issue 13 july 2009 the alumni newsletter · issue 13 july 2009 george hall, former ... cicely berry...

The Alumni NewsletterTHE CENTrAl sCHool of spEECH ANd drAmA, uNivErsiTy of loNdoN

ISSUE 13 JULY 2009

George Hall, former director of stage, remembers Natasha richardson (1963 – 2009)

When an actor’s career spans as many years and covers as many roles as Joss Ackland’s, one has to define him as a legend in his field. Joss has appeared in over 100 movies, scores of plays and a plethora of television programs in his six-decade career. in his recent on-stage meeting with Geoff Colman, Head of Acting at Central, he proved that he can still wow an audience. Here, Geoff explains what it was like to meet the man.

“Even now, writing months after Natasha’s death, I still have an overwhelming sense of incredulity. It doesn’t seem possible that such a rich life could be cut short so quickly and cruelly.

Natasha was a remarkable student in every way. When she auditioned to Central she clearly hoped to be accepted on her own merits rather than on the family name (she submitted an application form that she had made her mother sign as Mrs V Richardson – about as effective a disguise for Vanessa Redgrave as you could get). However, as soon as she stepped on stage, one immediately heard the unmistakable, slightly husky tone of her mother’s voice. And she very quickly made it clear that she, too, possessed a rare talent.

She arrived with a strong sense of theatre discipline and threw herself into every aspect of the training. She also threw herself into student life and was

a great party girl. She had a fantastic sense of humour, of the self-deprecating kind, and a terrific sense of comedy - not always the same thing.

Her final year saw her give a striking performance as the Duchess of Malfi, and I can clearly remember her Judith Bliss in Hay Fever – she was convincing and very funny as a middle-aged star with a grown-up family when she was all of 20.

Her success in the theatre came as no surprise, and it was a delight to see her earn acclaim as Ophelia and Anna Christie. Then, when she repeated the O’Neill part in New York, America claimed her, and her career and family life became centred there.

I saw her briefly last autumn, and she was as lovely and full of life as ever. It was a privilege to teach her, and all the staff and her fellow students will remember her with great love.”

“The preparation for Joss Ackland’s In Conversation visit was an intense and deeply moving experience.

The viewing of so very many films, and subsequent discussion of his performances with those who have worked with him, the lengthy telephone conversations with Joss about his extraordinary life, and the reading and re-reading of his autobiography resulted in a sort of momentary obsessive glimpse of an astounding actor.

Our lives are all in some way accidental, but Joss’s seems to have been sensationally so: his incidental encounters with greatness, his journeys made without the grand or providential map, and a grafting of life and art into peculiar union – all seemingly without design. This was a show that could have run and run. Joss talked about the details of his life: his relationships with Sir

Laurence Olivier, Laurel & Hardy, Tennessee Williams, about great and disastrous fires, and even greater fires of the heart - his wife and family.

Being in conversation with him is like experiencing a sort of pleasurable vicarious vertigo. The generosity with which he offers his professional and personal account is breathtaking. I was reminded of Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape – watching him listen to the various film extracts being shown throughout the course of our interview. His inner thoughts transported – betrayed by the slightest tear or smile.

And despite his attempted casualness, the overwhelming sense from my Ackland encounter was that here was a man who most certainly cared about his craft, his family and about us – the Central community.”

Natasha richardson (dip A 83)

in conversation with Joss Ackland (s 46)

your newsletter is about Central alumni in all fields of work (in the public arena or not) and our content depends on your contributions. if you have news or an experience to recount, please contact the Alumni office at [email protected]. Tel: +44 (0)20 7449 1628.

Natasha Richardson (© Independent Talent)

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CSSD alumni were out in force at the BAFTA Award ceremony on 26 April. Comedy duo Dawn French (T 80) and Jennifer Saunders (T 80) were presented with BAFTA Fellowships, the highest accolade bestowed by the academy and awarded in recognition of an outstanding body of work. The ceremony was hosted by Graham Norton (Dip A 88), and on hand to present awards were James Nesbitt (Dip A 88), Lindsay Duncan (S 74) and Andrew Garfield (BA A 04).

At HM The Queen’s Birthday Honours in June, three Central alumni were celebrated. Cicely Berry (T 46) and Lindsay Duncan (S 74) were awarded CBEs for services to Drama and James Bolam (S) received an MBE.

The Dilys Powell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema was presented to Dame Judi Dench (Dip A 57) for over 40 years of unforgettable performances in classic British films such as A Room with a View and Shakespeare in Love.

Gareth Fry (BATS 96) has received his second Best Sound Design Laurence Olivier Award for his work on Black Watch. The National Theatre

of Scotland’s production of Gregory Burke’s Iraq drama played at the Barbican in June last year. Gareth, who triumphed in the category over Brief Encounter, Jersey Boys and Piaf, won two years ago for Waves at the National Theatre.

Jason Isaacs (Dip A 88) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category Best Performance by an Actor in a (Television) Mini-Series for his performance as Sir Mark Brydon in the BBC/BBC America production The State Within.

Gael García Bernal (Dip A 00) was presented with the Excellence in Acting Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival, USA 2008.

A new award from the Theatre Centre (TC) that is designed to encourage emerging playwrights has been won by Steven Bloomer (BA A 04). The TC Adrienne Benham Award 2009 was presented to the writer, along with a cheque for £2,000, by actress Sandra Maitland.

Caroline Steinbeis (MA ATP 03) has been awarded this year’s James Menzies-Kitchin Young Director Award (JMK Award). The award was

established by the JMK Trust and invites aspiring theatre practitioners under the age of 30 to submit a proposal on how they would direct one of 25 classic texts. This year’s plays were selected by Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd. Caroline will have the opportunity to stage her version of Caryl Churchill’s Mad Forest at the Battersea Arts Centre.

Sebastian Doggart (BA TP 94) has written, directed and performed in a new film called Courting Condi. The critically acclaimed film has already won 16 awards on the festival circuit including the prestigious Leonardo’s Horse Award for Best Documentary at the Milan International Film Festival and the Special Award for Most Creative Concept at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Courting Condi asks if one man with a dream can win the heart of the world’s most powerful woman of the time, the then US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Courting Condi is due for cinema release in September. Sebastian also continues to direct at the Gaia Arts Centre in Havana, Cuba.

Leon Trayman (BA A 06) was awarded Best Director for The Rivals at the Henley Fringe Festival in July. The play also won Best Production.

2 The ALUmNI NewsLeTTeR

We do our best to find out about alumni who receive awards through the press, other alumni and our faculty. please let us know if you receive an award or know of someone who has. Thank you!

performers: Are we on your agent’s email press release list? please ask them to add us, [email protected].

Congratulations to our alumni for their many marks of achievement

Awards and nominations

Clockwise from top left: Dawn French (© Trevor Leighton), Jennifer saunders (© Trevor Leighton), Cicely Berry (© Katerina maoraitis), Lindsay Duncan (© Fatama Lamda), Caroline steinbeis (© Ben Taylor), sebastian Doggart (© sarah hodzic), Gael Garcia Bernal (© Gordon and French), Gareth Fry (© Laura Benedict), Jason Isaacs (© helen Tansey), Judi Dench (© Julian Belfrage Associates).

The ALUmNI NewsLeTTeR 3

Our graduation ceremony on 10 December 2008 was held for the second time at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London. Over 500 students received their degrees, conferred by Sir Graeme Davies, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new alumni to your first newsletter!

Three Honorary Fellowships were presented during the ceremony. The first was awarded to Harold Pinter CH, CBE, who was sadly too ill to attend. Michael Colgan, Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, Dublin, and a close friend of Harold’s, collected the award on his behalf.

Honorary Fellowships were also presented to the stand-up comedian Jo Brand, and puppetry pioneer and former puppetry CSSD tutor Penny Francis MBE. Later in 2009, a fourth Honorary Fellowship was presented to Heiner Goebbels, the international composer and theorist of music theatre.

The 2009 graduation ceremony will be held on 7 December and moves for the first time to the Royal Festival Hall. We are expecting it to be our biggest and best event yet.

international student AmbassadorsThank you to the overseas alumni who signed up to join Central’s International Alumni Ambassadors project. This project is for all alumni living overseas, particularly those outside Europe, who wish to support Central’s international student recruitment. The alumni are acting as the school’s volunteer promoters in their home country. The project is new, but already a large number of alumni have joined the programme. A huge thank you goes out to them all for their support.

To volunteer and potentially become an International Alumni Ambassador, email your postal address to [email protected], or visit www.cssd.ac.uk/pages/alumni to download the guidelines and read more information.

Thank you for your supportinternational student HandbookWe’d like to thank all the alumni who kindly offered us testimonials for inclusion in the school’s new International Student Handbook. The second edition of the handbook will provide a useful resource for non-UK students coming to study at Central. Alumni testimonials are a valuable addition to this year’s publication and ‘speak’ to incoming students about how to get the most out of their experience in London. If you’d like to be on our list for the next subject of this kind please email [email protected]. Our thanks go out to each and every one of the alumni for their support.

majority of Central’s submissions classed as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’

Scores for the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, which measure the quality of research across the higher education sector, were published on 17 December 2008.

Professor Simon Shepherd, Deputy Principal (Academic): “Central is delighted with its profile score which puts just over half of the submitted outputs in the categories of ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’. We have achieved this research growth without compromising our status as a national centre for excellence in teaching, and without undervaluing our high-level industry and community partnerships. We’re shaping an institution unlike any others in our discipline. The step-change has happened. It’s upward from here.”

In the Times Higher Education’s ranking for specialist single subject institutions, Central is placed 8 out of 27 (climbing 26 places from its position in RAE 2001), and positioned as the highest-placed drama institution in this list.

Central praised in research Assessment Exercise 2008

Graduation Ceremony

Left to right: Patrick marbel, Jo Brand, sir Graeme Davies, Penny Francis, Jessica Bowles, Gavin henderson.

Top left to bottom right: Bruce Anderson (© James Doyle), Antonia Batzoglou (© Dimos), morten Cavling Arendrup, Nina Fog (© sheila Burnett), Pieter hofman (© eugene swartz), Kaoru Kuwata (© masashi mochizuki), Joan melton (© mitchell Rose Photography), Jake O’hara (© Pierre Chiha), Bill Pepper (© Thomas Chu), Pamela salem O’hagan (© Dana Patrick), Louise Beckett (© steve woodley), Geoffrey Cantor (© melissa hamburg), John De Luca (© Lynn herrick), Chris hurst, Phil Kingston (© Dave Cullen), Frances Lee mcCain, Lee maxwell, Devlin mann, erick merino, Brennan murphy, Nicola Rae, George sachinis, Jacki simmons, evert Jan steen (© Jess steen), Luke Tudball, margaret Tully (© Claire Grogan) and hang Zhang.



