Catalina Botello

Catalina Botello was born in London on January 14th 1962 to a Mexican father and an English mother. Her father, Jesus Tellosa, a painter, sculptor and jewellery designer and her mother a tapestry and textile conservator. She originally trained as a dancer, and her first professional appearance at eleven years old was at London's Covent Garden Opera House in a production of Verdi's Falstaff starring Tito Gobi. After working as a professional dancer she then went back to study acting at London's Drama Studio after which she worked mainly in theatre in the UK. She was the founder and Artistic Director of Out Of The Box Productions, a London based touring theatre company producing contemporary Hispanic theatre writing in English translation and Latino work from the USA. With Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Nilo Cruz, translated Ay, Carmela! by José Sanchis Sinisterra (played Carmela) which had its first reading at Manhattan's New Dramatists then opened at the Traverse Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Festival. Together with English playwright Rod Wooden, translated The Leningrad Siege, also by Sinisterra. The European premier of Two Sisters and a Piano (played Maria-Celia) by Nilo Cruz was directed by Evening Standard Award winning actress Paola Dionisotti. The company was funded by Arts Council England. A short film, The Ironing Lesson (working title) is in development. She now divides her time between London and Mexico City and after a twenty year sabbatical is now returning to the world of acting. She is also a writer and visual artist.