BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance

Initially developing dance and theatre school provision, Victoria moved swiftly into further education and apprenticeships in performing arts and sport, with programmes receiving external recognition such as ‘Outstanding’ judgements (Adult Leaning Inspectorate), Beacon status for teaching and learning, and professional industry acknowledgement. This led to partnerships with higher education providers, and the development of the musical theatre provision at Trinity Laban.

As a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Trinity Laban Senior Teaching Fellow, Victoria is committed to access and participation, and the development of teaching and learning environments that support progression and achievement. Most recently, she has utilised her MSc in psychology to research the area of mental health and wellbeing in tertiary musical theatre education settings, identifying how programmes and interventions can be established to support the development of good mental health in educational setting, and when transitioning into employment.

Victoria believes that the student is the absolute centre of the learning journey, and that it is important to support personal development beyond the core curriculum outcomes, fostering the unique individual and personal identity within the learning community.

Victoria is a Trustee for a growing Multi Academy Trust in Kent and External Examiner for other Musical Theatre programmes across the UK .

Creative Outputs

Performance credits include: Aladdin, Cinderella and Humpty Dumpty (Millfield Theatre), A Chorus Line (MYT), Fran in A Christmas Carol (Terry Hawes Productions), Aida, MTV, Dream Team (Hewland International), 100 Years of Cinema (Mermaid Theatre), Lead vocalist and dancer for various cabarets.

Choreography Credits include: Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Bugsy Malone, Oklahoma, Little Shop of Horrors, Dick Whittington, Wizard of Oz, Oliver, Corporate Events, Cabarets and College Showcases.

After gaining an MA in Music Performance from the University of Southampton, Rhona trained at the Guildford School of Acting, where she was awarded the Professional Development Award on completion of her studies.

Theatre Credits of note include: The Light In The Piazza (Royal Festival Hall / LA Opera / Chicago Lyric Opera); Flowers For Mrs Harris (Chichester Festival Theatre); Moonfleet (Salisbury Playhouse); The Addams Family (Original UK Cast); Oliver! (The Watermill Theatre); Saturday Night Fever (UK Tour and English Theatre, Frankfurt); Grease (Ljubljana International Festival, Slovenia); Legally Blonde the Musical (Original UK Tour); Billy Elliot the Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre); Chess (Oslo Spektrum, Norway); The Pirates of Penzance (inaugural performance at the Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire); 42nd Street (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton).

Rhona has also performed extensively as a soprano soloist. Concert experience includes: Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia (Wells Cathedral); Ravel’s Sheherazade (Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton); Haydn’s Nelson Mass; Charpentier’s Te Deum; Vivaldi’s Gloria; Mozart’s Coronation Mass; Handel’s The Messiah, and she has also been a soloist at Westminster Abbey.

Television and radio credits include: Tonight at the Palladium (ITV); Harbour Lights (BBC); the recording of the theme for The Ashes (BBC Radio); Soap and Glory (commercial).

Finally, Rhona is also an accomplished pianist, saxophonist and bass player and has performed in many bands, pit bands, with a Rock n’ Roll group called The Daisy Chains and on stage as an actor-musician.

Verity is also an experienced session and concert singer and has sung backing vocals for Dionne Warwick and Josh Groban, performed in three Proms and a national tour with the John Wilson Orchestra, and was a featured vocalist in a collaboration with the English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall entitled Strictly Gershwin.

Educationally, Helen holds a PhD in Surveillance Performativity/ Immersive Performance from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, where she was a recipient of a Research Bursary under the tutelage of Professor Stephen Farrier. She holds an FHEA through Trinity Laban, an MA Performance Practices and Research, also from RCSSD, and a BA First Class (Hons) Acting from Bretton Hall.

Helen’s directing credits include Amour, The Beggars Opera, Company, Electra, The Dreaming, The Pirates of Penzance, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Anything Goes, Epsom Downs, Zombie Prom, many industry-showcases and various devised and research-related, personal works. As a guest director for The Dot Collective – a theatre company ‘[…] with access needs at its core, reducing isolation for those with additional needs and dementia’ – Helen has, most recently, collaborated in research and development for Project Portmanteau, in addition to co-directing the 2023 tour of Alice’s Adventures in Aerieland.

Helen has several practice-based research avenues, including, Meisner Technique for Neurodivergent Student-Actors, Immersive Performance, and Surveillance Performativity in Public Space, about which she has presented a number of papers at a variety of academic conferences.

Helen continues to work as an actor. Her theatre acting credits include, classical (mostly Shakespeare) and contemporary non-musical and Musical Theatre (the latter, including Les Misérables, Singin’ in the Rain and the UK premiere of Lippa’s John and Jen). Helen’s experience in television – much to the amusement of her students – includes roles in BBC’s BAFTA winning Trapped and the BBC-British Museums collaboration Relic: Guardians of the Museum (also BAFTA winning).

In 2019 Ashley began teaching at the Guildford School of Acting, GSA, across Masters, Degree and Foundation courses. She had her own cohorts of Musical Theatre Foundation students and currently teaches the Masters, MFA’s, Degree & Foundation Actor 1-1 Singing lessons. Ashley achieved her Singing Teacher Fellow status through GSA in 2021 gaining a Fellowship in Higher Education, FHEA.

Ashley runs her successful teaching practice, AK Vocal Training for a range of clients in theatre, television, film and bands. Clients also include those preparing for professional auditions and Drama School places.

She has been the resident Singing & Vocal Coach at Queen Mary’s College since 2004, leading Singing technique and performance classes, audition workshops and show prep along with 1-1 tutoring.

Ashley was one of the first to graduate from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in 1999 with a BA (hons) Degree in Music, Performing Arts. Alongside performing and recording as a Singer Songwriter under management between Dublin and London, Ashley was teaching Singing throughout these years carrying on from her classical based training while brought up in Dublin, Ireland.

BA(hons) Degree, Music Performing Arts (LIPA)

FHEA, Singing Teacher Fellow (GSA)

He holds an MA Theatre and Performance and a BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance. Blair’s research interests include queer utopian performance, trauma and voice, Bourdieu’s theory of practice and education, disability in performance and rehearsal and has presented his research at the 10th Estill World Voice Symposium in 2021, the Voice Geek Conference 2019 and has published a chapter in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Education: Perspectives and Practices. Blair is a performance artist and songwriter, releasing his first album in 2014, and writing and performing a solo stand-up experimental cabaret in 2018. He is currently working on combining live art with rock music in an experimental performance exploring queer magick and mythology. He has worked as a Vocal Director on a range of shows and is currently the Vocal Consultant on a number of fringe productions in London. Blair is passionate about working with and coaching queer, trans and non-binary performers and has extensive experience of facilitating a safe learning environment for clients and colleagues from the LGBTQIA+ community.

His other main interest is as an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals; this work has taken him all over the country and abroad. Bryan is also a member of the music examining panel for London College of Music Examinations.

Bryan has sung extensively in Opera Houses – mostly on the continent – and in Musical Theatre in the UK. Recent performances have taken him around the UK, and to Cyprus, Norway, France and Hong Kong. He also has extensive tv, radio and recording experience. Bryan relaxes by reading, gardening, attending theatre performances and by teaching skiing!

Since her time at RAM, Charlie-Jade has maintained both a steady performance career and a successful teaching career. She is currently the Associate Teacher of Singing at LAMDA, and teaches across the BA & MFA Professional Acting, MA Classical Acting and MA Musical Theatre programmes. She also teaches on the BA Musical Theatre programme at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and prior to these appointments taught on the BA Actor Musicianship programme at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and on the BA Musical Theatre programme at Laine Theatre Arts. She runs her private studio for professional voice users, The Practice by Charlie-Jade, teaching singing and supporting singers’ health. She adopts a person-centred approach to her teaching and continues her own professional development collaborating with specialist clinicians, including a voice specialist ENT, and observing them in clinic.

Her experiences as both a student, singer and teacher, alongside a keen interest in singers health and psychological perspectives on the voice inspired her to accept a place to study the MSc in Performance Science at the Royal College of Music from which she graduated with Distinction in 2023. Her MSc research investigated experiences and perceptions of health and wellbeing within a drama school context and the findings inspired her to pursue doctoral research. Supervised by Professor Aaron Williamon and Dr Anna Detari, Charlie-Jade’s PhD research will investigate health literacy in drama school students, staff, and graduates, before working with her own research findings, current literature, and clinical experts to develop a health intervention for this educational context.

CJ has starred in countless West End plays and musicals including 42ND STREET (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), SMALL ISLAND (Olivier, National Theatre), 101 DALMATIANS (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Royal Exchange), OLIVER (Cameron Mackintosh Tour), RENT (Duke of York’s), PIAF (Donmar/Vaudeville Theatre), WOMAN IN WHITE (Palace Theatre), THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Rose Theatre), CHESS (Oslo), THE KING AND I (tour), SINATRA WITH THE NELSON RIDDLE ORCHESTRA (UK tour and London Palladium), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Frankfurt), ZIPP! (Duchess Theatre).

Workshops include HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, PINOCCHIO (NT), & JULIET, PUMP UP THE VOLUME, THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE, THE BUTTERFLY LION, THE IRON WOMAN, THIS IS A LOVE STORY, HEEL, LITTLE BEASTS, THE PIED PIPER.

As a singer, CJ has toured globally as a soloist, including Tokyo, Shanghai, Macau, San Francisco, Paris, Dubai, Milan for clients such as Swarovski and David Beckham. She has appeared with opera band Amici Forever and Incognito Artists. She also sang for the QUEEN’S GOLDEN JUBILEE (Buckingham Palace).

Her TV and film credits include CALL THE MIDWIFE (BBC), THE MYSTERY OF MARILYN MONROE (NETFLIX), GALAVANT (ABC), SMALL ISLAND (NT LIVE), BEYOND THE FENCE (SKY ARTS). She starred in the short film MOUSIE (set in 1936 Berlin and starring as Katharina) winning several film festival awards including BEST ACTRESS at the SOCIAL FILM FESTIVAL ARTELESIA. She plays Stina in new award-winning comedy TV series THE PLAYERS. She appears in the RICHARD RODGERS CENTENARY GALA (BBC4/Theatre Royal Drury Lane).

As a recording artist, CJ appears on THE LIGHT PRINCESS Original Cast Recording (Universal/Tori Amos) and has recorded demos for BBC and SKY including OTHERWORLD and PSYCHOBITCHES. Her vocals were also used for THE HURLY BURLY SHOW (Garrick Theatre). As a voiceover artist, CJ has a list of credits including the voice

of ITV PLAYER, narrator for YOU ARE AWAKE (Channel 4) and playing characters for BILLIE AND THE GHOST (DISNEY).

She is also a qualified yoga and meditation teacher and loves to bring an essence of mindfulness to all of her teaching.

Training: ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC (PGDip), Winchester University (First Class BA (Hons) Drama, Theatre and TV); Estill Voice Method Levels 1&2 (Anne-Marie Speed); Meisner technique (Actor’s Centre, London); Yoga and Meditation instructor (200hr East & West RYS Yoga Alliance).

Theatre credits include: The Book of Mormon (UK/International Tour); Annie (UK Tour); Madagascar the Musical (UK Tour); Sunset Boulevard (UK Tour); Annie (Cork Opera House); Starlight Express (Germany); Saturday Night Fever (Frankfurt); Grease (UK Tour); An Evening of Dirty Dancing (UK Tour); Taimid Seanachai (Toronto, Canada); High School Rocks (UK Tour); Zombie Prom (Landor, UK Premier); Peter Pan (Derngate); Snow White (Hawth); Dick Whittington and Aladdin (Gala); and the Royal Masonic Variety Show (Prince Edward).
Film and Television credits include: Wicked: Part One; Axe Gold Commercial; Clive in Nickelodeon’s hit sitcom Genie In The House; and dancing for Tim Minchin’s Canvas Bags video. Darren is passionate about the voice. He is a qualified Vocal Health First Aider, has completed his Advanced Professional Diploma in teaching contemporary singing through The Voice College, and teaches at institutions including The Miskin Theatre and Trinity Laban Conservatoire.

www.darrenjohn.co.uk

Recent performances include Dutch National Opera, Oxford Lieder Festival, Mozarthaus- Vienna, Musiekgebouw aan t’Ij – Amsterdam and the Britten Pears Young Artist programme at Snape Matings. Grace was a recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon/ Universal Music in Paris for an album of operas arranged for five female voices.

Grace currently teaches at Mountview, LAMDA and Bird College as well as at Trinity Laban. She is a certified Vocal Health First Aider and is currently training with Anne Marie Speed as an Estill Master Trainer. She has been a regular accompanist for the International Opera Awards Young Artist masterclasses and has lead workshops for Opera Holland Park.

Hollie’s creative credits include Musical Director for The Choir of Man (Arts Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Tampa Straz Center, Niagara Avalon Theatre, Coventry Assembly Garden Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Daegu International Music Festival, Norwegian Escape & Norwegian Encore); Musical Director & Vocal Arranger for A Very Bublé Christmas (Kilworth House) and A Grand Night for Singing (Swansea Grand Theatre); Show Musical Director for Jack and the Beanstalk (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch); Tap Choreographer for Beauty and the Beast (Watford Palace).

As a songwriter, Hollie’s music has been compared to the likes of Sara Bareilles and Regina Spektor. Hollie’s single “Violet” was played on BBC Radio 2, by Phil Williams sitting in for OJ Borg, and BBC Radio Kent on Abbie Mac’s BBC Music Introducing programme. Hollie has co-written and recorded the vocals for several Dance and Latin tracks with producer Tony Brown, which feature in numerous episodes of the Netflix Docuseries, Hype House. She has also written the book, music and lyrics of brand-new musical, YOU, ME & the rest of the world, which featured at West End Live in 2024.

A multi-instrumentalist, Hollie possesses an ATCL Diploma in Solo Piano, in addition to playing the saxophone, guitar, drums, double bass, clarinet, accordion and ukulele. She was awarded the Trinity College London Silver Medal for Piano in both 2004 and 2006, and was nominated for Outstanding Female Dance Performer at the Latin UK Awards in 2019. In 2024, Hollie was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music by the Honours Committee. Associateship is awarded to alumni of the Academy who have distinguished themselves in the music profession and made a significant contribution in their particular field.

