Archive

Our guest teacher on FEB 8th, will be the actor and ex-student:  Mercedes Assad.

Mercedes,  graduated from LAMDA's (LONDON ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DRAMATIC ART) BA Acting course in 2019 and has since worked at the Manchester Royal Exchange, Northern Stage, the RSC (ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY) and BBC.

On Sat JAN 27th, our ADVANCED ASSOCIATE students, performed a scene study from the play THE RIMERS OF ELDRITCH by LANFORD WILSON.  Ama Nicol. Gemma Barritt, Imogen Birkett, Bernice Thomas, Finley Ramowski, Iain Mundell, Travis Dixon, Zach Ladkin and Danish Latif, each excelled themselves in the work they produced.  Another inspirational evening!  

Our Behind the Mic, comedy night on FRIDAY JAN 19th, was an absolutely fabulous success, and will definitely be an event that'll  be talked about for months, if not years (!) to come. Congratulations to : Imogen Birkett, Zach Ladkin, Ivan Biryushev, Bernice Thomas, Finley Ramowski, Alisha Zeb, Marc Bis and Danish Latiff, all of them incredibly funny and a complete inspiration!  

We are thrilled to have Oliver Towse back with us as our teacher on : THURSDAY JAN 11th 

Oli is Currently producing his first film, a female led war story set in the first WW1, the project is has now wrapped, edited and awaiting its final touches and then the film festivals begin!

With his extensive knowledge of immersive theatre, recently coming back from Saudi Arabia with Peaky Blinders the rise, Oli also teaches and holds immersive workshops and talks in theatre schools around the country. 

SEPT 28th: MASK with Jaques Lecoq trained teacher/actor SEAN

NOV 16th: FELDENKRAIS WORKSHOP with JANINE ASHWELL BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE (PCET), FG (UK), SLE, MCCT, ADCS 

We are excited to have the actor ELIZABETH TWELLS with us as our guest teacher for JULY:

Elizabeth was born in Nottingham and trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Television credits include: Emmerdale (ITV); Doctors (BBC); Everything I Know About Love (BBC/Working Title)

Theatre credits include: Beryl (Oldham Coliseum); The Importance of Being Earnest (Octagon Theatre); Death Of A Salesman, My White Best Friend North (Royal Exchange Theatre); Holes (Nottingham Playhouse/Fiery Angel); Darkness Darkness (Nottingham Playhouse); Aloe Aloe (Bush Theatre); Harvest (New Perspectives/UK Tour); Pot (Ovalhouse/Stratford Circus); Pygmalion,The 39 Steps (Vienna's English Theatre); Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (The Mercury Theatre); Anna Karenina (Arcola Theatre)

We are very pleased to welcome our guest teacher for JUNE:  

SIOBHAN HESKETH 

Siobhan originally studied acting at East 15 and soon began singing professionally throughout the south east England, for several years.
This creative background led her on to study the therapeutic benefits of the creative arts and she attended: ROYAL CENTRAL SCHOOL OF SPEECH AND DRAMA where she studied for a masters in: Drama and Movement Therapy.
As a practitioner She uses the creative arts to access the unconscious, providing a space for young people to understand and explore all different aspects of themselves and to provide techniques in how to manage their mental health.

Massive congratulations to student ARCHIE POOLE who has been offered a place at The Royals Central School of Speech and Drama, one of THE top drama schools in the UK, on their BA Acting course. 

Having taught Archie since he was 12 years old, and having had the privilege to watch him grow and mature not only as an actor, but as a young man, I couldn't be prouder of him! 

Massive congratulations to Barbora Sutovska, who has been offered a place at ALL IN ACTORS on their one year intensive training course. Barbora has been a student at The Acting Studio, fr just over 2 years, and it has been lovely to watch her confidence and her acting abilities grow and improve, I'm so proud of what she has achieved!  

Our guest teacher for May (18th) who will be teaching an ACTING FOR SCREEN workshop is: MARK ASHWELL 

 Mark has spent twenty years working in the creative arts, firstly as a touring musician performing over 750 times around the world in front of live audiences ranging from 6 through to 6 million. His band were voted as one of the top 5 live bands in the UK by the Guardian and they wrote and released albums across the UK, EU, USA and Canada.

 He was the founding director of the world’s first fan-funded record label and fell in love with filmmaking while shooting several music videos with Fabian Wagner,(who went on to win Emmys and BAFTAs for his work on Sherlock, Game of Thrones and Justice League). After finishing his music career Mark went to the Northern Film School to study a Master’s in Filmmaking, specialising in Directing for the Screen.

Since then he has worked with numerous bands and artists, creating release campaigns and videos that have garnered number one Jazz and Classical records. He is a member of DirectorsUK and now runs a small production company focusing on developing filmmaking skills with young adults with SEND and autism.

He also has an undergraduate degree in Drama and has performed theatrically up and down the UK, written and taken shows to the Edinburgh Festival, and was half of a two-man act that performed theatrically staged pieces specifically in stand-up venues.

We are pleased to announce our second MONOLOGUE SLAM. This will take place this coming Friday and will be adjudicated by FRANK  SIMMS, head agent at ASHROW TALENT MANAGEMENT! 

We are pleased to announce that our guest teacher for THURSDAY MARCH 23rd will be the actor and clown/performance artist DAISY FAIRCLOUGH :

Daisy trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Tring, Herts before successfully auditioning for the 2016 National Youth Theatre Rep Company.

After leaving REP Company and securing representation with one of the UK's top agents INDEPENDENT TALENT, her professional credils include:

THEATRE: Faust x 2 : (The Watermill Theatre Newbury) The House They Grew Up In: (Chichester Festival Theatre) Ergo Sum: (The Barbican Theatre London) TV: 'Doctors'- BBC- 'Strike Series'- BBC- 'Living the Dream'- -Sky TV- 'Homegrown'- Channel 4- Pilot for -'The Dark Tower' (Stephen King) Amazon Prime FILM 'Just Charlie' - Seahorse Productions-'Night Out'- Unit 9 Films- 'Finding Dad' We are Mad Women

Having now moved away from 'main stream acting' Daisy was awarded a DYCP (Develop your Creative Practice ) grant from Arts Council England, to develop her love of clowning and physical performance, and recently trained at the prestigious Ecole Phillipe Gaulier in Paris

As well as developing and writing her own show, taking part in 'Clowning' scratch nights and performances, she is currently touring in a 'Little Angel Theatre/ Monstro Theatre' co-production of a childrens puppet show, visiting theatres such as, Theartre Royal Bury-St-Edmunds, The Mill Arts Centre Banbury , The Lyric Hammersmith , The Lowry Manchester, to name but a few.

Our guest teacher this month, for our new 'invite only' ADVANCED ASSOCIATES workshop on FRIDAY NOV 25th,  is JON DAVISON:  

Jon Davison is a clown performer, teacher, director, producer, researcher and musician with nearly 40 years' experience in theatre, street, circus and TV  Having trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where he obtained his PhD in Clown Performance Practice, he is now a Lecturer in Clowning at London Metropolitan University and founder of the London Clown School, as well as being  the author of two books, ‘Clown Readings in Theatre Practice’ and ‘Clown Training, a practical guide’, which have become major textbooks for students of clowning worldwide.

 https://www.jondavison.net/

MICHAEL JAMES back with us on THURSDAY OCT 27th:  

Michael trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Winner of the 2015 Gyearbuor Asante Prize for Acting

TV Credits include: Our Girl (BBC) Outlander (Starz) Knightfall (History) Masters of the Air (HBO/Apple TV) Star Wars: Andor 

Film Credits include: Official Secrets (eOne) Living (Lionsgate)

Theatre Credits include: Fourplay (Theatre 503) The Busy World is Hushed (Finborough)

Our guest teacher this month, on THURS SEPT 15th is the RADA trained actor: TOBY WHARTON 

Toby is a writer and director from South London. He is passionate about creating intimate, character driven stories with a social commentary.Throughout his teenage years, Toby was heavily involved in UK Garage music, performing as an MC on pirate radio and in clubs. He then went on to studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has since played many roles on stage and screen. In 2012, Toby co-wrote and played the lead in the critically acclaimed play, FOG, supported by the Arts Council England and published by Methuen Drama. In 2018, his first short film, Master of Ceremonies, was nominated for Best UK Short at East End Film Festival and was awarded runner up for Best British Short at KinoFilm, Manchester. His second short, Held, was funded by BFI Network and exec produced by BIFA nominated Joy Gharoro‐Akpojotor. His upcoming short, Exchange, is due to shoot at the end of this year. Toby has taught acting in a number of institutions, including: RADA, Bronzefield Women’s Prison and the University of Northampton.

Our guest teacher on THURSDAY JULY 14th, was the Stage Combat teacher: JOE EMMS

Training - Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Theatre includes - The Rubber Merchants (Old Red Lion Theatre) A Midsummer Night's Dream/Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge Shakespeare Festival) Dragon (The Cockpit) 

Film/TV - The Unreason (Candr Pictures) Much Ado (Best Feature - London Independent Film Festival)

Joe started his combat career in British Wrestling where he played many comedy characters in the ring, then moving onto performance fighting and some stunt work. Joe has been a feature fighter on many projects including Channel 4's 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4).

