Core Tutors

Management TeamCore Tutors

Greg Arrowsmith

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Dean Austin

Dean Austin

SENIOR MUSIC CONSULTANT

Ste Clough

CHOREOGRAPHER
Michael Fry

Michael Fry

DIRECTOR | WRITER
Scott Harrison

Scott Harrison

SENIOR MUSICAL THEATRE CONSULTANT

Leontine Hass

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | VOCAL COACH
Mark Hedges Headshot

Mark Hedges

DIRECTOR | CHOREOGRAPHER
Tim Jasper Headshot

Tim Jasper

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Harry Kershaw Headshot

Harry Kershaw

ACTOR | IMPROVISOR | WRITER

Martina Laird

Martina Laird

ACTOR
Ian McFarlane

Ian McFarlane

DIRECTOR | WRITER

Adam Meggido

ACTING COACH | IMPROVISATION

Penny O'Connor

TEACHER | PLAYWRIGHT | DIRECTOR | ACTOR
Ben Papworth

Ben Papworth

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Arlene Rolph

Arlene Rolph

VOCAL COACH

Matthew Samer

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Charlotte Scott

Charlotte Scott

DANCE TUTOR

Sam Spencer-Lane

MOVEMENT AND DANCE COACH

Danielle Tarento

PRODUCER | CASTING DIRECTOR

Kathy Taylor-Jones

VOCAL COACH
Mark Turnbull

Mark Turnbull

DIRECTOR | ACTOR

Gareth Valentine

MUSICAL DIRECTOR | CONDUCTOR

Ché Walker

DIRECTOR | PLAYWRIGHT | ACTOR
Amy West

Amy West

DANCE TUTOR
Headshot Placeholder

Khiley Williams

CHOREOGRAPHER

Harry KershawHarry Kershaw Headshot

Actor | Improviser | Writer

Harry is an actor, improviser and teacher. Harry trained at RADA and is co creator of Mischief Theatre and their Olivier Award nominated improvisation show ‘Mischief Movie Night’ in which he is a regular performer. Harry also teaches at LAMDA and for Mischief theatre.

As an actor Theatre Credits include:  The Madness of George III (Nottingham Playhouse/NT Live), This House (NT/ UK Tour), Mischief Movie Night (West End/ Tour), The Play That Goes Wrong (West End), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Tour, West End, Pleasance), Lights! Camera! Improvise! (Various), One Man Two Guvnors (West End) Edmond De Bergerac (Birmingham Rep/ Richmond Theatre). Film work includes: Great Expectations and Skyfall, Television includes The Emily Atack Show, The Interceptor, Omid Djalili’s Little Cracker, Switch, Cuckoo, Wallander and Endeavour. Harry is about to take over as the Mind Mangler In ‘Magic Goes Wrong’ in the West End.

Kathy Taylor-Jones is an opera singer and singing teacher/coach; she has appeared with many companies in the UK and abroad, has given numerous recitals and concerts, and runs a private teaching studio in London. She is singing with English National Opera this season, in productions of The Passenger and Eugene Onegin.

Kathy recently sung the role of Frau Schulz in Mendelssohn’s rarely performed Heimkehr aus Der Fremde (The Homecoming) with Ryedale Festival Opera and Grimeborn Festival at the Arcola Theatre in London. She appeared as the French Mother in Yoshi Oida’s acclaimed production of Death in Venice at the Aldeburgh Festival and the Bregenz Festival, Austria, where she also sang the role of Allure in Playing Away, directed by David Pountney. Other roles include Carmen, Marchellina (The Marriage of Figaro), Berta (The Barber of Seville), Mrs Noye (Noye’s Fludde), The Mother (The Consul). With D’Oyly Carte at the Savoy Theatre in the West End, she appeared in Iolanthe, Yeoman of the Guard and HMS Pinafore. At Buxton Opera House G & S roles have included Leila (Iolanthe), Inez and Vittoria (The Gondoliers) and she has sung Pitti-Sing (The Mikado) for Carl Rosa Opera Company. In 2007-8 Kathy joined Opera North Chorus appearing in Peter Grimes, Madame Butterfly, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and in the premiere of Jonathon Dove’s new opera Pinocchio. In 2008-9 Kathy worked with English National Opera Chorus, for productions of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Aida, The Magic Flute, La Bohème, Boris Godunov, and Dr Atomic.

In addition, Kathy has narrated A Soldier’s Tale for Hand Made Opera, and Façade for both The Opera Project and Hand Made Opera.

In addition to teaching at the Advanced Performers Studio, Kathy has taught/coached at GSA Conservatoire and other performing arts institutions; has given numerous workshops on singing and performance in the UK, and runs weekend residential classical/music theatre singing courses in the Midlands. She also has a busy private practice in London. Many of her students (past and current) have enjoyed considerable success, gaining places at major drama schools and music colleges, and appearing in west end shows and touring productions, including Joseph, Rocky Horror Show, Evita, Les Miserables, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Wizard of Oz, Dancing in the Streets, Hairspray, Love Never Dies, and Sweeney Todd.

Arlene RolphArlene Rolph studied at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, The Royal College of Music, London and the National Opera Studio. After receiving a distinction in her Masters degree in Opera she was the recipient of many wards including the Richard Lewis/Jean Shanks Award from Glyndebourne Festival Opera and won second place in the Kathleen Ferrier competition at the Wigmore Hall. She was associate artist at Welsh National Opera from 2003-2005.