Sara Kestelman’s life seems destined to be intertwined with the Central School of Speech and Drama. Her mother, Dorothy Creagh, was a couturier dress designer and her father was artist Morris Kestelman, Head of Fine Art at the Central School of Art and Design (now Central Saint Martins). He was also a theatre designer for the Old Vic triumvirate of Sir Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and John Burrell at the New Theatre after the war. During this period of his life he had come into contact with Elsie Fogerty (founder of CSSD) and later with Gwynneth Thurburn (former principal) who offered him a teaching position on a stage management course in the 1940s while the school was still based at the Royal Albert Hall.

As a girl, Sara was trained in classical dance, although she admits that by the age of 15 she was struggling to keep up with the other girls in terms of technique. “I was good from the waist up I think…” she laughs. Despite these misgivings, Sara joined an historical dance demonstration troupe led by the charismatic Belinda Quirey, MBE, and in 1960 they were invited to audition for the role of the nymphs in Robert Atkins’s production of The Tempest at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

They were given the job, but as it included midweek matinees, Sara who was still at Camden School for Girls, had to appeal to get Wednesday afternoons off. Fortunately the headmistress, Doris Burchill, was both visionary and sympathetic, and recognised that, with her background, Sara was likely to go into the arts. The headmistress, reassured that it was a Shakespearean play, gave her permission. Sara turned 16 as the rehearsals began and, at the same time, received her probationary Equity card.

Caliban was played by Russell Thorndike, brother of Dame Sibyl. By then 74, Thorndike was a most inspiring and imaginative artist, and took Sara under his wing. Before each performance, she would sit at his feet watching him putting on his elaborate make-up, listening to his quixotic stories and he soon became a mentor to her.

It was Russell who encouraged Sara to think about drama school, something she initially resisted, lacking the confidence through shyness, but Thorndike was very clear: “Believe me,” he told her, “I’ve watched you, and you’re going to be an actor.”

So, with the support of her family, Sara applied to Central, convinced the teachers wouldn’t take her – she was, in fact, offered a place on the spot. At the same time, she auditioned for a grant through the London County Council, but was turned down. “So, one bunch said I wasn’t talented enough, but the other was keen to take me.” It took another two auditions to get the money, and Sara started at Central in 1962.

The end of Sara’s first year at Central was marked by some turbulence with the well-recorded clash of methodologies resulting in the break-away group that eventually formed the Drama Centre. It was an emotional period for everyone involved, and some difficult choices were made. Sara chose to remain at Central while many of her contemporaries decided to leave. Many of the friendships forged then, however, remain as strong as ever to this day.

The following academic year marked a new start for Central and for Sara. George Hall joined the school as Head of Acting and brought an innovative team of inspiring teachers, many of whom he had worked with at the Old Vic School including Litz Pisk and Michael Elliot, who were to help forge the foundations of the remarkable period of work over the following years. They joined those already loyally supporting Gwynneth Thurburn with her wonderful team of teachers: “Thurbie” herself, Virginia Synders, Margory Phillips, and the great Cicely Berry. It was a period of transition for everyone, and remains rich in memories and enduring friendships.

Graduating in 1965, Sara went on to repertory theatre joining the Liverpool Playhouse, followed by the Manchester Library Theatre and eventually joined the RSC in 1968. Early performances included understudying Goneril to Eric Porter’s King Lear, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing, and Cassandra in Troilus and Cressida. The following season, she was invited by Peter Brook to double Titania and Hippolyta in what was to become the seminal production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which she performed over two years in Stratford, London, on Broadway and on tour throughout the USA.

Her work with the RSC has covered many years and roles, including Lady Macbeth opposite Bob Peck, and Goneril to Michael Gambon’s King Lear with Jenny Agutter. She was also nominated for a SWET award for Best Actress for her performance in Nicholas Wright’s The Custom of the Country.

Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Sara balanced her theatre career with television and film, including John Boorman’s Zardoz in which she starred opposite Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling, and was nominated as Most Promising Newcomer. In Ken Russell’s Lisztomania, opposite Roger Daltrey, she also received a Best Actress nomination. In Trevor Nunn’s film Lady Jane, she played Frances Grey, mother to Jane Grey played by Helena Bonham Carter.

Over the last 20 years, Sara has also enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the National Theatre, including performances as Rosalind in As You Like It, Mrs Peachum in The Threepenny Opera with Tim Curry, Gertrude to Simon Russell Beale’s Hamlet, and she created the role of Margrethe Bohr in Michael Frayn’s award-winning play Copenhagen.

One of her most notable performances was as Fraulein Schneider in Sam Mendes’ musical version of Cabaret, for which she received both an Olivier Award and the Clarence Derwent Award (the first actor to win both awards in the same year for the same role).

Sara is also a published poet and writes the songs for her one-woman cabaret show All About Me! which she performed internationally and, most significantly, as part of the New York Cabaret festival at the prestigious Firebird Café.

An active committee member of the Combined Theatrical Charities, Sara sits on the select working committee that runs Acting for Others. She also works for the charity InterAct Reading Service that employs actors to read to stroke patients in hospitals, hospices and in stroke service clubs. Sara is a lead reader, and is making a film about one remarkable woman she works with called Nan Millard.

In 2005 Sara found that her connection to Central came full circle when she began coaching business clients through the School of Professional and Community Development. She was later invited to join the BA Acting staff as a senior lecturer with a particular connection to the Music Theatre Pathway, and in March 2009 she undertook her directorial debut of The Dumb Waiter with a cast of third-year students.

Sara brings a variety of skills and a lifetime of experience to her Central post, and she is keen to offer these back to the school that nurtured her. Sara is proud to be part of the continued tradition of cutting-edge teaching for which Central is internationally renowned.

With over 40 years of industry experience, sara Kestelman brings to her Central teaching post a know-how which is second to none.

Alumni focus, sara Kestelman (dip A 65)


Nonso Anozie (BA A 02) has appeared as Elesin Oba in Death and the King’s Horseman, a revival of the play by Wole Soyinka, at the National Theatre. Set in Nigeria, 1943, the play follows the death of the king and the story of his horseman who must honour the ancient Yoruba custom of ritual suicide to accompany his ruler on his final journey. Nonso has received some fantastic reviews, as well as appearing on the cover of the March/April edition of the Theatre Record.

Sheraiah Larcher (aka Steve) (BA A 04) has worked in theatre, television and the UK independent film industry, both in front and behind the camera, since graduating from CSSD. He has also been part of the CSSD Actor Mentorship scheme working to support some of our 3rd-year acting students.

Recent acting credits include Maaka Lacey in the BBC show Waterloo Road, Bassy in the feature film The Grind for Dangerous Productions, a guest appearance in BBC’s EastEnders and most recently, as a lead, Sean,

in the feature film Baseline, together with CSSD alumni Freddie Connor (BA A 03), Zoe Tapper (BA A 03), and Joseph Kennedy (BA A 04).

Sheraiah wrote, developed and produced Baseline, about East End gangland life, with Connor and Brendon O’Loughlin, the other founding members of their independent production company, FineLight Films. The film is due out in early 2010.

Tom Payne (BA A 05) appeared in Best: His Mother’s Son, a television film that chronicled the life of the late footballer George Best’s mother, Ann, and her battles with alcoholism. The film was broadcast on BBC 2 on 26 April this year, and was watched by more than 2.7 million viewers.

Performance Arts alumna Madaleine Trigg (BA TP 08) performed in and directed her debut piece, Sutre, at Spill Festival’s National Platform in April at the National Theatre Studio. The project was a collaboration with numerous alumni, including Eleonore

Grave (BA TP 07) as assistant director, Daniel Somerville (BA TP 08) as dramaturge, and Charlie Swallow (BA TP 08) as photographer. Current Central students Ben O’Neill, David Alcorta and Jemima Yong were also involved in the project.

Sutre experimented with costumes that evolved, transformed and decayed throughout the performance to examine the relationship between clothing and the female body. The designs were unique, created using sculptural materials such as clay, salt, water and a dissolving embroidered fabric, ensuring that they only lasted the duration of the piece.

The Spill Festival’s National Platform is a new initiative to promote emerging artists within the experimental performance and live art scene. From over 250 applications, 20 artists were chosen to present their work in a programme that included established British and international artists.

We love to hear about what our alumni have been doing recently, and here we cover some of the stories and news from the astonishing variety of careers that they’re pursuing in theatre, therapy, international work, academia, social areas and beyond.

Alumni news

your newsletter is about Central alumni in all fields of work (in the public arena or not) and our content depends on your contributions. if you have news or an experience to recount, please contact the Alumni office at [email protected]. Tel: +44 (0)20 7449 1628.

Clockwise from left: madaleine Trigg (© Daniel somerville), Sutre (© Jemima Yong), sheraiah Larcher (© mark Jonsen), Nonso Anozie (© Garricks), Tom Payne (© Kate Lake).


Lisa Macfarlane seems to have her career mapped out, even before she has graduated. This happy state of affairs has been the result of a combination of Central’s apprenticeship placement system, one or two lucky coincidences and a huge amount of Ms Macfarlane’s own sheer drive and talent.

Lisa was all set to read medicine, not perhaps the most obvious pre-cursor to a career in theatre and, with the right kind of A levels in her pocket, the moment came to fill out her UCAS form. However, Lisa had always adored theatre work at school, (she had a particularly supportive teacher in Janie McGill), but no one realised how much until that moment. UCAS form in hand; she passed over the lists of medical training institutions and applied to drama school instead. Her parents were only aware of this when her interview offers started to arrive; Central School of Speech and Drama did not look like any medical institution they had come across. In hindsight, though, everyone realised this was where she really belonged.

At CSSD, the placements and collaborations came thick and fast. Lisa’s projects included time with Punchdrunk, the preeminent emerging arts company, working on an opera with the ENO and was executive producer of the annual student-run event The Accidental Festival. All allowed her to hone what were becoming notable skills in production for theatre.

At the end of her first year, Lisa met alumna Cressida Brown at the Edinburgh fringe. Cressida

offered her a prop finder job on her site specific production of Phoedre. However, a piece of creative problem solving was to change this. The production ran up against a casting conundrum: A character leading audiences round the building at one point has to move in two directions at the same time. Lisa’s suggestion was that she performed the role along with her twin sister. The critics loved it.

