Liz McGinnes

October 2026 Issue
Lowcountry Originals 2026

Photography (top and middle-right)
by Lindsay Pettinicchi Photography, LLC

Liz McGinnes

Current Residence: Bluffton
Hometown: London, England
Career: Theatre-maker, filmmaker, and unfortunate spreadsheet expert
Art: Theatre—directing, performing, scenic design, lighting, projection & multimedia
Family: Married, two puppies, the rest needs a diagram

When and how did you discover your artistic talent? How and/or why did you choose your medium? What do you love about it?
I’m still not entirely comfortable calling myself an artist. I think of myself more as a theatre-maker. I didn’t really choose one medium; I just kept adding things to the toolbox.

I first performed at school around 10-years-old, playing Gerda in The Snow Queen. I loved acting, but my school had no theatre program. In my early twenties, I finally got up the courage to join Greenwich Young People’s Theatre (GYPT) in London. GYPT was quite a big deal at the time, particularly in Theatre in Education, and former members include actor Gary Oldman.

This was where I discovered a very different kind of theatre; we devised, improvised and workshopped. We played with physical theatre and how the audience and performers used the space. I remember doing Germinal with the audience on raked seating and basically some platforms to perform on. I found the whole thing fascinating.

Over the years, I’ve acted, directed, designed sets and lighting, and worked with sound and projection. I also studied media production and film practice, so photography, video, and digital imagery became part of what I do, as well.

More recently I’ve started making personal documentary and legacy films—recording people talking about their lives and using photographs and other material to preserve their stories for their families. I think that’s why theatre suits me. I don’t have to pick just one thing. And I love the playfulness of it—taking all these different elements and working out what you can do with them.

What is your dream project? Do you foresee it coming to fruition? 
Oddly, it isn’t a production. It’s a building. I’d love a proper community arts center in Bluffton, with a main stage, a flexible black box, rehearsal and workshop rooms, a café to hang out, and places where people could learn acting, directing, lighting, sound, design, and digital media. Basically, I’d like our own version of GYPT. I walked into that building at age 21 without really knowing what I was doing and discovered a whole world of possibilities. I’d love people here, of any age, to have somewhere they could do the same.

What do you hope people who view your art “get” out of it?
I want to create a world where audience members can become completely absorbed and, for a couple of hours, forget about their lives and their concerns.

And I love that theatre happens in a shared space, in the dark. You sit next to people you may never have met, and for a while, you all agree to believe in the same thing. You laugh together, go quiet together, sometimes hold your breath together. A room full of strangers becomes an audience. The audience changes the performance, too. Anyone who has done comedy knows what a difference an audience makes. If people leave feeling as though they really went somewhere for a couple of hours, that’s enough for me.

What artist inspires or influences you the most?
My first experiences of theatre were British pantomimes. My dad was in the Metropolitan Police, and every year the police social club took the children to the panto at Wimbledon Theatre. It was after Christmas and sometimes around my birthday on January 2.
I was so young when it started, I don’t remember the first time I went.

I suspect panto got into my theatrical DNA without me realizing it. It’s completely artificial, the characters are huge, the audience is involved, and everyone knows they’re watching a show. Then, years later, I saw Complicité’s Anything for a Quiet Life. I was blown away by it. I didn’t know about Jacques Lecoq or any of that stuff then. I just knew that these subtle, somewhat bizarre characters were incredibly disciplined and clever. It felt as though you could see their inner worlds physically demonstrated. It’s a little like clowning but much less in your face. I learned what some of that was called later. But the thing that stuck was that sense of playfulness, combined with absolute precision.

In addition to your art, what is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I get ridiculously nervous about going onstage. I can be standing in the wings wondering why on earth I keep doing this to myself. Then I walk on, and it feels like the place I belong. Apparently the problem isn’t being onstage, it’s getting onto it.

What encouragement do you have for those who are just beginning to pursue their artistic selves?
For me, it has always been about just turning up and getting sucked in. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that “artists” are some kind of special breed, and there’s a club they belong to where other people aren’t allowed. But that’s simply not true. There is something about being around creative people that amplifies your own creativity. Even if you start out just helping, you find yourself having ideas, trying things, and learning from the people around you. So, I suppose my advice would be: Don’t wait until you feel like an artist. Find people who are making things, turn up, get involved, and see what happens.

Are you currently involved in any local performances we can come see?
Yes! I’m currently directing Young Frankenstein at May River Theatre in Bluffton, running October 30–November 15, 2026. Purchase your tickets at mayrivertheatre.com!