Principal and Head of Voice- Kenneth Avery-Clark
Kenneth has recently finished in the West End production of Sweet Charity at Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has 23 years experience in Musical Theatre and has shared the stage with Nathan Lane, Lee Evans, Elaine Paige, Elton John, Liza Minelli, Cliff Richard, Girls Aloud, and Olivia Newton-John, to name a few. He has appeared in the West End productions of Sweet Charity, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Producers, Ragtime and 125th Street. He has toured extensively throughout the US and Canada, is an accomplished writer of both plays and music and is one of London's leading vocal coaches.
Vice Principal and Head of Acting - Mark Goldthorp
Mark recently finished performing at Regent's Park in Stephen Sondheim's musical hit Into The Woods, for which it won an Olivier Award. Prior to that Mark spent two years playing Nicky/Treckie in Avenue Q in the West End. Other West End credits include The Drowsy Chaperone, Woman in White and Les Miserables. He has performed in the UK tours of Me and My Girl, Beauty and the Beast and Whistle Down the Wind. He has also recently appeared in My Family for the BBC.
Acting for Film and TV - Duncan MacInnes
Theatre credits, Edward II (National Theatre Studios), Starman & Hooked ( Ensemble 52/Hull Truck ) Bashment (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Bell Book & Candle (Greenwich Playhouse) The Winters Tale & Coriolanus (English Shakespeare Company) Wind In The Willows ( Haymarket Theatre) 101 Dalmations and Jungle Book(Chester Gateway) Murder With Love & Deathtrap (Nottingham Theatre Royal), Peter Pan (Bristol Hippodrome), Taken In/ Screwface (Drill Hall), Onenite.com (Contact Theatre/Birmingham Rep)
Film & TV credits Mercenaries (ABC), Bashment (Tribecca Film Festival, New York) Retribution (Pridepath Films Cannes Film Festival), FIT, Kick Off ( Team Angelica, Released 2011), Private (Tsarkoe Films,) Casualty for the BBC Radio credits– Sapphire and Steel for (Big Finish & BBC Radio 4) Duncan is artistic director of Glass Curtain Theatre Company and owner of Defcon Films.
Dominic Brewer - Shakespeare
Dominic trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts and received a BA (Hons) in Drama and English from St Mary's University College. He has performed in London's West End, in regional theatres all around the UK and on national and international tours in plays and musicals including Whistle Down the Wind (Palace Theatre and first national tour), the UK première of Hello Again, Passion (both Bridewell Theatre), To Kill A Mockingbird (New Vic Theatre, Stoke), A Man For All Seasons, Treasure Island, Dolly West's Kitchen (all Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Follies (Landor Theatre), Into the Woods (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Not About Heroes (Rock Theatre, Gibraltar), The Tender Land (Arcola Theatre), Harold and Maude (TNT Theatre, European Tour), The Mikado (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough) and Tom's Midnight Garden (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick). Professional Shakespearean roles include the title role in Hamlet, Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, and Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra. Dominic is currently playing Puck on a world tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream performing in countries as far afield as China, Israel, Norway, France, Italy, Malta, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Alex Forster - Head of Dance
Alex Forster is not only an accomplished dancer but is also a successful singer and actor, having appeared both in the West End and in various television roles. He is a living embodiment of our advice to all our students – you need all three disciplines to succeed in musical theatre. His West End credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, We Will Rock You and Sunset Boulevard for the legendary Trevor Nunn. Television appearances include the Al Murray Show, Blue Peter and the IT Crowd.
Ian Knauer - Singing (American Repertoire)
Ian Knauer is originally from the US and graduated with a BFA from the University of Michigan. UK credits: Billy Flynn in CHICAGO (Aberystwyth Arts Centre), Eldest Magician in JUST SO (Tabard Theatre). NY credits include: Rev. Pinker in BY JEEVES (Broadway), STATE FAIR (Broadway), MAMMA MIA! (Broadway), THE MOST HAPPY FELLA (NY City Opera), SOUTH PACIFIC (Carnegie Hall), six shows for Encores! at City Center, Professor Plum in CLUE – THE MUSICAL (Off-Broadway), Herbert in HOW NOW, DOW JONES (Off-Broadway), Barry Manilow's HARMONY (workshop), STEEL PIER (workshop). American and European Tours: 42ND STREET (Billy Lawlor), GUYS AND DOLLS (Nicely), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Captain von Trapp), DOCTOR DOLITTLE, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, SUNSET BLVD., THE WIZARD OF OZ (Tin Man), SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (Gideon). Many films, recordings, corporate events, and concerts around the world.
