*SPOILERS FOR SERIES 4 OF PHOENIX RISE BELOW*
Since having her first acting job playing Marinela in episodes of The Power for Amazon Prime Video, Eloise Pennycott went on to book her first on-screen regular role when she joined Series 2 of Phoenix Rise as Daisy. Eloise worked closely with Lauren Corah (as Summer), Alex Draper (as Billy), Jayden Hanley (as Darcy), Krish Bassi (as Khaled), Tara Webb (as Rani) and Imogen Baker (as Leila), with the final series (Series 4) recently airing and all episodes streaming on BBC iPlayer. On stage, Eloise played Sam in the stage adaptation of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies at Leeds Playhouse and on tour in 2023, and as a writer, Eloise had her play Barrier(s) debut at the National Theatre in 2022, which was the first play produced by National Theatre to be predominantly in sign language. Recently, Eloise was a writer for HighTide’s production of More… Ghost Stories by Candlelight, and this year will see Eloise with more acting and writing projects. Chatting with us, Eloise told us about playing Daisy in Phoenix Rise, her time as Sam in Lord of the Flies and being a writer for shows including her own play Barrier(s), which debuted at the National Theatre.
In Series 2 of Phoenix Rise, you joined the cast as new character Daisy, how would you describe the character and how was it booking your first on-screen regular role?
Daisy is a bit of fresh air for the boiler room gang, storming in at the start of Series 2. She is unwavering in her confidence and fiercely loyal, and even though she takes a while to trust, she will do anything to keep those she cares about afloat.
Booking Phoenix Rise as my first regular role was rather a bizarre occurance for me. Although I had picked up a few jobs already, I still definitely didn’t consider that I could have a “real” career in acting at that point. Everything all happened in one week – I had my recall audition the same day as I was in tech rehearsals at the Globe Theatre, then was offered the job the very next day, being added to the cast group chat that afternoon as I came out of the National Theatre, where the first play I’d ever written was being performed! After that week, I started to think that maybe there was a real place for me in this industry.
For those that haven’t seen Phoenix Rise, can you say about the series and why would you recommend watching it on BBC iPlayer?
Phoenix Rise is a lovely, heartfelt show about a group of young teenagers navigating their school, friendships, and home lives, which touches on some important topics such as poverty, mental health, relationships, and bereavement. The show introduces these complex topics in a very human way, through the lens of the young protagonists, so everything is accessible and gentle to process. Also, it’s just pretty funny! Many of Leila’s lines always had me cracking up at the table reads.
What was Daisy like to play and how was it developing the character over the three series?
Daisy’s a pretty fun character to play. I think sarcasm and general disdain comes pretty naturally to me so it was always fun to play with the comedy in those types of lines. It’s a strange thing, working on a continuing series, to receive the next batch of scripts and learn new things about a character that you’ve already been playing for a while. On Phoenix Rise, we shoot two series at a time, so 20 episodes, across three blocks of filming, so I was there for block two and three in the first year, and all three blocks in the second year. During the first year, I met with Perrie Balthazar and Matt Evans, the writers and exec producers of the series, and they sketched out Daisy’s arc across Series 2 for me so I had a pretty good grasp on how to play her for that series. But coming into Series 3 and 4 I was going in pretty blind, so it was interesting to try and guess at her motivations before the next batch of scripts were delivered. Playing a disabled character on a mostly non-disabled series, Daisy’s character had to be developed with sensitivity. I was very conscious to make sure I tried to stand up for my disability and my culture within a fast-moving production, so that Daisy’s character was as authentic as possible.
How was it working alongside the rest of the cast, which included Lauren Corah, Alex Draper, Jayden Hanley, Krish Bassi, Tara Webb and Imogen Baker?
