You never know what you will see while exploring Wrexham Glyndwr University, as passers-by discovered when they saw a fire eating display at Plas Coch Campus.

Jenna Brook, lecturer in Theatre, Television and Performance, put on the eye-catching show for students to film as part of their Level 4 Television assessment.

She also told of her experiences in performing and teaching in an interview with Creative Media lecturer Graeme Park at the university’s television studio, which the students filmed, produced and directed.

Jenna has more than a decade of experience as a street performer, dancer, clown and a community drama practitioner ­– and continues to perform over the summer.

On how she started fire eating, Jenna said: “When you’re working I a troupe of people who all have different specialities within fire, you see a lot of things that you want to try, but then I was already doing fire hoop and fire palms – and I don’t want to say that fire eating was the next logical step, but it kind of was!

“I think it just all comes under the umbrella of enjoying performance for me and making a connection with the audience. I enjoy street theatre because it allows that connection to happen so organically…. I suppose I enjoy the touch of danger that the fire adds to the situation!”

Jenna, who is from Shrewsbury, has appeared in shows across her native Shropshire, such as the Shrewsbury Flower Show and the International Street Theatre Show as well as in town centres as a street performer.

Being a part of the performing arts scene while lecturing allows Jenna to give valuable knowledge and advice to her students.

“The students like to know that I’ve just come from doing something; once they arrive in the first week at the beginning of October, they

know that I may have well have literally just that weekend come out of a field or a performance situation.

“It keeps your brain engaged and fresh in the practice I think, because you are just going out and doing what you’ve been talking about all year – you’ll be there trying to motivate them to do things and to create their own practice, and it can be quite motivational to talk about it to them. So I always go into it feeling really motivated at the beginning of each season – at the end I’m always ready to come back inside where it’s warm!”

Wrexham Glyndwr University offers a host of Creative Media and Technology courses as well as a Theatre, Television and Performance degree – although fire eating is not included!

For more information, visit: https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/TheatreTelevisionandPerformance/