Lung Ha at 40: Spotlight on… Leigh Flynn

Jul 2 2024 | By Thom Dibdin | Reply More

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Lung Ha Theatre Company, All Edinburgh Theatre is delighted to collaborate with the award-winning professional company for actors and theatre makers who are autistic or learning-disabled.

Lung Ha have marked the occasion by commissioning a series of portraits of every member of its 25-strong ensemble from Edinburgh-based photographer Peter Dibdin. Æ will publish the individual portraits over the coming year of celebrations (see our News story: Lung Ha hit 40). We are publishing a new spotlight on a different actor every fortnight.

Lung Ha Actor Leigh Flynn, photographed by Peter Dibdin for Lung Ha’s 40th year celebrations.

Spotlight #4: Leigh Flynn

Leigh joined Lung Ha in 1985, making her the longest serving member of the current company. In her first show she played Band/Ground Control in Mrs Mackechenie Meets the Megaloths and in her most recent show she was one of the patients, Molly, in Castle Lennox (Æ review: ★★★★☆ Huge humanity).

In her 15 shows between those two, Leigh played Gloria in the award-winning Huxley’s Lab (★★★★☆ Profoundly relevant), a co-production with Grid Iron. She was Hildegarde in the 1998 production of Remembering Hildegarde and in 2008/2009 she was both Columbine and Brighadella in the pair of Commedia Dell’Arte “canovaccios”, Il Panico di Pantalone and Il Panico di Capitano, which toured to Mull, Aberdeen, Paris and several points in-between.

She enjoys meeting new people and Lung Ha is her social life. Leigh likes touring and loves acting, doing jigsaws, and going for meals with relatives. Leigh looks after her ill mum and is always happy.

Lung Ha Actor Leigh Flynn, photographed by Peter Dibdin for Lung Ha’s 40th year celebrations.

Leigh Flynn Q&A

What do you think is the most fabulous thing about being an actor? It makes me so happy when people clap at the end of a show.

If you could give an aspiring actor one piece of advice, what would it be? Don’t worry and have fun!

40 years is a big milestone during which we look back but also look ahead! What are your hopes or ambitions for the future? I would like to stay a part of Lung Ha for many more years to come!

The 40th anniversary photo shoot took place at the Traverse Theatre. Costumes by Karen Tennent; hair and make-up by Catherine Christie.

Browse the rest of the Spotlight on series here.