WOAPA Drama tutor dance tutor singing tutor Oxfordshire

Meet the Team

our Tutors and assistants

Team Talk

All our tutors at WOAPA are personally selected for their skills and experience in working with, and inspiring children in, the performing arts.

All tutors and staff at WOAPA have full enhanced DBS clearance. There is always someone in attendance who is trained in First-Aid.

Tutors

Lauren Berry - Dance Tutor
[Friday PM & Saturday AM school & 'Encore!' class]

Lauren studied Musical Theatre at Stella Mann College of Performing Arts and specialises in Jazz, Street Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Tap & Ballet.

She has danced in various productions including ‘One night in Vegas’, ‘A Chorus Line’, ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’, Pantomimes and the tribute act: ‘Maybe GaGa’.

Lauren has also danced in music videos as well as appearing on ITV, MTV and Channel 4.
She appeared in the first Harry potter film: ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and also in "The Imitation Game" with Keira Knightley & Benedict Cumberbatch.

Lauren also appears as a solo dancer in the 'Billy's World' music video 'The Locomotion'.

Lauren is a Director of the, multi-award-winning, Cirencester Elite Cheer Leaders.

Marcus Coleridge - Singing Tutor
[Friday, Saturday AM & PM schools]

Marcus Coleridge is a Music graduate of Royal Holloway University of London. He was a choral scholar with The Choir of Royal Holloway, directed by Rupert Gough and continues to study singing under former BBC singer Stuart Macintyre.

Marcus has featured on several commercial recordings, most notably working with Ola Gjeilo and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Ola’s recent album, 'Dreamweaver'. As a soloist with the choir, Marcus featured as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah at St. George’s Hall in Bristol, and as a soloist on the choir's BBC Radio 3 Epiphany Carol broadcast, which aired on the 3rd of January 2024. He was also honoured to be the baritone soloist on a new recording of Eleanor Daley’s 'Requiem'.

Marcus has also appeared as the baritone soloist in Faure’s 'Requiem' with the Mount Kelly Choral Society as part of the Tavistock Festival in easter 2023 and returned to the 2024 festival for a solo recital in May of 2024.
A keen director and conductor, Marcus was both Artistic Director and President of the Raven Opera Society at Royal Holloway where he directed and conducted their 2023 production of John Blow’s 'Venus and Adonis' and played the title role of Aeneas in their 2024 production of 'Dido and Aeneas'.
It was at the Raven Opera Society he found his love for teaching. He is currently a freelance singer in Oxford, working at university colleges such as Magdalen, Merton, Oriel and New College. Marcus is excited to being working with WOAPA and supporting the next generation of performers.

Kieran Donnelly - Drama Tutor / LAMDA exams tutor
[Friday, Saturday AM & PM schools]

Kieran trained at the Oxford School of Drama and then graduated with a BA (Hons) in Acting from the Birmingham School of Acting (now the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). His particular strength is in developing ways to make even some of the most complicated aspects of acting understandable and achievable for children of all ages. As well as modern theatre, he has been teaching Shakespeare and Stanislavski techniques to students at WOAPA since its launch in 2012.

Kieran has been coaching students on how to pass LAMDA examinations at WOAPA for the past few years and has a one hundred percent pass rate, with the majority of our students at WOAPA achieving Merit or Distinction grades.

Kieran’s recent performing credits include Jaques in William Shakspeare’s “As You like it” and Devin in “The Name’s I Have Known You By” - a production that was rehearsed in Luxembourg and performed at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Previous credits include Sir Toby Belch in 'Twelfth Night' (Oxford 2019). Tunney in 'No Man's an Island' (OFS Oxford 2018), Leontes in The Winter's Tale (Oxford 2017) and Romeo & Juliet (Oxford 2016/17). Other theatre credits include Henry IV in Richard III (London 2016), Petruchio in The Taming Of The Shrew, Caliban in The Tempest (Oxford, July 2016) and The Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol (Oxford 2015).

Kieran's previous performances include Jack in The Importance of Being Ernest and Dromio in Comedy of Errors (2015 Oxford). Kieran’s other credits include Marc Antony in Julius Caesar (2014 Oxford) Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (2013 & 2012 Stratford & Oxford), Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Aslan in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Abraham Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Kieran is also a writer and director, and has produced his own online film series.

He co-founded the local 'Don't Hate the Players Theatre Company', who's aim is to provide professional performing opportunities to Oxford-based actors and performers.

Chloe Smith- 'Young Performers' Tutor
and Dance Tutor [ Saturday PM school ]

Chloe studied at the University of Winchester, gaining a BA(Hons) in Dance Performance specialising in dance for young people. She then studied for a PGCE in Oxford.

Chloe teaches a range of dance styles including Jazz, Commercial, Ballet, Tap and Contemporary.

She attended "Move It" in 2019 as a Showcase Performer

With her sights set on a career in teaching dance, Chloe aims to deliver dance tuition to meet the diverse needs of students, allowing them to progress productively.

Paul Whiston
'Encore' Tutor

Paul originates from Liverpool, and he trained at Elliott Clarke College of Dance and Drama.

His acting credits include musical theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar, Hunting of the Snark and Kiss Me Kate. Paul has also worked as lead singer with 'Body Language', touring Europe and the Middle East.

Televison includes a commercial for Ford Mondeo, Traffic Wardens ITV, Hotel Babylon and Bleak House BBC (Specialist Sword Fencing Sequences).

Paul worked as a drama teacher at a variety of colleges, schools and Academies for many years, working with students from 2 years to 17 years old and also at University, teaching theatre B-Tech and degree students.

Paul has also lead workshops in Shakespeare and the Classics.

He formed his own youth theatre groups based at The Arts Centre in Swindon and ran successful drama clubs in schools in Swindon and Oxford.

Paul has worked as Youth Theatre Leader, director and producer, and has worked with adult theatre groups. He has also worked with international students in summer residencies based at Oxford University, receiving high accreditations for his good teaching standards.

Most recently, Paul has been working as a full-time drama teacher in a secondary school.
His specialist area is Russian theatre, and his MA in Performing Arts research was on Actor Training and the techniques of Stanislavski and Michael Chekhov.

Paul is also an experienced LAMDA exam tutor.

Tutor Assistants

Orla Sprules
Lead Assistant

Orla was a WOAPA student for five years, including being a member of WOAPA’s Dance Troupe. She performed with WOAPA at many external events including the ‘BBC Move-It’ dance project, Christmas Lights Switch-on and Mayor’s Christmas Carol events as well as appearing in a music video for the artist ‘Amani’.
Orla is a keen performer and her most memorable production was ‘High School Musical’.

Orla is a qualified childcare worker and she brings her knowledge and expertise to our WOAPA sessions each week as our 'Young Performers' classes.

You will also see Orla popping up around the school in a variety of admin/manager roles.

Cayla Edwards
Class Assistant (Friday, Saturday AM/PM)

Cayla has recently completed a level 2 Performing Arts & Production course in Oxford, specialising in Musical Theatre. She is preparing to attend a level 3 course in Performing Arts & Production, specialising in Production and Acting.

Cayla attended a course in technical theatre, linked to the National Theatre, providing production and sound for 'The Periodics' and 'The Orchestra' at the North Wall Theatre, Oxford.

Cayla is particularly interested in Backstage production and Lighting and aims to work in Theatre & Touring companies in the future

Having previously worked as a volunteer in primary schools and as an outdoor-persuits activity assistant, Cayla is an ideal WOAPA 'Young Performers' assistant.

George Hiley
General Assistant

George was a WOAPA student for 4 years and gained a Bronze Arts Award.
Following that, he has been a WOAPA assistant for 6 years.

George attended a Lord’s Taverners cricket course and achieved the 'Coach Support Worker Award' (awarded by the England County Cricket Board) enabling him to support another coach and work with cricketers of all ages to improve their skills.

In addition, The Lord’s Taverners awarded him 'The Spirit of Cricket Award' 2019 for being “an outstanding individual who upholds the spirit and traditions of the game”.

George recently visited Buckingham Palace to receive his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award!

When not singing & dancing, George likes watching Ice Hockey, American Football, playing Rugby and going to the theatre.