Rochester

PQA ROCHESTER IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE AFTERNOON CLASSES FROM 21ST April 2012

Demand at PQA Rochester is such that we will be opening afternoon sessions taking place between 14.00 and 17.00

Don’t miss out. To be sure of a place click HERE to enrol!

“PQA Rochester and Tonbridge are working in partnership with Kent County Council”

Principal: Verity Rae Martin

Hi

I am absolutely thrilled to be Principal PQA Rochester.

I am extremely passionate about all subjects taught at PQA and feel that children learn many valuable skills and gain great knowledge through drama training. The confidence and understanding it gives a young person then feeds into other areas of their lives. I love watching my students, who after just a little while of being part of the PQA family gain tremendous confidence, meet new friends, develop their imagination, concentration, observation and articulation skills.

My experience in the showbiz world spans a broad range of performance areas. After gaining a place only age 14 at The BRIT performing arts school where I studied Drama and Musical Theatre for 4 years. I have popped up in film, television shows, musical theatre productions and advertisement features regularly across my twelve years in performance.

Recent roles include – The Bill(ITV), Dream Team(sky 1), comedy sketch show Little Miss Jocelyn(channel 4), Midsummer Murders(itv), Phil Zimmerman’s creepy number 5 sketches and various advertisements and musical video features as well as roles in movies such as SPICEWORLD and I REALLY HATE MY JOB, working next to Hollywood’s Neve Campbell. I am also a familiar face in the modeling world too. My strong vocals have earned me leading roles in touring musical theatre productions, MAMMA MIA! , CHARTBUSTERS and THE PASSIONATE TOUR of India and pantomime appearances as TIGER LILLY in PETER PAN, The Rotherham Civic and JACK in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK at the Middlesborough Theatre with some of the country’s best loved comedy actors, whilst maintaining and strengthening my solo and group acts including girl band `The Superdolls’ that have toured famous venues nationwide.

I am also part of a prestige collective group mentored by famous television director Michael Ferguson whose credits include, Eastenders, The Bill, casualty and Doctor Who (to name a few). We workshop and meet every week at The Actors centre and workshop the most truthful ways of screen acting. I then bring all this information and experience to PQA every week!

I have been teaching alongside my performing work regularly throughout my career and have a great understanding of children and teenagers. I love passing on my professional experience in showbiz and most of all teach what I love best in life – acting, singing and dancing!

I am also currently working with an independent record company on original songs due to be released!

I am also a very proud mum to Lucinda born Jan 2010.

Our Teachers

Tom

Assistant Principal

Thomas has been involved in the arts from a young age, regularly performing with local theatre companies throughout Kent. Thomas appeared in local pantomimes annually and starred in productions throughout his school career. As a member of the choir and choral society at his school, he has performed in various locations singing for distinguished members of the church such as The Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas also had poetry published in two books in his school years, contributing to a piece shown at the Millennium Dome in London.

After completing AS levels, Thomas took time out to pursue a career in Hair Design at ‘Canterbury Academy for Hair and Beauty’. Thomas trained and worked on hairdressing projects for catwalk and theatre/film productions. He collaborated with L’Oreal, Goldwell and RedKen salons and stylists.

Thomas returned to education in 2009 where he majored in English Literature and Teaching at the University Of Kent/Midkent College. Graduating with a first at foundation level, Thomas is now continuing his studies at UKC working towards his MA, MDRAMA in Drama and Theatre Studies. He is specialising in production management, acting, popular performance and stand-up comedy. Thomas has worked on comedy theatre projects such as ‘The Whale Noise Effect’ and ‘Sounds of The Deep’ with ‘Eye Rolling Productions UK’ of which he is the Creative Director.

Thomas works in a number of schools in the Medway area, both on placement and running Drama and confidence building workshops with students in KS2 and KS3 alongside his studies. He couldn’t be more excited to be involved with the incredible team of professionals to ensure the efficiency of the Rochester branch of ‘The Pauline Quirke Academy’!

Hayley

Film & Television

Hayley has a wealth of performing arts training and experience. She has A BA/Hons degree in contemporary Theatre and has just completed a Masters in acting for TV/Film and Radio at East15 Acting School. As well as being a trained actor Hayley also is an experienced workshop leader and has toured schools in Kent with theatre performances.

Her experience with in theatre and film has been very versatile from physical theatre to gritty short films.

Hayley performed at the London Palladium when she was just 15 where she performed a musical theatre song medley with Global music Theatre Company; perhaps this is when she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in performing arts.

