Our Staff | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Chris White – Programme Director

As a director, Chris began his career at the Swan Theatre, Worcester; following which he worked with David Thacker at the Young Vic in London, developing its high profile new writing and widening access programmes, as well as directing projects with some of the country’s leading actors including Joseph Fiennes, Mark Strong, Kacey Ainsworth, Clive [...]

Kerry Beverstock – Programme Co-ordinator

Kerry began her career in the industry as a junior for an established agency, working her way up to senior agent, and running a roster of over 45 clients including directors and actors; whilst being responsible for the business development and operational management of the agency. Having been recruited for Italia Conti in 2000 to [...]

Sarah Case – Head of Voice

BA (Hons) in Drama – Manchester University, Voice Studies (PGDVS) – Central School of Speech & Drama, and PG Acting at Mountview. She has worked at several drama schools in London and has been Head of Voice at Italia Conti since 1998. She has also co-directed 1st year productions and directed 2nd year Shakespeare projects. She [...]

Graeme du Fresne – Head of Singing & Music

Graeme has been at Italia Conti since 2002 and is Head of Singing and Music at on the B.A Acting Course. He still works regularly in professional theatre and has been Musical Director for the Mercury Theatre, Colchester since 1995 on their pantomimes, Brecht’s Arturo Ui and ‘ Oh What a Lovely War . Graeme’s [...]

Angela Gasparetto – Head of Movement

Angela Gasparetto is a movement director, performer and teacher originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. Angela has taught at various training centres in London, including: ArtsEd, Circus Space, Trinity College of Music and RADA. Professional movement direction credits include: Faith, Hope & Charity, Southwark Playhouse; Great Gran’s Great Games, Pied Piper Theatre; Monteverdi’s Flying Circus, Armonico [...]

Tamsin Stanley – Head of Studies

Tamsin studied at Cambridge University, and since graduating has worked within the arts in many capacities with credits in TV, radio, film and theatre as an actor, writer, choreographer, producer, stage manager, designer and event manager, both in the UK and abroad. Alongside her work at Italia Conti, she is currently the general manager of [...]

Bradley Leech – Programme Administrator

Since graduating from the BA (Hons) Acting programme at Italia Conti, Bradley has worked in a variety of performance related fields. His credits include acting, direction, voiceover work, lighting design and fight direction in both TV and theatre. He has worked as 1st assistant director for Torpedo Films on several projects, and has acted as [...]

James Foster – Industry Liaison Officer

James is a graduate from the 3yr BA (Hons) Acting Course at Italia Conti. Alongside his acting work, he has also maintained a wide portfolio of directing projects, such as Spring Awakening & Curtains. He also produced and acted in the South West premieres of Peter Morris’s The Age of Consent & Guardians. A strong [...]

Kate Williams – Director/Acting Tutor

Kate is one of the UK’s leading tv and theatre actors. During her career she has worked in some of television’s most successful series including: Love Thy Neighbor ;Only Fools & Horses; Just Good Friends; Dixon of Dock Green; On The Buses; Please, Sir; Doctor at Large. Kate’s series-regular roles include a year in Eastenders; [...]

Karen Henthorn – TV Tutor

Karen trained at Drama Centre, London and has played lead roles at the UK’s leading theatre companies including: The Young Vic; Manchester Royal Exchange; Nottingham Playhouse; Northampton Theatre Royal; Chichester; Cheltenham Everyman and Edinburgh Traverse. She has worked on a wide range of major TV series such as: Shameless; The Street; Born and Bred; Casualty; [...]

Chris Pavlo – Radio Tutor

Chris trained at Webber Douglas and has worked extensively in TV & Radio with notable credits in comedy; he won the BBC TV Green Light Award for writing & performing the critically acclaimed BBC2 show, THE HARRINGHAM HARKER, developed during a year with the BBC’s Radio Drama Company. A prolific voice-over artist, he provides the [...]

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart – Director/Acting Tutor

Dugald graduated as an actor from RADA in 1994 and has had an extensive theatre career which includes working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, The English Touring Theatre, Hampstead, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Edinburgh Lyceum and Nottingham Playhouse. His West-End appearances include The Deep Blue Sea (Vaudeville Theatre) A Midsummer [...]

Lawrence Evans – Director/Acting Tutor

Lawrence works as a director, movement director and actor. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for his choreographic work with Tony Harrison at the National Theatre and has worked with the poet and playwright on all his site-specific theatre pieces. He received a Best Actor Award from the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post Northwest [...]

John Gillett – Director/Acting Tutor

John Gillett trained as an actor in one of the UK’s first Stanislavski-based acting schools, the Actors Workshop, and then worked widely in television, radio, independent film and theatre. He acted in regional repertories, such as W. Yorkshire and Nottingham Playhouses and Manchester Royal Exchange; fringe and touring theatre; the West End, in the first [...]

Simon Naylor – Acting Tutor

Simon Naylor has taught on the BA (Hons) Acting Course since 2004 and is Head of 1st Year whilst also managing the Summer School and Foundation Courses. Simon is primarily an actor, however, has directed several projects in including Miller and A Moment of Silence both at the ETC Theatre. Simon has also had the [...]

Richard Pepper – Acting Tutor

Richard Pepper trained as an actor at Rose Bruford. Since graduating his theatre credits include Dick Turpin’s Last Ride (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), Journeys End (West End), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ludlow Festival), Amol’s Stories (National Theatre Bangalore), Le Dispute (Theatre de Preau & Chipping Norton Theatre), Crimes of the Heart (Brockley Jack), The [...]

Aoife Smyth – Director/Acting Tutor

Aoife Smyth trained as a director at Drama Centre London. Since graduating in 2005 she has worked as a freelance theatre director. She started her professional career at Shared Experience assisting Nancy Meckler and Polly Teale on their productions of Madame Bovary and A Passage to India. She went on to assist Tiffany Watt Smith [...]