Arlene enjoys an international career having appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival, Frankfurt Oper, Theater and der Wien, Staatsoper Berlin, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera. Grange Park Opera, English Touring Opera, Music Theatre Wales and the Batignano Festival, Italy. 

She has sung under the baton of Carlo Rizzi, Diego Masson, Carlo Franci, Maurizio Barbacini, David Hill, Rene Jacobs, Rinaldo Alessendrini and Richard Farnes. She has been directed by Neil Armfield, David McVicar, Anthony MacDonald, Elaine Kidd, Deborah Warner, John La Bouchardiere, Michael McCarthy, David Hermann and Dale Duesing. She has sung at many high profile concert venues and specialises in new music and contemporary opera. She created and premiered the roles of Jane Claremont/Monster by Sally Beamish. Mother/White by Gareth Williams and Mother/The Letter by Khodosh all for Scottish Opera. For Music Theatre Wales created the roles of Woman/Crime Fiction by Huw Watkins, Mother Superior/Gloria in “Letters of a Love Betrayed” by Eleanor Alberga and the title role of Julie by Philippe Boesmanns. She took the lead role in Michael Berkeley and Ian McEwan’s opera “For You” and has workshopped new works with in association with Covent Garden. 

Alongside her performance career Arlene is very active in creating and progressing educational and inspirational music projects. She co-directed and co- founded the award winning contemporary opera company NOISE (New Opera in Scotland Events) which commissions and produces new opera in Scotland.  She is a vocal teacher at her own practice in Brighton, in schools across Sussex and Kent, at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and has taught on the opera course at the Royal Conservatoire for Scotland. 

Arlene co-directed and co-produced an empowerment forum for singers at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, London in August 2012 bringing the global community of opera singers together to inspire success, survival, employability and solvency in the classical music industry. Through focusing on the unique individuality of the artist, business skills and performance techniques, Arlene now runs Vocal Entrepreneur, one to one career coaching, group CPD and products for voice users in the 21st century performing arts. 

Adam Meggido founded The Sticking Place with Paul Cronin in 2001. He created Britain’s Only Festival of Horror Theatre and Grand Guignol, playing annually since 2004 (nominated Peter Brook Award 2007); co-created Showstopper! The Improvised Musical with Dylan Emery (Winner Spirit Of The Fringe Award 2009, nominated for 2 MTM Awards); created the London 50-Hour Improvathon (the only event of its kind in Europe); he also enjoyed a five-year collaboration with Ken Campbell, creating The School Of Night and In Pursuit Of Cardenio.

Adam studied drama at Birmingham University and trained as an actor at Webber Douglas – although he cites his years with Claude Chagrin (formerly of LeCoq) at the French Institute as the most important part of his training.

From 1995-1999 he was a director of Counterpoint Theatre, an innovative company which merged business with the arts. (‘Admirable verve and commitment.’ – The Observer. ‘A sound piece of enterprise.’ – The Sunday Telegraph.) With Counterpoint he performed in, directed, developed and produced a number of plays and musicals including the first uncensored revival of Willis Hall’s classic – The Long And The Short And The Tall (at the Albery, West End); Punch Junkies by Greg Hobbs (Critics’ Choice – The Scotsman); Stand-Up by Roy Smiles (Critics’ Choice – Time Out); The Streets of Dublin (Brixton Shaw); The Greenhouse Effect (Riverside Studios) and the glam-rock award-winning musical extravaganza – Saucy Jack And The Space Vixens (Queen’s Theatre, West End and UK tour.)

Directing credits include As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Natural Perspectives, One Small Thing, Robin Hood (Creation Theatre); and as Sticking Place director – Psychogeography, The Better Half, The Lie, Dark Meaning Mouse, The End of The Sentence, Reanimator, The Premature Burial, My Favourite Murder, The Disappearance and two of his own plays – Stress and Best Men – for the Guerrilla Theatre Experiment.

He also wrote and directed of Chaos of Delight (Soho Theatre) and Teenager In Love for the National Youth Theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations. His other plays include – Nina, Resurrection, Mr Israel, Burlesque, Misdirection and The Christening.
Adam is Head Of Foundation at The London Academy of Music And Dramatic Art and an Associate Director of The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

Leontine Hass – CEO

Founding Principal | Vocal Coach
Leontine Hass is an internationally renowned Vocal Coach and Principal of the Associated Studios London Performing Arts Academy.

Leontine Hass is currently vocal coach for Motown at The Shaftesbury Theatre London. She has served as vocal coach to Matt Henry (Lola in Kinky Boots West End), Alice Stokoe (Sophie in Mamma Mia, West End), Gloria Onitiri (Lead in The Bodyguard & Hair, West End), Claire Sweeney (Tell Me on a Sunday) and many other leads and swings in the West End, national and international tours of productions such as Thriller-Live, Oliver!, Carousel, Parade, Tell Me on a Sunday, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Witches of Eastwick, Nine, The Wizard of Oz, Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Cats, Sister Act, We Will Rock You, Footloose, Wicked, The Sound of Music, Ghost, Hairspray, Porgy and Bess, The Bodyguard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jersey Boys, Barnum, Miss Saigon, Book of Mormon, Mamma Mia, In the Heights, The Color Purple, Memphis, Spamalot, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Aladdin, Chicago, The Pyjama Game, Kinky Boots and the upcoming production of Dreamgirls.

