedication to advancing medical education and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals.
PLAYWRIGHT
Stephanie has written the following plays:
- The Curious Case of Lady Fowler – selected for Living the Drama’s September Care & Residential Tour 2019; showcased in AWL Showcase in June 2019 and performed in StageWrite’s Festival in September 2019.
- Unblind Date – finalist of AWL’s Don’t Go There Competition 2017
- Heart Broken – winner of AWL’s Change of Heart Competition 2016 and Living the Drama Care Home Tour 2017
- Birds of Prey – co-written with Carolyn Lloyd-Davies and chosen for a play reading at AWL, 2016, directed by Maurice Thorogood
AWARDS & REVIEWS
Nominated for Best Actress for The Bold Girls, 1996 Waverley Festival, Melbourne
After Stephanie’s two auditions, the producer and the director were so impressed they changed the character’s gender to female, and renamed him Alika Bardici.
“Stephanie, this was very enjoyable, well done. It’s a difficult brief and you gave yourself a clever helping hand by adopting the school mistress style character. Excellent decision making here. You clearly knew there was a comedy moment in the whole “It’s complicated” section and you went digging nicely for it. Great work.”