Alice Fearn - Singing
Alice trained at Mountview Theatre School. Upon graduating in 2005 she made her West End Debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Woman In White” (Palace Theatre) u/s Laura Fairlie. Since then theatre credits include: “Les Miserables” (Queen’s Theatre) playing Factory Girl u/s Fantine and Cosette; "Awaking Beauty" playing Princess Aurora (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough) directed by Alan Ayckbourn; "Annie Get Your Gun" (Young Vic) Ensemble u/s Dolly; Madaleine in "The Umbrella's of Cherbourg" (Workshop) directed by Emma Rice; Rapunzel u/s Cinderella in the Olivier Award winning production of "Into The Woods" (Regents Park Open Air Theatre) and most recently playing Shazzer in Bridget Jones the Musical (Workshop). Alice is currently playing Gingy/Sugar Plum Fairy u/s Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).
Alice was also part of the 21st anniversary recording of “Les Miserables” (Mermaid Theatre) and "Friday Night Is Music Night" (dedicated to Dreamworks music and Shrek The Musical) both airing on BBC Radio 2.
Alice also works regularly as a session singer and has been part of many major movie soundtracks including “Pirates Of The Caribbean”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Mamma Mia", Universal's Grammy Award Winning recording of "West Side Story", Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland", "Clash Of The Titans", "Robin Hood" and many others. In 2010 Alice was backing vocalist for the John Barrowman's BBC show "Tonight's the Night".
Shannon Hudson - Tap (American Style)
Shannon Hudson is a performer, instructor and choreographer having worked in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Shows include: 42nd Street, Some Like It Hot with Tony Curtis, Anything Goes, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Singin’ in the Rain, No, No Nanette and concert work with Especially Tap Company, Sasha Soreff Dance Theater and Wendy Seyb Dancers. Shannon has taught throughout the US at conventions and intensives. Studio instruction includes Steps on Broadway and Dance New Amsterdam in NYC as well as Lou Conte in Chicago. She choreographs for both concert and musical theatre genres. UK television audiences may have seen Shannon as the US Wallcharter in James Corden’s World Cup Live.
Richard Jones - Tap
Richard is currently appearing in the West End production of Crazy For You (Regent's Park transfer). Prior to that he appeared in Me and My Girl in Sheffield after finishing a successful run of in the Menier production and West End transfer of Sweet Charity. Other theatre credits include: Ensemble in Hello, Dolly! (Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre, 2009); swing in Mary Poppins (UK tour); ensemble in We Will Rock You (West End); ensemble and understudy Gus, Joey and Cesar in Saturday Night Fever (West End); and swing and understudy Billy Flynn in Chicago (international tour), Swing in Carousel (UK tour and West End); Skimbleshanks and Mungojerrie in Cats (UK tour); ensemble in We Will Rock You (West End); Aaron in Chicago (West End); Double-J and understudy Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (UK tour); ensemble and understudy Robertson Ay in Mary Poppins (West End and Bristol Hippodrome) and ensemble and understudy Aladdin (The Old Vic). Other credits include: All Time Greatest Love Songs (BBC); Party in the Park, the BRIT School promotional video 2002 (BRIT Awards); Emma Bunton’s video ‘Maybe’; London Rocks (Adelphi Theatre); Michael Bublé for Children in Need; Showtime at the Stadium (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff); Sunday at the Manchester Palace; workshop for Daddy Cool and Absolutely Fabulous. Television credits include: The IT Crowd.
