I was born in Dartford, Kent in June 1979 and christened Siobhan Carmel O'Neill. I was born into a family of four others, Simon, Claire, Sarah and Lulu to Deirdre O'Neill. Being the youngest of the family gave me a lot of support and inspiration. My family being naturally arty gave me the bug and I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my sister Lulu and take the limelight centre stage. After a harrowing dance in front of Hextable sixth form class with Lulu at the age of five, I took a long look into alternative careers!

My schooling had no drama departments, theatre would have long drifted out of my thoughts if not for my mother's obligatory theatre trips, necessary for a student studying English. My creative skills have always been in overdrive, I wanted a career where I could use them to my full advantage. The trips to the theatre had also enhanced my fascination once more for live performance. The ability to have a creative input and still involvement in shows excited me and I yearned to know more. I made myself known at the local theatre, soon acquiring a job mainly as the follow spot operator for two years whilst doing my A' Levels and being Head Girl!.

In September 1997 I started the three year Stage Management and Theatre Production course at Queen Margaret University College. This course provides practical and theoretical training in six areas of theatre production. The first two years each student takes their own route through the course, carrying out three terms of different departments each year; Audience Services (Front of House, Marketing, Theatre Management, Box Office), Wardrobe (Dresser, Maker, Mistress, Assistant), Workshop (Model Making, Set Construction, Technical Drawing, Scenic Art, Props Making), Lighting and Sound (Rigging, Operating), and Stage Management is taught at all levels, ASM, DSM in first and second year respectively. Once in third year each student can choose to specialize in areas of their choice. They will the be the managers of that particular department, the assistants will be the first and second years.

Within the course structure there are many different opportunities for extra learning, work placements with the BBC, jobs in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, student placements in other similar institutions such as Ohio Northern University. There was a competition in collaboration with Edinburgh College of Art, Costume Design course. In teams of two, we had to design an interactive box, the box was 7ft x 3ft x 3ft. In it we had to keep to the theme of 'Nights at the Circus' and the particular character created by the Art Students in my case was 'Feathers'. Anna and I won the internal competition and our box was sent to London and Prague, to the Schools Section of the National and International Theatre Designers Exhibition in 1999.

My third year brought three Set Designs, one Stage Management and an Audience Services Manager for our final Showcase. Also enough room had be provided for two placements (Birmingham Repertory Theatre and English National Opera), and a special study into puppetry. This enabled me to devise a conventional show around a puppet and also make the life-size creation.

In July 2000, I graduated with a BA (Distinction) in Stage Management and Theatre Production.

Since then I have returned to Birmingham Repertory Theatre to work in The Door Studio as ASM and DSM for their various productions from September 2000 to August 2001.

I am now based in the Midlands.  Having moved in with my boyfriend Richard Harrison, we are experiencing the highs and lows of having our first house, decorating, gardening, faulty boilers and bills!