Further collaborations with Cressida followed with increasing degrees of involvement and responsibility including work at the National Studio and two upcoming assignments at the Birdwell Theatre and a West End show next year for which she will be creative producer. The latter is due March 2010 and Lisa will become the youngest producer ever to work there.

Further placements included work with Sue Scott Davison and Erica Fee, and later for James Seabright for whom she has undertaken a number of assignments including working on over 17 different productions he is planning at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe.

Meeting Lisa it’s not difficult to understand why this sparkling trajectory has materialised. She is as sparkling herself. Lisa is adamant, however, that it was Central and the opportunities we gave her during her training that were the doorway she needed. After that it was up to her and so far, it seems she hasn’t missed a trick.

1) A monthly e-bulletin. Sometimes news comes in that cannot wait until the next six-monthly newsletter, such as a job alert or an event that has been arranged by another department at short notice. At the moment, we are emailing you ad hoc, but as the volume of these emails grows, we are anxious not to swamp you. We wonder if it would be better to gather these up into a monthly e-bulletin. What do you think?

2) CSSD merchandise. For the first time last year we gave graduating alumni a key/phone lanyard as a way of identifying yourselves and spotting other alumni at work. We are now considering producing CSSD-branded alumni merchandise such as sweatshirts, mugs, pins etc. Do you have any other suggestions of items you would be interested in buying?

3) Website redesign. Central is undertaking a website redesign project and we have an opportunity to influence some of this during the planning stages. Is there anything that you would like to see implemented? Would a password-protected social networking site be useful? How about an area where you can upload and browse CVs and biographies? Or advertise a job or look for one? Let us know what you think.

Jan Moran Neil (nee Titterington) (T 75 & B.Ed 76) founded her school, Creative Ink for Writers, in 2000 and the theatre company, Creative Ink for Actors, in 2002. Since graduating from Central, Jan has taught Voice and directed at the Dome Theatre, Montreal, and worked extensively in repertory, most notably as the invisible First Fairy in The Dream at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. She has had her two plays,

Blackberry Promises and Brave Hearts and Baggage, published by New Theatre Publications. Jan also works as a features writer for national and local magazines, and her short story Death by Pythagoras won the BBC writers’ competition in 1994. Her anthology of prize-winning stories and poems have been published in Serving Bluebird Pie.

We’re always interested to hear your views and opinions. please let us know what you think of the suggestions below:

Jan moran Neil

New faces

Tell us what you think

This section looks at recent graduates who are already making their mark on the industry. lisa macfarlane (BATp performance Arts 09) is on a Creative Apprenticeship at Central in the Centre of Excellence in Training for Theatre

Lisa macfarlane (© Rebecca miller)

Jan moran Neil (© Gemma mount)


Webber douglas studio TheatreOver recent years, the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art has been part of a developing relationship with the Central School of Speech and Drama. This relationship culminated in 2006 when, following the closure of the Webber Douglas Academy in Kensington, the two schools merged.

It was important to both schools that Webber Douglas alumni felt they continued to have a physical home, and it was with this in mind that it was agreed to rename the Embassy Studio Theatre, the Webber Douglas Studio Theatre.

A ceremony took place on 22 March hosted by our principal, Professor Gavin Henderson and outgoing Webber Douglas principal Raphael Jago. Sir Antony Sher and Sir Donald Sinden made a magnificent presentation while unveiling the dedication plaque. Other notable faces among the crowd included Rula Lenska and Steven Berkoff. Alumni gathered in the studio and thoroughly enjoyed an evening of catching

up with old friends and browsing a plethora of archive material.

The ceremony was an opportunity to mark the huge contribution Webber Douglas alumni have made to theatre over the last 100 years, and to mark a permanent relationship between our sister alumni groups.

New fellows in the Creative and performing Arts Julian Maynard Smith, artistic director of Station House Opera UK, and Nenagh Watson, co-founder of doo cot and artistic director of Barking Dog, are joining Central as part-time Fellows in the Creative and Performing Arts for the next five years.

Sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Creative Fellowships support artists to undertake research in an academic environment and to share the results with peers in higher education and the theatre industry.

Julian’s project explores the dramatic potential of ‘telematic’ performance, in which the internet connects performers in two or more locations. Julian will create an adaptable, mobile telecasting system for use in non-traditional theatre locations and will investigate story-making and dramatic effects in telematic theatre.

Nenagh will look at the dynamics of puppets and objects in performance: specifically at how these are animated to give an illusion of life. Through a series of experiments, she will explore ritual, evocative histories and ‘past lives’ of puppets (including Punch & Judy), audience participation and complicity, and concepts of “private” performance and public exhibitions.

Julian and Nenagh join Jon Davison, who has held an AHRC Fellowship in clown and actor training at Central since 2007.

“I began my research at Central in January 2007. After finishing the MA ATP course in 2006, I started performing stand-up on the comedy circuit. My professional practice is stand-up, but my research looks at participation and spectator engagement, especially in the contemporary fine arts, as a way of unlocking

the many puzzles of comedy performance. The level of technical support in addition to academic supervision at Central is outstanding, and with generous opportunities to present my practice and numerous forums for discussion among staff and students, I’ve been able to turn a curiosity into something much greater.”

Welcome to the section of the newsletter designed to give you a snapshot of the richness, depth and variety of the work going on at Central.

Jan moran Neil

Broderick Chow (mA ATp 06), stand-up comic, returns to Central for phd

News about Central

phd at Central

Clockwise from top left: Julian maynard smith; Anthony sher, Rula Lenska, steven Berkoff and Alexa Jago (© Patrick Baldwin); Nenagh watson (© sheila Burnett); Gavin henderson, Donald sinden, Anthony sher and Raphael Jago (© Patrick Baldwin).


Automation symposium On 22 May, two alumni were part of a group of representatives of the technical departments and courses from nine of the top drama schools in the country who met to discuss introducing automation training to the curriculum. The symposium was hosted by the Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre and instigated by Stage Technologies, a leading automation company.

Representing Stage Technologies were Nikki Scott, Commercial Director, and Alex Hitchcock, Training Development Manager. Alumnus Dave Agnew (BA TP 96), from RADA, and Ben Sumner (BA TP 77) representing Guildhall School of Music and Drama, were joined by delegates from Bristol Old Vic, E15, Guildford, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Rose Bruford College, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and, of course, CSSD.

A lively dialogue opened up and the first step to including this ever-growing technology in taught courses was made. A forum has been set up online, and work has begun to introduce cross-institutional training days each term. In addition, assessor training could be brought into the curriculum as early as September.

dominic lindesay-Bethune (BA dATE 07).Filipino alumnus Dominic brought his performance of Pearls of the East by the Pinoy Theatre to Central on 9 May. The evening coincided with the celebrations of Filipino Heritage Week. A representative of the ambassador of the Philippines, H.E. Mr Edgardo B Espiritu, attended the gala evening.

puppetry festival Alumna Beccy Smith (MA ATP 03) (who now works as a dramaturg for many high-profile puppet theatre companies, and also teaches dramaturgy at several London-based institutions), formed part of the welcome panel for this year’s International Student Puppet Festival at CSSD in March.

Beccy is acting Director of the Puppet Centre Trust as it goes through a period of transition. At the festival launch, Beccy spoke about plans for the Centre, including its support for new and emerging practitioners, its role within the UK puppetry scene in providing support and professional advice for developing work, and its relationship with CSSD in setting up and hosting Graduate Student Companies founded by Central’s Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre. Read more about this festival in the CETT section.

BATp Health & safety passport Workshop On 6 and 8 January this year, Chris Luscombe from Production Safety Limited taught one-day workshops on new Health & Safety regulations, granting participants an industry-recognised ‘passport’ qualification. The day was spearheaded by Nick Moran, Pathway Leader for Design for Performance, and alumni attending included Georgina Alexander (BA TP 08), Kris Box (BA TP 06), Mark Callaghan (BA TP 06), Neil Carson (BA TP 06), Russell Cobden (BA TP 06), Karin Fisher-Potisk (MA MS 08), Jonas Fuglseth (BA TP 08), Jon Hare (BA TP 07), Billy Hiscoke (BA TP 07), Mark Jones (BA TP 06), Jo Mackintosh (BA TP 98), Dan Marsden (BA TP 08), Rachel Nichols (BA TP 08), Phil Nottingham (BA TP 08), Stuart Pardoe (BA TP 08), Andrea Salazar (BA TP 06), Talia Scholar (BA TP 07), Ben Taylor (BA TP 08), Neil Walker (BA TP 07), Ed Walls (BA TP 08) and Kevin Woods (BA TP 08). Staff who participated included Peter Bingham, Steve Heath, Al Noonan, Nick Paddy, Phil Rowe and Alex Turnpenny.

lighting dayAlumni Kris Box (BA TP 06) and Marc Callaghan (BA TP 06) of Liteup Events returned, again with the support of Nick Moran, on 26 January to train other alumni and students on MagicQ, the PC-based lighting control software. Chris Kennedy, of ChamSys, and alumnus Mark Jones (BA TP 06) assisted, and alumni attendees included Matt Daw (BA TP 06), Jon Hare (BA TP 07), Jay Mobbs-Beal (BA TP 08) and Neil Walker (BA TP 07). On the following day, Kris, Chris, Marc and Mark taught current students about the system.

other newsThe Design Exhibition, a collection of work by BA (Hons) Theatre Practice and MA Advanced Theatre Practice students, was attended by a number of Central alumni including Simon Kenny (MA TP 01), who helped the students produce the show, Helen Quinn-Gregson (BA TP 08), who is now working as a freelance theatre designer and model maker, and Ilona Kahn (BA TP 08), who is a freelance costume designer and construction artist.

A number of alumni have been working in the CSSD Wardrobe Department. Lucie Shilton (BA TP 07) has been employed on a permanent full-time basis as wardrobe assistant, Nina Ayresb (BA TP) has worked with Central as costume supervisor for The Year of the Pig, the MA MT musical last term, and Polly Laurence (BA TP 02) supervised The Runners, a third year BA CDT production.

Alex Stone (BA TP 06) continues to work at CSSD both as a Visiting Lecturer and lighting designer.

Matt Daw (BA TP 06) has run a session on sustaining a freelance practice.

Petrus Bertschinger (Dip. SM 84) has been working as project manager and mentor for technical students on the public production of Woyzeck

There is a constant stream of alumni through our doors at Central, and it is hard to overstate the contribution you make when you return. Alumni return as visiting speakers, to collaborate on student projects, to attend reunions, to mentor, and in an array of other guises. if you plan to visit please contact the alumni office on [email protected]. Thank you.

Alumni in the building

Above, left to right: Talelntime (© Pete Le may); Puppetry Festival (© Pete Le may); mark Jones and Neil walter; Automotion symposium.


movement directors in conversationon 21 march, mA movement studies alumni were invited to join an array of leading movement directors and theatre choreographers at a round-table discussion group featuring Jane Gibson (s 67), sue lefton (s 66), Kate flatt, struan leslie, and chaired by mA ms Co-Course leader Ayse Tashkiran (pG Cert 04). Below, Ayse describes the event and why it was such an important day for all involved:

This unique event gathered four leading movement directors who work extensively in British theatre, international opera and film in a conversation about movement. With the aim of capturing the origins of their work, their unique practice and to look forward to the future of movement in the British theatre, the day was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved to learn from these pioneers of the industry.

Now in its fifth year, the MA Movement Studies course is delighted to have hosted movement directors at the vanguard of the field. All of them have taught on the course so it is no surprise that the event attracted more than half of the MA MS alumni, all of whom are out there changing the face of movement. The audience was a ‘Who’s Who’ of movement training in Britain.

The Central School of Speech and Drama has a fine heritage in movement teaching dating from Elsie Fogarty and passing through many others to Litz Pisk, whose seminal work, The Actor and his Body, is still a guiding light for many practitioners and actors.

The MA Movement Studies course is the oldest vocational course for movement teachers and directors in Britain. It was originally conceived by CSSD tutors Vanessa Ewan and Debbie Green, who sought to give title to the vibrant yet highly specific work of actor movement in training.

MA Movement Studies alumni are contributing to the field as directors, teachers and coaches in a diversity of areas such as the RSC, animation, opera and children’s theatre in locations as far a field as Canada, Spain, Mexico, Korea and Japan.

This inspiring event was supported by Central’s Research Office and the Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre.

movement director biogsJane Gibson (S 67) trained as an actress at Central with Litz Pisk and later went to Paris to train with Jacques Lecoq. Influential teachers have included Belinda Quirey, and she has worked as a movement teacher alongside Trish Arnold at LAMDA. Jane works in theatre, film, television and opera. She is a long-time collaborator of Sue Lefton, and associate artist with Cheek by Jowl. Her work includes 10 years as Head of Movement at the National Theatre where she worked with Nick Hytner, Di Trevis, Richard Eyre and Trevor Nunn, while her film work includes Pride and Prejudice and Atonement with Joe Wright, and Sense and Sensibility with Ang Lee.

Sue Lefton (S 66) trained initially as a dancer at the Royal Ballet and at Rambert, then trained as an actress at Central with George Hall and Litz Pisk, under whose auspices she taught movement at Central too. Later in her career, she became Head of Movement at Guildhall. In a career that spans 35 years, Sue has worked in theatre, opera, television and film. Sue and Jane have co–directed numerous productions. Work has include a 15-year collaboration with Adrian Noble at the Royal Shakespeare Company, productions in the early days at the National theatre, and recently, the opera Macbeth at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Sue has also worked as a choreographer on the film Casanova by Lasse Hallström, and with actors John Malkovich and Johnny Depp on The Libertine.

Kate Flatt trained as a dancer at the Royal Ballet School and at London School of Contemporary Dance – her teachers have included Jane Dudley, Nina Fonaroff, Robert Cohan and Joan Lawson. Kate now works in both opera and theatre, and continues to work as a choreographer. Her work includes the creation of the original musical staging of the RSC’s Les Misérables, choreography for Turandot at the Royal Opera House, Peter Grimes and Gloriana for Opera North with Phyllida Lloyd, and Three Sisters and Dream Play at the National Theatre with Katie Mitchell.

Struan Leslie hails from Dundee where he began dancing with Royston Maldoom. He trained as a choreographer and performer at London Contemporary Dance School. Influential teachers include Maldoom, Nina Fonaroff, Belinda Quirey. Struan works in theatre, opera and television, and is the newly appointed Head of Movement at the RSC. Recent movement direction work includes James MacMillan’s opera The Sacrifice at WNO, and Women of Troy and Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre.

Top to bottom: movement Round Table – left to right from back row, Brad Cook, Dodger Phillips, Zoe Cobb, Angela Gasparetto, Dave Nolan, Roanna mitchell, Alice weissbarth, Ros Thomas, Karin Fisher-Potisk, Katherine Thackeray, Diane mitchell, Kate sagovsky, Alfonso Rodriguez, Kieran sheeha, mads Christinsen, Jennifer malarkay, Lenia Tsigeridou, Anna healey, Nicola O’Brien, Anna morrissey, maria Clerks, Lucy Callingford, Vanessa ewan and Ayse Tashkiran Dana mitchell; Vanessa ewan, sue Lefton, Jane Gibson and Ayse Tashkiran; Karin Fisher-Potisk and struan Leslie; Alfonso Rodriguez and Ayse Tashkiran; Anna healy and Trish Arnold. (all photos © Leyla Tashkiran).


swedenBATP Puppetry and Performance Arts students have visited Sweden to tour a new puppetry production developed as a collaboration between BATP Puppetry and Tittut Puppet Theatre in Stockholm. The partnership emerged following discussions between Cariad Astles (CSSD BATP Puppetry tutor) and Sara Bexell (BA TP 07), who has been working full-time at Tittut since her graduation. Tittut is unique, making original work for children under seven; it is the only dedicated puppet theatre in Stockholm working for this age group. Lisa Kjellgren (BA TP 02) also works at Tittut and Charlie Llewellyn-Smith (BA TP 01) has collaborated with them.

The students from CSSD were supported in this project by Central’s Centre for Excellence in Theatre Training (CETT), and were hosted in and around Stockholm by personnel from Tittut. The group performed a new production of The Gingerbread Man, which was developed on site under the direction of Steve Tiplady, an internationally renowned director of young children’s puppetry and Associate Director at the Little Angel Theatre. The show, a comic take on the traditional children’s story, included dough and foil animation and the disruption of a gleaming 50s-style kitchen scene, in which the mother transformed into the hungry fox. Audiences were invited to share in the gingerbread jam at the end of the show.

The production, which was specifically designed for international audiences, performed at Tittut for two days and toured nurseries in Stockholm for the remaining part of the week.

The students worked with artistic director of Tittut, Sven Wagelin, for a period prior to beginning their Stockholm tour. Sven expressed how pleased he was with the partnership, and is considering future projects with CSSD, including further student placements and possible symposia.

CyprusValentina Tamiolaki (MA ATP 08) has been collaborating with Cypriot jazz pianist and composer Stavros Lantsias as Lighting Engineer at the 2nd International Nicosia Documentary Film Festival - Views of the World, at Pallas CineTheatre in Cyprus.

Hong KongNicola Rae (BA DATE 06) is in her third year of teaching drama at a secondary school in Hong Kong as well as studying a Post Graduate Diploma at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in Technical Direction.

The NetherlandsPieter Hofman (SM 67) has retired from Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, as Director of Guest Programming and has been appointed to the supervisory board of the Netherlands Dance Theatre in the Hague.

irelandSue Mythen (MA MS 05) is living in Dublin and teaching Movement Expression for Actors at the Abbey.

south AfricaDelena Kidd (S 55) has recently returned from a six-week season in Cape Town and Johannesburg playing Mrs Patrick Campbell in Dear Liar by Jerome Kilty.

CanadaRobin Evan Willis (MA A 06) returns to the Shaw Festival, Ontario, Canada, to appear in Sunday in the Park with George and Play, Orchestra, Play.

sloveniaAliash Tepina (BA A 08) is working on a feature film in Slovenia, and has recently appeared in episodes of Law & Order: UK and Silent Witness.

KenyaCiara Sutton (BA DATE 06) completed a Masters in International Journalism at University College Falmouth. In 2009, she filmed a multimedia documentary in Kenya on forced migration and environmental refugees, working with human rights groups in the Kibera slum, as well as rural refugee camps. Ciara is about to begin working as an assistant producer at Reuters Financial Television.

usARebecca Root (MA VS 08) ran the inaugural transgender vocal adaptation workshop hosted by the San Francisco LGBT Centre in California. She also later presented her thesis, There and Back Again: Adventures in Genderland, for the American Comparative Literature Association Annual Conference at Harvard University. The thesis is scheduled to be published by the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) this summer in the Voice and Speech Review (USA).

In June, Rebecca held a day-long workshop for Speech and Language Therapists working in the NHS, focusing on transgender voice modification; and in August 2009 will be representing VASTA at the Association of Theatre in Higher Education annual conference in New York.

Thanks to everyone below who has been in touch. As well as news below, read more in Where Are They Now?’

Alumni abroad

Top to bottom: The Gingerbread man (© Louisa Quinn), wagelin Challis and Charlotte Quatermaine (© Karis halsall), Valentina Tamiolaki, Rebecca Root (© Rebecca Root), Ciara sutton (© ed smith), Pieter hoffman (© eugene swartz), Nicola Rae and UCC students (© Ya Ya wong).


Bringing science to lifeDamien Arness–Dalton (BA DATE 06). A Central work placement has led Damien to an unexpected role at the Science Museum.

“I graduated from Central in 2006 from the BA DATE course. On completion of the course, I knew Sally Mackey and Steve wouldn’t be able to hold my hand anymore so off I went into the world of work, with my pink CV in hand and a lavender-scented covering cover.

After the dawning moments of “What the hell am I going to do now?”, I pulled out all my cards. While at Central, I had worked in the Science Museum on my professional placement among the Outreach team. The experience had cemented my interest and passion for working with communities and schools, so I put in an application to work in the Learning and Education Department as an “explainer”.

Now I know all my forces: push, pull etc, and I can recall my GCSE science, but that doesn’t make me a scientist. My degree, however, draws upon the application of drama and theatre and applying those to educational settings. Perfect skills for this job, as the museum has a strong emphasis on “bringing science to life and life to science”. Fundamentally, we aim to provide positive learning experiences and raise the profile of science as a fun and interactive study of the world around us. As an explainer, I engage with visitors and school groups on the interactive

galleries in the museum. We deliver a range of science shows and storytelling using drama and performance. Engaging with visitors and schools on a daily basis develops your presentation skills, as well as putting into practice the theory and content from the DATE course.

