BRITISH YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE - Key Persons
Aaron is a Singing Teacher and Vocal Consultant working in West Yorkshire and London where he has taught at some of the country's top Drama Schools. He currently heads up the Singing Department for Musical Theatre at Leeds Conservatoire and maintains a private voice studio for both training and professional performers. Aaron has numerous clients in West End and National Tours such as Matilda, The Book of Mormon, Motown, Les Miserablés and Hairspray.
Aimee Leigh is a Choreographer based in London.
After graduating from Middlesex University, with a BA (Hons) in Dance, her career began working as an Associate Choreographer across numerous genres within the community dance and dance theatre sector. These opportunities gave her the platform to freely create movement and to explore work from different angles. Since then, Aimee has gone on to create work for various productions in theatre and television.
Alex is a musical theatre performer who has toured the UK in numerous productions, as well as working in London's West End.
Alicia Frost is from Winnipeg, Canada. She has enjoyed a career as a dance performer, choreographer and educator. She trained at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and holds an MA from Laban. She is on faculty at Urdang and ArtsEd. She worked many years as an animateur for Rambert Dance Company. She has also taught in Kenya and Japan. Her choreography has been commissioned for British Youth Music Theatre including for Tess of the D'Urbervilles at The Other Palace. Frost worked in British opera as a freelance dancer, movement director, choreographer, assistant director, and most recently as revival director, Madam Butterfly, (WNO). Recent Credits: Staff Director Roberto Devereux, La Cenerentola (WNO), Assistant Director Don Giovanni (Dorset Opera), Peter Grimes (WadOpera Nederlandse), Choreographer Paris and Helen (Bampton Opera). Forthcoming engagements: Choreographer Magic Flute (Dorset Opera); Movement Director Hansel and Gretel (Nederlandse Reisopera).
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Choreographer
- Danielle Meehan Movement Director
Amy is a professional dance artist, choreographer, creative director and teacher who graduated from LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts). Since graduating Amy has worked with choreographers and companies such as; Masters of Movement performing and choreographing for the ‘World of Dance Tour' in LA, Litzer Bixler , EEE-Motion Company on dance theatre projects: ‘The morning after'….. and ‘It's a love thing', ‘Bodies in Urban Space' choreographed by Willi Dorner, Hinged Dance Company, on three productions ‘The Soloist', 'Rainman' and ‘Prisoner 466', for which she helped assist, Motionhouse Dance Theatre in ‘The Voyage' as part of the Birmingham Olympic Festival , ‘5IVE' choreographed by Genevieve Say and later Cique Bijou, dancing for the Boxettes, Rosie Whitney-Fish in‘Eric and Electrodes', ‘Up and Under' and ‘A vintage Holiday', Exzeb Dance Company in their award winning ‘Artism II' (International FITC Best Digital Instillation), Monix Arts in ‘Survival of the Fittest performed at Edinburgh Festival and MOHO Dance for ‘Emerge Dance Festival'. She has recently worked again with choreographer Willi Dorner for Metropolis - Copenhagen International Dance Theatre and on a separate new project ‘Stratford Living' in association with East London Dance.
Amy is also a guest choreographer/director for University of Cumbria and University of Lincoln creating original dance theatre pieces such as ‘IMPACT' and ‘COMING HOME' and ‘FIGHT OR FLIGHT' for their 2nd year tour. She continues to teach and choreograph for JASSPA as well as being Lead Artist for East London Dance project ‘ON THE MOVE'.
Amy has also assisted Jemma Hoadley on Projects with High Flyers / Magpie Dance, in which they are currently working with Royal Opera House.
She has recently started working with Bamboozle Theatre Company , touring the UK with productions of ‘PULSE' and ‘MOONSONG', and she's just finished working with Bodies In Urban Spaces in Fantastic Feat Festival.
She's looking forward to an exciting summer ahead; Choreographing for Opera North Youth Company and British Youth Music Theatre, then returning to tour with Bamboozle Theatre Company in the Autumn.
Born in England, she trained at Central School of Ballet. As a dancer, she regularly performs with Matthew Bourne and New Adventures, including as Irina (The Red Shoes), Queen and Girlfriend (Swan Lake), Sugar (Nutcracker), Glenda (Play Without Words) and Step Mother (Cinderella) . Opera choreography and movement credits include I puritani (Grange Park Opera), Jakob Lenz (ENO at Hampstead Theatre), L'Orfeo (Silent Opera) and reviving choreography for Richard Jones's productions of Macbeth (Lille), La fanciulla del West (Santa Fe) and Hänsel und Gretel (Bavarian State Opera and WNO). Theatre and dance choreography credits include Dick Whittington (Watford Palace Theatre) and dance-theatre pieces Two Sides (Cornetto Cinema) and This Heaven (Finborough theatre). She has worked with Peter Darling and was a member of the movement team under choreographer Alex Reynolds who created the ‘Zombie' language for the film World War Z. For the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, she was movement director of Gerard Jones' production of Oreste and Carmen at Wilton's Music Hall. She is currently assistant choreographer at Glyndebourne, for Richard Jones and Sarah Fahie's Damnation of Faust. She is also presently doing an MA in choreography.