Leontine coaches members of The Swingle Singers, Collabro, The Magnets, The Sons of Pitches and classical singers with ENO, Welsh National Opera and ROH, as well as Pop/Rock/Jazz singers. Leontine was the Vocal Coach for shows including the London premiere of Bernarda Alba the Musical, and currently the a cappella hit, ‘Gobsmacked’.

Leontine teaches workshops and lectures internationally on singing, voice and performance. She rehabilitates voices after surgery, or as surgery prevention. She has taught at leading Music & Drama Schools including GSA Conservatoire, the Oxford School of Drama, Mountview, LSMT, YMT, The Brit School, La Salle (Singapore), the Queensland Conservatorium, Centre Stage and The VCA (Melbourne).

Leontine has acted as vocal consultant to various music management/production companies, including ITV and the BBC. Leontine is vocal coach for ‘The Voice’ for BBC TV. She was featured as a mentor/vocal coach on the Gareth Malone show, ‘The Naked Choir’, for BBC2 and will also be involved with Series 2. She is a regular columnist at voicecouncil.com and for The Stage newspaper. She is a contributor to ‘The Singer’s Complete Guide to Vocal Health’ (Oxford Uni. Press), and advisor/contributor to ‘The Ultimate Guide to Singing’ published by TC Helicon in 2014.

Having originally trained as a classical singer (BA, Melb. Uni, BMus. Kings College London, Dip. RAM), Leontine has performed as a singer and actress in concert, theatre and TV.

Leontine is the CEO/Founding Principal of the Associated Studios Performing Arts Academy London, which she founded in 2007, then based at The Royal Academy of Music. Associated Studios provides full-time and part-time training and professional development in Musical Theatre and Opera (www.associatedstudios.co.uk). The Board of Directors includes Rory Bremner (Chair), Patrick Lawrence QC and Dr Christopher Stewardson. Patrons include Sir Tim Rice, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy Herrin, Timothy West and Scott Alan.

Leontine is represented by Lesley Duff at Diamond Management.

Michael FryMichael Fry

Director | Writer

Michael has worked as director and writer at theatres including the Liverpool Everyman, Nottingham Playhouse, Mercury Colchester, Watermill Newbury, Cambridge Theatre Company and for the Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne. He was Arts Council Assistant Director at Chester Gateway and Arts Council Associate at the Nuffield, Southampton. Work in London includes the Young Vic, the Lyric Hammersmith, the Gate, Soho Theatre, the King's Head, the Royal Court and the National Theatre. His plays and adaptations have been performed in theatres throughout England, America and Australia. He has been artistic director of Floorboards Theatre Productions, Great Eastern Stage and Not the National Theatre, senior lecturer in acting and directing at Coventry, Middlesex and London Universities. Teaching at UK drama schools includes Arts Educational, Drama Centre, Mountview, Central, Drama Studio and East 15.

Mark HedgesMark Hedges Headshot

Director | Choreographer

Mark has worked exclusively in musical theatre for 20 years. He has most recently been the Resident Director on Andrew Lloyd Webber & Cameron Mackintosh's production of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre and Childrens' Director on Les Miserables - London & UK Tour.

Mark is also a Choreographer and choreographed Three Phantoms (UK Tour and China), Celebrate Christmas (Royal Albert Hall), The Sound of Music (International Tour), Willy Wonka (Duntac Theatre, Dubai), A Midsummer Night's Dream (UK Tour) and What the Ladybird Heard (UK Tour).

Amy WestAmy West

Dance Tutor

Amy trained at the Urdang Academy and graduated in 2013 with a 1st class honours degree.

Amy is due to be a Swing and 1st cover Female Authority figure for Hairspray at the London Coliseum in March 2021.

Theatre performance credits include: Robin Hood Pantomime (The Cliffs Pavilion), Annie (UK Tour), Eugenius! (The Other Palace), Annie (Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto, Canada), Annie (Piccadilly Theatre), Annie Get Your Gun (Union Theatre), Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre), Jersey Boys (UK Tour), Tophat (UK Tour) and Ghost (UK Tour).

Ben PapworthBen Papworth

Musical Director

Ben is a musical director and musical directing credits include: Pirate Queen Music Assistant (The London Coliseum); Aladdin Pantomime (Daryl Back, White Rock Theatre Hastings); Tori Scott Pickled (UK Tour); Little Women (Italia Conti); Stages Fest MT Cruise (Royal Caribbean); Piramania! (Edinburgh Fringe 2019); Misfit Warrior (Edinburgh Fringe 2019); Singeasy (Piano Works West End); Bad Girls (Upstairs At The Gatehouse); Zelda Workshop (The Other Palace Studio); The Big Smoke Festival (The Other Palace Studio); Keith Kat Klub (Phoenix Arts Club); The Wind In The Willows (The Alban Arena. St. Albans); Equinox (UK Tour); Island Song (Tristan Bates Theatre and The Nursery Theatre); Snow White and Beauty and The Beast (Rhodes Arts Complex, Bishop’s Stortford) and JMT (Arts Educational Schools).

Tim JasperTim Jasper Headshot

Musical Director

Tim is a Musical Director who currently works at the University of Cumbria with Prof. Graeme Danby and Prof. Valerie Reid, both of English National Opera. He is also a pianist at Sage Gateshead. He was assistant MD at London's Brick Lane Music Hall in 2016 and has played for the likes of Kerry Ellis, John Partridge, the Zoe Birkett Academy and Jacqueline Hughes. He was assistant MD to Stuart Pedlar on a recent production of Into The Woods. He has 5 ABRSM Grade 8s and is MD with Shone Productions. Tim has vast musical theatre experience, with a particular passion for the music of Stephen Sondheim and has formed the North East Stephen Sondheim Theatre Company.

