The Act Now! Teaching Team
Principal / DirectorSusan Russell-Curtis
BA (Hons) Performing Arts; Cert. Acting GSMD; HND Performing Arts
Licensed Chaperone/Matron; Member IfL
Susan has been teaching Performing Arts for over twenty five years and started Act Now! after graduating with a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts. She also has extensive experience in acting, has been the recipient of an acting award at the West Herts Drama Festival, and has performed in several stage plays including: Tom Jones (Susan); Amadeus (Constanze); House and Garden (Jo); The Recruiting Officer (Melinda); Shakers (Adele); Our Country's Good (Dabby); Aladdin (Aladdin); Antigone (Antigone); Pride and Prejudice (Caroline Bingley); The Rivals (Lucy); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Helena); One for the Road (Pauline); Playboy of The Western World (Widow Quin); Don't Dress for Dinner (Suzette); Cinderella (Donna) and Can't Pay, Won't Pay (Margherita).
Susan has also directed many stage productions for both children and adults, including: Our Country's Good; Oliver; Little Shop of Horrors; The Pied Piper; Pride and Prejudice; Headstate; Annie; The Pirates of Penzance; The Sound of Music; Half a Sixpence; Summer Holiday; HMS Pinafore; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Bugsy Malone; Oliver!; Gregory's Girl; High School Musical and Les Misérables (School Edition).
Having trained in contemporary theatre practice, devised theatre, musical theatre, mask, stage management, wardrobe and set design, Susan also does occasional voice over work, chaperones Act Now! children on TV and Film locations and is a part-time Lecturer in Performing Arts at West Herts College.
Louisa StevensSenior Acting and Singing Tutor
BA (Hons) Drama
Louisa has been with Act Now! almost since it began, having graduated with a BA (Hons) in Drama. As well as being an accomplished actress and dancer, Louisa also sings in local band Juan More.
Louisa is a very experienced drama teacher and choreographer as well as having extensive acting and directing experience including: Bash; The Regina Monologues; Oh! what a Lovely War; Fando and Lis; An inspector Calls; A Comedy of Errors; Little Shop of Horrors; Road; Racing Demon; Extremeties; Fontamara; BFG; Pied Piper; Alice in Wonderland, Time of my Life; Merry Wives of Windsor and Principal Actress for Sanctuary's Murder Mystery Weekends.
Harry Cooper-MillarDance and Musical Theatre Tutor
Nat. Dip. Musical Theatre
Harry started dancing and performing from the age of 7 and has
never looked back! He is currently at Margaret Howard Theatre College completing his National Diploma in Musical Theatre, including singing, acting and dance (ballet,
contemporary, jazz, tap, musical theatre jazz and commercial jazz).
Harry is currently appearing in Panto in Jack and the Beanstalk at Watford Palace Theatre and in the summer of 2012 will commence touring with the professional Dirty Dancing tour.
Training:
The Young Americans (Michigan) and Margaret Howard Theatre College.
Theatre Credits:
Honk!
The Musical (Ugly), Once On This Island (Tonton), Fame (Joe), The Wiz
(The Lion), Songs For A New World (Lead Male Soloist), We Will Rock You
(Dance Captain).
Annesha ParkinsonDance Tutor
BA Hons Dance & Professional Practice
Annesha is a Commercial and Contemporary dancer and has been
training and performing for several years.
As well as teaching dance at Act Now! Annesha has also worked with Youth Dance England and Dance City and teaches in various schools within
Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and choreographs and performs in shows across these
regions.
Annesha's styles are Commercial Hip Hop, Whacking, Locking, Breaking and Fusion
with Contemporary and Hip Hop. She has performed with various Contemporary and Hip Hop companies.
Annesha and is currently in a professional dance troupe called Att2ude who are sponsored
by Schwartzkopft and have Sisco Gomez as choreographer. Att2tude was formed after a nationwide search, with the finals in Birmingham, where Annesha won to become part of the 8 person Att2tude troupe.
Currently completing her BA Hons Dance
and Professional Practice, Annesha has also recently worked on a professional dance film
called ‘When No One Is Around’.
Geraldine Driver
Acting and Singing TutorBA (Hons) Film Production
Gerry joined the teaching staff of Act Now! five years ago and has provided huge support in the teaching of drama and singing, utilising her knowledge of Shakespeare with particular success in one-to-one solo acting classes.
She has also provided us with an insight into the world of Film and Television and she is now able to assist in the teaching of acting for film - a very different genre to theatre acting.
Gerry has 'trod the boards' herself in productions including: Pride and Prejudice; The House of Bernardo Alba; The Sound of Music; Our Country's Good; Macbeth and Comedy of Errors. She has won Best Actress at the Luton Drama Festival and also made a cameo appearance in the film 'Confetti'. She also took part in 'The Choir' for BBC TV.
Patrons
David Arnold
David Arnold is a Grammy and BAFTA Fellowship Award-winning film composer, best known for
scoring James Bond films, the blockbusters Independence Day and
Stargate and the television show Little Britain.
It
was his collaboration with the Icelandic singer Bjork on her hit single
"Play Dead" which first brought him to public prominence, and his debut
score for the 1992 film "The Young Americans" (in which the song
featured) followed soon after. Since then, Arnold has become one
British film music's most sought-after commodities, switching
seamlessly from orchestral grandeur on movies such as "Stargate"
(1994), the Grammy-winning "Independence Day" (1996) and "Godzilla"
(1998), to smaller-scale urban grooves on movies such as "Shaft"
(2000), "Enough" (2002), "2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003) and "Four Brothers"
(2005). Also, and perhaps most importantly, Arnold is also the man who
has successfully taken over from John Barry as the main James Bond
composer, having written the music for "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997),
"The World Is Not Enough" (1999), "Die Another Day"(2002), "Casino
Royale" (2006) and "Quantum of Solace" (2008). Away from the film world, Arnold maintains a career as
a successful record producer, having worked with contemporary artists
such as Pulp, Iggy Pop, Chrissie Hynde, David McAlmont and The
Cardigans. He regularly works with orchestrator/conductor Nicholas
Dodd, and has established long-standing relationships with directors
such as Roland Emmerich and John Singleton. (www.davidarnold.com)
Emily Bull
Emily is an experienced actress and West End musical theatre performer and we are delighted to welcome her as a patron of Act Now!
As well as being a patron, Emily pops in to classes (when work permits) to offer her invaluable advice and tuition in Musical Theatre.
Emily is currently in Panto and will be appearing in the West End again from March 2012 in Sweeney Todd.
Theatre credits include: Cosette in Lés Miserables (Queens Theatre, West End) Frenchy in Grease the Musical (Piccadilly Theatre, West End), Princess, Aladdin, (UK Productions), Bobbie, The Railway Children, (Sevenoaks Playhouse), Radio includes:Les Misérables 21st Anniversary Concert, (BBC Radio 2).Recordings:Bobbie (The Railway Children) and Bonnie/chorus (Bonnie and Clyde concept album).