Congratulations to: OLADUNNI ACKERELE, ZAC LADKIN and SAMAD OLUKUNLE, who have all been accepted as members of The National Youth Theatre.

We were pleased to announce that our guest teacher for MAY on THURSDAY MAY 26th, was Nick Harvey:  

Nic trained at the BAFTA award-winning Television Workshop in Nottingham, and as a young actor appeared in Peak Practice, Bernard's Watch, Paradise Heights and two Shane Meadows feature films. He went on to teach, write and direct plays at the Workshop before taking leadership of the company in 2015. He has directed plays with young people including Twelfth Night (Nottingham Playhouse, Shakespeare Youth Festival), The Heights (Stephen Joseph Theatre), The Last Of Joseph Moon (NAYT Festival) and Macbeth (Metronome). As artistic director of his own musical theatre company, he has created shows including Mrs Green (Nottingham Playhouse, Edinburgh Festival) and The Leftovers (Leicester Curve & National tour), and is currently developing a musical about hoarding in association with Curve, The Lowry, National Theatre and the Canadian Musical Theatre Project.  

We were excited to announce that from THURSDAY JUNE 2nd, ALL of our lessons would be held in the WORKSHOP STUDIO at the BROADWAY CINEMA, HOCKLEY NOTTINGHAM. We are thrilled to be able to be a part of the great creative atmosphere this lovely venue imbues!

Hadley Smith

We were very excited to welcome Stage Combat teacher, HADLEY SMITH , as our guest teacher on: THURSDAY 3rd Feb

Hadley trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2015. In his first professional role as Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, he discovered his passion for Stage Combat. He went on to achieve his intermediate and advanced qualifications with distinction before training as an instructor with the British Academy of Dramatic Combat. He has taken this skill into his performance work as an actor, fighter and choreographer working in Theatre, Film and TV. Most recently, he appeared in Wendy & Peter Pan at The Leeds Playhouse in the role of Knock Bone Jones and was fight captain on the show. Hadley also regularly works as a fight performer and body double, most notably for Jimmy Carr on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. As a fight director, Hadley’s recent credits include: The Mirror & The Light (RSC), Macbeth (Young Shakespeare Company) and the upcoming film Wash Day.

Hadley sees Stage Combat as a core skill for any performer, with training allowing the actor to access the extremes of physical story telling while keeping themselves and others safe.

STEVEN KAVUMA

Steven is an actor and theatre director as well as being:

The acting foundation course leader at ARTS ED LONDON

Co-founder/ co-director: UPROOT PRODUCTIONS

Co-founder/co-director THE DIVERSITY INITIATIVE

BRADLEY TAYLOR

Bradley attended the Drama Centre, London, where he was trained classically in Laban, Meisner and Stanislavsky techniques. He has over 10 years experience teaching various disciplines in acting and vocal coaching.

As an actor he has worked on high-profile theatre, television and film projects including ITV’s Dark Heart, Katie Mitchell’s Some Trace of Her at the National Theatre and Kate Tempest’s Wasted, with Paines Plough at the Roundhouse. More recently he has been in BBC’s Eastenders, ITV’s Honour and the feature Surge, starring Ben Whishaw. Bradley is currently the lead in the British Gangster film Silent Night, which had its UK theatrical release December 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5mfsyHp5v0 SILENT NIGHT TRAILER

HANNAH FAIRCLOUGH

Hannah trained at Tring School for the Performing Arts and on graduating at 18, went straight into the international tour of Mamma Mia. She will start rehearsals for the Disney musical FROZEN (Drury Lane West End) in April.

Other theatre credits include:

The Boy in the Dress (RSC) Evita ( Regents Park Open Air Theatre) Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly Theatre West End) The Lorax (Old Vic and Alexandra Theatre Toronto) Colormagic (2 Entertain Norway) Hairspray (UK Tour) Ghost The Musical (English Theatre Frankfurt) The Bodyguard (Adelphi Theatre West End) Soul Sister (The Savoy Theatre West End and UK Tour) Mamma Mia (Prince of Wales Theatre West End)