Job Titles:
- Anthony Underwood Director
Anthony is a Theatre Director based in London/Hampshire.
Job Titles:
- Photographer / Videographer / Director / Editor
Anton is a Photographer and Videographer/Director who has specialised in theatre and the arts throughout his career.
Anton has photographed for numerous theatre productions including London West End, UK Tours, Fringe shows, and Dance Performance, as well as productions in the US. He also recently filmed and directed promotional trailers for Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Sound of Music, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Antony Hansen has appeared in many shows including: A Tale of Two Cities (Charing Cross Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria), Les Mis érables (Queen's Theatre), Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre) and War of the Worlds (Dominion Theatre). Antony was the youngest Joseph finalist in the BBC TV show Any Dream Will Do and was subsequently cast in the touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as the Pharaoh, and then as Joseph.
Job Titles:
- Director for the Citizens of the World Refugee Choir
Born in Kolkata, India, Ash trained in Bharatanatyam at Kalamandalam Kolkata with Guru Smt Thankamani Kutty. He pursued ballet with Lady Doreen Wells from the Royal Ballet and earned a BA (hons) in Jazz Theatre Dance from London Studio Centre.
Acclaimed by Dance Europe Magazine as one of the finest Indian classical dancers in the UK, Ash was hand picked by the This Is It! team, to dance a duet with Michael Jackson at London's O2 Arena. Ash starred on BBC 3's Move Like Michael Jackson and created with choreographer Lavelle Smith Junior a solo integrating Indian classical dance with Michael's iconic hit "Man In The Mirror," broadcast to three million viewers.
Ash currently serves as Movement Director for The Citizens of the World Refugee Choir, performing at the Queens Platinum Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace and Glastonbury 2022.
Charlotte is perhaps most well-known as Oregon in Channel 4 comedy series Fresh Meat and as Nurse Barbara Gilbert in BBC1's Call the Midwife.
Job Titles:
- Composer and Musical Director
- Musical Director
Bella trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Musical Theatre obtaining a distinction in her MA having completed her BA (Hons) in Music at The University of Southampton and a DipLCM (Distinction) in Musical Theatre. A keen pianist from age seven and tutored by Reginald Thompson, she now largely works as a composer and vocalist across London. She is also the composer of the musical theatre writing duo Barlow & Smith.
As Composer for Barlow & Smith, with lyricist A.C. Smith the duo have been commissioned to write for two-time Olivier award winning actress Janie Dee for her show Dream Queen (as part of the the London Festival of Cabaret), were heard on Graham Norton's BBC Radio 2 show, Guest for Kerry Ellis, wrote for One Night In Chelsea (site-specific show, directed by Alastair Knights), and recorded their debut album Christmas In The City with producer Ian Shaw (now available on iTunes), and had their brand new musical Lock & Key (directed by Adam Lenson) produced at Vault Festival in 2018.
Barlow & Smith together with London Playwrights Blog have launched a brand new writing initiative WMTI - Woman in Musical Theatre Initiative - which has been set up to help support female writers in all stages of their careers. Their first fundraising cabaret took place February 2018. They have also been commissioned by the Canales Project for Hear Her Song, a fantastic project honouring incredible female leaders from the United Nations, with songs from 10 female composers. The songs will be heard in Concert in Wolverhampton, Washington and New York in 2019.
Bella has worked as a Musical Director and Composer for BYMT on a number of projects including Shakespeare - The Whole Lot, The Frogs, Christmas In The City, The Grand Budapest Hotel & Christmas In The City.
Ben Norris is a poet, playwright and actor from Nottingham.
Two-time national poetry slam champion (2017 BBC Poetry Slam and 2013 UK All-Stars Poetry Slam), Ben has appeared everywhere from Latitude Festival to the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. His second poetry pamphlet, Some Ending, was published in May 2019 by Verve Poetry Press, and was described by Colm Tóibín as ‘the real deal', by Andrew McMillan as ‘moving, witty and beautifully-crafted', and by his mum as ‘obviously fairly painful to read'.
Ben's work has been broadcast across BBC Radio, his debut solo show, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Family, won the 2015 IdeasTap Underbelly Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before touring the UK and Australia, and his first short film, commissioned by Channel 4, was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. He was also the creative team's Poetry Guru for The Choir of Man. Other commissions include work for BBC Radio 4, Southbank Centre, IdeasTap, Ditch the Label, RHS, and LNER.
Former writer-in-residence at Theatr Clwyd, Ben is a Creative Associate at Nottingham Playhouse, and current writer-in-residence for Nottinghamshire Libraries.
He also plays Ben Archer in The Archers on BBC Radio 4.
Billy's theatre credits include: Little Shop Of Horrors (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre); Rent (UK Tour, as Mark Cohen); Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (West End); Matilda the Musical (West End); Merrily We Roll Along (Theatre Clwyd); Spring Awakening (UK Tour); Godspell (Union Theatre); Ten Plagues (Royal Court); and Leave To Remain (Lyric Hammersmith, as Alex).
Billy is a successful singer/songwriter, and his 2017 album 'Lonely Hearts Club' can be found on Spotify. He also starred in Catalan director Ventura Pons' musical film Be Happy! as David.
He recently also founded his own Weekend Theatre School for young people aged 11-21. More information on KiPA can be found here.
Billy has starred in many BYMT productions over the years including: Stones are Hatching (2006), Great Expectations (2008), and Frankenstein (2008).
Bradley Jaden has starred as Fiyero in Wicked both in the West End, and as part of the International Tour. His other credits include: Enjolras and Javert in Les Misérables (Queen's Theatre), Freddie in My Fair Lady 60th Anniversary Celebration, Ghost The Musical (UK Tour), Cover Shrek in Shrek: The Musical (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), The 12 Tenors (Europe and Japan), and The Blues Brothers (Edinburgh).
Bradley has also been seen on TV, in ITV's Emmerdale and Channel 4's Sugar Rush.
Bradley starred in the BYMT productions of Goblin Market as the Goblin King (2005) and Missing Melanie as Ryan (2006).
Job Titles:
- Casting and Young Company Manager
- Writer and Director
Cerys is responsible for the recruitment and company management of over 500 young people every season, and casting for up to eight productions per year. Alongside this, she delivers our yearly Auditions Tour, is instrumental in organising our Discover Music Theatre workshops and leads our Young Company Panel.
She is the first port of call for all parents regarding project information and payments, and works closely with the creative and pastoral teams on all our projects.
Cerys joined BYMT in November 2022, having previously held the role of Chief Administrator at an independent London tutoring company and Assistant General Manager for a chain of hotels.
Outside of BYMT, Cerys is a writer and director for theatre; her productions have seen successful runs at several London fringe theatres.
Charlie majored in choreography on the ‘Artist in Process' professional training programme at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD) (AT), studying under a diverse faculty of international guest teachers and choreographers. He graduated with distinction from the Professional Dance Course at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts (UK), having commenced his formal training at the Centre for Advanced Training, London Contemporary Dance School and was a founding member of the English National Ballet Youth Company.
As a dancer, Charlie has worked with Kale Companhia De Dança (POR), Helder Seabra (BE/POR), Christine Hassid (FR), Barnaby Booth, ZoieLogic Dance Theatre (UK), Helen Parlor/Parlor Dance (UK) and on projects with English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, the Royal Opera House, East London Dance, Dance GB and Big Dance (UK); he has also benefitted from workshops and professional development opportunities with Kerry Nicholls Dance, Kevin Finnan (Motionhouse), Southpaw Dance and Gecko Physical Theatre.
Charlie has choreographed independent works that have been performed internationally as well as commissioned works for companies such as English National Ballet (ENBEldersCo; Big Dance), MÓTUS Dance Festival (UK), Summer Szene Salzburg, National Youth Ballet of Great Britain and Images Ballet Company (London Studio Centre).
Charlie has worked as choreographic assistant to Barnaby Booth, Helen Parlor, Jo Meredith, Holly Noble and Louise Bennett. At SEAD he was assistant director to Helder Seabra, Jorge Crecis and Milan Tomášik and choreographic assistant to Paul Blackman and Christine Gouzelis.
Charlie has been rehearsal director to various choreographers including Etta Murfitt, Kerry Biggin, Jo Meredith, Barnaby Booth and Louise Bennett; he was interim rehearsal director to SEAD's Bodhi Project and spent 3 seasons as rehearsal director at the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain. He is currently rehearsal director for Richard Chappell Dance.
Charlie has been guest teacher and workshop leader for English National Ballet (Engagement), Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, London Studio Centre, Images Dance Company, National Youth Ballet of Great Britain, British Youth Music Theatre, Active Health Group, C-12 Dance Theatre, Arts1 and The Academy of Performing Arts, amongst others. Charlie is Associate Artist at English National Ballet.
Alongside his commitment to dance, Charlie is a qualified and registered Clinical Sports Therapist and musculoskeletal health specialist. He specialises in the treatment and rehabilitation of dancers and movement practitioners and has worked internationally as an independent therapist with dance companies, organisations, professionals and students. He has devised courses and workshops on various topics within dance health and well-being which he has delivered on professional and vocational training programmes in the UK and abroad. In addition, Charlie is a certified mat-work Pilates instructor and holds further certifications in first response emergency care, manual and soft tissue therapies and medical acupuncture. He is currently studying towards qualifications in Integrative Health and Nutrition Coaching and First Response Emergency and Urgent Care. He is a tutor at Active Health Group (UK) where he teaches on the professional Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation and Sports Massage Therapy courses.
Job Titles:
- Charlie Westenra Director
Charlotte is a stage director and dramaturg specialising in political theatre and new writing, with an emphasis on the development of British musicals.
Charlotte has been recognised for numerous awards, including a 2006 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre as associate director to Nicolas Kent for Bloody Sunday - Scenes from the Savile Inquiry. She received a nomination for a 2006 Whatsonstage Theatregoers Choice Award for Gladiator Games; the same play was part of a season at Stratford East, which was nominated for the 2007 Olivier Award for outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre. Waiting for Lefty was a finalist for 2003 James Menzies Kitchin Award for Young Directors (BAC).
Christopher Tendai is an up and coming Theatre Choreographer, breathing a fresh new life into the imagery of how we see Theatre and Dance productions. Some of his credits include: Wonderland In Alice (5*****) Offies Nominated for Best Choreography, Wuthering Heights A New Musical Workshop (4****), Children of Eden (5*****), Scroogelicous (5*****), The Wonderful (4****) winning an Offies Award (2021), and The Guap Gala at the Natural History Museum.
"Within my body of work, I like to lead with ‘intention' first and then allow the movement to follow. In my opinion I feel that ‘narrative' is the fundamental aspect of creating powerful movement. I like to integrate different dance styles such as: Contemporary, Jazz, Afro Beats and Physical Theatre. I always like to ask myself the question ‘Why' and allow the relevance of movement to blend with the use of dynamics which, I believe, heightens the work."
Christopher is also the Artistic Director for the Award-Winning Dance Company: CTC Dance Company. The company are known for their thought provoking works such as IDENTITY (4****), and ‘iNk'd'(5*****). Their ethos is 'Sparking Important Conversations Through Narrative Movement.'
Cillian is a musical director, tenor and actor based in North London. His training includes a Masters in Musical Theatre with the Guildford School of Acting and undergraduate on the prestigious ‘Joint Course' where he studied music at the University of Manchester and classical singing with the Royal Northern College of Music.
Clare started working for BYMT (YMT UK) in June 2011 as the new Finance Officer on a part time basis, responsible for all the day-to-day processing of financial data, monthly reporting and preparation of year end accounts.
She has over 15 years' of accounting experience, working for a firm of accountants and independently in a variety of fields.
Clare works part time Thursday and Fridays only.
Job Titles:
- Danielle Meehan Movement Director
Job Titles:
- Performer / Writer / Composer
Job Titles:
- Classical Stage Actor / Musical Theatre Performer
Job Titles:
- End Performer / Actor - Musician
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Creative Director
Job Titles:
- Musical Theatre Performer / Stage Actor
Job Titles:
- Heather Douglas Choreographer
Job Titles:
- Patron
- Peter Duncan Patron
Job Titles:
- Charlie Westenra Director
Job Titles:
- Musical Director & Digital Producer
Job Titles:
- Joseph Atkins Composer and Musical Director
Job Titles:
- Composer & Musical Director
Job Titles:
- Digital Marketing Manager
Job Titles:
- Composer & Musical Director
Job Titles:
- Patron
- Peter Duncan Patron
Job Titles:
- End Performer / Actor - Musician
Job Titles:
- Schools & Pastoral Manager
Job Titles:
- Stuart Rogers Choreographer
Job Titles:
- Heather Douglas Choreographer
Job Titles:
- Stuart Rogers Choreographer
Job Titles:
- Joseph Atkins Composer and Musical Director
Job Titles:
- Lighting Designer and Production Manager
Job Titles:
- Anthony Underwood Director