Drama - Meet the Team

Meet the Team

Claire Davies

Our Head of Drama Claire Davies graduated from Exeter University with a First Class Degree. A large part of her degree was based around Applied Drama and Drama within Education. She sees first-hand the positive influence that Drama and The Arts can have upon a student and she feels privileged to be able to share these experiences with her students. She has a passion for Musical Theatre and the big school show is a highlight of the year for her. However, she also enjoys the little victories, watching students grow into confident performers and developing a love of theatre.




 

 


Charlotte James

Charlotte graduated from Bristol University with a 2:1 in Theatre, Film and Television. She then moved to London and worked for a number of different Independent Film production companies, including Working Title Films and Calamity Films. Whilst living and working in London, Charlotte worked with young people from Billy Elliot the Musical. It was this experience that inspired Charlotte to take her PGCE course and pursue a career in teaching. Charlotte's favourite aspect of being a Drama teacher is when she sees someone take a risk, step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves beyond what they think they are capable of.




 

 


Caroline Merrett

As an experienced Drama teacher, Caroline, has enjoyed working with students performing in a wide variety of theatrical, acting styles and genres. She loves supporting students to contribute in every aspect, from the earliest devising and shaping of ideas in collaboration, to the many elements of performance production. She is passionate about exploring all human stories, what drives the characters we portray, and helping students to explore the limitless possibilities in conveying them. 

 


 

 



Georgia Michael

Georgia graduated from Rose Bruford drama school with a 2:1 in European theatre arts. Upon finishing her degree, Georgia lived and worked in London within the entertainments industry, largely for Merlin Entertainments. Here she became a show captain for Thorpe Park Fright Nights. She moved back to Somerset in 2016 and began to help direct local school productions which got her into teaching. Georgia is incredibly passionate about the positive benefits the arts have on young people and thoroughly enjoys seeing that first hand.

 

 

 





Helena Payne

Helena read English at the University of Exeter before training at the Drama Studio in London and is the Creative Director of Pleasure Dome Theatre Compnay. As an actor she has played a wealth of lead roles including Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Edmund in LEAR, Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Cymbeline at the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival, Viola in Twelfth Night and Margaret in Much Ado at Petersfield Shakespeare Festival. She regularly records at Abbey Road with London Cantamusica and recently recorded the audiobook All the Perverse Angels at Pinewood Studios. She has toured with Heritage Opera as Mercedes in Carmen and other sung roles include Amneris in Aida, Annio in La Clemenza di Tito, Mrs Noye in Noye’s Fludde at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden and Mustardseed in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Minack Theatre. Recently she wrote LOUISA, the incredible true story of the Overland Launch which toured the South West in partnership with the RNLI with support from Arts Council England. 

 





Dean Brammall

After graduating from Italia Conti ’s prestigious BA Musical Theatre course, Dean worked for several years as a professional performer in plays, musicals, television and film. Following this success he became Movement Co-ordinator on hit TV show Peaky Blinders and from here his passion for creating theatre took flight, working as a professional director and choreographer. Dean is Head of Dance at ‘Somerstage Musical Theatre School’ in Bridgwater and also ‘Youth Theatre Leader’ at The Brewhouse in Taunton. He continues to work in entertainment managing singer Nadine Coyle. Dean is a full time Lamda teacher and choreographer at the School.


 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Emma Trace

Dance has always been a part of my life, I started Irish Dancing at the age of 4 and for the next 11 years took part in many competitions, trips around the country and Ireland and danced at local festivals. When I joined Secondary School, I was lucky enough to have access to the lunchtime dance and drama clubs and later took GCSE Dance and BTEC Performing Arts. From that point, I knew that I wanted to someday become a Dance Teacher and so I took up as many different styles of dance as I could fit in! I studied at the SPACE which gave me the confidence as a dancer and company member to take my passion for the arts further. 

From there, my love of ballet continued to grow and I undertook the Royal Academy of Dance Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies course. I am close to completing my training with the ISTD for my Diploma in Dance Education and am already looking forward to the next course I can get my teeth into!