Who we are
Feel Big. Dream Wild. Drive Change.
Gooper Dust Productions is a London-based theatre company on a mission to stir the heart and spark the imagination. We create playful, powerful work that invites audiences to feel deeply, think boldly and connect more compassionately to the world around them.
Every story we make is a conversation with the world we live in.
Our Story
Gooper Dust Productions was founded by American-British actor and theatre-maker Laura Shipler Chico after seeing a clear gap in the fringe theatre scene: a lack of opportunities for new writing to flourish in spaces where artists were paid fairly for their labour.
Too often, ambitious storytelling comes at the cost of sustainability - with casts and creatives expected to sacrifice their wellbeing to get work made. At Gooper Dust, we believe in doing things differently. We support daring and exciting work without asking artists to compromise their creative integrity or livelihood.
Founded on the belief that stories can be both joyful and urgent, we blend humour, heart and theatrical magic to explore the complexities of being human. Whether it’s through live performance, immersive experiences, or creative community engagement, everything we make is a conversation with the world we live in — and the world we dream of building.
The story of the name
The magic stuff of family lore.
Pictured: Laura’s grandmother Lee Shipler (aka Banoi) with her sister Dodie.
Leaving for Shipler family vacations was always a frantic affair. A haphazard collection of duffel bags, brown paper bags and suitcases would collect by the front door. People galloped up and down stairs adding last minute bags to the collection. Laura’s father would jam things into the boot of the car trying to fit everything in like a game of Tetras and pile the rest on top covered with a lopsided blue tarp. Charlie-dog ran back and forth, worried he’d get left behind. Finally dad would get everyone in the car, three kids and the dog and a cooler in the back, mom running back in for her sunglasses and back out.
“Seatbelts?” Dad making sure everyone was buckled in. The final door slamming closed. Engine revving. As they turned a corner onto the big road and picked up speed, dad would say – like his mother and his aunt before him - “We’re OFF in a cloud of Gooper Dust!”
So here we are – off in a messy, magical push of possibility.
Meet our Artistic Director
Founder and Artistic Director, Laura Shipler Chico believes that good art can inspire real change. She founded Gooper Dust Productions Ltd. to bring bold and heartfelt theatre to the London stage. With over 20 years project management experience, Laura is a dual British and U.S. citizen who has lived and worked on four continents. A professional actor, writer, activist and peace builder, she has managed multi-million dollar international projects, performed at Southwark Playhouse, The Hope Theatre, and the Brockley Jack among others, and appeared in award-winning films such as Borne (Amazon Prime Pathways) and Luca. Through Gooper Dust Productions, Laura aims to provoke radical empathy and concrete action.
Contact us
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