Performing roles include: Social Worker in The Enfield Poltergeist (Apple TV); PC Rook in Wonder.land (National Theatre); Fellowship / Senses and Wit: TOUCH in Everyman (National Theatre); Ms Mason in Cool Rider (Lyric Theatre); Clare in Bare (The Greenwich Theatre); Sister Berthe in The Sound Of Music (Regents Park); Mamma Mia (Prince Of Wales and Novello); Maxine in Stepping Out, The Play (Union Theatre); Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace Theatre); Shenshen in Wicked, Original London Cast (Apollo Victoria Theatre); Mrs Bixby in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (UK Tour); The Full Monty, Original London Cast (Prince Of Wales Theatre); Judith in Elegies (Bridewell Theatre); The Narrator in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK Tour); Mona Kent in Dames At Sea (Prince Regent Theatre).

Other roles include: Madame Delila and Mrs Thatcher in Dr Who – The Ultimate Adventure (Audio, Big Finish Productions); Mother in Little Women (Workshop).

Recordings: Muppet voiceover artist for Sony PS3, Little Big Planet (Sony), Love Never Dies (Really Useful Group); Elegies For Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Okai Collier)

I was a founder member of the New D’Oyly Carte Company at the Savoy: Yeoman of the Guard (Sgt Meryll), Iolanthe (Private Willis), Mikado (Pish Tush) and Pirates of Penzance (Sergeant of Police) (last one recorded), and spent several years at the Coliseum with English National Opera playing in Pacific Overtures (Shogun’s Mother) – coached by Stephen Sondheim! died and went to heaven!, Die Fledermaus (Frosch), Street Scene (Harry Easter) (there was a lovely young song and dance girl called Catherine Zeta Jones in the cast – I wonder what happened to her?), and Orpheus in the Underworld (Mars). All of those recorded as well.

Trips abroad include: Paris for Curlew River; the Batignano Festival in beautiful Tuscany, singing Il Ritorno D’Ulisse in Italian to an Italian audience (brave or what!), United States and Ludwigshafen with ENO, and Opera Omaha and Portland Opera for My Fair Lady (Col Pickering). Short National Theatre season at the Royal National Theatre in a new opera, Baby Doll as Archie Lee. With Modern Music Theatre Troupe I had some quick changes in Stephen McNeff’s The Waste land at the Covent Garden Festival (also in Hay-on-Wye where it rained so hard we couldn’t hear the orchestra in the big plastic tent!). Lots of great stuff with Music Theatre London Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte, Boheme, Falstaff, touring the Netherlands, and seasons at the old Drill Hall, London.

With Lincoln Theatre Royal I did Annie as well (Daddy Warbucks) and took that and Peter Pan (Captain Hook) to Malaysia, 6000 feet up a mountain. Also with them I was in a comedy called Five Blue Haired Ladies on a Green Park Bench (Marvin, William Morris and Richard) which did a season and a tour.

At the Players’ Theatre Club I was a Music Hall Turn and was often the Chairman, introducing the acts and interacting with the audience.

Most recently I’ve been working with Charles Court Opera, a vibrant young company, doing Pantos, Gilbert and Sullivan and avant-garde concerts, and had three summers in Buxton at the International G&S Festival As Mikado, Private Willis and Adam Goodheart (not all at the same time, though!).

I’ve got quite a long recording catalogue; and on TV Crackerjack (Crackerjack!)in which I was a jewel thief disguised as Cyrano de Bergerac, Get Well Soon (Doctor Waxman), and Cambridge Spies (Sir Clive Woodham).

Films for Capriol Films include Falstaff on location at a derelict Golf Course in Norfolk; La Boheme on location in a newly redeveloped part of Greenwich; Warlock: Some Little Joy (Augustus John), and Draw on Sweet Night (Anne’s Father). For Porterhouse Productions, Out of the Shadows (Dr Winston), this one with a Red Carpet Gala.

I’m on the Vocal Faculty at TrinityLaban Conservatoire in glorious Greenwich. Many of my past students have gone on to success in the West End and International stages, and in films and television. I still teach privately.

I’m so lucky having been able to meet and work with the greats of the entertainment industry, Sir Tom Allen, Leslie Crowther, Arthur Askey, Sir John Tomlinson, Lynda Baron, Michael Ball, Keith Warner, Anthony van Laast and Kenn Oldfield, to name but a few!

Verity is also an experienced session and concert singer and has sung backing vocals for Dionne Warwick and Josh Groban, performed in three Proms and a national tour with the John Wilson Orchestra, and was a featured vocalist in a collaboration with the English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall entitled Strictly Gershwin.