Lucy-jo finnighan
Lucy-Jo Finnighan is a writer located in the North of England. She has written plays and pantomimes for the Pen Theatre, CAST, the York Theatre Royal, TheSpaceUK, the Customs House, the Haywire Theatre company, and the Darlington Hippodrome. For prose, Lucy-Jo has gained recognition within multiple short story and flash fiction competitions. As a journalist, she has also had over 1,000 pieces published in Dexerto, Screen Rant, Giddy, Girls on Tops, Music Geeks UK, Unknown Magazine, York Vision, Shoreline of Infinity, and The Lemon Press, of which she was the Co-Editor.
Lucy-Jo specialises in lifestyle and entertainment articles for journalism, and the comedy and horror genres for fiction and scripts. As she is also a freelance editor, she can provide work of high quality, and can collaborate with other creatives towards an end product.
CV
education
Degrees • The University of York • October 2016 - September 2020
- MA in Film and Literature: Pass with Merit
- BA (Hons) in English and Related Literature: Upper Second-Class Honours
Online Courses • Future Learn • September 2019 - November 2019
- An Introduction to Screenwriting with the University of East Anglia:
Certified Completion
- The Business of Film with The Open University: Certified Completion
Training
Playwriting Workshops • Papatango • March 2022 - September 2022
- Took part in workshops run by Papatango's Executive Director, Chris Foxon
- Studied writing techniques, along with how to get work researched and performed
- These workshops resulted in a theatrical showcase that was produced by the Darlington Hippodrome, where The Story of the Lighthouse was performed
Playwriting Mentorship • Cast Writers’ Club • February 2021 - March 2021
- Mentored by established playwright Alexander Millington through a writers’ club that occurred weekly
- Millington provided feedback on submitted work, and advice on navigating the creative industry
- This club resulted in a commissioned theatrical showcase that was produced by Cast in Doncaster, where Is It Them was performed
Performance Training • Spotlight Performing Arts • January 2008 - July 2016
- Trained in singing, dancing, and acting from ages 10 to 18, receiving guidance from industry professionals
- Devised, rehearsed, and performed multiple shows per year
WRITING EMPLOYMENT
TV Writer & Editor • Freelance • May 2021 - Present
- Collaborated with three clients to successfully develop their written ideas
- Wrote and edited two short film scripts for the first client
- Wrote one TV mini-series treatment for the second client, and gained that second client through the first client’s recommendations
- Wrote one TV pilot screenplay with a third client, based on a book that they had previously written
- Ensured that each client was getting their desired results by keeping notes of all edits made and organising meetings to discuss those changes
Journalist • Freelance with Screen Rant, Girls on Tops, Giddy, and Music Geeks UK • April 2021 - Present
- Wrote over 100 articles for Screen Rant about entertainment and fashion
- Wrote four articles for Music Geeks UK about music and politics
- Wrote two articles for Giddy about sexual health and history
- Wrote one essay for Girls on Tops about film, literature, and feminism
- Researched and pitched each piece, and interviewed significant experts and organisations for numerous articles
- Maintained consistent, friendly, and professional communication with each publication through email
Script Writer • Freelance • October 2019 - Present
- Wrote one play extract, titled Lads Lads Lads, which performed at The Customs House for their 2023 Play 3 showcase event
- Workshopped one play, titled Reach Out, with The Pen Theatre’s 2022 Queer Up event
- Wrote and recorded one podcast episode, titled The Time Travel Logs, for Hive South Yorkshire’s 2021 “Our Streets Unmasked” project
- Developed one play, titled The Story of the Lighthouse for Cast’s 2021 Writers’ Club showcase
- Wrote and directed one play, titled Over on Grim Street, for a 2021 online fringe festival, Online@theSpaceUK
- Wrote one monologue, titled There’s a Bird in the Garden, for the Haywire Theatre Company’s 2020 online event, The Pocketful Project
- Wrote and produced one play, titled Everything Is Fine! which performed at the York Theatre Royal for their 2019 Takeover Festival
TV & Movies Journalist • Dexerto • May 2022 - January 2024
- Joined a newly-created sector of Dexerto, helping build their TV & Movies SEO authority from the ground up
- Wrote and edited over 1,0oo articles for the website, including breaking news, guides, and reviews
- Travelled to attend press screenings and conference events with companies such as Crunchyroll, Paramount, and Warner Bros.
- Interviewed stars of hit Netflix shows and directors of popular franchises, such as the Hunger Games and Scream films
CREATIVE EMPLOYMENT (Non-Writing)
Actor and Singer • Northeast Producers Ltd • July 2021 - January 2021
- Travelled around Birmingham and Stafford on a touring production of Memories are Made of This in August 2021
- Travelled around Teesside on a touring production of Annie the Pantomime playing both Miss Hannigan and Grace Farrell in November and December 2021
- Acted, danced, and sang these two-woman shows to local communities, including retirement homes and care wards for the mentally and physically disabled
- Interacted with audience members and performed improv during the show
- Set up, took down, and transported the set and sound system during the tour
- Organised and cleaned the props and costumes during the tour
Actor (Extra) • Studio Lambert • August 2021
- Performed as an extra on Channel 4’s popular reality TV show Naked Attraction
- Acted for the B-roll, for which my role was the contestant’s friend
Pantomime Actor and Event Manager • Tesco with N2O Ltd • December 2020
- Performed as Captain Hook in Peter Pan pantomime skits outside of Tesco stores
- Entertained and assisted shoppers whilst ad-libbing in character
- Managed two other actors and a musical act during performances
- Organised rehearsals and costume delivery
Stunt Director’s Assistant (Work Experience) • Hartswood Films • August 2016
- Worked on BBC’s Sherlock Season 4 Episode 3
- Built and cleaned up stunt sets successfully on a tight schedule
- Assisted stunt performers and provided physical support during fast-paced stunts
- Fulfilled any request efficiently and enthusiastically
Skills
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Multi-Tasking
- Time Management
- Microsoft Office
- Google Suite
- Content Management Systems
- Final Draft
- Asana
- Trello
- Discord
- Slack
- Zoom
- SEO
Writing Awards
- Shortlisted in the Hive 2020 Young Writers’ Competition
- Received “Highly Commended” in the Hive 2019 Young Writers’ Competition
- Shortlisted in the Mind 2019 Short Story Competition
- Longlisted in the Shoreline of Infinity 2019 Flash Fiction Competition