Mark TurnbullMark Turnbull

Actor

Mark has been a professional actor since 1982 after training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art having been born in Zimbabwe and immigrating to the UK in 1977. He spent 20 years working in repertory, West End Theatre and completing many foreign tours. He played major roles which included Jean Valjean (Palace Theatre) and Frank'n'furter (Piccadilly Theatre) and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar (European tour).

Mark spent the late '90s as the Artistic Director of 7 Arts Theatre and Associate Director of REPS theatre in Harare, There he produced and directed many major musicals including Rocky Horror Show, The King and I, Annie Get your Gun, Queen - almost!, Cinderella (pantomime), Guys and Dolls along with several Shakespeare plays and youth theatre productions.

His most recent directing credits are as director of My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in 2019/20 which were both large scale community musical theatre projects.

As a musical theatre tutor he ranges across acting techniques based on traditional British classical craft/Stanislavski Method of Physical Action/ Viola Spolin improvisation / Practical Aesthetics as explored my Macey/Mamet.

Charlotte ScottCharlotte Scott

Dance Tutor

Charlotte is originally from Norwich and went on to train professionally at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts graduating with a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre.

In the West End, Charlotte has understudied and played lead roles such as Miss Honey and Miss Wormwood in the RSC's Matilda, Hope in Urinetown, Kathy Seldon in Singin' in the Rain and Glinda and Nessarose in Wicked, as well as dancing alongside Strictly Come Dancing's Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace in The Last Tango.

Regional and touring credits include: Glinda/Aunt Em in Wizard of Oz (Blackpool Opera House), Me and My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre), Jellylorum and understudy Grizabella in Cats (International Tour) and dance captain in The Rocky Horror Show, Fame and Footloose.

Martina LairdMartina Laird

Actor

Martina has worked extensively in the industry as actor and teacher.

Theatre work includes The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre, The Almeida Theatre, The Royal Court, The Tricycle, Shakespeare's Globe, Theatre Royal Stratford East and the Donmar Warehouse.

Having appeared in many television series, Martina is best known as the popular character Comfort Jones on BBC's flagship drama Casualty. In her five years on the show she also won two acting awards for her work from the Michael Elliott Foundation and the BFM (Screen Nation) Awards.

Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane

Director & Writer

Ian is a director and writer whose work spans plays, musicals, comedy, and film. As well as staging existing writing Ian has a vast amount of experience in creating new work; he has developed shows with Dame Gillian Lynne, Olivier Award Winning West End and Broadway producer Tristan Baker, SONY and the Blackpool Grand Theatre, to name a few.In 2019, Ian was commissioned by the Blackpool Grand Theatre, to write and direct their first in-house production, as part of their 125th birthday celebrations. The show was Around the World in 80’s Days an adaptation Jules Verne’s novel, with a score of 1980’s chart hits.Ian's other work as both directing & writing includes Betwixt! (Trafalgar Studios) The Revellers Society (Touring) The Three Musketeers: All For One & Every Man For Himself! (Kenton Theatre) Enchanted (Courtyard Theatre) Forever Oz (Assembly Theatre) Sleeping Beauty (Kenton Theatre) Jack & the Beanstalk, and Sleeping Beauty (Rhodes Arts Complex).

Ste Clough

Choreographer

Ste hails from West Yorkshire, and trained at Arts Educational, London. Graduating in 2009 gaining a BA Hons in Musical Theatre.

As a Choreographer and Movement Director, Ste’s credits include; ANYTHING GOES (Lost Theatre); LOCKHART (Mountview); A SUBJECT OF SCANDAL & CONCERN (Finborough Theatre); GODS & MONSTERS (Southwark Playhouse); PETER PAN (Barking); SNOW WHITE (Runcorn); BURNING PICTURES (Music Video – Kristofer); WEAVE (Music Video – Inca Maps); THE FORTUNETELLERS which are performing around the UK.

Theatre credits include: Jeff in the Original London Cast of GROUNDHOG DAY (The Old Vic, London); Tom in the Original UK Cast of BIG THE MUSICAL; Swing and understudy Bob Gaudio/Tommy DeVito in JERSEY BOYS (UK Tour); Swing and understudy Galahad/Lancelot/Bedevere) in SPAMALOT (UK Tour); Swing and understudy Tommy/Foster Wilson in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (UK Tour); Horton The Elephant in SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL (Arts Theatre); Pig/Dragon Puppeteer and understudy Lord Farquaad in SHREK THE MUSICAL (Original London Cast Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Chalmers and understudy Will Parker in OKLAHOMA! (UK Tour); EVITA (UK Tour); BETWIXT! IN CONCERT (Ambassadors); Bacchus in ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD (Opera Holland Park).
Film and TV includes: LIKE MINDS; MACBETH; Henry VI/Richard III in THE HOLLOW CROWN and PEAKY BLINDERS.

Ste has also been teaching for over 10 years and has taught at multiple London Colleges like; ArtsEducational, Mountview, Performers and AMTA.

Leontine Hass – CEO

Founding Principal | Vocal Coach
Leontine Hass is an internationally renowned Vocal Coach and Principal of the Associated Studios London Performing Arts Academy.

