our staff

Emma Jane Taylor - Principal and Director of Stageworks Ltd - Dance Coach

Mark Williams - Vocal Coach and Principal (Bristol)

Mark has taught with StageWorks since its beginnings. Having graduated from Reading University in 1999 with a Masters Degree in Music, Mark has gone on to become a well respected Musical Director, whose credits include The Man of La Mancha, Crazy For You, Wind In The Willows, Calamity Jane, Cabaret, Little Shop Of Horrors and Oklahoma. As a performer Mark has also taken lead roles in Orpheus In The Underworld, The Magic Flute, A Slice Of Saturday Night, Cabaret, The Merry Widow, Trial By Jury and Holst's Savitri.
Mark's skill as a composer have also earned him several professional commissions including full orchestral scores for Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Richard III and has also composed songs for countless pantomimes as well as an open air production of Wind In The Willows.
Mark studied singing with Kenneth Woollam, Professor of Voice at the Royal Academy of Music and piano with the world renowned Maria Garzon. Mark has worked extensively with The Archway Group, providing vocal and performance coaching. Mark has also taught for Bristol City Council. Recently Mark has also founded and musically directs 'The East Bristol Chorus', 'The Tor Voices' and 'The Henley Show Chorus'. Having managed StageWorks Bristol since its beginnings in 2004, Mark took over as Principal in January 2008.

Chris Wilkins - Drama Coach & Cookham Manager

Chris has been performing from a young age and has taken on lead roles in a variety of shows including Blood Brothers, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar and Oliver. Chris trained professionally in Performing Arts and subsequently underwent  teacher training and a play work qualification. Chris has worked for StageWorks since it started in 2000. As well as teaching at StageWorks, Chris continues to work with children and young people from all backgrounds as a Play Therapist and Social Worker. Chris strives to build students' self-esteem via the discipline of Performing Arts and believes that a positive experience within Drama can enhance other areas of children's lives. 

Lloyd White - Drama Coach

Lloyd has been acting and directing in one form or another for most of his life and brings a vast amount of experience to his teaching role with Stageworks. Lloyd has worked with several different companies both locally and further afield and has experience in many different aspects of theatre work both on stage and off. The course Lloyd teaches includes working in different acting styles and techniques as well as learning about the technical side of theatre work, auditions, diction, character building, working with scripts and direction. The aim is to build not only the skills of the students but their confidence in performing.

Sally-Anne Coleman - Drama Coach

A keen lover of the arts took the stage at the tender age of five.  Training in all areas of dance she was a student at the Caversham Dance Centre and has awards in tap, ballroom, latin american and disco.  Also awards in drama and theatre/performing arts. She had the opportunity to not only perform in many musicals and straight plays but also direct, choreograph, and stage manage many shows. To her list of credits-Performed at either the Kenton Theatre Henley or the Hexagon Theatre Reading. Dance/cameo parts in; The Wizard of OZ, Fame, Once Upon a Time, Singing in the Rain, Charlie Chaplain, The Wiz, Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, Little Shop of Horrors, Peter Pan, Alice in "Alice in Wonderland", Penny/Shirl in "Slice of Saturday Night", Lena in "Bugsy Malone", Miss Hannigan in "Annie". Directing/stage managing - Daisy Pulls it Off, Bugsy Malone, Vacuees, Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Previously working as assistant entertainment manager for Warner Leisure Breaks. Prior to this she performed with Fossets Circus in Dublin, toured the South of England performing as part of ‘Cameo’ Cabaret Troop.  Choreographed and appeared in many high street fashion shows.  Supplied the voice for ‘Story Time’, mobile phone advert, night club radio promotions and voice link in many production shows. A keen writer often writing scripts and children’s stories.  Would love to collaborate and write a hit show of her own one day and of course keep the lead role for herself!

Natalie O'Neill - Dance Coach

Having learnt ballet, modern and tap from the age of three, Natalie had to stop her dance classes during school but continued to develop her performing arts skills in many school productions and winning the drama prize in the sixth form. This continued into university where she performed with the drama group and set up and taught the University Dance Group. After University she trained as an aerobics instructor and taught aerobics, dance, spinning and cardio kick for just over four years. Missing the world of dance and drama Natalie auditioned for HAODs for Stepping Out in 2007 and landed the lead of Mavis and is currently rehearsing in West Side Story as one of the Sharks. 

Jamie Spencer - Drama and Vocal Coach

Jamie Spencer has been acting and singing since the age of 14. Having gained all his Lamda Speech and Drama examinations he then went on to train professionally at the London School of Musical Theatre followed by the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, under renowned vocal coach Mary Hammond. Jamie has toured in two productions as lead vocalist both in the UK and in Spain and continues to work professionally as a singer and actor - he was first managed by the Italia Conti agency and is currently managed by Marilyn Collis associates. Having gained his LRAM teaching qualification Jamie also gives private lessons in both Singing and Speech and Drama.