Having worked on the museum’s interactive gallery Launchpad, I became involved in a new project that involves taking Launchpad and the Science Museum out into schools on a national level. We travel to 25 schools, from Scotland and the north-west to London. The project aims to get Year 7 pupils to engage with science, and boost their communication and presentation skills. We deliver two workshops and perform a science show called Danger High Voltage. There’s also a Science Night, where students can stay overnight in the museum.

We develop a strong relationship with teachers and pupils, and build a link to the museum regardless of geographical barriers. Working for the Science Museum is great fun, and the work we deliver in the Learning and Education department and Outreach is cutting-edge. I can see my future here for some time. To find out more about the Learning and Education department, visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ outreach.

Thanks to Central for setting me up with such a fantastic placement. Without it, I may have ended up flipping burgers in Mc D’s as opposed to pouring liquid nitrogen over bananas!”

royal opera HouseCaroline Francis (SM 95) has become Performance Support Technician at the Royal Opera House.

“I left CSSD in 1995 with a Stage Management BTEC HND and followed the wardrobe path. Since then, I have worked not only in the West End on plays and musicals, but have also toured in the UK and internationally in television and costume hire. As a freelancer, it’s up to you to chase the next opportunity and that’s how I ended up last September at the Royal Opera House running the opera wardrobe team.

As a rep house, no two days are the same, and depending on which shows you’re working on, you will do a mixture of day or afternoon/evening shifts, with an average of three show nights a week. Each show will have an on-stage-in-costume rehearsal period prior to opening, which will mean you may rehearse one show by day and work on a performance of another by night.

We are assigned to a different area for each opera (principal singers, chorus, actors etc), take responsibility for the care and upkeep of their costumes and, with a team of fantastic dressers, perform any quick changes required in the show. By day, we launder and repair, and keep notes so that the show looks perfect.

Back at Central, I never envisaged myself ending up here, but it is a rewarding job in an amazing building crammed full of talented people – both sides of the curtain!”

slam wrestlingRichard Jubb (BA TP 03) is working as a production manager for UK Wrestling Promotions.

On graduating from CSSD, Richard started to help out a small wrestling school in Sheffield on a volunteer basis. This led him to being introduced to former Frontier Wrestling Alliance promoter and talkSPORT host Alex Shane. Richard was then asked if he could use his stage management skills to help out backstage with Slam Wrestling. He now runs the entire backstage operation of all the live events as a production/stage manager.

Richard’s experience is leading to bigger and better things. He says that a major development involving Shane is set to change the way wrestling is promoted in the UK, and Richard aims to be at the centre of this exciting venture. Wrestling has always been run differently to other entertainment events, and this has been a challenge for a stage manager to overcome, as the wrestlers are not used to having a show run so tightly as Richard runs his. Richard says CSSD taught him how to deal with the challenges of “difficult” performers, and has helped him turn the production values of Slam Wrestling around. He says: “Hearing the comments of the audience and performers about how well the show is run now is worth its weight in gold.”

in this part of the newsletter we like to hear from alumni whose careers have taken unexpected or interesting turns since graduating.

Alumni abroad After Central

Clockwise from left: Damien Arness–Dalton, Caroline Francis (© Peter Chapman), Richard Jubb (© heather Jubb).


Theatre Noise ConferenceCETT, with the Research Office, held its third annual international conference in April. The theme this year was Theatre Noise: the Sound of Performance and delegates from the US, South Africa, New Zealand and all over Europe took part in a challenging and stimulating conference.

Over three days, the Theatre Noise conference explored the sound of theatre through performances, installations, residencies, roundtable discussions, presentations and workshops with sound designers, music directors, voice coaches, composers, installation artists, casting agents, performers and academics. Following the success of the Bar of Ideas at the Theatre Materials conference, it was the Sound Garden that provided the social space at Theatre Noise.

Keynote speakers included Heiner Goebbels, John Collins, of the Elevator Repair Service and the Wooster Group in New York, and Cicely Berry (T 46), the world-renowned voice and text coach. Bruce R Smith, Dean’s Professor of English at the University of Southern California, was the conference respondent.

Other well-known names who took part in the conference were Neil McArthur, John Rigby, Debbie O’Brien, Paul Gillieron and Jeanette Nelson from the industry, and Atau

Tanaka, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Liz Mills, Yvon Bonenfant, John Drever and Michael Bull from academia, as well as Andy Lavender, Ross Brown, Jessica Bowles, Paul Barker, Wendy Gadian, Zachary Dunbar, Gareth White, Tara McAllister-Viel, Katarina Moraitis, Gregg Fisher and Lynne Kendrick from Central. The graphics used in the programme, and on the Theatre Noise website, were designed by Central’s Media Services Manager, Ken Mizutani.

Central alumni took a key part as both participants and producers, including Gareth Fry (BA TP 96), Carolyn Downing (BA TP 02), Donato Wharton (BA TP 08), Eran Natan (MA DMT 07), Paul Groothuis (BA TP 81) and Lise Marker (BA TP 07).

international student puppet festivalThis CETT event, now in its third year, was the perfect opportunity to engage with the current innovative work in puppetry from across Europe and beyond.

In an exciting development, performances took place at Central and at the famous Little Angel Theatre in Islington. International groups joined recent graduates, emerging practitioners and current students from across the UK to showcase their work in the unique environment which was at the heart of the festival.

CETT sponsored Central staff member Cariad Astles and CETT intern Julia Barnett to produce the festival, which included a packed programme of shows, talks and workshops from groups from Sweden, Germany, the USA, Bulgaria, Iran, Jerusalem and Poland. Professional workshops included a TV puppetry workshop with Nigel Plaskitt of Avenue Q, renowned company Forkbeard Fantasy and John Fox, formerly of the company Welfare State International.

Central is the only HE institution in the UK to specialise in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in puppetry.

KleinkunstThis event, which builds on work started in 2007, examines ‘low art’ or short performances that take place in bars, clubs, festivals and other sub-cultural spaces across the UK. Such performance art practice draws on camp and other aesthetics and aims to satirise, parody, steal, borrow, twist and subvert other genres of performance art practice for its own raucous, comic, edgy and controversial ends.

Artists and speakers included cabaret artist Dusty Limits, neo burlesquer Cha Cha Boom, Kill Pussy, male stripper and ‘boi-lesquer’ Chris Davy and trans performer Lazlo Pearlman. Also, Gavin Butt thought through ‘unserious’

The Central school of speech and drama’s Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre (CETT) works to provide a national resource for vocational performing arts training and learning, a focus for theatre research and scholarship, and a site for collaboration nationally and internationally between industry, higher education and specialist training providers. These are some of the highlights of CETT’s work over the last six months.

Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre

Left to right: Our Lady of the Flowers (© Pete Le may); The Runners (© Patrick Baldwin).


responses to ‘unserious’ art, and Claire Nally offered a post-feminist response to the neo-burlesque. Other contributions came from producer Kath Moonan – Bird la Bird – who considered queer femme subcultures.

Set out in cabaret style, the invited audience entered into a fantastically designed atmosphere that sought to picture the underworld of Kleinkunst. Audience members were offered table service and invited to get involved in discussion.

Central staff, Liselle Terret and Jay Stewart, were sponsored by CETT to produce the event.

CETT and the year of Grotowski Fifty years after the founding of the Polish Laboratory Theatre and 10 after the death of Jerzy Grotowski, UNESCO designated 2009 the Year of Grotowski.

Through tutor Tara MacAllister-Viel, CETT has developed a close relationship with the Grotowski Institute in Poland, which has resulted in visits to Poland by Central students and staff.

In January, CETT funded fourteen students from BA Acting: Collaborative and Devised Theatre and two from BA Theatre Practise, along with tutors Tara McAllister-Viel, Catherine Alexander and Aldona Cunningham, to go to Wroclaw in Poland for the first year of the Grotowski conference.

Most of the group then travelled to Brzezinka, the forest base of the Grotowski Institute outside Wroclaw where Grotowski trained his actors, to start work with director Andrei Biziorek on their production of The Runners, which was performed at the Shunt Vaults in March.

During the production run, CETT arranged a round table at Shunt on Song, Memory and Emotion, which looked at the ways polyphonic folk songs evoke emotion and memory for both the performer and the audience. Piotr Borowski, Andrei Biziorek and Joan Mills discussed their experiences of placing these songs at the centre of their creative processes.

In June, another group of students and staff attended the second conference of the Year of Grotowski, where Peter Brook was a keynote speaker.

CETT, with the Research Office, also arranged for the Grotowski Institute’s in-house theatre company, Theatre Zar, to visit Central to give presentations to students and guests.

CETT has also linked up with Paul Allain and the British Grotowski Project at the University of Kent.

issues in theatre trainingCETT has continued its involvement in issues such as disability, widening participation, body image and dyslexia in training for the theatre.

disability symposiumFollowing the collaboration with Graeae Theatre last year, which explored issues of inclusiveness, access and training of students with disabilities in theatre, CETT held a symposium, The Next Stage, in May.

The symposium was attended by academics, practitioners, disability practitioners and widening participation workers from leading drama schools and university drama departments committed to making training more inclusive.

The day focused on the sharing of good practice, identifying ways of making assessment and curriculum inclusive, and identifying barriers (in particular attitudinal) to training opportunities for sensory-impaired and physically disabled artists.

It involved delegates bringing their expertise and experience to look at ways of improving inclusivity through recruitment, auditions, curriculum and assessment. At the end of the day, a list of action points was produced, and delegates gave pledges on how they would take the issues forward.

Continued overleaf...

The Central school of speech and drama’s Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre (CETT) works to provide a national resource for vocational performing arts training and learning, a focus for theatre research and scholarship, and a site for collaboration nationally and internationally between industry, higher education and specialist training providers. These are some of the highlights of CETT’s work over the last six months.

Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre

Left to right: Jessica Bowles (© stan Kujawa); British Heat (© stephen Turner); International student Puppet Festival (© Pete Le may).


Widening participation symposium In June, Richard Harrison, Central’s outreach officer, led a symposium to develop a network of higher education drama providers and theatre organisations which offer outreach activity that introduces people to theatre and supports those who want to study and work in the industry.

The symposium began a conversation among higher education institutions and theatre organisations that would map where some of the activity is taking place, as well as a discussion on the sharing of good practice.

This was the beginning of a long-term dialogue, which aims to reach out efficiently and effectively to as many people as possible.

dyslexia projectFollowing the first stage of the CETT-funded project to develop a model of teaching for Mindfulness and Dyslexia, David Petherbridge, the head of Student Support Services, and Tanya Zybutz, dyslexia support officer, are now developing an online training manual for learning support staff (and eventually students) to use the model. It should be available early in 2010.

