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Your Tutors At The Bridge

All of us who help deliver The Bridge’s extraordinary and dynamic training – professional actors, directors, performers, musicians and choreographers – joined The Bridge because we are committed to making the highest level of industry training accessible to everyone with the talent and determination to enter the profession, regardless of their background, class, race, nationality or circumstances. This is why only the basic cost of the training is charged to students. It’s also why we work with you after you graduate to help you succeed in your career.

Here are your tutors on the professional acting courses.

JUDITH POLLARD (Acting & Audition)
MARK AKRILL (Acting Methods & Voice)
ALEXANDER ABBOTT (Singing)
ANDREW ASHENDEN (Stage Combat)
DAVID BAUCKHAM (Voice)
MARK BOWDEN (Acting, Film & Television)
DANNIE CARR (Theatre History)
EMMA DODD (Dance)
FRANCESCA JAYNES (Guest Choreographer)
JONATHAN JAYNES (Animal Studies)
ANTONY LAW (Acting Teacher & Director)
HUW PRALL (Modern and Historical Dance)
FIONA RAE (Movement)
COLIN SKIPP (Radio Technique)
MARK STREET (TV and Film)

Mark Bowden

This internationally renowned actor-director Mark Bowden and leading exponent of physical theatre inspires students at The Bridge with his direct and challenging approach to training which culminates in extraordinary and moving productions.

Francesca Jaynes

Company guest Francesca Jaynes is a major choreographer whose work includes Stephen Speilberg’s AI with Jude Law, Mike Leigh’s Topsy Turvy, and Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp. Amongst her productions with Bridge students are The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The House and The West End Showcase for agents and Casting directors at the Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly.

JUDITH POLLARD
ACTING & AUDITION
Joint Artistic Director of The Bridge

Judith trained at Italia Conti Stage School and The London School of Dramatic Art and has worked extensively as an actress in theatre and television. Theatre credits include The Diary of Anne Frank, A Taste of Honey, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ruffian on the Stair. Television credits include Blithe Spirit, Testament of Youth, War and Peace, Dr Who, The Onedin Line, Sentimental Education, Wives and Daughters and Little Women. As a designer her work includes productions of Fatale, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Cherry Orchard, The Winter's Tale, Road and The House of Bernarda Alba.

MARK AKRILL
ACTING METHODS AND VOICE
Joint Artistic Director of The Bridge

Mark has a degree in Drama, English and Education and studied at Hull. His credits as a director and performer include national tours of Jazz Audience, The Recruiting Sergeant and Poem. Other directing credits include Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The Good and Faithful Servant, Road, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, Fatale, The Cherry Orchard, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, The House of Bernarda Alba, Under Milk Wood and Entertaining Strangers. His most recent writing credits are Fatale and The Mystery Plays (a re-interpretation of the Medieval originals).

ALEXANDER ABBOTT
SINGING

Alex studied at Surrey University and London Bible College. He has worked extensively as a singer, pianist, composer, arranger and musical director. In addition he has toured Canada and Europe appearing on TV, Radio and numerous recordings. His first full scale musical was performed in 2003 and his second, The Dating Game, in 2008. His third musical, a one act, one woman drama, was written for a Bridge graduate.

ANDREW ASHENDEN
STAGE COMBAT

Andrew is one of a few Equity registered Fight Directors in the UK, and is currently on the committee for both the British Academy of Dramatic Combat, and the Equity Fight Directors. His recent credits include: Pobol Y Cym (BBC Wales), Romeo and Juliet (Oxford Shakespeare Festival), Treasure Island, Othello and The Jungle Book (Birmingham Stage Company), Robin Hood (Ophaboom Theatre Company), Dick Whittington (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), Death-Trap and Popcorn, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Henry V. He also teaches at Guildford School of Acting.

DAVID BAUCKHAM
VOICE

David is a graduate of the prestigious Voice Studies course at the Central School of Speech and Drama. As an actor his extensive theatre credits have included a range of West End appearances as well as characters from Edward Elgar to Roald Amundsen and most recently Lucky Eric in John Godber's Bouncers. His many TV appearances include roles in series such as Eastenders, Inspector Morse, The Bill, and Casualty. He has narrated several full length audio books, most recently Eric Clapton's autobiography. He has taught voice, accents and dialects at many drama schools and for various theatre and opera companies.

MARK BOWDEN
GUEST DIRECTOR

Mark works internationally as an actor, director and producer. His award winning performances include leading roles in five West End shows, many world tours and British premieres, along with numerous appearances on British and USA network television. He has played lead roles in European independent film and supporting roles in Hollywood studio film. Mark has founded three theatre companies, directing and producing across Europe. He has directed a number of feature films.

