January 2013

MARTINA   LAIRD DATE OF BIRTH: .... PLACE OF BIRTH: ..., Trinidad EDUCATION: University of Kent, Kent, England The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, London, England CAREER:                                       At the early age of seven, Laird began studying drama with Beryl McBurnie, Noble Douglas, and Carol La Chapelle and, at the age of 13, was part of a Banyan production "Epiphany" with other locals Joanne Kilgour, Tony Hall, and Christopher Pinheiro. She attended performances at the Little Carib Theatre often and was impressed with plays written by Derek Walcott. Laird left Trinidad for England in the early 1990s to study, and remained there to pursue her acting career. She went on to appear in British theatre and television in "The Five Wives of Maurice Pinder," "The White Devil," "Three Hours After Marriage," "London's Burning," "Coronation Street," "Missing," "Shameless" (Michelle), and "Doctors." In England, she teamed up with Trinidadian artists Rene Castle and Indra Ove to form the group Cascadura. The group's first project was the reading of UK-based Trinidadian playwright Mustapha Matura's play "Three Sisters" during the T&T High Commission's Independence Celebration Arts Festival in 2012. In March 2012, she took on her first Caribbean role in the UK National Theatre's production of Errol John's "Moon on a Rainbow Shawl" in which she played Sophia Adams. Laird appeared in the following movies: Blitz For-Get-Me-Not The Hurting Deadmeat AWARDS: Screen Nation Best TV Actress Michael Elliot Best Original Television Performance Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit