GUILDFORD SHAKESPEARE COMPANY - Key Persons
Alex joined the board as one its first Trustees in December 2010, and has lived and worked in Guildford since 2002.
He has been in marketing for almost 20 years and brings both marketing and business experience, having run a successful marketing agency. Alex was a partner at OgilvyOne dnx, before establishing his own agency The Magnus Club.
His passions are travelling, cars and being organised!
His favourite Shakespeare play is The Merchant of Venice only just ahead of Henry V.[/expand]
Briony grew up in Southampton and attended The University of Winchester for her undergraduate degree studying film, media and drama studies. At the age of 33 was awarded a scholarship to attend the National Film and TV School for a 2 year masters degree in Film & Theatre marketing. She moved to Woking in 2006 and lives with her husband Paul (who also works in theatre) daughter Hazelle and their crazy dog Trixie.
Before joining GSC, she spent 13 years as a 35mm cinema projectionist in Woking. Her career then transitioned to marketing, and she later returned to university to further her education. Up to the age of 19, she performed in numerous ballet shows across the South-East with the National Youth Ballet and continues to attend weekly ballet classes. Her initial marketing roles were in the film industry, where she worked on indie film releases and attended film festivals worldwide. The allure of theatre drew her to a marketing position at Stagecoach Performing Arts. She is particularly excited about her role at GSC, which combines the thrill of working on large-scale productions with the impactful education and outreach initiatives.
Cedric has more than 25 years experience in accountancy. Now retired, Cedric offers his expertise voluntarily to GSC, producing regular finance reports, P&L sheets and submissions to HMRC on behalf of the Trust.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair and Safeguarding Lead
CJ called Los Angeles, California home before moving to Guildford over 18 years ago to study Theatre and Media. With degrees in Stage Management and Technical Theatre, Film and Media, and Theatre Arts, CJ has over 20 years' experience with many theatre facets including Youth Work.
CJ is also an advocate for mental wellbeing and has been a Diversity Consultant for schools, encouraging access to diverse resources on campus and in the workplace.
CJ adores living and working in Guildford, and can often be found getting props or crafting supplies in town. She has had the privilege to work behind the scenes with Guildford Shakespeare Company on several shows and joined the Board in August 2022.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- TRUSTEE
- Member of the Grace & Flavour
Dana-Leigh has lived in West Horsley since 1990 and joined the board in October 2014.
She has a Masters in International Relations from the London School of Economics, over 20 years experience in the global oil industry and expertise in project management and commercial business processes.
Dana-Leigh is an active member of the Grace & Flavour community garden in West Horsley where she cares for 74 fruit trees.
Her initial introduction to Shakespeare was a dull high school English class that only read Henry IV part II. GSC has changed all that!
Job Titles:
- Learning and Development Co - Ordinator / Front of House Manager
Eli grew up in Leicester where she attempted to spend as much time as humanly possible at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre, and moved to Guildford for drama school. She has 3 boys, who she home educates the kids, grows veg, keep pigs, chickens and ducks as well as two cats and a dog. Eli also hoard fabrics & wool and has far too many craft projects on the go at the same time.
Before joining GSC Eli taught drama, did some copy writing for children's books, sung to small children in nurseries, was an actor in a theatre company that specialised in 18th century theatre (so many corsets!) and once upon a time sold novelty loo seats!
Born and bred in Guildford in the sixties, Gavin is a full-time singer, song writer, producer, and promoter, and has been involved in the local live music scene for over thirty years. He was also a local licensee, co-owning 'Beavers Bar' - the venue he ran in Jeffries Passage in the nineties.
Ten years ago, Gavin started the acclaimed GT Live Sessions, striving to promote new and developing local musical artists through weekly open mics, showcases, and charity festivals in Guildford. Originally from the worlds of marketing and publishing (Marketing Manager for the Children's Divisions of both Harper Collins and Dorling Kindersley publishers), Gavin is also an actor, having appeared in several short films, corporate projects, and television commercials; along with stage roles including Henry Higgins in 'My Fair Lady', Bill Snibson in 'Me and My Girl', Billy Crocker in 'Anything Goes!', and Fagin in 'Oliver!'.
Gavin plays his own solo gigs and curates his weekly showcase nights in Guildford, as well as using events such as his annual 'One Winter's Night' concert at The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre to raise money for local campaigns and causes.
Job Titles:
- Company Stage & Production Manager
Hannah trained at East 15 Acting School and graduated with a First-Class degree in Stage Management and Technical Theatre in 2015. Hannah started off freelance to begin with and then joined the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, where she has been for the last 7 years. Starting as an Assistant Technician, she went on to become the Lighting and Sound Technician. During this time, she ran the Mill Studio for 3 years, where responsibilities included lighting designing, building sets, making props and stage managing a number of youth productions. Hannah is even more excited to be working full-time with GSC and all their upcoming productions after working freelance for them over the last year.
Job Titles:
- TRUSTEE
- Vice Chair
- Chairman of Board of Trustees
Jane is one of the original board members of GSC, joining in December 2010.
Born in Northern Ireland, she has lived in and around Guildford on and off since the age of 8, and is from an old Guildford family!
She went to Guildford High School and then trained as a Nurse at St Thomas'. She had a successful career as a Nursing Sister before attending Drama School.
Jane enjoyed a varied Acting career in Television, Theatre, Musical Theatre and Film - largely comedy. She played principal roles in two West End productions before setting up Shepperd-Fox in 2005, a Theatrical Agency, of which she is the senior partner.
Her favourite Shakespeare play is Twelfth Night.
Jaz became a trustee in January 2023.
Shakespeare has been a passion since Jaz's school days with many trips from her hometown in Leeds to Stratford to watch RSC productions.
She was first introduced to GSC in 2012 when as a parent helper she accompanied her sons' class to the promenade production of A Midsummers Night's Dream at Guildford College of Law and she was hooked.
Job Titles:
- Facilitator & Creative Learning Coordinator
Originally from Norwich, Jemima moved to the Guildford area in 2017 to study at the Guildford School of Acting. During her time in training, Jemima discovered a love for teaching and directing and has subsequently worked as a freelance facilitator, choreographer and director across a wide range of projects.
Her favourite projects with GSC include 'Festival of Revels' at West Horsley Place, A Midsummer Night's Dream during the Play in a Week programme and Spirit of Youth at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Jo was one of the original board members when GSC became a charity in December 2010. She served as its Chair until 2014.
She first worked with GSC in 2008, directing The Comedy of Errors at the Bandstand in Guildford Castle Gardens. She returned the following year to direct The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the University of Surrey Lake.
Since 2018, Jo has been the Chief Executive and Director of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.
Her previous appointments include: Principal of LAMDA (London Academy of Dramatic Art); board member of the Regional Theatre Young Directors; external Examiner for the LIR Theatre Academy, Trinity College Dublin; Chief Exec & Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse; Associate Director of the Octagon Theatre, Bolton; Head of Education & Participation for Birmingham Rep.
Karin became a trustee in October 2012.
Her professional background is a family lawyer, running her own niche family law practice in Woking and currently chair of the national Resolution DR committee. As a partner in her previous Guildford based firm, and now through KGW Family Law, Karin has been a proud sponsor of GSC productions since 2008.
Karin's association with GSC supports her enthusiasm for the arts and the enrichment of the local community. She enjoys the theatre greatly and is overwhelmed by the standard of production repeatedly provided by GSC in the most atmospheric of locations.
Karin lives locally on the Surrey/Hampshire border with her husband John and their two children where she enjoys her garden and the countryside with her two dogs.
Job Titles:
- Creative Learning Producer
Originally from Worcester, Matt trained at University College Bretton Hall in West Yorkshire, graduating in 1998 with an honours degree in Dramatic Art. 25 years ago, open-air theatre gave him his first job, playing D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers in Manchester. His freelance acting career included pantomime, TIE, national No.1 tours, and village halls, as well TV commercials and short films.
Matt leads talks and lectures on Shakespeare and his world, and in the summer of 2016 walked the 146 mile Shakespeare Way from Stratford to The Globe in London.
He's also a Council Member for the Surrey Chambers of Commerce.
Matt lives in Bramley with his fiancé and their dog Nellie. He hopes one day to own a 2CV.
An accomplished broadcaster and performer, communications specialist, and event host. Peter's career spans more than 30 years; he was the Content Director, voice, and indeed the public face, of Eagle Radio, broadcasting to Surrey and Hampshire, which was the leading commercial radio station for audience reach in one of Europe's busiest and competitive radio markets of more than 70 radio stations. He also hosted the radio station's breakfast show for 25 years.
As one of the original employees of the ground-breaking UKRD Radio Group, which prided itself on a supportive company culture - winning the "Sunday Times Best Company to Work For" award many times - Peter actively promotes the importance of strong cultural values in business to help inclusivity and staff engagement. He now runs coaching sessions and workshops on request to help groups and organisations move forward through better conversations.
Peter is also a voice artist and professional actor - appearing over many years in pantomime at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre as well as previously at Woking's New Victoria Theatre and Aldershot's Princes Hall.
Peter became a Trustee in April 2015. (Photo Steve Porter)
Job Titles:
- Education & Outreach Operations Manager
Rob trained at Mountview Academy Theatre. Credits include: Romeo (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond) Hamlet (Young Shakespeare Company UK Tour); Adam in Time of My Life (The Mill at Sonning); Orlando in As You Like It & Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew touring open-air theatre to English Heritage sites across the UK; Bertram, All's Well That Ends Well & Antigonus The Winter'sTale (Cambridge Shakespeare Festival). He has also played Prince Charming for Disney Corporate events in London and Milan and is in an Xbox computer game.
Before GSC, Rob was Education Officer for the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and directed numerous youth theatre shows including: The Witches, David Copperfield, Eclipse, Macbeth and Five Children and It. He also has worked as an assistant director on Annie for the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.
Saffron grew up in Ash, Cranleigh and Guildford, and attended Guildford College of Technology. She now lives in Whitehill, Hampshire, with her partner Craig and young son, Seth - which means she's getting to know the A3 very well!
Before joining GSC, she spent nearly 20 years working the NHS, starting off working the laboratory at The Royal Surrey Hospital and ending up as a Medical Secretary at Haslemere Hospital - with a few different roles and departments in between. It was just a slightly different type of drama!
Sarah's passion for theatre and performance began at the age of seven with her discovery of Pam Ayres, regularly subjecting her classmates to a rendition of the latest poems she had learnt that week!
Sarah moved to Guildford in 1995 to train at the Guildford School of Acting and since graduating has performed in a variety of theatre and film, including a spell at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Alan Ayckbourn's Sugar Daddies. Sarah has also worked for many local theatre companies including The Phoenix, in Bordon, playing Bathsheba in Far From The Madding Crowd, and for Proteus in Basingstoke, as Wendy in Peter Pan. For both companies she toured to local communities in Surrey and Hampshire.
Sarah is delighted to have set up Guildford Shakespeare Company and by the tremendous response that they have received from the community, who appear to be as passionate as she is about Open-Air Shakespeare coming to life in Guildford!