Eastleigh

Principal – Steve Wakeford

Hi, my name is Steve Wakeford & I am the proud new principal of the Eastleigh Academy.

I was lead singer with two groups in the 70′s and 80′s, New Release and Vixen and an active member of Abingdon Drama Club where I played many roles from the young and dashing Florizel in A Winter’s Tale to a marvellous Dame in a Panto!

Local work includes Outreach work with Light Relief Theatre Company, ‘murders’ with Resort to Murder and a lead role in the Castle Player’s production of Lend me a Tenor. I am also involved in the Please project in 2007 which raises awareness about homelessness in Bournemouth.

Stacey – Musical Theatre

Stacey’s performing arts training took place at the prestigious Performing Arts College Italia Conti in London on a three year scholarship course. During her training Stacey performed in many shows, Top Cat at the Wimbledon Theatre, A Shakespeare Tour, performed at the Royal Albert Hall and pantomimes in Chesterfield and Lincoln.

Stacey graduated in 2006 and was offered a position on P & O’s luxury cruise liner the Oriana playing many leading roles in the seventeen shows performed. Other performances include a production of Las Vegas at the NEC Birmingham, ensemble in Mother Goose Bruce James productions, and ensemble in Peter Pan Chris Mareno productions. Performed weekly at the exclusive Hilton Hotel in London. Was part of the Heart UK Video, danced at Wembley Stadium during the Carling Cup game between Tottenham & Chelsea. Stacey was asked to produce a DVD to help educational teachers in schools to teach dance and this has been extremely successful. Been part of Cambridge fashion week and is currently the promotional face of West End Theatre Tokens.

Christmas of 2009 was spent in Milan, Italy as a show girl in the production Crazy Girls. Whilst performing Stacey has never lost her love for teaching and loves to use her inspiration to encourage others. She recently qualified as a teacher with the ISTD of dance gaining an impressive honour.

Paul – Comedy & Drama

Paul has been acting since the age of twelve and in 2008 graduated from the Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre with a BA (Hons) in Acting. Since graduating from drama school Paul has appeared in a number of professional productions including Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, In Extremis and Victory. In 2007 Paul appeared in The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter at the Buxton fringe festival for which he was nominated for a best actor award.

He is also an experienced sword fighter and fight choreographer, he has recently choreographed productions of Romeo & Juliet, The Three Musketeers and Robin Hood. Paul is very enthusiastic about stage combat and regularly attends courses in the subject to further develop his skills.

Recently Paul completed a PGCE at the University of Portsmouth and is currently working as a supply teacher within the Hampshire area while seeking permanent employment as a sixth form teacher. Paul believes that drama is a very important activity for children and young people in order to develop confidence and communication skills, among other things, and is looking forward to working with the students at PQA Eastleigh.

Steve – Film & Television

Steve first wanted to perform when he was four years old. He started small, but by ten he was taking leading roles in panto and school plays, with notable roles as Santa Claus and the Big Bad Wolf. Through secondary school and college he retained his love for the stage and screen, finding roles in performance of Bagsy Malone, Little Shop of Horrors and one of the leads in Blood Brothers. It was here though, that childhood dreams became career ambitions.

Steve studied Community Theatre and Media at University, and worked closely with community and special needs groups in the production of stage shows and films. His proudest accomplishment being a year long drama and media workshop course with Young Carers in the Winchester and Andover areas, culminating in both a stage show and a drama/documentary about a day in the life of a Young Carer, which as then screened for social workers, teachers and politicians, and was used in convincing those in authority to press for new legislation to help and protect the Young Carer community.

Since leaving University, Steve has continued on the path to a career in film and television. He has has several small roles with production companies, including standing in as a cameraman for a documentary shoot inside the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador.

Steve currently volunteers as a coordinator for a major film festival organisation, and is the director of his own film production company.

Katie – Poppets

I graduated from De Montfort University in Leicester with a degree in dance and theatre in 2007. Since graduating I have worked with Hampshire Dance youth company,NoCo. I was there company assistant and worked alongside there rehearsal director until May 2009.In the spring oflast year i joined Disney Cruise Line.

I was a children’s presenter/facilitator inboard the Disney Wonder. This was a very rewarding experience. Most recently I havehad the opportunity to work for WokingDance festival.I worked alongsideMotile Monnier’s contemporary dance company as a project assistant and dancer. I have also recentlybeen a dancerwith StopGap Dance Company for the Big Dance event in Surrey.

Having loved doing dance and theatre from a young age I am very excited to work for PQA and being given the opportunity to teach children what I ma most passionate about it a privilege.

Megan – Musical Theatre

I studied at Thornden School from 2003 to 2008 and was awarded ‘A*’s in French, History and Drama GCSE, ‘A’s in English Literature, English Language, Science, Additional Science, Dance and Business Communications GCSE and a ‘C’ In Maths.

I have completed my two years at Peter Symonds College in Winchester, securing and ‘A’ and three ‘B’s at A Level for English Literature, Performing Arts, History and General Studies.

I have been involved in the theatre from a very young age and have been in numerous productions such as Les Miserables, Titus Andronicus and most recently The Bacchae. I have participated in many Speech and Drama verse speaking Competitions, dance and drama workshops- with companies such as Frantic Assembly and The Royal Shakespeare Company and I have been a very reliable member of several youth theatre companies. I am currently a member of both The Nuffield Youth Theatre and also Hampshire Youth Theatre, both of which have given me experience in a range of theatre practises and styles. I was also given the chance to help direct the 11- 15 age group at the Nuffield this year.

In addition to this, I have recently been awarded a LAMDA distinction at Grade 8 in Musical Theatre following two years of singing lessons and was a member of the Thornden Girls Choir and vocal ensemble for 5 years.

I have studied many forms of drama through both my education and other theatre involvement, and I have developed various divisional, improvisational, organisation and collaborative work skills from these experiences.