Teachers
Hannah Underwood
WDYC Founder
Hannah has over 12 years’ experience of teaching children and teens. She holds a BA (Hons) in Theatre and won The Stage Scholarship. She teaches in school and runs afterschool clubs specialising in LAMDA training in Acting up to and including the Medal Grades. Her main passion is directing and devising with young people.
In her spare time she creates work with her company ‘The Creative Collective’ a community project that recruits creative talent to join forces and make beautiful things. Since 2015 she has been producing community events which bring people together whilst raising money for charities.
Rachel Shaw
Teacher
Rachel trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and went on to enjoy a 20 year stage career which included The Royal National Theatre the West End including Les Miserables, Mamma Mia and My Fair Lady and many UK and International Tours. Since having her son in 2008, Rachel has found a love of passing on her knowledge as a singing and LAMDA teacher to children. She loves to see them grow in confidence, find their voice and achieve their dreams. Rachel still loves to perform professionally, most recently opposite Anton Du Beke in Jack in the Beanstalk.
Helen Corry
Teacher
Helen has always had a passion for drama, performing in many shows and taking her LAMDA exams as a child. She is a qualified Teaching Assistant with specialist skills in Drama and a Home Educator. She has a specialist knowledge of SEND with a good understanding of how different needs affect children’s learning and behaviour. Helen’s natural ability to adapt lessons to meet the needs of her students gives them the encouragement and confidence to find their flow and really shine. She currently specialises in teaching the Acting LAMDA syllabus.
Catherine Vernon
Teacher
Catherine has been teaching singing, musical theatre and performance for 25 years. She started at a few branches of the Stagecoach Saturday Schools, then moved on to such schools as B.R.I.T and Ravenscourt Theatre School, where she was given the opportunity to musically direct at the Criterion Theatre in The West End. She also ran her own part-time theatre school in Merton Abbey Mills for several years, putting on large-scale shows every year at the Secombe Theatre in Sutton.
She currently teaches LAMDA and is also a singing coach.
Kim Hausler
Teacher
Kim is a Teaching Artist originally from the east coast USA who has taught advanced acting techniques at the sixth form equivalent, worked in residency with leading regional theatres, and directed countless showcases to highlight the work of aspiring thespians. As an Actor, she trained in traditional theatre repertory and often puts her American dialect range to good use in corporate voiceovers and comedic adverts. As a LAMDA Tutor, she prioritises suiting the piece to the performer and drives results based on a thoughtful connection with the chosen material. She has a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the Florida State University Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training
Catherine Vernon
Teacher
Catherine has been teaching singing, musical theatre and performance for 25 years. She started at a few branches of the Stagecoach Saturday Schools, then moved on to such schools as B.R.I.T and Ravenscourt Theatre School, where she was given the opportunity to musically direct at the Criterion Theatre in The West End. She also ran her own part-time theatre school in Merton Abbey Mills for several years, putting on large-scale shows every year at the Secombe Theatre in Sutton.
She currently teaches LAMDA and is also a singing coach.
Hello, I'm Hannah 👋
This is the Why Don't You
I’ve been mad about performing and creating my whole life. At 8 I was writing my own shows and building set and costume and forcing my friends and family to take part or watch. I was very shy around people, but when I started acting I discovered I could be anyone on stage and simply lost all inhibitions. I continued to write plays for my peers at local holiday clubs, whilst performing in school plays and as a young adult chose a BA in Theatre Studies at DeMontford University that focused primarily on devised work.
Out in the big wide world, I joined ‘In Yer Face’ Physical and Mixed Media Theatre Company and toured with them for two years. After winning ‘The Stage’ scholarship at The Drama Academy I went on to broaden my theatre craft in the heart of Whitechapel, London.
I continued to work as a jobbing actor whilst writing and performing my own plays. After many years and many jobs in and out of acting whilst raising my own family, I was delighted to start offering acting classes to kids in my local area. These classes have grown into holiday clubs and Why Don’t You was born out of this. As someone who has always had a big imagination, I don’t like to put anything in boxes, and so Why Don’t You, doesn’t fit a mould. Its really about giving kids the tools to try something new and different to kickstart their own creative journey.
I am also very passionate about my community and finding creative talent to join forces and make beautiful things. Since 2015 I have been producing community projects which bring people together to make events that everyone can take part in, whilst raising money for some amazing charities.
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