Angelo Ruggieri - Ballet
Angelo comes from Italy, where he studied Ballet, Lyrical Jazz, Contemporary and Repertory at Accademia Napoletana di Danza, directed by Mara Fusco and Teatro Massimo Palermo School. He has danced in Italy and abroad as Principal and Soloist in important productions with many companies such as European Ballet, Password Company, I Due Golfi Ballet, Balletto di Napoli, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Gabriella Riccio Company, Tate Britain, Sainevox Zurich, Arthur Murray Jordan and London, BBC London, Rai ( Radio Televisione Italiana), Sky. He was head Choreographer and Teacher for Bellini Theatre, Diana Theatre, Delle Palme Theatre, Arthur Murray Dance Studio and his own company Dance of Life!, He has also appeared in several BBC dance productions, SKY, Danceart, Ariota Dance School, Arcadia Ballet, and SpazioUno Dance School.Angelo Ruggieri - Ballet
Lisa Donmall - Dance Consultant and Guest Teacher
Lisa most recently played Velma in Chicago in the West End after a successful run in 42nd St. at Chichester Festival. Other West End musicals include The Rat Pack, The Producers, Crazy for You, Sweet Charity, Cats, Anything Goes, and My Fair Lady. She has also worked at the National Theatre in the production of Once in a LIfetime.
Laura Scott Colenso - Jazz Dance
Laura was born in Scotland. She trained at the London Studio Centre under the Tom Merrifield scholarship.
Laura spent several years performing in America, where she has played the roles of ‘Margot’ in The Merry Widow (Houston Grand Opera), ‘Ruby’ in Dames at Sea, ‘Agnes’ in Dancing at Lughnasa (Unity Theatre), ‘Gymnasia’ in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (The Alley Theatre), ‘Jeannie’ in Brigadoon, ‘Louis’ in A Chorus Line, as well as ensemble roles in Singin’ In The Rain and Jekyll and Hyde (Theatre Under the Stars, Houston).
Laura’s UK credits include: Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre) as an understudy to the title role. ‘Diana’ in Sweet Charity (Theatre Royal Haymarket) understudy Nicky. Desperately Seeing Susan (Novello Theatre) understudy for Susan and Roberta. ‘Bubbles’ in Funny Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre). ‘Kate’ in Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre). ‘Rita’ in White Christmas (The Lowry, Manchester) ‘Nicky’ in Jet, Set, Go! (Jermyn St Theatre). Dance Captain for Jack and the Beanstalk (Theatre Royal, Newcastle as well as Ensemble in Gigi (Regents Park) and Pirates of Penzance (Kilworth House Theatre, Leicester).
Keith Wallace - Stage Combat
Keith trained as an actor-combatant at East 15 Acting School and was one of the first to graduate with a unique degree in stage combat & specialist performance skills. He operates as a freelance fight consultant and stage combat teacher for theatres and acting colleges across the UK, alongside frequent work for the National Film & Television School. Keith also continues to work as a performer, appearing recently in the channel 4 Back from the dead series and the Medieval epic Ironclad. He has just finished working as a fight performer for the upcoming west end production of Singin’ in the rain.
Guest Tutors include:
Dianne Pilkington - Recently played Glinda in Wicked at the Victoria Palace Theatre
Matthew Brind - Currently the Music Director of Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre
Chris Key - Currently Music Director on Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre
Alice Fearn - Currently appearing in Shrek at Theatre Royal
Jez Unwin - Currently appearing in Ghost, the Musical in Manchester, then West End transfer
Will Barrat - Currently appearing as Raoul in Phantom of the Opera (Past credits include Carousel, The Producers & Les Miserables)
Petra Synowski - Currently Associate Director on Wicked. Past credits include Associate Director on The Producers and Ragtime
Adam Lenson - Assistant Director on La Cage & The Musicman (Chichester). Director on Little Fish and Ordinary Days at the Finborough Theatre and Trafalgar Studios
Peter McCarthy - Musical Director on The Sound of Music, Les Miserables & Cats
Ian Stroughair - Chicago (and played Mary Sunshine) in West End and Cats on tour
Alex Forster - Spent 3 years in We Will Rock You, and has toured Europe extensively as a principal dancer.
Giles Taylor - Acting credits at Regents Park, Chichester & The National Theatre
Paul Ferrel - Performing in The Phantom sequel Love Never Dies. Past credits include Cats & Mary Poppins on tour and West End
Nigel Lilley - Recently the Musical Director on Sweet Charity at Theatre Royal, Haymarket. Past Credits include Spring Awakening.
Image of Kelly Renders from our production of BRAVADO