Leontine Hass is currently vocal coach for Motown at The Shaftesbury Theatre London. She has served as vocal coach to Matt Henry (Lola in Kinky Boots West End), Alice Stokoe (Sophie in Mamma Mia, West End), Gloria Onitiri (Lead in The Bodyguard & Hair, West End), Claire Sweeney (Tell Me on a Sunday) and many other leads and swings in the West End, national and international tours of productions such as Thriller-Live, Oliver!, Carousel, Parade, Tell Me on a Sunday, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Witches of Eastwick, Nine, The Wizard of Oz, Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Cats, Sister Act, We Will Rock You, Footloose, Wicked, The Sound of Music, Ghost, Hairspray, Porgy and Bess, The Bodyguard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jersey Boys, Barnum, Miss Saigon, Book of Mormon, Mamma Mia, In the Heights, The Color Purple, Memphis, Spamalot, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Aladdin, Chicago, The Pyjama Game, Kinky Boots and the upcoming production of Dreamgirls.

Leontine coaches members of The Swingle Singers, Collabro, The Magnets, The Sons of Pitches and classical singers with ENO, Welsh National Opera and ROH, as well as Pop/Rock/Jazz singers. Leontine was the Vocal Coach for shows including the London premiere of Bernarda Alba the Musical, and currently the a cappella hit, ‘Gobsmacked’.

Leontine teaches workshops and lectures internationally on singing, voice and performance. She rehabilitates voices after surgery, or as surgery prevention. She has taught at leading Music & Drama Schools including GSA Conservatoire, the Oxford School of Drama, Mountview, LSMT, YMT, The Brit School, La Salle (Singapore), the Queensland Conservatorium, Centre Stage and The VCA (Melbourne).

Leontine has acted as vocal consultant to various music management/production companies, including ITV and the BBC. Leontine is vocal coach for ‘The Voice’ for BBC TV. She was featured as a mentor/vocal coach on the Gareth Malone show, ‘The Naked Choir’, for BBC2 and will also be involved with Series 2. She is a regular columnist at voicecouncil.com and for The Stage newspaper. She is a contributor to ‘The Singer’s Complete Guide to Vocal Health’ (Oxford Uni. Press), and advisor/contributor to ‘The Ultimate Guide to Singing’ published by TC Helicon in 2014.

Having originally trained as a classical singer (BA, Melb. Uni, BMus. Kings College London, Dip. RAM), Leontine has performed as a singer and actress in concert, theatre and TV.

Leontine is the CEO/Founding Principal of the Associated Studios Performing Arts Academy London, which she founded in 2007, then based at The Royal Academy of Music. Associated Studios provides full-time and part-time training and professional development in Musical Theatre and Opera (www.associatedstudios.co.uk). The Board of Directors includes Rory Bremner (Chair), Patrick Lawrence QC and Dr Christopher Stewardson. Patrons include Sir Tim Rice, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy Herrin, Timothy West and Scott Alan.

Leontine is represented by Lesley Duff at Diamond Management.

Leontine Hass – CEO

Founding Principal | Vocal Coach

Leontine Hass is an internationally renowned Vocal Coach and Principal of the Associated Studios London Performing Arts Academy.

Leontine Hass is currently vocal coach for Motown at The Shaftesbury Theatre London. She has served as vocal coach to Matt Henry (Lola in Kinky Boots West End), Alice Stokoe (Sophie in Mamma Mia, West End), Gloria Onitiri (Lead in The Bodyguard & Hair, West End), Claire Sweeney (Tell Me on a Sunday) and many other leads and swings in the West End, national and international tours of productions such as Thriller-Live, Oliver!, Carousel, Parade, Tell Me on a Sunday, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Witches of Eastwick, Nine, The Wizard of Oz, Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Cats, Sister Act, We Will Rock You, Footloose, Wicked, The Sound of Music, Ghost, Hairspray, Porgy and Bess, The Bodyguard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jersey Boys, Barnum, Miss Saigon, Book of Mormon, Mamma Mia, In the Heights, The Color Purple, Memphis, Spamalot, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Aladdin, Chicago, The Pyjama Game, Kinky Boots and the upcoming production of Dreamgirls.

Leontine coaches members of The Swingle Singers, Collabro, The Magnets, The Sons of Pitches and classical singers with ENO, Welsh National Opera and ROH, as well as Pop/Rock/Jazz singers. Leontine was the Vocal Coach for shows including the London premiere of Bernarda Alba the Musical, and currently the a cappella hit, ‘Gobsmacked’.

Leontine teaches workshops and lectures internationally on singing, voice and performance. She rehabilitates voices after surgery, or as surgery prevention. She has taught at leading Music & Drama Schools including GSA Conservatoire, the Oxford School of Drama, Mountview, LSMT, YMT, The Brit School, La Salle (Singapore), the Queensland Conservatorium, Centre Stage and The VCA (Melbourne).

Leontine has acted as vocal consultant to various music management/production companies, including ITV and the BBC. Leontine is vocal coach for ‘The Voice’ for BBC TV. She was featured as a mentor/vocal coach on the Gareth Malone show, ‘The Naked Choir’, for BBC2 and will also be involved with Series 2. She is a regular columnist at voicecouncil.com and for The Stage newspaper. She is a contributor to ‘The Singer’s Complete Guide to Vocal Health’ (Oxford Uni. Press), and advisor/contributor to ‘The Ultimate Guide to Singing’ published by TC Helicon in 2014.

Having originally trained as a classical singer (BA, Melb. Uni, BMus. Kings College London, Dip. RAM), Leontine has performed as a singer and actress in concert, theatre and TV.

