Staff

PETER ADDIS BA (Hons) Theatre Degree

Co Founder and Co Principal

Peter received a First Class Honours degree from Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, graduating as an Actor-Musician. He initially performed in many typical Actor-Musician shows such as Return to the Forbidden Planet; From a Jack to a King and Buddy on tour and in the West End, as well as appearing in several straight plays and on TV in popular shows like EastEnders; The Bill and London's Burning. However directing, which was always his greatest passion, very soon became the mainstay of his career and he directed The Missing Link (Quantum Theatre), The End of the World Show (Great Escape Theatre); Statements of Attainment (Bradford Playhouse) and Nativity (Soho Theatre). He also directed Love off the Shelf (Guildford Conservatoire) and Children of Eden; Cider With Rosie; HMS Pinafore; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Ruddigore and Once on this Island, all for Arts Educational School in Chiswick. Peter was the Assistant Director on A Delicate Balance (Theatre Royal, Haymarket) and for over seven years was the London Associate Director for the hit ABBA musical Mamma Mia!. Peter was recently appointed Associate Director and Head of Acting at Midland's Academy of Dance and Drama and future projects include Spend, Spend, Spend for Midlands Academy and High School Musical for Arts Educational School.

JACQUELINE ADDIS ARAD

Co Founder and Co Principal

Dance and Drama Teacher 4-6 years

Jacqueline trained at The Academy of Ballet in Edinburgh, during which time she became an Associate of The Royal Academy of Dancing. She has enjoyed a long and successful career in theatre, appearing in productions as varied as the legendary Gaiety Whirl in Ayr to The Merry Wives of Windsor at the prestigious Chichester Festival Theatre. Along the way Jacqueline appeared in pantomimes at Stirling, Motherwell and Ayr as well as Plymouth Theatre Royal and the Birmingham Hippodrome. Having won a scholarship from The Stage she then took a Post Graduate course in acting. Her West End credits include Brigadoon (Victoria Palace); The Laurence Olivier Awards (Dominion); My One and Only (London Palladium); The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Strand); The Killing of Sister George (Ambassadors); Closer (Lyric) and Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward). Latterly Jacqueline moved into Stage Management and ultimately to production where she had the privilege to travel and work as the PA to Judy Craymer MBE, the Producer and Creator of Mamma Mia!. To date the productions of which she is most proud are her two children!

EMMA L SMITH Bmus (Hons) LSMT dip VTCT IIHHT

Singing Teacher 4-6years, 7-9years, 10-13years and 14-18years

Emma graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a upper Second Class Honours degree in Music, before training at the London School of Musical Theatre as well as with tutors from both Mountview Theatre School and the Royal Academy of Music. A trained vocalist, Emma has also appeared as a jazz and big band singer/musician, performing in both the UK and abroad. Emma has performed in productions around the UK and West End: Peter Pan (Oxford Playhouse); The Hunting of the Snark (Sheffield Crucible); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Company (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich) and Sleeping Beauty (Theatre Royal, Winchester). West End credits include: Sunday Night Live at the London Palladium; When Midnight Strikes (Cochrane Theatre) and The Pocket Orchestra (Trafalgar Studios). When not appearing on stage, Emma is in constant demand as a musical theatre tutor for performing arts schools and companies. She tutors workshops for Delfont Mackintosh Theatres to both vocational and non-vocational students on the West End productions of Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera. Her auditioning and coaching of pupils for professional productions is also in great demand - credits include: Les Miserables; Scrooge; Peter Pan; The Wizard of Oz; Turandot; Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Aida; Cinderella; Brian Connolly and Friends; Beauty and the Beast; Jack and the Beanstalk; An Inspector Calls; The King & I; Macbeth; Dick Whittington; NYMT; Waiting for Godot. Her past students have achieved entry into the Arts Educational Schools in Tring and London; The Urdang Academy and Bird College.

CHERRY GRACE

Drama Teacher 7-9years, 10-13years, 14-18years

Cherry is a vastly experienced Children's and Youth Theatre Director who has worked extensively in schools and youth theatres across Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. She initially trained as a performer at the Italia Conti School in London and chose to follow a career of teaching and directing in the world of theatre. She has since taken part in several further forms of training in the dispensing of theatrical skills. For the last 6 years she has been resident children's theatre director for Shed MK Inclusive Theatre, creating drama and productions with pupils from mainstream and specialist schools aged between 6 and 18. Cherry worked for Northamptonshire County Council School of Performing Arts as their resident drama teacher at the Guilsborugh High School. She also teaches singing to youths of all ages and has worked on numerous community theatre projects throughout the local area. Cherry is the founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Re-Gener8 which last winter produced the highly acclaimed production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She is a "Specialist Drama Practitioner" at Stantonbury Campus School (Performing Arts Status) where she was an assistant director on their summer production of Arabian Nights and their Shakespeare's schools festival entry of Much Ado About Nothing in the winter of 2008, both of which were hailed as great successes.

DAVID BALL

Dance Teacher 7-9years, 10-13years, 14-18years

David trained at Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama and Arts Educational School, London. On graduating, David created the role of Frank in the revival of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as well as playing Adam on many occasions. He played Bobby and understudied the Emcee in Cabaret at The Chichester Festival Theatre and went on to play Brad and Eddie/Dr Scott in the European stadium tour of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. David played Macavity and later Munkustrapp in the UK and European tour of Cats, before re-joining the cast of Seven Brides… as Resident Director and Associate Choreographer also playing Ben and, again, Adam many times. The show transferred into the West End for a successful run and David is proud to be the only actor ever to have played six of the seven brothers!! Other credits include: Mr Badger in Lily Savages' Snow White (Bristol, Manchester and West End); Grand Vizier in Aladdin (Theatre Royal, Bath) and Assistant Choreographer on Fred Astaire - His Daughters' Tribute (London Palladium). David has extensive chorographic credits to his name, including 20th Century Musicals (Bonnington Theatre Arnold); Sleeping Beauty (Sheffield Lyceum); Peter Pan (Assembly Halls Tunbridge Wells) and The Third Annual Musical Theatre Celebration (Palace Theatre). David directed and choreographed a new musical Blaze at The Bridewell Theatre in August 2007. David is also in demand as a guest teacher at several Performing Arts colleges around the country. Recently he directed the annual showcase Fusion Forte for Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama and was assistant to the director for their 3^rd year graduation showcase.

EFFIE WARD

Assistant Teacher 4-6year olds and deputy cover all classes

Local girl Effie is currently studying full time on the three year National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre course at the renowned Stella Mann School. She has taught dance at several schools in Milton Keynes and as far afield as Watford. Effie is an accomplished dancer with IDTA Intermediate Tap and Modern and Pre-Associate Ballet certificates as well as being a student teacher of Freestyle. She has appeared in several local productions including 42^nd Street, A Chorus Line and The Games People Play. Effie was chosen to represent Stella Mann College as a dancer in the Move It! Exhibition at London's Olympia in both 2007 and 2008.