The Actor’s Body: identity and imageDebbie Green, CSSD Movement tutor, is leading a cross-college project in opening up discussion on the training actor and her/his body, identity and image. The project aims to promote a robust learning environment that fosters informed and confident attitudes towards the body as a professional tool, and appropriate awareness of Self within professional and industry contexts.

Debbie and CSSD colleagues from actor training, wardrobe, research and student services are working with Susie Orbach, who has been described as “the woman who has defined, highlighted and battled against the eating disorders endemic to our society”. The

project, in the summer term, involved students being photographed and measured before talking about their bodies with Orbach and tutors. This preparation is leading to an Open Space event on 25 September that is designed to promote discussion between practitioners from the higher education/vocational drama sectors and professionals from the film, TV and theatre industries using a psychotherapeutic approach to culture and the body.

links with CamdenCamden Theatres Consortium

CETT is now part of the Camden Theatres Consortium, headed by Chris Mellor, the senior arts development officer for Camden. It was initially formed to make a group bid for the Free Theatre Tickets scheme for under-26-year-olds, but the bid was not successful. Despite the setback, the members decided to continue as a group to develop common interests. A website has been launched to promote the smaller off-West End theatres in Camden. It provides details of the theatres’ shows and other information such as room hire. The website is www.camdentheatres.com/site

Seasonal supper

Last year, CETT commissioned Roma Backhouse and alumna Maddy Jones (BA TP 07) of Hidden Cities to undertake an initial research and development project to establish the current state of the creative networking scene in Camden, and how CETT can become a central hub for enterprise within the arts in the borough.

As part of this, the principal, Gavin Henderson, and head of CETT, Jess Bowles, hosted a seasonal supper to which a number of the local contacts were invited to network over food and wine. The canteen was transformed into an elegant dining space by design student Joe Lucas, and three students from the Musical Theatre strand of the BA Acting course provided a cabaret performance.

Camden Street Arts Networking

CETT, in partnership with Camden Council and the Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN), hosted an outdoor arts networking event. This seminar included presentations from national and London-based festival producers on the challenges in presenting exciting new work outdoors and in non-traditional spaces.

The event focused on the opportunities in Camden to develop performing work outdoors and sustainable festival partnerships in the run up to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad programmes. Practical advice was offered on the funding and promotion of festival work in the borough.

Graduate resident companiesFollowing the successful residencies of Present Attempt and Tessellate, there was tremendous competition for the two places for graduate company residencies this year.

[SEL] Live, with Dan Marsden, Tom Hackley, James Roxburgh, Robyn Clogg, Chris Swain, Ben O’Neil, Jack Knowles and Titania Hanrahan, graduates of BATP, and standnotamazed, with John van der Putt, Lucy Collingwood, Maya Politaki and Filippo Kanakaris, graduates of MA ATP were the successful companies who were awarded the residencies.

Lynne Kendrick is the CETT fellow who is mentoring the companies with Matt Ball of the Camden People’s Theatre, who also happens to be an alumnus.

Coming soon...25 September 2009 An Open Space Forum: The Actor’s Body: Identity and Image.

21-23 April 2010 Theatre Applications conference

Left to right: The Actor’s Body: Identity and Image (© Clare Park); Theatre Noise conference (© stan Kujawa).


innovation schemesHEIF launched the Staff and Student Innovation Schemes in March to encourage Central to become more involved in Knowledge Transfer. This scheme gives staff the opportunity to bid up to £4000 to develop a project or design, and students the opportunity to bid for up to £2000.

The standard of entries across both schemes was very high. Karl Rouse was selected as the successful staff candidate, having proposed to develop an innovative teaching, learning and assessment curriculum to critically engage emerging theatre makers.

There were three successful student candidates: David Hockham (MA PPR) and his clowning company Lost Banditos, who combine clown work with storytelling to explore issues of immigration, migration, diversity and inclusion in the UK, were awarded £2000; Victoria Atkin, from MA Musical Theatre, and her company ActYourAge were awarded £1500 for their proposal to deliver interactive workshops for the older generation to give them an opportunity to ignite their imagination and produce life-enhancing theatre; Connect Four consisting of Matthew Baker, Hannah Jenkins, Victoria Hoy and Katy Morris from BA DATE were awarded £1500 for their project to make a 20-page booklet about using puppetry with autistic children. Our congratulations go out to each of the award winners.

Communication skills trainingHEIF has delivered Confident Communication Skills Training/Interview Techniques for the Shaw Trust, a national charity that supports disabled and disadvantaged people to prepare for work, find jobs and live more independently. The training has been very successful and many participants have since found employment.

HEIF is also offering subsidised Communication Skills Training to SMEs (Small or Medium Enterprises). Members believe they are vital to the success of Britain’s economy and yet our research shows that they tend to lack development opportunities. The training can give companies an edge over their competitors – particularly important in the current economic climate. All of our training programmes are tailored to the specific needs of the organisation and are delivered by specialist communication skills coaches on or off site. If you would like us to contact you regarding business training, or if you know someone who may be interested, please contact us at [email protected], or speak to Emily, James or Amanda on +44 (0)20 7559 3954.

india visitThe School of Professional and Community Development (SPCD) is set to return to Kolkata, India, to deliver Continuing Professional Development courses. SPCD has undertaken a number of projects in India, as a part of its evolving global strategy. The initiative has been undertaken by the School of Professional and Community Development, with the assistance of local area experts and consultants, to study the market trends, opportunities and ground realities of working in one of the fastest emerging economies in the world. They visited Kolkata in January and again in June to deliver short courses in Acting for Camera and Communication Skills training. In July they will also be hosting a drama competition for schools which our principal, Gavin Henderson, will attend.

Higher Education innovation fund (HEif) news

school of professional and Community development

This is our plea to hear more from you! The alumni team is keen to track your progress, so please take the time to send us a few sentences about what you’ve been up to and possibly a photo, too. Don’t lose touch – get in touch!

BATp & BA dATE alumni we miss you!Calling all Theatre practice and drama, Applied Theatre and Education graduates

It would be of great value to hear your experiences of your first television jobs. Is there anything you discovered about the process that could help current and future students? Please email your thoughts to: [email protected] or write to: 47 Hardinge Road, London, NW10 3PN.

Findings may be passed on to course leaders and your views could help us better prepare students for television work. Your opinions will remain strictly anonymous.

mA in Actor Training and Coaching student, stephanie schonfield, is researching television training and would like to canvass your views.

Acting for stage and screen alumni

Professional DeveloPment for actors at the moscow art theatre school (mXat) March and april 2010

the central school of sPeech anD DramaUniversity of London

Two month intensive course:

Fee: £3,000 (includes teaching and accommodation)

Audition date by enquiry

For more information please contact the School of Professional and Community Development on 020 7559 3960 or send an email to [email protected]

> Six days a week practical training (maximum group size of 12)

> acting-Stanislavskian training and chekhov technique

> dance / Ballet> Singing

> Theatre history> learn basic russian> live in well equipped dorms> Taught by tutors from MXaT> Trips to the theatre> Final performance in MXaT studio

Kolkata visit (© Bruce wooding)


research seminars The following seminars and events have taken place at Central since January 2009:

JanuaryRound table and workshop: New theatre development and production. Kate McGrath (co-director, Fuel); David Jubb (co-artistic director, Battersea Arts Centre); Purni Morell (director, National Theatre Studio).

februaryThe Craig Lecture: Actual work, theatre design and creative collaboration Given by Michael Levine (international production designer) in association with the Society for Theatre Research. The directors, Tim Albery (CSSD) and Catherine Alexander (CSSD), also took part, and the respondent was Professor Christopher Baugh (University of Leeds).

Lecture: The role of the artist in dark times Dijana Milosevic (director of DAH Teatar, Belgrade).

Presentation: Academic writing Dr Rowena Murray (University of Strathclyde).

Research presentations: Intentions and spontaneities Paul Barker (CSSD) and Richard Hougham (CSSD).

Round table: Research organisations for theatre and performance Professor Christopher Baugh (the Society for Theatre Research); Professor Maggie Gale (Chair, Theatre and Performance Research Association); Dr Edward Scheer (Chair, Performance Studies international); Professor Brian Singleton (Chair, International Federation of Theatre Research).

marchInstallation: (Re)member Residual Matter, an installation by Dot Young (CSSD), in collaboration with Polly Nash and the Hague-based digital artist Justin Bennett at Shunt Vaults. Part of the Theatre Noise season.

Research presentations: Body, mind and performance Caroline Goyder (CSSD) on actors’ preparation; Dr Tamara Russell (Affective Neuroscience Group, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London) on meditation and mindfulness; Professor Andrew Steptoe (Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London), chair.

may Round table and demonstrations: New developments in object animation and puppetry Presenters included Dr John Bell (director of the Ballard Institute, University of Connecticut) and Nenagn Watson, ARHC Creative Fellow. Jessica Bowles, chair.

Research presentations: New explorations in movement direction and voice direction Tara McAllister-Viel (CSSD) and Ayse Tashkiran (CSSD).

Presentation: The Grotowski inheritance and the Grotowski Year 2009 Jaroslaw Fret (director of the Grotowski Institute, Wroclaw, Poland); Theatre Zar (the institute’s in-house company); Tara McAllister-Viel (CSSD), chair.

June Presentation and round table: The On Theatre project Mick Gordon (director, On Theatre) and Nina Steiger (director, Writer’s Centre, Soho Theatre).

Day Trip: Blast Theory – an immersion A trip to Blast Theory’s workspace in Brighton, hosted by co-artistic director Matt Adams, visiting professor at Central. The day included

a tour of the building, a presentation by members of Blast Theory, and Q&A on technology, interaction and emerging forms of performance with members of the company.

JulyRound table: Pinter from an actor’s perspective This event was part of the Pinter tribute season presented by MA Classical Acting, featuring productions of Pinter’s The Lover, A Kind of Alaska, The New World Order and Precisely.

Symposium: Actor training and the conservatoire: perspectives, pedagogies and practices Presenters included Jane Boston (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art); Niamh Dowling (Manchester Metropolitan University); David Shirley (Manchester Metropolitan University); Shona Morris (Drama Centre); Nick Moseley (CSSD); Martin Wylde (CSSD) and Ros Steen (Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama).

minack festivalStudents from the first year of BA DATE worked in collaboration with Cartoon de Salvo under the direction of alumna Alex Murdoch (BA TS) on this year’s production of The Greek. The performance was based on Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, and performed at the famous cliff-top theatre in Cornwall. Also working on the show were Lucy Baxter (BA DATE 04) as assistant director, and Eddie Latter (BA DATE 07) as company manager.

