Faculty
A full staff list will be confirmed next year, as MTA is about to open. There are two main reasons for this, firstly as the key staff are involved with other colleges it would be unethical to announce them at this moment in time (although they will of course be at all auditions). Secondly MTA will consist of a evolving faculty ensuring that ALL staff are contemporary within the industry.
Annemarie Lewis Thomas, Principal
Originally from Swansea, Annemarie trained At Middlesex Polytechnic, graduating with an honours degree in Performing Arts.
As the Musical Director for the award winning Steam Industry she was the MD/Arranger for shows such as the London stage premiere of Calamity Jane, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers all at BAC. Other MD/arrranging credits include: UK No 1 tours of Annie, Totally Frocked Up, Stage Stars and Spirit of the Musicals, the Irish premiere of Rent; Martin Charnin's 9 And a Half Quid Revue at the King's Head; the UK premieres of Victor/Victoria and The Ultimate Man both at the Bridewell: the UK premiere of Naked Boys Singing at Madame JoJos: Pendragon for the NYMT on tour in Japan, Funeral Games, Dick Daredevil, South Pacific and more recently Kiss and Tell at the Drill Hall, London, for which she also composed the music.
Her composing credits include: Dangerous Nights at Jermyn Street; Mulan, Island of Clowns and Back to Front all the NYMT; CCTV, The Open Door, Girl In The Ashes, Sunnyville, Great Expectations all for the YMT:UK. She composed the music for Bryony Lavery's play Her Aching Heart for Drill Hall and La Pucelle at the Oval House. She also wrote the music for The Roaring Girl and Man is Man both at the Finborough. In collaboration with Phil Willmott Annemarie wrote the music to Around the World in 80 Days, (published by Samuel French), which has been performed both in the UK and Germany. Uncle Ebenezer commissioned by BAC and The Wolf Boys commissioned by the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Most recently Annemarie composed the score for Black Eyed Susan at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. In 2007 she also wrote the music/lyrics for the critically acclaimed pantomime in Bury Cinderella and the Glass Slipper. She is currently writing the music for their 2008 panto - Puss in Boots.
As a lecturer Annemarie spent 18 years at the Hertfordshire Theatre School writing and running the Musical Theatre component of the course. She has also worked at Middlesex University where she ran the module Singer As Entertainer, as well as writing a Musical Theatre module for the then Performing Arts degree. In FE Annemarie worked at the Hertford Regional College helping them to make the transition from A Level to BTEC and contributing to the creation of the course. She works freelance as an audition consultant/workshop facilitator.
Full details can be found at www.annemarielewisthomas.co.uk
Carly Hainsby, Head of Dance
Carly trained at The Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts where she graduated with her teaching qualifications and a National Diploma in Musical Theatre.
Theatre credits include; The Wizard of Oz in the West End, Chicago, Annie (Lily St Regis), Crazy for You ( Patsy) Arms and the Cow (Opera North), Calamity Jane, all No 1 UK tours; Anything Goes, La Traviata both for Grange Park Opera; the role of 'White Queen' in Chess (Denmark), The Wiz at the Hackney Empire, and the role of 'Sally Brown' in Snoopy The Musical. She was a featured dancer and singer for the Jean Ann Ryan company (cruise ship).
As a member of the infamous Moulin Rouge company she was chosen to perform at the Hollywood Bowl accompanied by the American Philharmonic Orchestra as well as get to perform all over the world including Honk Kong & Vienna.
Television and commercial credits include The Generation Game (BBC), Moulin Rouge Revealed (BBC for American Television Network, The Wild Frontier (Turner Broadcasting) and many trade shows and corporate events.
Carly has been teaching for 7 years for various schools and colleges she also runs her own company providing Musical Theatre Workshops.
Caroline Leslie, Head of Acting
Caroline trained at Bristol University and The Central School of Speech and Drama. She then worked as an Assistant director for the King's Head, London for a year before gaining a bursary placement at Salisbury Playhouse as Resident Associate Director. Productions during her bursary year include The Crucible, Going to the Chapel and Master Harold and The Boys. Since completing her bursary, Caroline has been working as a freelance theatre director. Recent productions include The Herbal Bed, Lonestar Mark 3 and Cinderella (Salisbury Playhouse), Fiddler on The Roof and Little Me (NYMT, London) Don Juan Comes Back From The War (Singapore) and Top Girls (Birmingham), Kindertransport, The Crucible, Stars in The Morning Sky and After Mrs Rochester , (RWCMD) Most recently Caroline has been involved in the theatrical phenomenon The 39 Steps having assisted on it in the West End she has just returned from Korea where she directed a production of the show. She is about to direct Tales from Hans for Creation Theatre Company.
In 2007 Caroline was the Artistic Associate or the NYMT, leaving to run The Company, a Manchester based theatre foundation for young people. Caroline has worked on extensive community projects for the Young Vic Theatre and has led an exploratory workshop on Lanford Wilson's play Burn This.