Trish Bertram

Introduction

Trish Bertram is a British stage manager-turned-broadcaster, voice artist, and award-winning playwright whose career bridges theatre, television, and contemporary writing for stage and radio. While widely known for her long-standing work as a continuity announcer in UK television, she has, in recent years, emerged as a serious and accomplished creative writer across theatre, monologue performance, and radio drama.

Her professional journey is marked by evolution rather than reinvention—moving from backstage theatre work to broadcast television, and eventually to a flourishing second creative life as a playwright whose work has been staged, broadcast, and recognised in national competitions.

Early Life, Education, and Theatre Foundation

Trish Bertram trained at the Central School of Speech & Drama in stage management, a discipline that placed her at the core of theatrical production rather than its spotlight. This training gave her a deep understanding of timing, structure, and performance coordination—skills that later became essential in both broadcasting and writing.

Following her formal training, she worked in theatre for several years in stage management roles. This period grounded her in live performance environments where precision and communication are critical. Her early career was not defined by performance on stage but by ensuring that performances happened seamlessly behind the scenes.

It was during these formative years that she developed a strong interest in storytelling and writing—an interest she would eventually return to later in life when she began writing professionally.

Transition into Broadcasting and Television Career

After her theatre career, Trish Bertram moved into broadcast television as a continuity announcer. This shift marked a transition from live theatre production into the structured world of television presentation.

As a TV announcer, she became a familiar voice guiding audiences between programmes, promotions, and scheduling transitions. Her delivery style—calm, controlled, and conversational—helped establish her as a trusted continuity presence across UK broadcasting.

Her broadcasting career ran alongside major UK television networks, where her voice became part of everyday viewing experience for millions. Despite the technical nature of continuity announcing, her work carried a subtle performance quality shaped by her theatre background.

Emergence as a Writer and Playwright

Early Creative Intentions

Bertram has stated that she always knew she wanted to write. However, the demands of theatre work and broadcasting meant that writing remained secondary for many years. Later in life, she reached a point where she could finally dedicate focused time to developing her own creative voice.

This shift marked a significant turning point in her career—moving from interpreting scripts and guiding audiences to creating original dramatic work of her own.

“Sky Horses” and Theatrical Recognition (2024)

In 2024, her short play Sky Horses was selected as one of four finalists in Arts Richmond’s playwriting competition. The play was staged at the Orange Tree Theatre in London, placing her work within a respected professional theatre environment.

The piece was first chosen for a staged reading by the new writing company Page to Stage, before being further developed into multiple formats. It was later produced as an audio drama podcast by Theatrical Shenanigans and again adapted by Theatre for the Mind’s Eye for radio broadcast.

This multi-platform journey demonstrated the adaptability of her writing and its suitability for both stage and audio storytelling.

Monologue Writing and Performance Success

Bertram has also developed a strong reputation in short-form dramatic writing, particularly comedic monologues for actors.

In 2023 and 2024, two of her monologues—Memento Mori and Is There Anybody There?—were produced by Act Your Age Productions and released on YouTube. These works showcased her ability to blend humour with emotional depth in compact narrative form.

Her monologue Cat Woman achieved national recognition as a finalist in the Lancaster One Minute Monologue competition, where it was performed live in 2023 by actress Melissa Sinden.

Another monologue, Hockney, was selected for staging at the Old Red Lion Theatre’s Monologues Night in London, performed by David Vickery. These productions positioned her work within respected UK fringe theatre spaces known for new writing.

Expansion into Festival and Radio Drama Work

In 2025, Bertram’s two-hander play Triangles was selected for performance at the Write On Miniplays Festival in Cambridge. The inclusion of her work in a curated festival setting further confirmed her growing presence in contemporary theatre writing.

That same year, her radio play The Magic Bus won the Arts Richmond Radio Plays Competition and was awarded the Colin Skipp Cup for radio drama. This achievement highlighted her strength in audio storytelling—a natural extension of her experience in broadcast voice work.

Artistic Style and Creative Themes

Bertram’s writing is often characterised by strong dialogue, structured pacing, and a focus on human behaviour under subtle pressure. Her background in stage management and broadcasting gives her a precise understanding of timing, which translates into tightly constructed dramatic pieces.

Her monologues, in particular, often explore identity, memory, humour, and emotional contradiction, while her radio work demonstrates an ability to create atmosphere purely through sound and voice.

Rather than relying on large-scale spectacle, her work tends to focus on intimate human moments, delivered with clarity and emotional restraint.

Legacy and Dual Career Identity

Trish Bertram occupies a rare creative space between broadcasting and playwrighting. In one field, she shaped audience experience through voice and continuity; in the other, she constructs narratives that are performed, heard, and interpreted in theatre and radio.

Her career reflects an evolution rather than a shift—each stage building on the previous one. Theatre gave her discipline, broadcasting gave her voice precision, and writing has given her full creative authorship.

Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q1: What did Trish Bertram study?
She trained in stage management at the Central School of Speech & Drama.

Q2: Was she always a writer?
She had an early interest in writing but focused first on theatre and broadcasting before developing her writing career later in life.

Q3: What is Sky Horses?
Sky Horses is her award-nominated short play, selected as a finalist in Arts Richmond’s 2024 playwriting competition and staged at the Orange Tree Theatre in London.

Q4: Has her work been performed publicly?
Yes, her plays and monologues have been staged in theatres, performed in festivals, broadcast on radio, and adapted into audio dramas and podcasts.

Q5: What awards has she won?
Her radio play The Magic Bus won the Arts Richmond Radio Plays Competition and received the Colin Skipp Cup in 2025.