Information About Lee - Southwark teacher

Personal Description:

As an Actor I have just finished playing Rosencrantz alongside Ian Mckellen in Hamlet in an eight month long inaugural season. We were the only Rep Company in the UK performing Hamlet in rep with The Cherry Orchard, where I played the role of Yasha. We completed 130 shows during the pandemic.

I will also be playing Rosencrantz in Hamlet The Movie, also alongside Sir Ian Mckellen, which will be released worldwide in Autumn 2023.

Since graduating from Drama Centre, I have worked extensively in Theatre and Screen. My debut role was in Much Ado About Nothing, Wyndhams Theatre alongside Catherine Tate & David Tennant. In 2020 I transferred to the West End in the lead role of Kevin Elyot’s play Coming Clean at the Trafalgar Studios to huge acclaim. This was the third sell out run. Other credits include A Very Very Very Dark Matter alongside Jim Broadbent at the Bridge Theatre, Coming Clean, Trafalgar Studios, Savage at the Arts theatre where I was nominated Best Actor at the offies. I have also performed at many other venues such as the Park Theatre, Finborough Theatre, King's Head Theatre, The Hope Theatre, Windsor Theatre Royal, Theatre Delicatessen.

I have recently finished filming feature film The Last Letter From Your Lover which will air on Netflix in 2022 and BBC drama The North Water alongside Colin Farrell and Jack O'Connell, which will also air in 2021. I am also currently appearing in the latest BT Broadband Commercial. Other credits include: Sherlock, Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire and The Trial of Christine Keeler.

I also write and have recently shot and produced a series of comedy sketches. My short play No More Doughnuts was selected as part of the Make it Beautiful Festival and was performed in London in September 2021, which I directed. A Comedy Pilot I wrote reached the semi finals (top 1%) for BBC Comedy Writer's Room in 2019 and my piece Art of Suffering is being produced for the Lost Souls Podcast.

As well as teaching and directing at LAMDA, Arts Ed, Drama Centre & Identity drama schools, I have sat on various drama school audition panels for over six years on the BA Acting, MA Acting and Foundation courses. I have taught professional preparation to third year BA Students helping them prepare on life outside of drama school as an Actor. I also designed and taught the Drama Centre London Summer Course on Audition preparation for drama schools in 2019. I have provided various motivational talks and sat on panels with Raindance Film Festival, The Actor's Centre, The King's Head Theatre, Industry Minds and am the current Audition Technique Tutor at a leading drama school.

I also work alongside west end producers ATG (Ambassador Theatre Group) and run various professional workshops with them and also with The Nursery.

Next term I will direct the monologue showcase at Identity drama school. Recently I directed their Julius Caesar & Macbeth showcase.

I am extremely passionate about championing young actors from all backgrounds and helping them find their unique voice. I feel strongly about actors being taught by teachers that are actually working and in the midst of their own careers - this way we can bring to students a very current experience on a constantly changing industry and also a passion and that is very Alive! Because of this I started coaching students privately four years ago and when the pandemic hit I designed a website called The Audition Room (**Web Address Removed**) and started taking everything online. I have moved my main audition prep monthly course online with the focus of providing a community for those auditioning for drama school. I have focused a lot of my attention on helping auditionees transition to a self taped online audition rather than in the room, which most schools are adopting.

I have written articles that have been published in The Stage on various subjects including Auditioning via Self tape, revisiting a West End role as an Actor and I also run a Blog through the Audition Room website.

Also, due to my extensive experience on the audition panels, those auditioning for drama are a large part of my teaching.

This year my students got offered places at various schools including LAMDA, Drama Studio, Oxford, East 15 and Bristol, RADA, Guildhall.

Teaching Experience:

Through my thorough, rigorous BA training at Drama Centre London, and then my own acting career, my passion for teaching other actors started after I sat on the audition panels for Drama Centre for several years. Working with young actors and creating a safe empowering space for them to be able to perform in a connected way that they hadn't before, is where my love for it grew. I found it extremely rewarding and I base my teaching on this method of helping any actor find their true artistic and unique voice within everything they do and most importantly, creating a safe, inspiring place for actors to thrive.

My students range from those auditioning for drama school to professional actors looking to work on specific skills such as script work or self tapes. I also work with those looking to improve communication and confidence skills within the corporate world. I have done this work for many sectors including the NHS.

Teaching Approach:

What I have learnt through my career as an Actor and from working on the Audition Panels, teaching at drama schools and coaching and mentoring professional actors is that you need to show people who you are - through your work - through the words, not somebody you think they want to see. My main goals is helping you find your unique voice as an Actor. You are a vessel for these characters and stories and how you personally connect is what makes your artistic voice unique. Why speak the words if they don't vibrate within you? In anything we do together, I won't simply direct you and tell you how I think your piece should be done. My role is to create a safe, inspiring space where you feel at your most free & confident, then fuel your imagination introducing you to techniques that will help you navigate your way through the speech organically whilst spotting any hurdles that I can help you overcome. So it feels like yours and no one else's. After all, casting director’s or drama schools or whoever you are auditioning for - want to see you! They want your interpretation and connection to a piece - YOUR portrayal of these characters. This means when it comes to being redirected in any situation, if you get a recall audition in any form, you will be able to manoeuvre, change and allow other other ideas to flow through you. I want you to trust your instincts. Freedom to explore is key and remember - you are enough.

I approach every Acting student's session completely individual to your needs. That's my job. Helping you find where your unique voice lies. I don't want you to dip your toes in - neither does the industry. I want you to dive in. Being brave is going to move you forward - and I want to help you find that. It's where the magic is.

My work includes:

Acting classes all levels
Script analysis - modern & classical
Peforming Shakespeare
General audition technique
Self Tape preparation / screen audition prep
Preparing for drama schools
LAMDA Exams from initial levels (working with children)
Mentoring professional actors and beginners on all aspects on the every changing industry.
Corporate speaking and communication skills / personal development skills

*Please note I always take payment in advance to secure the booking. I require twenty four hours notice to move a session. Once a session is secured and payment received, I don't offer refunds.