Overview:
I am a dedicated and fully committed teacher who can enthuse and engage students.
I communicate clearly and demystify the acting process.
I have a vast experience of the craft of acting and am passionate about passing on the skills needed for a successful and fulfilling career.
As Head of Acting at ArtsEd, I created a structured acting module that spanned the full three years training and dramatically improved the quality of acting on the Musical Theatre course.
As a course convenor, I have been responsible for documentation, administrative duties, staff recruitment, course management and structure, individual tutorials and reports, written annual evaluations and liaising with Universities.back to top
Recent work
Director As You Like It a collaboration with Drama Studio London, working with students and professional actors. August 2023
DOxford School of Drama 3yr COurseirector Comedy of Errors a collaboration with Drama Studio London, working with students and professional actors. August 2022
Director Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing. The UK premiere of this electrifying piece of forgotten work. - Waterloo East Theatre 2022 Nominated for Best Director (Play) in the Offies.
Director A Midsummer Night's Dream a collaboration with Drama Studio London, working with students and professional actors. August 2021
Director Tokens of Affection by Maureen Lawrence. The London premiere of this electrifying piece of forgotten work. - Waterloo East Theatre February 2019
Actors Lab Module Provider Royal Central School of Speech and Drama - CDT BA (Hons) 2018-19
Workshop leader - Actors Centre (Finding the Funny) 2018-
Workshop leader - Audition Practice/Scene Study 2018-
Director Fiddler on the Roof, London College of Music final year show BA(Hons) Musical Theatre. (2017)
Director: staged reading of 'The Climbers' by Carmen Nasr for The Finborough Theatre's 'Vibrant Festival' of new writing (2017)
Dramaturg/Director The Martini Experience 'Who Shot Wayne Sleep?'- The Vault Festival (2017)
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Positions Held:
Head of BA Acting in Stage & Screen PPA Guildford (2019-20)
Head of Acting, (BA Hons) MTS ArtsEd, (2010-2016)
Course Convenor (BA Hons) Performance Studies, SoA ArtsEd, (2007-2012)
Joint Head of Acting SoA ArtsEd, (2009-2010)
External Examiner for Acting for Stage and Screen, Performance Preparation Academy BA (Hons) Guildford. (2017-)
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Training and Education
Guildhall School of Music & Drama 3 yr Acting (AGSM) 1980-83
BA (Hons) Performance Studies (First Class) - City University 2005
PGC Shakespeare & Theatre (Merit) - University of Birmingham/Shakespeare Institute 2011
MA Text & Performance- Birkbeck University 2016-2017.
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Conservatoire Teaching Experience
Oxford School of Drama
2023 - Visiting Director BA acting February
2022-23 Tutor Foundation course
Drama Studio London
2017-2023 Visiting Director BA Acting/ MFA acting/ Post Graduate Acting
Royal Central School of Speech & Drama - CDT 3 yr BA (Hons)
2018-19 Actors Laboratory Module Provider - analysis and practical application of text
Arts Educational School of Musical Theatre BA (Hons) Musical Theatre
2010-2016 Head of Acting & Member of Executive Committee.
2010-2016 Second Year Acting Tutor.
2014-2016 Acting show support for students in third year shows.
2014-2016 Co-director of scenes for final year students West End Showcase.
2010 Sondheim acting Project Director: Assassins, Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd.
2009 Director 3rd Year public production Anything Goes
Arts Educational School of Acting - BA (Hons) Acting
2016 - Dissertation Supervisor Post Diploma BA Performance Studies
2007-2012 Head of Course Post Diploma BA in Performance Studies
2009-2010 Joint Head of Acting
2005-2011 Comedy in Performance Module Tutor (PDBA)
2005-2009 Project Director (Coward, Chekhov, Rattigan, Wilde)
2007 Character-Creation Module Tutor.
2007 Acting Technique tutor.
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts - BA (Hons) Acting
2007-2009 ‘Actor & Text’ Tutor
2007- 2008 Shakespeare Project Director As You like It, Macbeth, Comedy of Errors
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts - BA (Hons) Musical Theatre
2009 Project director – Shakespeare Scenes
Academy of Live and Recorded Arts - 1 year Diploma
2007 Acting Technique Tutor
2007 ‘Actor & Text’ Tutor
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Specific Modules/Classes Taught:
Modules for both Acting & Musical Theatre students:
Actions & Objectives, Belief in the situation, Non –Method based motivational techniques, textual analysis, subtext, character creation, comedy, practical contextual studies, Early 20th Century British playwrights, audition practice.
Modules devised specifically for Musical Theatre Students:
Making accessible badly written or challenging text (‘crap text’), Scene into Song (‘Lift Off’), Performance Analysis, Acting Audition Practice, Acting Show Support for final year shows
Projects directed (1st & 2nd year Acting)
Chekhov, Coward, Rattigan, Wilde, Shakespeare, Mamet, Fo, Contemporary Scenes, Sondheim
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Other Teaching
‘Spotlight On’ Easter Course (Oxford) ages 13-20 (April 2017 )
1-2-1 Audition tutoring for students and recent graduates. (2010 - )
Summer School, Acting audition technique ArtsEd (2016)
Noel Coward Workshop for American Students (2016)
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References
Merryn Owen
Head of Post Graduate Performance
Mountview
120 Peckham Hill Street
London SE15 5JT
merrynowen@mountview.org.uk
Emma Lucia Hands
Principal
Drama Studio London
Grange Court
Grange Road London W5
020 8579 3897
emmahands@dramastudiolondon.co.uk
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