Deborah Klayman

Our Story

Deborah is an actress, musician, playwright and voice artist based in the UK. She is co-founder of Whoop ‘n’ Wail Theatre Company, and co-author of several plays with long-time collaborator Ali Kemp, including the award-winning “My Bloody Laundrette”. Their latest play, “But For Us”, is currently in development.

Deborah trained at the University of Northumbria and Drama Studio London and has performed in the UK and overseas in a variety of roles including: Emilia in Othello and Juliana Tesman in Hedda Gabler (UK and Ireland Tour, Icarus Theatre), Regan in King Lear (UK and Latin American Tour, TNT Theatre), C in eXclusion (Whoop ‘n’ Wail Theatre, UK Tour), and Mrs Pugh/Polly Garter/others in Under Milk Wood (Pentameters Theatre). Additionally she played the role of Geordie in a TV pilot for the comedy series Dead Man’s Cardy, and appeared in the films Mission London (Fidelity Films), Another Day (Cinematista Productions), and The Honey Trap (Cinema Vigilante).

Deborah is also a successful voice artist, recording projects for companies such as Silverfish Media/Satchi and Satchi, BP, Oxford University Press and The Scottish Sunday Express.

Deborah is a talented writer, penning articles, plays and screenplays, primarily on issues surrounding social justice. Her first play, Janetarium, was one of three selected through the Traverse Theatre’s Class Act project and was subsequently staged at the Traverse in 1994 and published in Theatre Scotland Magazine that same year. She later joined the theatre’s Young Writers Group, and continued to write and devise plays throughout her university and drama school training. In 2005, she co-authored Eve & Lilith with Jessica Martenson which was produced at that year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2013 Deborah was selected to be one of the Traverse Fifty writers, and her short play, The Boundary, staged as part of the Traverse Theatre Plays for Edinburgh. The Boundary received a favourable review in the Scotsman and is currently being developed into a full-length play.

“I loved Deborah Klayman’s Boundary, which brought images of cities divided by war home to the famous urban boundary between Edinburgh and Leith.”
Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman

In 2011, Deborah co-founded Whoop ‘n’ Wail Theatre Company with friend, collaborator and writing partner Ali Kemp. Their debut production, eXclusion, was produced in association with UK charity Women In Prison and toured to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, London’s Waterloo East Theatre, and Bracknell’s South Hill Park Arts Centre. Deborah and Ali also co-authored the short play Cascade of Baubles which was showcased at 17 Percent’s ‘She Writes’. This was followed by short plays Trapped, Madjesty, Heart’s Desire and Losing Light. The latter was commissioned and produced by 17 Percent, gaining four stars at London’s Canal Cafe before transferring to the Rochester Literature Festival. In 2017, Deborah and Ali won the Cambridge University Press Channel the Bard competition for their short play My Bloody Laundrette. Their new play, But For Us, is currently in development.

In 2014, Whoop ‘n’ Wail launched the new writing night Represents..., showcasing the best established and emerging playwrights. With a gender-equal bill of writers and directors, and each play passing the Bechdel Test, Represents... is an entertaining, engaging night of theatre with equal representation at its core. Each showcase sold out and garnered positive reviews:

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