Accidental festivalSince it was founded in 2006 by the BA Theatre Practice Performace Arts team, the Accidental Festival has seen work from a range of disciplines. Including stage and play readings, theatre, dance/movement, comedy, music, film, photography, lectures, workshops

Event news

Top left to right: Accidental Festival – Karl Rouse, Gavin henderson; Accidental Festival – Jemmina Young, Felix Barret, Joel scott, Cressida Brown; Accidental Festival - savianna stanescu, Lise maker, Caroline Townsend; Accidental Festival - Ruby Baker, Leanne Curtis, Julia Barrett (all images © Caroline Clarke).


and panel discussions, the festival introdces a collaboration across a whole range of disciplines. This fusion of art forms delivers a programme designed to challenge and excite the audience, and this years Accidental Festival, held at the Roundhouse in Camden, 22-24 May, continued this tradition.

As part of this year’s progamme we hosted an alumni reception which was followed by special free entry to one of the evenings events within the festival, a site-performance panel discussion with Felix Barett (Punchdrunk), Joel Scot (Goat & Monkey), Cressida Brown (Offstage Theatre), Hillary Westlake (former Creative Director of Entertainment at Disneyland Paris), and Julian Maynard Smith (Station House Opera). The event was chaired by Nick Kaye author of Site Specific Art: Performance, Place and Documentation.

forthcoming eventsAlumni may wish to attend some of the following events. See Contact Us on the back page of this newsletter if you need more details:

Alumni free ticket night to student productionsEach term, 50 free tickets are made available to alumni for one of our public productions. This year’s productions have included The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter, performed by BA (Hons) Acting Musical Stage Students, and Woyzeck by Georg Büchner, performed by BA (Hons) Acting Collaborative and Devised Theatre Students. Following the performance, we hold a private reception where you can catch up with other alumni over refreshments. For details of the autumn term’s production and dates, please see our website.

Alumni reunion for royal Albert Hall students, 4 october 2009We are delighted to announce that we will be holding a reunion in October for all alumni who studied at the Royal Albert Hall (RAH).

If you studied at the RAH and have not yet personally heard from us please make contact so that we can add you to our guest list.

We are looking for support with this reunion in terms of:

1) Memorabilia for a display; please let us know if you have archive materials dating from pre-1957 that you would be willing to donate or loan to the School.

2) Voluntary support in searching our archive facilities in North London during the summer months – local travel expenses can be paid.

Teaching reunion 59-62Teaching Alumnae Margot Messenger (nee Marguerite Hyde), Carlie Newman (nee Carole Silver) and Carol Allen are planning a reunion of their former classmates at Central in September this year. They were the teacher student class of 1959-1962 and are celebrating 50 years since they first walked through our doors. Please could classmates of this period get in touch with Carol on [email protected]

Edinburgh fringe festivalThe Edinburgh Fringe Festival is officially the largest arts festival in the world and, as you would expect, Central will be well represented throughout the event. Some of the alumni taking part in the 2009 festival are listed below:

Chris Tester (BA A 08) will be performing a one-man adaptation of Gogol’s Diary of a Madman.

John Kachoyan (MA ATP 08) will be directing a version of La Dispute by Marivaux, adapted

by Andy Hyman (MA ATP 08) and starring several MA CA 08 actors: Jessica Jordan-Wrench, Duncan Wilkins, Nicholas Thompson and Elizabeth Sankey.

La Dispute will preview at the Soho Theatre, London, on 23 July and run at Diverse Attractions, 17-22 August.

Lisa Macfarlane (BATP 09) will be working with on 17 different productions during the festival. See the main article on page 6.

Total Theatre Awards CETT is the proud sponsor of the Total Theatre Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009. The Total Theatre Awards have a 20 year history of honouring the best theatre makers at the Fringe. An esteemed panel of critics, producers, programmers, academics and artists judge the awards following a series of conversations about excellence and innovation.

This year, the Total Theatre Awards will be presenting a new cash prize for each winning company to help them document the months following their win. Provided by the Centre of Excellence in Theatre Training this money will enable artists and companies to spend time reflecting on and documenting their work.

Haymarket masterclassSupported by CETT, Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass is taking its unique programme of events to Edinburgh this year. Masterclass aims to offer young people creative opportunities and experiences with leaders of the theatre industry. A programme of talks, workshops, special projects and career advice is intended to give people insight into all aspects of theatre from writing and directing to acting and producing.

Masterclass in Edinburgh takes place between 17th and 21st August at the Pleasance Courtyard. For full information and listings please visit www.masterclass.org.uk.

Event news

Top left to right: Nick Kaye, Cressida Brown and Karl Rouse; Julian maynard smith, hilary westlake and Gavin henderson (all © Caroline Clarke); The Dumb Waiter (© Patrick Baldwin); La Dispute (© elizabeth sankey).


1950s Shirley Jaffe (S 54) has been acting in and directing a number of short plays for festival fringes in Brighton,

Arundel, Edinburgh and Glastonbury. Shirley also premiered a programme of her own poems entitled Family Saga at

Arundel 1960s John Abbott (S 69) has worked in theatre, television and film since leaving Central. He started teaching

full-time eight years ago and is now interim Head of Acting at ArtsEd teaching improvisation, Shakespeare and stand-

up. He also directs projects Carol Allen (T 62) is a film writer/reviewer and works with Carlie Newman for the

Association of Education and Ageing, where she edits the digest and website, helping to promote the benefits of

lifelong learning Margot Messenger (nee Marguerite Hyde) (T 62) has taught children for whom English is not a first

language and is now a complementary therapist and trainer Carlie Newman (nee Carole Silver) (T 62) has spent much

of her life working with elderly people in a number of groups, and now organises holidays for older people 1970s Jill Donker Curtis (T 74) has recently been involved with a theatre company called Tamasha performing Wuthering Heights at the Lyric Hammersmith, London Adrian Pegg (Tech 78) has just finished line producing a series of the TV

entertainment show Beat the Star at Pinewood studios, Buckinghamshire Stephanie Preacher (nee Gresswell) (T 71)

has been on tour in John Godber’s April in Paris 1980s Virginia Hammer (S 88) has founded the Midlantic Theatre

Company and is living in the USA 1990s Ross Anderson (T 93) is Head of Expressive Arts at Hartshill School,

Nuneaton, Warwickshire Serena Bobowski (MA ATP 98) has collaborated with John Bjorgvinsson on performing Piece

of Me – A Second Helping at the V&A Museum, London Kathy Caton (BA DATE 96) is living in Brighton and works at

Broadcasting House, London, at Radio 4 Allison Done (nee Coppock) (T 92) is working as a higher level teaching

assistant in Cambridge Caroline Francis (SM 95) now works as an opera costume technician at the Royal Opera

House, London Joanna MacDonnell (SM 93) is now a lecturer in television production at the University of Brighton

Hannah Ringham (MA ATP 98) has appeared in England by Tim Crouch in association with the National Theatre and

Whitechapel Gallery, London Matt Smith (SM 95) is working as head followspot on Les Misérable, Queen’s Theatre,

London Judy Watson (BA A 98) recently worked on Wallander and appeared in Holby City. She is currently working as

a drama-therapist in her private practice and developing work in theatre under Pre-Sence Theatre Company 2000s Joy Borman (DE 03) is based in Tanzania developing a sexual health programme for radio and SMS for adults in East Africa

Rae Boswell (BA TP 05) is now working at Stratford Circus, London, as creative producer Michael Brett (BA A 08), Kit Harington (BA A 08), Luke Norris (BA A 08), Toby Olié (BA TP 06) and Dave Emmings (BA A 09) will all be working

on the West End production of War Horse Eleanor Buchan (MA CA 08) is a founding member and performer for the

puppet theatre company, Pangolin’s Teatime, and a co-founder of the new writing company Contrived Productions.

She is also part of the production team with the Aitherios Theatre Lucinda Cardey (MA ATP 08) appointed with Paines

Plough as one of Future Perfect Playwrights in Residence. Future Perfect is an award-winning writers’ programme

funded by Channel 4 Jenevieve Chang (MA MS 07) performed in the Jue Music and Arts Festival, in 5th Wall’s

production of Marriage Counselling: Three Sessions at the River South Arts Centre, Beijing Lucy Cullingford (MA MS

05) is a core team member of Stand Not Amazed and part of the Movement Department at RSC Hannah Davies (BA

DATE 07) is the head of drama at Perth high school, a department which she set up alone in her first year of teaching

Robin Dearden (MA ATP 08), Maggie Copeland (MA MT 08), Rachel Hickson (MA MT 07), Riku Rokkanen (MA

MT 08), Danielle Whitten (MA MT 09) and Jonathon Collis (MA TS 08) have all been involved in the Minmay Theatre

Company’s production of Unidentified Floating Object (UFO) performed in June at the Battersea Barge, London Hasan Dixon (BA A 08) has recently appeared as Mowgli in the Birmingham Stage Company’s production of The Jungle Book Rina Fatania (BA A 00) played Ayah in Wuthering Heights at the Lyric Hammersmith, London Matt Forbes (BA A 08)

has recently appeared in Robin Hood (BBC) and Beauty and the Beast (Dundee Rep) Steve Gardner (BA DATE 05) is

now a full-time teacher of drama at Bedales Senior school, Petersfield, and has also spent time teaching at Portsmouth

Grammar and Hampshire Collegiate school Angela Gasparetto (MA MS 06) is Head of Movement at Italia Conti,

London Sue Goodman (MA MS 06) works full time for the RAD Step into Dance programme funded by the Jack

Petchey Foundation and is also artistic director of the Winchester University Student Dance Company Mairi Hayes (BA

To keep this page up to date, we’re dependent on your contributions. Please keep telling us what you’re up to, even if it isn't in the profession you trained in, by filling in the enclosed Alumni form or emailing us at [email protected], or calling on +44 (0)20 7449 1628.

Where are they noW…?

To keep this page up to date, we’re dependent on your contributions. Please keep telling us what you’re up to, even if it isn't in the profession you trained in, by filling in the enclosed Alumni form or emailing us at [email protected], or calling on +44 (0)20 7449 1628.