DANNIE CARR
THEATRE HISTORY

Dannie trained at Sheffield University, The Bridge and The Impulse Company and now works as a director, acting coach, corporate communications trainer, voiceover artist, actor and writer. Her specialisations are the Meisner Technique and the psychology of communication. Directing credits include Death of a Salesman, Summer and Smoke, The Gut Girls, Marat/Sade, Top Girls, O Go My Man, The Winterling, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A View from the Bridge and Look Back in Anger. TV and radio work includes Morli in Dalek Empire II and III, and trailers for BBC3 and Classic FM. Theatre includes The Blue Room, The Heidi Chronicles and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

EMMA DODD
DANCE

Emma trained at Laine Theatre Arts. She has appeared in numerous theatrical productions including Evita (Adelphi Theatre), Me & My Girl (UK Tour, Showboat (Royal Albert Hall), High Society (Shaftesbury Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Palladium), Calamity Jane (Shaftesbury Theatre & UK Tour), the final cast of Starlight Express (Apollo Victoria), A Celebration of West-End Theatre (Palace Theatre) and Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre). Television credits include: The Cherries (ITV Carlton), featured artist in television series Wild Frontier and Halifax commercial (RSA Films, ITV) and Ident for Schwartz – Richard & Judy Sponsorship (Channel 4).

FRANCESCA JAYNES
GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER

Fran works in film, theatre and television. In film she has worked with Tim Burton, Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard. Recent films include The Prince of Persia, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and The Duchess. In theatre Fran has choreographed for the National, London Old Vic, Hampstead and many leading regional theatres including Birmingham Rep, Theatre Clywd, New Wolsey Ipswich and Liverpool Everyman on productions such as The Threepenny Opera, Sugar, Leader of the Pack, Blues in the Night and Little Shop of Horrors.

JONATHAN JAYNES
ANIMAL STUDIES

Jonathan has worked extensively as an actor in theatre, performing at the National Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse, Watford Palace and Leeds Playhouse. He was in the film First Knight and has worked on many television programmes, including Down To Earth, September Song, Coronation Street, The Bill and Eastenders. He has taught at The Bridge for several years and also currently teaches at LAMDA and London Centre of Theatre Studies.

ANTONY LAW
ACTING TEACHER & DIRECTOR

Antony trained at The Bridge. His directing credits include: Bouncers, Road, New Anatomies, Find Me, 13 Grimms Tales, Under Milk Wood, Closer, Terrorism, Scenes from an Execution, Victory and A Hard Heart. As an actor he works in theatre, TV and film and his credits include: Closer, Brief Encounter (National Tour), Shadows on the Sun, Family Affairs, Friends and Crocodiles (Poliakoff/BBC) and Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton). He is founding Director of two theatre companies Resister & IFoughtTheLaw.

HUW PRALL
MODERN AND HISTORICAL DANCE

Originally trained as a classical dancer, Huw trained in allied dance forms, acting and singing. Theatre, film and television credits include The Winslow Boy, Amadeus, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, An Ideal Husband, La Traviata (Royal Opera House), Pride and Prejudice (BBC), Rebecca (Carlton), Byron (BBC), and The Young Victoria (Film). Choreographic credits include The Rivals, Pygmalion and Charles Dickens and the Invention of Christmas (BBC). Huw is Head of Dance for the Education Department at Shakespeare's Globe.

FIONA RAE
MOVEMENT

Fiona trained at Central School of Speech and Drama graduating with an MA in Movement Studies and London Studio Centre gaining a BA (Hons) in Theatre Dance. She has taught at The London Centre for Theatre Studies, Mountview, GSA and Central. As a movement director and choreographer recent credits include; You Beautiful Ewe, Holoray Holiday (The Arcola), Fish, The Marilyn Monroe Show (Brighton Festival), For CSSD: The Tempest, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters (Embassy Theatre).

COLIN SKIPP
RADIO TECHNIQUE

Colin gained a scholarship to RADA and won a BBC Drama Student Award. Television roles include Geoff in A Taste of Honey, Cliff in Look Back in Anger and for 6 months Ivan in the T.V. Series United. He has played Tony Archer in The Archers for more than 30 years. Colin has directed stage plays for Bill Kenwright and Tom Edwards and is Director of Productions for Centenary Players at The Arts Theatre, Falmouth and Manor Theatre, Portland. He directed the Premiere of Shakespeare Country by Peter Whelan.

MARK STREET
TV AND FILM

Mark runs his own production company and has over ten years experience as a theatre and film director. His work has played in theatres and festivals and been broadcast around the world. He was Co-founder of 104 Theatre Company winning the Edinburgh Award with See Base of Can. He has worked widely as an actor both on stage, film and television and directs and lectures at various other drama schools including Central School of Speech and Drama, Mountview and Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts.