Meet The Winners

We asked our Virtual Stage winners to introduce themselves and share a little bit about who they are and recent work which has inspired them as artists. From voiceover and gaming to writing and grounded screen performance, each of these actors brings something completely unique to this year’s Virtual Stage lineup

 

Poppy Byers

 

“Poppy is a working-class actor from the West Midlands who graduated from drama school in 2023. After taking some time away from acting following a knee injury and recent surgery, she is excited to be returning to performing and grateful to be part of the Virtual Expo.

I'm drawn to work that feels honest and grounded, particularly naturalistic film and television that reflects real human behaviour. I also enjoy subtle dry humour that comes through naturally in everyday situations.

Recently I enjoyed The Other Bennet Sister. I liked how character-driven and quietly funny it was, and how it follows Mary Bennet, a character who often gets overlooked. I enjoyed Mary's journey and how her character develops throughout.

I also really enjoyed Small Prophets by Mackenzie Crook. I really liked the Detectorists, so I was interested to see this. It has a similar dry, natural humour, and I enjoyed the twists and turns in the story.”

You can watch Poppy perform live at:June 9th, 7pm

Crystal Marshall

 

“My name is Crystal Marshall, I am an actress, writer, and advocate for facial equality within the arts, and I am so grateful to be one of the winners!”

“Currently, I have been watching Richard Gadd "Half Man" which has transfixed me so much it's all I’ve been thinking about. Showcasing such an important topic like male masculinity/vulnerability within modern-day culture. I love how multifaceted the characters are and how ambiguous everything seems to be in regards to the story. As an actor/writer it encourages me to make my characters more in depth and not shy away from challenging roles.”

You can watch Crystal perform live at: June 10th, 7pm

Kirsty Campbell

 

“A quick wee introduction! I’m an actress and voiceover artist from the Scottish Highlands, and recently I’ve had the pleasure of working on a variety of videogame projects and animations.

Outside of acting, you’ll normally find me playing videogames, watching Formula 1, or listening to music. I’m also a massive animal lover, especially dogs. Honestly, if there’s a dog around, I will *probably (*most definitely) abandon all conversation to say hello.

A lot of my creativity is inspired by the games I play and the many worlds you can explore. Some of my favourites are The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Genshin Impact, the Assassin's Creed franchise, and Red Dead Redemption 2 — games that completely transport you somewhere else for a while. My dream TV role would be Sadie Adler in a Red Dead Redemption adaptation, and my dream voiceover role would be in the next Witcher game. Even if I was just a coughing, splootering NPC in Velen, I’d still consider it a career highlight.

As for the shows that inspire me, I’ve recently been rewatching Derry Girls and forgot what good craic it is. I love the comfort and escapism that TV, film, and gaming can give you — especially during difficult times. There’s something really special about being transported into another world for a little while. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.”

You can watch Kirsty perform live at: June 11th, 7pm

 

A huge congratulations again to Crystal, Kirsty, and Poppy 🎉

Thank you to every single actor who submitted work to this year’s Virtual Stage Competition. The quality, creativity, and bravery of putting your work out there was genuinely inspiring to see.

Keep creating. Keep sharing your work. Keep taking up space.

You never know who might be watching 👀

 

The expo runs from Tuesday 9th June to Thursday 11th June, 1pm-10pm BST. Grab your tickets!

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