Leontine is the CEO/Founding Principal of the Associated Studios Performing Arts Academy London, which she founded in 2007, then based at The Royal Academy of Music. Associated Studios provides full-time and part-time training and professional development in Musical Theatre and Opera (www.associatedstudios.co.uk). The Board of Directors includes Rory Bremner (Chair), Patrick Lawrence QC and Dr Christopher Stewardson. Patrons include Sir Tim Rice, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy Herrin, Timothy West and Scott Alan.

Leontine is represented by Lesley Duff at Diamond Management.

Scott Harrison

Senior Musical Theatre Consultant

Scott is a freelance Singing Teacher and Vocal Coach. He has a BA(Hons) in Musical Theatre from GSA and a PGCLTHE in Arts Education from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. As well as teaching at Associated Studios, Scott is also a Professor of Singing at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, a Lecturer of Singing at the RCS and Head of Singing and Music at West End MT. As well as having worked internationally as an Actor and Musical Theatre performer, he has also worked extensively at conservatoires around the UK and Europe and regular runs masterclasses as far as field as Asia and America. Scott would like to extend his gratitude to both the staff and students of Associated Studios for creating the perfect ground for nurturing the professionals of tomorrow.

Penny O’Connor

Teacher | Playwright | Director | Actor

Penny O’Connor worked as a playwright/director/actor/teacher in community theatre in 1980’s, working with such companies as The Half Moon, the Women’s Theatre Group, Theatre Venture E15, Pentabus Arts, and Islington Green School.

She trained as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, and has taught this to performers and corporate clients, working for many years with actors, singers and dancers at the Arts Educational Schools London. She has a thriving private practice based in the City and runs summer workshops and seminars on the Greek Island of Alonnisos. Penny is an active member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, training others to teach the Technique at the Queens Park Alexander Training School, and leading post grad seminars/workshops in London, Lugano, Limerick and Paris. She also runs a Continuing Professional Development Scheme for teachers who want to specialise in working with performers. This team often join her in her classes enabling students to get a lot of individual attention.

www.alexanderpen.co.uk     www.alexanderingreece.com
http://youtu.be/lKevUVfcP2k

Adam Meggido founded The Sticking Place with Paul Cronin in 2001. He created Britain’s Only Festival of Horror Theatre and Grand Guignol, playing annually since 2004 (nominated Peter Brook Award 2007); co-created Showstopper! The Improvised Musical with Dylan Emery (Winner Spirit Of The Fringe Award 2009, nominated for 2 MTM Awards); created the London 50-Hour Improvathon (the only event of its kind in Europe); he also enjoyed a five-year collaboration with Ken Campbell, creating The School Of Night and In Pursuit Of Cardenio.

Adam studied drama at Birmingham University and trained as an actor at Webber Douglas – although he cites his years with Claude Chagrin (formerly of LeCoq) at the French Institute as the most important part of his training.

From 1995-1999 he was a director of Counterpoint Theatre, an innovative company which merged business with the arts. (‘Admirable verve and commitment.’ – The Observer. ‘A sound piece of enterprise.’ – The Sunday Telegraph.) With Counterpoint he performed in, directed, developed and produced a number of plays and musicals including the first uncensored revival of Willis Hall’s classic – The Long And The Short And The Tall (at the Albery, West End); Punch Junkies by Greg Hobbs (Critics’ Choice – The Scotsman); Stand-Up by Roy Smiles (Critics’ Choice – Time Out); The Streets of Dublin (Brixton Shaw); The Greenhouse Effect (Riverside Studios) and the glam-rock award-winning musical extravaganza – Saucy Jack And The Space Vixens (Queen’s Theatre, West End and UK tour.)

Directing credits include As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Natural Perspectives, One Small Thing, Robin Hood (Creation Theatre); and as Sticking Place director – Psychogeography, The Better Half, The Lie, Dark Meaning Mouse, The End of The Sentence, Reanimator, The Premature Burial, My Favourite Murder, The Disappearance and two of his own plays – Stress and Best Men – for the Guerrilla Theatre Experiment.

He also wrote and directed of Chaos of Delight (Soho Theatre) and Teenager In Love for the National Youth Theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations. His other plays include – Nina, Resurrection, Mr Israel, Burlesque, Misdirection and The Christening.
Adam is Head Of Foundation at The London Academy of Music And Dramatic Art and an Associate Director of The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

Danielle Tarento

Producer | Casting Director

Danielle is a freelance producer and casting director. She won Best Producer at the 2012 Off West End Awards and was nominated for Producer of the Year at the Stage Awards 2015.

She is currently co-producing the 2016 season at Charing Cross Theatre which includes the hotly anticipated revival of Titanic, Radio Times, Ragtime and Death Takes A Holiday.

Theatre at Southwark Playhouse: Grey Gardens; Grand Hotel (winner: Off West End Award for Best Musical Production, nominated: WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production and 17 Broadway World UK Awards); Gods And Monsters; Dogfight (shortlisted: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical 2014, nominated: WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production, 9 Broadway World UK Awards and 3 Off West End Awards); Three Sisters; Titanic (longlisted: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical 2013, winner: WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production, Broadway World UK Award for Best Fringe/Regional Musical 2013 and 4 Off West End Awards including Best Musical Production); Victor/Victoria; Mack & Mabel (longlisted: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical 2012, nominated: 13 Broadway World UK Awards and 6 Off West End Awards); Parade (longlisted: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical 2011, nominated: WhatsOnStage Award for Best Musical Revival 2012, Off West End Award for Best Musical Production 2012); Company.