MARY DOHERTY

Credits include: Bonnie Harris in 'Come From Away' (Phoenix Theatre) / Elizabeth Proctor in ‘The Crucible’& Charlotte Malcolm in ‘A Little Night Music’ (Storyhouse) / ‘Girl From the North Country’ (Noel Coward Theatre) / ‘Twelfth Night’ (The National Theatre) / Queen Margaret in ‘Henry VI Trilogy’ (Shakespeare's Globe) / Lady Rochford in ‘Anne Boleyn’ (Shakespeare's Globe) / Mariana in ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ (Shakespeare's Globe) / Patience in ‘Henry VIII’ (Shakespeare’s Globe) / Toinette in ‘Le Malade Imaginaire' (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) / Mrs Loomis in ‘Inherit TheWind’ (The Old Vic)

MAT MCPHERSON

THURSDAY NOV 19th and 26th: Mat trained in acting at Arts Ed London, and his professional acting credits include: Chariots of Fire (West End) The Tempest (RSC Stratford-Upon Avon) A Midsummer Nights' Dream (Propellor Theatre company, UK Tour)

As a film- maker, he has won “Best Short Film” at the London independent cinema festival 2017, for
“In The Neighbour’s Garden”, a film set in the trenches of the first world war, and “Best
International Short” in 2013, at “Dublin Underground Cinema Festival”, and making official
selection at “Galway Film Fleadh”, with his first ever short,”The Situation Is”.

In these workshops,using the students given duologues, Mat will work with them to develop audio / visual techniques in different and creative ways.

JESSICA TEMPLE

THURSDAY NOV 12th : Jess trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Credits include: TV - Doctors (BBC), Martin's Close (BBC)

Theatre - The Madness of George III (Nottingham Playhouse), Who Cares (Lung Theatre/The Lowry), Romeo and Juliet (Insane Root), Medea (Bristol Old Vic), Peter Pan (National Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (Nottingham Playhouse

This session will help students tackle the modern text of their given duologues, looking specifically at making the dialogue conversational, natural and spontaneous..

Lyle Barke

THURSDAY JULY 23rd & THURSDAY JULY 30th: LYLE BARKE - Lyle trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and has performed professionally as an actor and stand up comedian throughout the UK since 2013. He has performed stand up comedy at places such as The Hard Rock Cafe and The Museum of Comedy and has achieved success in numerous competitions. He can next be seen performing his solo show 'Tragic Potential' at the Museum of Comedy, Covent Garden in October.

Writing and Performing stand up comedy (The hardest job in the world!): 7.00-8.30pm - This workshop will help you understand and begin to build the foundations of Stand-Up Comedy. The aim is to help you discover and develop your comedic style, comic timing, and writing skills through your own stories and ideas.

opencomedy.com/lylebarke

spotlight.com/3214-3496-8042

Student Solo Film Projects

On Weds July 1st, we had the first online screening of our student film projects. They had been given the brief to film a speech of their choice in a creative and cinematic manner, changing the intention of the speech if they so wished.

The results were amazing and I am so proud of the hard work they put in to create the quality of work that they did

Adam Gillen

It was an absolute pleasure to have the amazing Olivier nominated actor, ADAM GILLEN with us for an online Q&A on Thursday June 18th. Adam is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Liam in the TV sitcom Benidorm, but he also works extensively in theatre and can be seen on shortly in The National Theatre's NT Home screening of AMADEUS playing the title role.

Ola INce

On Friday May 8th our older students were given the opportunity to have an online Q&A with the theatre director: Ola Ince https://www.olaince.com/ We would very much like to thank Ola for giving up her time to be with us, in what was a very exciting and informative session! In 2010 Ola graduated from Rose Bruford College with a Frist Class Honors BA in Theatre Directing. In 2012 she was the Borris Karloff Bursary recipient. In 2015 Ola became a BBC Performing Arts Fellow, Resident Associate Director at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Red Women of the Year nominee.In 2016 she became the Genesis Future Director Award winner and Artistic Associate at Lyric Hammersmith and Theatre Royal Stratford East. In 2018 she won the h100 Theatre & Performance Award. In 2019 she was named one of the Elle list’s ‘50 Game Changers of Now’.

INDEPENDENT Talent- May 7th

On THURSDAY MAY 7th, our older students were lucky enough to have a Q&A with Geri Spicer from one of the countries leading agencies : Independent Talent Group  https://www.independenttalent.com/   

We would like to Thank Geri for giving up her time to be with us, in what was a very insightful and encouraging session!  

prasanna puwanarajah & toby wharton- may 14th

On Thursday May 14th we were thrilled to have two Q&A's with the actors, and directors:  PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH and TOBY WHARTON. Both sessions were incredibly inspiring and insightful and we would like to thank them both for giving up their time to be with us!