Whereas my first time acting in The Power was on a great big, out of this world sets, Phoenix Rise was much more of an opportunity to get to know the people I was working with day in, day out, and learn the practicalities of working on a filming set with them. Also, this cast mostly consisted of people a similar age to me, or even younger – there was some great music in the green rooms and easy chats if you wanted them. I am so excited to see what my Phoenix Rise cast mates go on to do – it’ll be a privilege to look back in the years to come and know that I got to act with them at the start of their careers.
Did you have a favourite storyline to work on and what was it like reading the scripts for the first time?
It was a real privilege to be given the bulk of Episode 9 in Series 4 to deal with, alongside Jayden Hanley as Darcy. There was a lot of buzz around this episode before we got the scripts through, as we knew it would be an unusual one, taking place all inside the boiler room in real time as the gang deal with the aftermath of Billy’s tragic death. We were all told about this storyline one evening after a long day of crowd scenes, so I think I was slightly disbelieving when I first found out what was going to happen. Phoenix Rise hasn’t been afraid to cover difficult topics, but the sudden death of a loved one was definitely a big step up from where we’d been before. Matt, one of the writers, had a conversation with me about a flashback scene he was excited about, where Billy and Daisy discuss sounds and processing methods together – it was clear listening to him there just how much love all of the writers and producers were already pouring into this episode, so I knew even before I read the script that it would be something special. We shot that episode in three days, in the order the scenes play out, which is a rarity for this sort of TV. That felt really special, because it meant that I could follow Daisy’s emotional thread with much greater clarity than filming often affords – it was more like theatre, which is where I am happiest. This episode, as well as dealing with bereavement after Billy’s death, also features one of the sweetest moments in Daisy and Darcy’s relationship so, as an absolute Daisy and Darcy stan, I was very pleased to play that out. Also, because we were only in the boiler room set for those three days, there were no complex locations to manage or supporting artists to organise so our fabulous runners were bringing me cups of tea after basically every take – that alone is reason enough for me to love this storyline and episode.
How was it seeing the audience response to Phoenix Rise and your character Daisy?
It was strange, I can’t lie. Phoenix Rise and Daisy was something I lived with for six months, then suddenly it was out in the world and other people were responding to it – it’s was a confusing thing for me to wrap my head around, right at the start of my career. But the messages I have had have been lovely, especially those from deaf young people who saw themselves represented in Daisy’s character. That’s the reason I do this job, to be the representation that I needed to see at age eleven or so, so to know that Daisy helped even one deaf young person figure out who they wanted to be means everything to me.
Is there anything you have enjoyed most about being part of Phoenix Rise and what do you think you will miss most about filming the series?
I spent 12 months in total filming Phoenix Rise; it was the job that saw me out of education and into the professional world, and for that it must always be special. Probably the thing I enjoyed most was being able to work with my lead BSL interpreter Stacey Green, she is an amazing person, and one of the loveliest I know, so the many hours we spend chatting and debating between scenes will always be cherished by me. I already miss so many of the cast now I don’t get to see them every day, but it makes me so happy to see their many successes via social media, or to hear all about them when we meet up every once in a while.
What was it like playing Marinela in episodes of The Power for Amazon Prime Video?
The Power was such a wild time. That was my first ever acting gig, at a time when I just thought it might be a fun thing to have a go at. I remember I was really sick when I filmed the self tape audition for it, but worked hard and then… didn’t hear back for three months. I had assumed that I didn’t book the job, but then my agents emailled and asked if I would be prepared to go to South Africa to film the role.
I got my first taste of the show in Reading for the first two days of filming – watching a very intense and bloody birth scene and learning Russian sign language in under half an hour – and then a month later I flew out to Cape Town with my mum to shoot the last of my parts. Being on set in South Africa was crazy – we were in this disgusting looking building with fake mouldy food, there were supporting actors wandering round with gory and detailed prosthetic head wounds, and here I was, who had never really acted before. The calibre of actors and crew whilst shooting The Power was next level, but I was so listened to, supported, and welcomed. I’m only sad that shooting on the other side of the world means I can’t see some of the people I met on that set more often!
Marinela was an interesting role to play, in a horrible situation, but it was very empowering to work with so many strong women and kind people. My time on The Power really set a precedent for how I wanted to treat other people and be treated on a film set.
On stage, you played Sam in Lord of the Flies at Leeds Playhouse in 2023, how was your time in the show?
Now, Lord of the Flies truly was one of the best times of my life so far. Freshly 18, I moved up to Leeds for a month and a bit of rehearsals and three weeks of shows. I shared a flat with Ciaran O’Breen, who played my twin Eric in the show, which was lovely because we were friends already and got to share the walk to work with each other every morning. The cast of Lord of the Flies were mostly all in their 20s, and there were only 14 of us so, under the wonderfully welcoming leadership of our director Amy Leach, we really gelled as a company, and as friends. I loved how bold the production was in its huge range of dis/abilities, appearances, and gender presentations – it made me feel so strong and affirmed in my own identity in the rehearsal room that by the time we were on stage, I was flying around. Leeds Playhouse itself is such an inclusive, welcoming space, and I got to work with one of my career idols, fight director Kombat Kate. I feel I really grew into my shoes as an actor and as a young person whilst rehearsing and touring Lord of the Flies (including to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, where we would later shoot an episode of Phoenix Rise), I remain infinitely grateful that I was allowed to be part of such a talented, loving, challenging and playful company in such a thrilling version of one of the most iconic modern classical stories.
How was it getting into character as Sam and how much did you know about William Golding’s novel before auditioning?
I knew the novel pretty well – I was a bit of an overachiever in English lessons in school, but anyway, Lord of the Flies is such an iconic piece of literature – so I was already keen when my agents first sent me the audition. Getting into and out of character as Sam was something that became very important to me: because the play is so violent and traumatic, it was important to make sure that I stayed regulated and left any unhappiness at the dressing room door.
I started the show with six braids in my hair, so I’d make sure to arrive to the dressing room with enough time to do them; this time was also an opportunity for me to check in with my emotions, see how Eloise the actor is feeling, so that when I start playing Sam the character I am being careful to preserve my own mental wellbeing. The time spent doing fight calls before every show was also an important opportunity for me to check in with each of my cast mates, just say hello and have a laugh, so that I knew I could push myself really far as an actor in the show and that they would be there with me, even if we were pretending to torture each other. By the time I got back into costume and fitted my mic, I’d be so excited to go out and do the show all over again that the time would fly away.
I shared a dressing room with Sade Malone and Aki Nakagawa, both of whom are a bit older than me and I very much look up to, so we really had fun and supported each other in the intervals between the show. After the curtain call, I made sure to hug all of the people who had to act horrible to me in the show, and then I’d normally run up the stairs at pace to shake my adrenaline off. Then, if I had people to say hello to after the show I would wash all of the fake blood out of my hair, but more often than not I wouldn’t bother, and we’d hang out before going home.
Can you tell us about your writing work, which has seen you recently write for the HighTide production of More… Ghost Stories by Candlelight?
I am really proud now to call myself a playwright – I’ve only really been calling myself that internally for a couple of months now, it feels like such an exciting thing to be! Since realising that I might have some skill at writing plays, I’ve been devouring every script I can get my hands on, and spending every spare minute scribbling into a notepad. I think there’s actually a series of photos somewhere of me on set of Phoenix Rise sitting and working away on writing projects between scenes.
I love writing character, and it is always dialogue that comes to me before plot or theme. That is why when I was asked by HighTide’s artistic director Clare Slater to consider writing for More… Ghost Stories by Candlelight, I originally wanted to say no! I’m glad she convinced me to try my hand at it, I’m so proud of the work I produced in the end.
More… Ghost Stories by Candlelight was a series of four original ghost stories set in the East of England, which toured heritage locations in the East before going to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe. My story, Lover’s Gate, became the framework for the whole evening, with the two central lovers telling stories to each other before finally telling their own, a twisted, tragic romance. It was an absolute honour to watch my story be performed by Becky Barry, who I have crossed paths with various times and admired from the audience for years. That’s one of the best things about being a writer, seeing people that you admire taking on your words and doing something magical with them.
How did you feel having your play Barrier(s) debut at the National Theatre at the age of 17 in 2022 – which was the first play produced by the National Theatre predominantly in sign language?
It has only really recently hit me what a moment Barrier(s) was – at the time, I was just terrified of how it would be received, whether it would look on stage as it had in my head, and whether I would be able to breathe whilst watching it. I actually couldn’t attend two out of the three shows at the National because I was down the river at the Globe Theatre in Cymbeline as part of their Young Company, however, I walked across on the first night to see just about every single deaf actor and theatre person I have ever admired swarming out onto the courtyard. It was insane, it was like all of my personal celebrities were in one place. It’s crazy to think that such a landmark play for the National Theatre and deaf culture popped out of my head. I am so grateful to have entered their New Views competition at a time when the winning prize was a full staged production – without it, I would never have had so many opportunities at such a young age.
What was Barrier(s) like to write and how long had it been in the making?
Actually, Barrier(s) was written on the plane to South Africa to film The Power. Our second flight was about six hours long, and I knew I wanted to do something creative and fun with it. I am very proud of my identity as both a deaf and a queer woman – I hadn’t seen many (if any) plays with a lesbian love story at the heart of it, which also celebrated deaf culture. It seemed the only thing to do was write it myself. The first draft was written by the time I stepped off the plane, then I was given the opportunity to develop it through the New Views playwriting programme being offered at my school. I am eternally grateful to Ms Wimsett, my drama teacher, and Jennifer Farmer, my New Views mentor, for pushing me to create the best possible draft of this play, which I never truly believed would win the national competition. Then I am also very grateful to Paula Garfield, David Bellwood, and Lucy Jane Atkinson who took such loving care of the piece at the National, and challenged my preconceptions of how I am allowed to write theatre.
How did you get into acting and writing and did you always know you wanted to do both professionally?
Most of it seemed to happen to me unexpectedly. Sure, I started applying for acting jobs and writing competitions, but I never thought I’d have any success with them. It was just during the lockdown, when I was about 15, that things started popping up and I started gathering little successes – it all snowballed into fabulousness from there. I have wanted to be many things in life – a chef, a surgeon, a mechanic, more recently an academic – I’d never considered that the theatrical and TV world might have a place for me! But I really, really love what I do now, so I’m going to stick around for as long as the industry will have me.
What are some of your favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?
I am a HUGE Aaron Sorkin fan – The Trial of the Chicago 7, The West Wing, Being the Ricardos – anything he’s written, you’d best believe I am watching it at least once a week and making notes on the scripts. Beautiful films, TV, or theatre always do it for me: Moulin Rouge!, The Haunting of Hill House, anything the Almeida Theatre produces. I also love comedy, especially really silly, absurd stuff like Monty Python, Morecambe and Wise, The Fast Show, as well as fun stuff like Taskmaster, which I am determined to end up on at some point, even if I have to shift my whole career over to comedy circuits.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I’m pretty simple: I read, I write, I watch a lot of film and TV, I drink too much tea. I’ve got really into going to the gym in the last year or so – my gym is in the middle of a farm so it’s a lovely hours walk there and back a couple of times a week. I keep one or two really good friends around me, and I am cultivating an absolutely stunning loose leaf tea collection to enjoy with them.
Do you have any acting/writing projects coming up that you can share and what are you hoping this year brings for you?
One project that I am particularly excited about is the Greensleeves Project with historical music company Passamezzo, bringing together my interest in history and historical dance, acting, and screenwriting to be playing Lady Greensleeves in a short film highlighting all the garments given to the elusive lady in the famous song. I am so humbled to be collaborating with some truly fab theatre companies on new writing, but you’ll have to keep an eye out for me further down the line to find out what I’m working on there…
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