Professional Production Skills Graduates 2016

Specialist area: Directing/Stage management

GSA Highlights: SM, Company, Ivy Arts Centre; AD, 13, The Mill; SM, Journey’s End, Ivy Arts Centre

Industry Placement: Education Assistant & Facilitating Director, Guildford Shakespeare Company

About Me: I am creative and passionate and thrive well in a team. My time at GSA has equipped me with skill sets, such as stage management and directing, which will enable me to pursue a career as a drama facilitator/ theatre workshop leader.

Contact me: tim_ashleysmith@yahoo.co.uk

Specialist Area:Stage management

GSA Highlights: DSM, Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; SM, 3 in Rep (Roberto Zucco, The Grapes of Wrath & Oh, What a Lovely War), Ivy Arts Centre; DSM, Into the Woods, Ivy Arts Centre

Industry Placement/Professional Work: SM (on book), The Toxic Avenger, Southwark Playhouse; ASM (Dep), Thriller: Live, Lyric Theatre; DSM, Sunset Boulevard, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; PM, Table, Waterloo East Theatre

About Me: I’m a calm and confident Stage Manager and pride myself on my attention to detail. Outside of the theatre, I enjoy music, playing guitar and piano and socialising with friends.

Specialist Area: Lighting

 GSA Highlights: LX Programmer, Hands on a Hard Body & Snoopy, the Musical, Ivy Arts Centre;Production LX, 3 in Rep Season 2016, Ivy Arts Centre;Programmer, Ionian Island Experience, Ivy Arts Centre

 Industry Placement: Lighting Department, Royal National Theatre Lighting Department, Young Vic Theatre

 About Me: I am an enthusiastic, reliable technician with experience in multiple disciplines. I look forward to enhancing my skills. I particularly enjoy programming for musical theatre.

Contact me: michaeljbennett@hotmail.co.uk

Specialist Area: Stage management

GSA Highlights: SM, Semi-Monde, Ivy Arts Centre; DSM The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ivy Arts Centre, DSM, Henry IV, Ivy Arts Centre; Asst. LX, On The Town, Ivy Arts Centre

Industry Placement: SM (on book) – Falstaff, Black Cat Opera Company; Technical Advisor for Simply See Productions

About Me: Originally from Belfast, I moved to Guildford to turn what has always been a passion of mine into a career. With experience in multiple disciplines I am a very confident and capable stage manager and technician, specialising mostly within the role of DSM with a view to move forward as a CSM later in my career. I feel that my very personable and amiable nature will help me flourish within these disciplines.

Specialist Area: Stage management

GSA Highlights: ASM, Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; ASM, Ghost the Musical, Ivy Arts Centre; DSM, Company, Studio 2

Industry Placement: Stage Management Placement, Rocky Horror Live, ATG, Playhouse Theatre

About me: I am confident and enthusiastic Stage Manager who is looking to transfer my skills into the industry. I am eager to learn new skills and enjoy being challenged with new projects. I am very excited to be entering the professional world of Stage Management.

Contact me: Jackcooper03@gmail.com

Specialist area: Lighting

GSA Highlights: Lighting Designer, Journey’s End, Ivy Art Centre; Associate Lighting Designer, 3 in Rep Season, Ivy Arts Centre; Production LX/ Programmer, How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, Ivy Arts Centre; Assistant LX/ Follow Spot, Sister Act, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

Industry Placement: TSL Lighting: corporate events including première of Spectre; Royal Albert Hall Show Department: Casual.

About me: I’m a hard-working, reliable and confident Lighting Technician who is eager to start my vocational career and put my three years of training at GSA into practice. I am passionate about lighting design and architectural lighting, as well as programming. I am planning to pursue a career in theatre, TV and the corporate events industry. I enjoy a challenge and embrace every project I’m assigned to, working well independently as well as part of a team.

Contact me: toaaronfraser@aol.com

Specialist Area: Sound

GSA Highlights: Sound 1, Ghost, Ivy Arts Centre; Production Sound Engineer, Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; Sound 2, Lift, Ivy Arts Centre

Industry Placement: Currently Sound Dep on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Beautiful the Carole King musical, Aldwych Theatre. Recently Sound Dep on other West End shows including Billy Elliot, Miss Saigon, Gypsy and Bend it like Beckham; Sound 2 cover for UK tour of The Smallest Show on Earth; work placements at Dimension Audio and the National Theatre.

About Me: I am a hardworking, dedicated person. I enjoy meeting new people and love working in a team! I have a wide range of knowledge in sound, having worked on a variety of different shows around the West End and a touring production. This has given me skills to take forward into any new work I do. I would love to able to progress my skill set by going on tour.

Contact Me: laurajhead@outlook.com

Specialist Area: Stage management

GSA Highlights: SM, Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; DSM, GHOST the Musical, Ivy Arts Centre; SM, War of the Roses Season, Ivy Arts Centre.

Industry Placement: Stage Management Intern, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre, Playful Productions.

About Me: I am an enthusiastic and personable individual who maintains a positive attitude when working as part of a team. My passion for theatre motivates me to pursue a career I know I will love and I feel this shines though in the work that I do. I am excited to enter the world of stage management and I am eager to learn and grow as a professional after graduating from GSA.

Contact me: tomleightonfisher@gmail.com

Specialist area: Sound

GSA Highlights: Sound designer/production Sound, A Matter of Life and Death, Electric Theatre; Sound designer, Journey’s End, Ivy Arts Centre

Placement: Mellow Acoustics, True Sound Hire

About me: I am a multi-skilled technician who enjoys a variety of different work, particularly specialising in sound and acoustics. I am also a professional photographer working for an eclectic range of clients.

Contact me: gilbertmarsh@gmail.com

Specialist Area: Stage management

GSA Highlights: Stage Manager Into the Woods, Ivy Arts Centre;Deputy Stage Manager Honk!, Ivy Arts Centre; Deputy Stage Manager Snoopy! The Musical, Ivy Arts Centre; Assistant Stage Manager Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre  

Industry Placement: Assistant Stage Manager Verdi’s Falstaff, Black Cat Opera Company; Assistant Stage Manager Sunset Boulevard, Alex Parker Productions, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

About me: I am a hard-working, reliable and enthusiastic individual. I enjoy working within Stage Management roles particularly as Assistant Stage Manager, as I enjoy prop making and sourcing. I am looking forward to starting my career within the professional industry.

Contact me: lisa.obrien95@hotmail.co.uk

Specialist Area: Lighting

GSA Highlights: Production LX, Ghost the Musical, Ivy Arts Centre; Production LX, Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; Lighting Programmer/operator, Spelling Bee & Honk, Ivy Arts Centre

Industry Placement: Neg Earth lighting team, Ed Sheeran’s Stadium Tour, Wembley Stadium

About Me: An aspiring lighting technician looking to work in the music and events industry, I have a passion for lighting and love working on large scale productions both in rock and roll and theatre.

Contact me: Jake.a.saunders@gmail.com

Specialist Area: Lighting

GSA Highlights: Lighting Programmer (EOS) – Our House, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, LD: James Smith; Production Electrician – Honk! & Spelling Bee, Ivy Arts Centre, LD : Rob Casey

Industry Placement: Lighting Programmer – Into the Woods, AMTA, Lost Theatre, LD: James Smith; regular casual at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and New Victoria Woking

About Me: I am extremely passionate about lighting and theatre. I love to be part of a hard working team and create new experiences and solve novel problems. I’m excited to transition into the industry and continue to develop as a production electrician & programmer.

Contact Me: harry@hsmith.net

Specialist Area: Lighting

GSA Highlights: Production Electrician, Semi-Monde/The Women/Journey’s End, Ivy Arts Centre; Lighting Programmer, The Grapes of Wrath, Ivy Arts Centre; Production Electrician, Anyone Can Whistle, Ivy Arts Centre

Industry Placement: Lighting Crew, The Odyssey, Richmond Theatre; Crew Member, Lighthouse Festival, Bury Field Great Missenden

About Me: I have a keen interest in live music and rock and roll gigs, as well as theatre. I like to keep active by doing activities including archery and martial arts. I also enjoy playing bass guitar and singing. I am also an occasional helper in the Scout Association.

Contact me: chris.cjs@btinternet.com