A 08) has recently appeared in episodes of Holby City and The Bill Peter Hinton (BA A 06) appeared in Cyrano de Bergerac at the Chichester Festival Theatre directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, performing alongside Joseph Fiennes. Peter is

also an acting mentor at Central John Kachoyan (MA ATP 08) has recently worked as the director’s assistant for the

National Play Festival 2009 run by Playwriting Australia and is directing a show, La Dispute, at the Edinburgh Fringe

Festival Raven Kaliana (MA ATP 08) has appeared at Shunt Lounge as puppeteer and puppet maker with Continent

Stories Dance Company in Essential Spaces to Visit from the Past Jack Knowles (BA TP 08) has just finished working

with Phil Gladwell on Katie Mitchell’s show, After Dido at the Young Vic, London Natasha Koechl (MA MS 05) recently

became a Certified Movement Analyst through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in New York and Canada Leonie Kubigsteltig (MA MS 06) has just finished working as assistant director for the Gate Theatre, London Robine Landi (BA A 08) has performed with the Blue Monkey Studio in the production of Circumnavigation at the Redoubt Fortress &

Military Museum in Eastbourne Sheraiah Larcher (BA A 04) has worked in theatre, television and the UK independent

film industry, both in front and behind the camera, since graduating. His film Baseline is due out in 2010 Oliver Lidert (MA A 08) has appeared as Swing in the Lion King at the West End Lyceum Theatre, London Candy Ma (MA A 08) is

appearing as Christmas Eve in the musical comedy Avenue Q, which has celebrated its 1000th performance at the Noël

Coward theatre, London Nari Blair Mangat (BA A 08) has appeared in the West End transfer of Piaf, which moved

from the Donmar to the Vaudeville Theatre, London, in September last year Hari Marini (MA ATP 05) has devised and

performed in PartSuspended’s Un-Re Strict-ed, a new work concerning restrictions upon identity in the urban

environment. The show was performed at the Camden People’s Theatre, London, in May Maja Milatovic-Ovadia

(MA ATP 07) and Sasa Rakef (BA PA 09) have written and directed Product Medea 4.0 performed at the Cock Tavern

Theatre. A brutal, entertaining and ironic spin on the classic tale. Product Medea 4.0 stars Konstantinos Kavakiotis

(MA CA 07) and Jo Faith (MA DP), with lighting design by Roland Glasser (MA ATP 07) and music composed by

James Palmer (MA ATP 09) Anna Morrissey (MA MS 05) is movement director on two productions at the RSC this

season. She is working on The Grain Store, directed by Michael Boyd, and The Drunks, directed by Anthony Neilson

Aoife Mulholland (MA MT 06) is playing Roxy in Chicago with Jerry Springer Brawley Nolte (BA A 07) and Sean Brosnan (BA A 05) star in the short film, My Horizon about a young American living in London trying to come to terms

with his brother’s death Vala Omarsdottir (MA TP 06) recently appeared in Hold Me Until You Break performed by

Bottlefed Ensemble at the Jackson’s Lane Theatre, London Al Parkinson (BA TP 03) has recently finished production

managing the UK tour of David Hare’s Gethsemane for the National Theatre Judith Paris (nee Lassam) (MA VS 03) is

living in Italy and working on a new book Valmike Rampersad (MA AFS 07) has been cast in a new film called Hotel alongside Danny Webb Lorna Rees (BA DE 01) is the new Theatre Development Co-ordinator for Dorset,

Bournemouth and Poole, and co-artistic director of Gobbledegook Theatre Kieran Sheehan (MA MS 05) is part of the

Marion North Mentoring Scheme Award from the Bonnie Bird Foundation Katharine Thackray (MA MS 08) has been

working as a movement director on a youth theatre production of Great Expectations at Jackson’s Lane Theatre,

Highgate, London Vernon Thompson (MA VS 02) works as a tutor co-ordinator in City Lit’s drama department,

overseeing all voice, speech and pronunciation courses, and managing the accredited Drama Foundation Course Kara Tsiaperas (MA VS 06) gave accent coaching for a one-man show in the Monday night series at 59East59 Theatre in

New York City Kate Wasserberg (MA ATP 04) has directed Sons of York and I Wish to Die Singing at the Finborough

Theatre, London Melanie Wilson (MA ATP 01) has taken her one-woman show Simple Girl to the Soho Theatre Kitty Winter (MA MS 05) directed The Elixir of Love at Opera in the Park.

A = Acting AC SD = Advanced Certificate in Speech and Drama AD SD = Advanced Diploma Stage Design AD VS = Advanced Certificate in Voice Studies AMT = Acting Musical Theatre ATP = Advanced Theatre Practice B Ed. DSL = B Ed. Hons. Speech and Drama B Ed. SD = B Ed. Stage Design BA A = BA Acting BA AMT = BA Acting Musical Theatre BA DE = BA (Hons) Drama and Education BA DATE = BA Drama, Applied Theatre and Education BA TP = BA (Hons) Theatre Practice BA TP P = BA (Hons) Theatre Practice Puppetry BA TS = BA (Hons) Theatre Studies BTEC FAD = Diploma in Foundation Art and Design DE = Drama Education Dip AMT= Diploma Acting Musical Theatre Dip. DA = Teaching Course Dip. ST = Diploma Speech Therapy DMT = Post Graduate Diploma Drama and Movement Therapy MA Afs = MA Acting for Screen MA AMT = MA Acting Musical Theatre MA AT = MA Applied Theatre and Drama Education MA ATP = MA Advanced Theatre Practice MA AT DE = MA Applied Theatre Drama Education MA CA = MA Classical Acting MA DMT = MA Drama and Movement Therapy(Sesame) MA MS = MA Movement Studies MA PS = MA Performance Studies MA V = MA Voice MA VS = MA Voice Studies MA WSBM = MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media MVT T = MA Sesame PGCED = PGCE Drama PGCL = PG Certificate in Learning PGCLTHE = Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education PGDip ATP = Post graduate Diploma in Advanced Theatre Practice PGDip DMT = Post graduate Diploma Drama and Music Therapy PGDVS = Post Graduate Diploma Voice Studies S = Stage SLT = Speech Language Therapy SM = Stage Management ST = Speech Therapy T = Teaching Tech = Technical W = Wardrobe

The Central school of speech and Drama, embassy Theatre, eton Avenue, London Nw3 3hY. Tel +44 (0)20 7722 8183 Fax +44 (0)20 7722 4132 www.cssd.ac.uk Alumni Office: Tel +44 (0)20 7449 1628 email [email protected]

This newsletter is written for alumni using information from alumni. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the staff or the governors of The Central school of speech and Drama. This newsletter is printed on

environmentally friendly paper from managed sustainable forests. The Central school of speech and Drama is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, with exempt charitable status, in england and wales under

Company No. 203645. Its registered office is as above. VAT No. GB 672 6982 88.

AcknowledgementsWith thanks to all featured alumni and photographers, and to the following Central staff for their contributions to this newsletter: Caitlin Adams, Catherine Alexander, Cariad Astles, Geoff Colman, Greg Duke, Susan Emanuel, Stephen Farrier, Gail Hunt, Sara Kestelman, Andrew Lavender, Nick Moran, Emily Pollet, James Prince, Meg Ryan, Ayse Tashkiran, Caroline Townsend, Nick Wood and Bruce Wooding. Designed by: Nimbus. Printed by: Disc to Print. Photographs: All credits (where provided) have been included in the newsletter.


James Bree was a British actor who played many supporting roles in film and television. After serving in the RAF at the end of the Second World War, he trained at Central where, in 1949, he won the Fogerty Prize for Best Performance in his final term.

He was probably best known for playing Gumbold in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and for his role as Uncle Arthur in The Jewel in the Crown.

Alumna Laura Stevens (S 51) wrote to us to say, “James loved people and made friends wherever he went – this love was returned at the end of his life in the care and concern shown to him by so many when he was incapacitated by a stoke. Even then, the spirit that always shone out of his eyes was as youthful as ever. James passed away in December 2008, aged 85, and will be sadly missed”.

Lead by a team of students from The Central School of Speech and Drama, Firefly Performance Journal aims to collaborate with universities and arts institutions in both the UK and beyond, stimulating dialogue and opening performance to a broader spectrum of society.

We hope you enjoy reading the issue included with this edition of the Alumni Newsletter. The Firefly team would love to involve you, the Alumni, on developing Firefly further. They are looking for feedback on this issue; what you liked, what worked and what didn’t. In addition, if you would be interested in being interviewed or having your writing, illustrations or designs included in the publication the team would be very interested to hear from you.

Please contact [email protected]. You can also get in contact and read new articles on the website www.fireflyjournal.co.uk.

We would love you to help make Firefly the most discussed student publication in London and beyond. Help us bring discussion about performance to distant audiences. And most importantly, help us challenge the form of art criticism, making it exciting, introspective and interdisciplinary.

In order for us to communicate effectively with you about upcoming events, reunions, work opportunities and much more, it is vital for us to hold your up-to-date contact records (particularly email, which helps us keep costs down). We rely completely on you to keep these details accurate. Ways to contact us are:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7449 1628

By post: Alumni office, The Central School of Speech and Drama, Embassy Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HY, UK

Website: www.cssd.ac.uk (click the ‘Alumni’ tab)Update your contact details using our automated forms on the website.

Christina shewell (v 84)

Voice Work: Art and Science in Changing Voices by vocal teacher and speech and language therapist Christina Shewell is the first book by a single author to merge art and science in the investigation and care of voice for all three major groups of practitioners – speech and language therapists, vocal teachers and singing teachers. The book was published by Wiley-Blackwell in 2009 and is priced at £39.50. Visit www.wiley.co.uk

John Abbott (A 69)

John Abbott has had two books published by Nick Hern Books. His first is called The Improvisation Book (2007), a practical guide to conducting improvisation sessions for teachers, directors and workshop leaders. His second is Improvisation in Rehearsal (2008), which helps actors to inhabit their roles and liberate their creativity. Special alumni offer: both books are available at £8.99 (RRP £10.99), including UK postage and packing. Simply quote “CSSD £8.99” when ordering your copies online at www.nickhernbooks.co.uk.

in memoriam James Bree (s 50)

firefly performance Journal

Can we reach you?

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facebook We now have an official Facebook group. It is designed to let you network with other alumni, and we plan to inform members about jobs, events and other news. To find us, log on and search the groups category for ‘CSSD’, then select ‘CSSD alumni news – official site’.

Thanks from the alumni team Caroline Clark and Zoe Haddock.

issue 13 july 2009 the alumni newsletter · issue 13 july 2009 george hall, former ... cicely berry...

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