Axe to grind is a new theatre collective based in Essex & east london.

Cutting Through the Noise. 

At Axe To Grind, we view theatre as a chance to start meaningful conversations and challenge the world around us.

Founded by playwright Kate Austen and actor & theatre-maker Eleanore Frances, we’re committed to bringing fresh voices and stories to the stage, creating space for original writing that challenges social issues.

We’re passionate about fresh voices and stories that matter: bringing you radical, original work that tackles contemporary issues head-on.
In short: we’ve got an axe to grind.

Our mission

Our focus is on themes that often go unnoticed or unspoken, using new writing and verbatim techniques to bring real, lived experiences to life. Our work is designed to spark thought and initiate a dialogue, inviting audiences to engage with important topics.

We champion bold, fresh scripts that take on social justice, personal struggles, and the everyday realities that shape people's lives. Our use of verbatim theatre ensures real words from real people are platformed.

We’re particularly passionate about spotlighting voices from suburban and rural areas, showcasing the unique challenges and experiences faced by people outside major cities.

our vision

New Writing:
Fresh scripts, bold ideas.

Verbatim Theatre:
We want to ensure authenticity in every piece of work.

Access:
As a neurodivergent and disability-led collective, we make it our mission to dismantle barriers to engaging with the arts and ensure everyone has the opportunity to be involved in our work.

Championing Voices From The Outskirts:
There are deserving stories that often don’t get to see a stage. That’s why we are spotlighting voices from areas outside of major cities, capturing the unique challenges of everyday life.

Community Engagement:
People are at the heart of the stories we well, and we cannot make work our way without connecting with the community.
Join our workshops and discussions to explore and engage with the themes we present at the ground floor level.

Join our Movement

We view Axe to Grind as more than a theatre collective. It’s a movement. We’re creating space for important stories and new voices. Whether you’re a playwright, actor, or supporter, there’s a place for you here.
Please get in touch with us here to introduce yourself - we’d love to hear from you!

Upcoming Productions

Stay tuned for our latest work Falling. Made in partnership with service providers and charities that support new and would-be mothers and parents, we’re bringing these important stories to life onstage very soon.

  • Kate Austen

    CO-FOUNDER & PLAYWRIGHT

    A trained theatre maker, Kate studied BA Acting at East 15, where she was taught to fully immerse herself in every character to uncover their truth. She believes this foundation was key in shaping the writer she is today.

    With over fifteen years of experience in the industry, she has been fortunate to work across a variety of theatre forms, including touring productions, outdoor performances, Theatre in Education (T.I.E.), and the Edinburgh Fringe, among others.

    Her first play was a self-verbatim piece entitled Find Me. Years in the making, the play explored female identity through a process of sending voice notes over the course of a year and dissecting them in the rehearsal room to devise a piece that resonated with many women of her generation. Find Me was workshopped with actors and later staged at The Vaults in Waterloo.

    This experience ignited her passion for writing. She found herself drawn to the start of the creative journey, to the process of building characters and immersing herself in new worlds. In 2020, while pregnant with her son, she was accepted into the prestigious John Burgess Playwriting Group. Her son often attended classes with her and quickly became known as the group baby.

    Her previous work as a playwright includes Feel Me (2020), Fight or Flight (2021), Release (2023-25), and her current play The Farm recently had a rehearsed reading at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester.

    Continued learning is a vital part of her practice. To ensure she approaches sensitive topics with care, she has completed Trauma-Informed Practice training and is a certified Mental Health First-Aider.

    To learn more about Kate, click here.

  • Eleanore Frances

    CO-FOUNDER & THEATRE MAKER

    Eleanore is an actor and theatre-maker with a passion for exploring the diverse possibilities of theatre. Originally from Essex, she currently divides her time between East London and the North East of England.

    Her creative practice centres on the journey of making, encompassing a wide range of genres with a particular focus on devising, dramaturgy, and creative facilitation. She is driven by a desire to push the boundaries of storytelling, collaborative working, sharp writing, and bringing a playful sense of humour in all her work.

    Recent acting credits include Ruby in The Farm (Rehearsed Reading, Mercury Theatre Colchester), Woman 2 in Songs for a New World (Upstairs at The Gatehouse), and Athena in Woven (Nine Muses Theatre Co, Edinburgh Fringe), among others.

    As a theatre-maker and facilitator, she has recently worked as co-creator and dramaturg on Release, a new theatre production developed in collaboration with women who have lived experience of the UK Criminal Justice System. Additionally, she served as Assistant Director and Pastoral Lead on Tempest, an outdoor, site-specific youth arts project with Elevator Arts.

    She previously worked as the Project Manager of the Community Programme at Royal Opera House (Thurrock) and is the Safeguarding & Child Protection Lead at Elevator Arts CIC.

    Eleanore is committed to representing Essex voices both onstage and behind the scenes, and she is dedicated to making her projects accessible to individuals from marginalised backgrounds. 

    To learn more about Eleanore, click here.

  • ROXANNE CARNEY

    PRODUCER

    Roxanne is an Essex-born and bred Producer, working across Live Art and Contemporary Theatre in the independent sector. With over a decade of producing experience, her work is centred on supporting and nurturing queer and disabled artists, whose captivating and urgent stories inspire change. Passionate about developing artists and taking their ideas to the next level, she enjoys programming and producing innovative projects in unexpected places.

    Her career has included roles as Assistant Producer for Scottee & Friends, Artist Advisor for Artsadmin, and Junior Producer for The Marlborough Theatre. She has worked with notable artists such as Split Britches, IN BED WITH MY BROTHER, Blown Fuse, Jamal Harewood, Vijay Patel, and Nye Russell-Thompson. She also served as a Performance Assessor for Total Theatre Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2018) and Assistant Producer at Forest Fringe (2014–2017).

    Most recently, she held the position of Engagement Producer at Start Thurrock CPP, where she collaborated with residents to bring creative activities to their local community. She is deeply committed to dismantling barriers within the creative industry, striving to create accessible spaces and supporting artists through a high success rate in funding bids. As an Access Support Writer, she ensures inclusivity is at the forefront of her work.

    Before moving into producing, she wrote, performed, and toured autobiographical theatre shows and poems.

    Recent projects include:

    2024: Tour Producer for MORAG, YOU’RE A LONG TIME DEID by Peter Lorenz & Claire Love Wilson, a theatre show exploring Scottish queer heritage; Project Producer for The Mystery of the Missing Markets with Teatro Vivo, an outdoor immersive theatre piece in South Ockendon; Engagement Producer/Programmer for Green Light, a creative program in collaboration with Thurrock residents.

    She is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and bringing art into spaces where it can inspire and provoke change.

    To learn more about Roxanne, click here.