Louise Welsh - Dance Coach

Louise has been teaching dance to both children and adults for 7 years since leaving Bath University in 2001 where she also trained to be a physical education coach and aerobics instructor. She currently teaches many different styles of dance including jazz, tap, street dance & cheerleading and joined the Stageworks team in September 2007. As well as teaching the pupils at stageworks in Bristol, she also works in schools, dance schools and in the community with people of all ages. Her love for dancing and teaching dance to others has taken her to perform at Bristol Hippodrome, The NEC in Birmingham and on television on several occasions. She not only wants to teach people how to dance but how to enjoy dancing, use it as a fun form of exercise and show them how to express themselves through movement to music.

Stuart Riley - Dance Teacher

Stuart has been performing on stage non-stop for the last 7 years and has been involved in probably around 30-35 productions and shows in that time. Venues have ranged from The Portsmouth Guild Hall to The Wycombe Swan, The Theatre Royal, Drury lane and just recently The Kenton Theatre. He has not always been into musical theatre though as up to the age of 17 he was a county athlete and gymnast and spent most of his life in the sporting world. The first time he actually performed onstage was by doing daring gymnastic displays in a skeleton costume!  The gymnastic displays then started turning intro gym and dance displays and Stuart then found a passion for performing . 7 years on with parts like Kenicke in Grease, Riff & Action in West Side Story, Keno in The Full Monty Musical and Larry in A Chorus line, Stuart's passion for performing has got stronger and he thrives on what he achieves. Always looking for new challenges and opportunities and always learning will ensure that the passion will continue and hopefully brush onto others. Stuart brings his Fosse talent to StageWorks!

Naomi Vallance - Drama Teacher

Naomi has been interested in all aspects of performance since her school days where she attended a summer school. Learning the more traditional aspects of drama at Webber Douglas Drama Academy, she went on to achieve a diploma in Performing Arts at the Reading College. Naomi continued her studies at the University of Central Lancashire, where she was awarded a BA (Hons) in Theatre Practice consisting, mainly, of Contemporary Arts - this became a new passion for Naomi, which she is keen to introduce as part of a varied drama syllabus. 
A talented singer and actress Naomi has been involved in shows such as Cabaret, Carousel, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pippin and many others.  Naomi has had considerable success preparing students for L.A.M.D.A  exams and has given personal drama coaching to students who have gone on to appear on television and in film.
Naomi has an outstanding connection with children and communicates easily and effectively with all ages.  She believes in teaching children through the medium of play and encourages self expression, particularly through movement and improvisation. Friendly and approachable, Naomi welcomes family interest in the students’ progress and is a courteous, warm and enthusiastic role model.

Angharad Jones - Teaching Assistant

Angharad has been dancing since she was aged 3. She later went on to study drama, modern, tap, gymnastics, ballet and jazz at college. She joined StageWorks as a student aged 11 and  began teaching at 16. Angharad now studies theatre studies at Henley College and is working towards her A Level dance. She has played the saxophone for many years and passed Grade 6 with distinction. Angharad has choreographed for numerous pantomimes including Cinderella, Babes in the Wood, Robin Hood, Peter Pan and Dick Wittington. As a performer she has been in Oklahoma, Pirates of Penzance, Singing in the Rain, Les Miserables, Happy as a Sandbag, Pickwick, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Robin Hood, Cinderella, Babes in the Wood. She has also performed in numerous dance shows, festivals and jazz bands. Angharad also featured in the St Trinians movie as an extra.

Olivia Shanahan - Junior Teaching Assistant

Olivia has been a student with StageWorks since she was 8 years old, she has moved into a Junior Teaching Assistant since she was 16 years and has developed her skills working with the tutors at StageWorks. She is currently at college working towards a Business, Drama and English qualification. Olivia has performed in Summer Holiday, Oklahoma, Calamity Jane. Her professional credits include working with the BBC for a pilot show for children and as an extra in the St Trinians movie. She recently took the role of the Dame, Sarah the Cook in the Christmas 07 production of Dick Wittington.

Jane Taylor - Accounts & Administration

Jane has worked at StageWorks since the very beginning. She does the administration and accounts for Henley. Jane is a keen performer and has performed over the years in various shows:- Cabaret, Hello Dolly, Half a Sixpence, Oklahoma to name but a few....she is currently singing with the Henley Show Chorus and recently performed with the chorus for their candlelit evening of song at Christmas 2007 in Henley.
If you would like to call Jane for any Henley enquiries please call 01628 898038.

Ann Burley - Administrator

Ann joined the StageWorks team in 2006 and does the administration for Cookham and Benson.  She has been dancing since she was 7 and has appeared in a number of shows in recent years including Kiss Me Kate, Oklahoma, Oliver, Singin in the Rain, La Cage Aux Folles and all of the Step On shows.
For any enquiries about Cookham, Benson or StageWorks Juniors, please call Ann on 07708 823177.