Her interest in film acting and film making has lead her to work with several established artists. She made short films with Actor Frank Harper (lock stock and two smoking barrels, the football factory).

Other recorded Media experience includes radio work with BBC radio 4 Director David Blount.

Hayley is passionate about the arts and in particular film and is very pleased to be PQA Film and TV teacher!

Nick

Comedy & Drama

I first had an interest in the Theatre at school from GCSE level drama and soon went to Mid Kent College (Horsted Campus), where I did my BTEC 1st Diploma in Perfroming arts for one year, I then knew for sure that this is what I wanted to do indefinitelty and then went on to do the BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at Mid Kent as well.

I then went on to do my BA Hons Degree in Perfroming at King Alfred’s University in Winchester and graduated after three years in 2003.

I soon got my first Agent for professional representation as an actor and began my career, I started out working in some Theatre in Education Tours (TIE) perfroming a production to children of all ages in schools and then running workshops with them for a number of weeks after that, I played Tyler in ‘Harfwitt’s House’. Adam,Jack,Bully & Teacher in ‘What If’ both with Channel Theatre Company where we toured all over the country including right over in Devon and Cornwall. I worked on a small role in a film ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’ starring Martin Clunes.

I then worked on a couple of different television roles, one for the BBC1 where I was just in a very short advert (Ident) in between shows, I then shot a Spanish beer advert ‘Estrella Damm’ on location in Portugal which was a lot of fun and is on my showreel today. The same year I played the offender in an episode of Crimewatch which was shot on Location near Southampton.

I played a reporter in a CBBC production a few years ago and more recently spent a few weeks filming in Leeds and Germany on a Film for ITV1 starring Sir David Jason, Called ‘Albert’s Memorial’, where I played the younger of Sir David Jason’s character, Young Harry Ward, which was a lot of fun and great exposure too.

Since then I have also filmed a short piece (VT) for the show ‘Lets Dance for Sport Relief’ with the characters and on the set of The Bill, I shot a short Commercial for McDonalds last summer and this year have already shot a short film where I played a character called Jonah Mallard in a production of Breaking & Mending for an Essex Arts Council project. I am due to be filming a sketch film shortly for Spanish Television which will be a lot of fun as I will be playing many different characters in ‘That’s English’

I am now also proud to be part of the Pauline Quirke Academy Rochester, working with some great professionals and having a lot of fun trying to pass the passion and experiance on!

Michelle

Musical Theatre

Michelle started dancing age six at Len Goodman’s School of dance. By the age of 12 Michelle was a champion disco and rock and roll dancer and helping out and assisting at the school. After attending Lewisham Dance College Michelle went to work as a professional dancer in many shows.

Her credits include-Head Girl Dancer at Sussex Beach Holiday Village for two seasons and also performed in the famous RED touring shows at Butlins for two seasons. Various pantomimes as head girl and assistant choreographer alongside many celebrities. Dancer with Open wide International in Malta and Greece and then became the Events Manager with Premier International in Cyprus.

After attending the Dance teachers Academy in London Michelle qualified as a Freestyle and Street Dance associate teacher. Michelle has also assisted in many drama class’s for the past year in local schools in Kent for principal Verity and has played a major part in putting productions together with Verity. She is also very proud mum to Finley age 2.

She is thrilled to be teaching Musical Theatre at PQA Rochester with Principal Verity-Rae Martin.

Katie

Poppets

I grew up in Rochester and started attending Drama classes at the age of six. I fell in love with performing and knew that it was the career I wanted to pursue. I then went to perform in many productions at the Medway Little Theatre and community events and proceeded to take intensive training in the arts at Mid Kent College and the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Roles over this period include ‘Elvira’ in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, ‘Duchess’ in The Duchess of Malfi with Exit Theatre and ‘Cecile’ in a production of Dangerous Liaisons.

Since graduating I have worked as an Entertainments Manager for Park Resorts, and as a performer and entertainer for Royal Caribbean cruises. In addition, I have appeared in various television ads and have been teaching Drama to students of all ages at Hillside Summer Camp and French Woods Festival of Performing Arts in upstate New York, USA. I have also begun a PGCE teacher training course at the University of Greenwich.

More recently, I have been involved with the Royal Shakespere Company’s Open Stages project performing as ‘Rosalind’ in As You Like It by William Shakespeare, which has been selected to be performed at the Questor’s Theatre in London later on in the year.

I am thrilled to have joined the fabulous team at PQA Rochester and Tonbridge as the Poppets teacher. It’s a fun environmentthat celebrates the students attributes and achievements, and encourages them to be truly amazing!