Other theatre includes: Pure Imagination (St James); Man To Man (Park); My Lifelong Love – An Evening With Georgia Stitt And Friends (Garrick); Frances Ruffelle – Paris Original (St James Studio); Evita, Grease (Ljubljana Festival, Slovenia); Taboo (Brixton Club House – winner, WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production 2013); The Pitchfork Disney (Arcola); Burlesque (Jermyn Street – winner, Off West End Award for Best New Musical 2012); Noël And Gertie (Cockpit); Spring Awakening (Rose, Kingston); Drowning On Dry Land (Jermyn Street); Legacy Falls (New Players Theatre); Grateful (Cadogan Hall); Frances Ruffelle: Beneath The Dress (Madame JoJo’s, Edinburgh Festival, Wroclaw Stage Song Review, Poland, Menier Chocolate Factory & 54 Below, NYC); Happy Savages (Edinburgh Festival).

Greg Arrowsmith – Musical Theatre Consultant

Musical Director

Greg Arrowsmith is a conductor, composer and pianist with over 10 years’ experience working on both the concert circuit and in Musical Theatre. Experience includes Musical Direction in the West End for Little Voice, Hairspray. Musical Supervisor and Arranger for Shout UK Tour and Arts Theatre, West End. Conductor of Swan Lake, Scheherezade, Peer Gynt (Full Symphony Orchestra) MP Productions CD recording. UK tours of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Jolson & Co, Closer Than Ever, Kiss Me Kate, Calamity Jane.

As a pianist, credits include Shall We Dance (Sadler’s Wells), The Far Pavilions (Shaftesbury Theatre), A Chorus Line, Aspects of Love, Les Misérables (UK Tours). TV performances include The South Bank Show and Blue Peter. Greg has also worked as an accompanist with Singers and Instrumentalists including performances at Pizza in the Park (with Maria Kesselman) and the Daphne du Maurier Festival (with Claire Sweeney), BBC Young Musician of the Year and the Jermyn Street Cabaret Season. He also works extensively as a composer and arranger, his working being performed at venues such as the Tate Modern, the Curzon Soho, The Echo Arena (Liverpool), and the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage. Greg is currently the Musical Director for the revival of Chess, directed by Craig Revel-Horwood.

Matthew Samer is a musical director, vocal coach and composer specialising in musical theatre. Since arriving in the UK in September, he has worked as a musical director on The Mystery of Edwin Drood (University of Cumbria), Jane Eyre (The Urdang Academy), and Associated Studio’s annual Christmas Concert at St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. In Australia, Matthew worked extensively as a resident musical director for the Musical Theatre course at the Queensland Conservatorium run by Paul Sabey – a former Head of Musical Theatre at Mountview. His work included main house productions of Blood Brothers and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (2015), Godspell and Oklahoma (2014), and Hair, Miss Saigon and Carousel (2013). Matthew is also the composer of the original works Real Women, which featured at the Queensland Cabaret Festival in 2015, and Hell & High Water, which was produced as a workshop production in 2014 in partnership with the Queensland Conservatorium. Matthew holds a Masters of Music in Vocal Pedagogy, and is a classically trained pianist from the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney with a Licentiate of Music.

Sam Spencer-Lane
Senior Dance Consultant

Sam has recently been working on The Merry Wives of Winsdor at the RSC Stratford and The Barbican, Maggie May at the Finborough Theatre, Aspects of Love at Southwark Playhouse, Flight for the Scottish Opera , Kiss me Kate ( Kilworth House ), The UK Premiere of Death Takes a Holiday (The New Maurey Yeston Musical) at the Charing Cross Theatre . Little Shop Of Horrors at Theatre Clwyd; and West Side Story at Kilworth House . She created the choreography for the European premier of Dessa Rose at the Trafalgar Studios; and the movement and Period dance for the film Private Peaceful .

West End and London Credits Include:
Barry Humphries Back With A Vengeance (Drury Lane & UK Tour);
Little Britain Live (Apollo Hammersmith - UK Tour);
Streetcar To Tennessee (Young Vic); Personals (Lyric Theatre); Rat Pack Confidential (Whitehall Theatre); Company (Southwark Playhouse), Jaques Brel (Charing Cross Theatre).
At The Menier Chocolate Factory - The Last Five Years, The Invisible Man, They're Playing Our Song and the UK premiere of Maltby and Shire’s ’Take Flight’.

Other Credits include: The Hired Man (Salisbury Playhouse),Mrs Steinberg and the Byker Boy (Bush),A Perfect Ganesh (Tour) Pal Joey (Nottingham Playhouse),Pride and Prejudice (UK tour); Desire Under The Elms (RSC); Sweet Charity (Frankfurt English Theatre); Falstaff and Don Giovanni (Holland Park Opera); ,Somewhere in England (Theatre Clwyd); Privates on Parade (West Yorkshire Playhouse);; Mr Stink (UK Tour); The Demon Headmaster (UK Tour); Tracey Beaker (UK Tour); Blues Brothers, Soul Sisters (UK Tour); Thank You For The Music (UK Tour).

Kathy Taylor-Jones is an opera singer and singing teacher/coach; she has appeared with many companies in the UK and abroad, has given numerous recitals and concerts, and runs a private teaching studio in London. She is singing with English National Opera this season, in productions of The Passenger and Eugene Onegin.

