Biography
Born in Barbados, Alison has been a professional theatre artist since 1981 when she performed with the Pelican Players, Canada’s ‘first multicultural community theatre’. Since then she has worked with companies across Canada and in Barbados including the Green Room Players (B’dos), Stage One Productions (B’dos), Theatre Calgary, Canadian Stage and the Stratford Festival. Her numerous theatre credits include “Harlem Duet” for which she won a Dora award, “Cast Iron” (Nightwood Theatre), “The Polished Hoe” (Obsidian Theatre and the Frank Collymore Hall) and her award-winning performance as Lena Younger in Soulpepper Theatre’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun”.
She has directed theatre productions for the Company of Sirens, LKTYP, the Saidye Bronfman Centre, the National Theatre School, Neptune Theatre, Black Theatre Workshop and Obsidian Theatre.
Her many film and television credits include “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures”, “This is Wonderland”, “Da Kink in My Hair”, “Dark Water”, “Honey”, “Talk to Me” “You Kill Me” and “Naturally Sadie”.
She was the voice of Storm on the animated series “The X-Men” and the voice of Scarlett on “Delilah and Julius”.
Alison has received five Dora Award nominations for acting and has won two. She is also the proud recipient of a Harry Jerome Award and a Salute to the City Award for her contribution to the Arts in Toronto, a George Luscombe Award for Mentorship and an Award of Excellence from the Caribbean Tales Film Festival.
She is a Founding Member of the Obsidian Theatre Company (Toronto) and served as Artistic Director from 2000 – 2006.
Alison is Founding Artistic Director of Diasporic Arts Productions (Barbados) and was proud to be a part of their world premiere production of “The It So Happen Suite” based on the work of the late Timothy Callender. Most recently, she has been working with David and Rosemary Neilands on the establishment of the Gap Theatre, Barbados and performed in their critically acclaimed production of “Alleluia Pork Chops!”
Alison is currently Special Projects Officer at the National Cultural Foundation.