Kathy recently sung the role of Frau Schulz in Mendelssohn’s rarely performed Heimkehr aus Der Fremde (The Homecoming) with Ryedale Festival Opera and Grimeborn Festival at the Arcola Theatre in London. She appeared as the French Mother in Yoshi Oida’s acclaimed production of Death in Venice at the Aldeburgh Festival and the Bregenz Festival, Austria, where she also sang the role of Allure in Playing Away, directed by David Pountney. Other roles include Carmen, Marchellina (The Marriage of Figaro), Berta (The Barber of Seville), Mrs Noye (Noye’s Fludde), The Mother (The Consul). With D’Oyly Carte at the Savoy Theatre in the West End, she appeared in Iolanthe, Yeoman of the Guard and HMS Pinafore. At Buxton Opera House G & S roles have included Leila (Iolanthe), Inez and Vittoria (The Gondoliers) and she has sung Pitti-Sing (The Mikado) for Carl Rosa Opera Company. In 2007-8 Kathy joined Opera North Chorus appearing in Peter Grimes, Madame Butterfly, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and in the premiere of Jonathon Dove’s new opera Pinocchio. In 2008-9 Kathy worked with English National Opera Chorus, for productions of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Aida, The Magic Flute, La Bohème, Boris Godunov, and Dr Atomic.

In addition, Kathy has narrated A Soldier’s Tale for Hand Made Opera, and Façade for both The Opera Project and Hand Made Opera.

In addition to teaching at the Advanced Performers Studio, Kathy has taught/coached at GSA Conservatoire and other performing arts institutions; has given numerous workshops on singing and performance in the UK, and runs weekend residential classical/music theatre singing courses in the Midlands. She also has a busy private practice in London. Many of her students (past and current) have enjoyed considerable success, gaining places at major drama schools and music colleges, and appearing in west end shows and touring productions, including Joseph, Rocky Horror Show, Evita, Les Miserables, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Wizard of Oz, Dancing in the Streets, Hairspray, Love Never Dies, and Sweeney Todd.

Gareth Valentine is a British composer, conductor and musical director. He graduated from the Royal College of Music, London and has worked extensively in London’s West End. Valentine was composer and music supervisor for Aladdin, the pantomime, at the Old Vic starring Sir Ian McKellen, Frances Barber and Roger Allam.

His “Requiem” has been performed worldwide to international acclaim and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London. He was music supervisor for the Channel 4 television series “Musicality”. He was commissioned to write a ballet, Strictly Gershwin, for English National Ballet which was presented in 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The Times called the musical contribution “outstanding”.

Ché Walker is an English actor, playwright and director. Ché has had his plays produced/directed plays at theatres such as the Royal Court, National Theatre, Old Vic, The Globe, Soho, Southwark Playhouse, to name but a few.

His play Been So Long originally on at the Royal Court with Sophie Okonedo – was recently adapted as a musical for the Young Vic – which Ché directed – being nominated for Best Musical in the Evening Standard Awards 2009. Ché also won both the George Devine award for Most Promising Playwright, and the Peter Brook Award.

Arlene RolphArlene Rolph studied at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, The Royal College of Music, London and the National Opera Studio. After receiving a distinction in her Masters degree in Opera she was the recipient of many wards including the Richard Lewis/Jean Shanks Award from Glyndebourne Festival Opera and won second place in the Kathleen Ferrier competition at the Wigmore Hall. She was associate artist at Welsh National Opera from 2003-2005.

Arlene enjoys an international career having appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival, Frankfurt Oper, Theater and der Wien, Staatsoper Berlin, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera. Grange Park Opera, English Touring Opera, Music Theatre Wales and the Batignano Festival, Italy. 

She has sung under the baton of Carlo Rizzi, Diego Masson, Carlo Franci, Maurizio Barbacini, David Hill, Rene Jacobs, Rinaldo Alessendrini and Richard Farnes. She has been directed by Neil Armfield, David McVicar, Anthony MacDonald, Elaine Kidd, Deborah Warner, John La Bouchardiere, Michael McCarthy, David Hermann and Dale Duesing. She has sung at many high profile concert venues and specialises in new music and contemporary opera. She created and premiered the roles of Jane Claremont/Monster by Sally Beamish. Mother/White by Gareth Williams and Mother/The Letter by Khodosh all for Scottish Opera. For Music Theatre Wales created the roles of Woman/Crime Fiction by Huw Watkins, Mother Superior/Gloria in “Letters of a Love Betrayed” by Eleanor Alberga and the title role of Julie by Philippe Boesmanns. She took the lead role in Michael Berkeley and Ian McEwan’s opera “For You” and has workshopped new works with in association with Covent Garden. 

Alongside her performance career Arlene is very active in creating and progressing educational and inspirational music projects. She co-directed and co- founded the award winning contemporary opera company NOISE (New Opera in Scotland Events) which commissions and produces new opera in Scotland.  She is a vocal teacher at her own practice in Brighton, in schools across Sussex and Kent, at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and has taught on the opera course at the Royal Conservatoire for Scotland. 

Arlene co-directed and co-produced an empowerment forum for singers at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, London in August 2012 bringing the global community of opera singers together to inspire success, survival, employability and solvency in the classical music industry. Through focusing on the unique individuality of the artist, business skills and performance techniques, Arlene now runs Vocal Entrepreneur, one to one career coaching, group CPD and products for voice users in the 21st century performing arts.