ASHLEY CURRY
DIRECTOR OF WATERLOO STUDIOS
Ashley Curry came to Sydney Actors School with over 5 years of marketing experience and another 5 years of design experience. He started his journey with SAS as Marketing Manager, moving into Recruitment and Admissions and now oversees the daily running of the school as General Manager.
REBECCA JOHNSTON
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Originally from Perth, WA, Rebecca is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (2009) and Edith Cowan University (2004). With 13 years experience across multiple industries, Rebecca is a highly qualified public speaker, corporate trainer, MC, teacher, and mentor.
ANTHONY SPEED
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Hailing from Bathurst, Anthony made his way to Sydney fuelled by a deep love for the Performing Arts. He found his place at Sydney Actors School, firstly as a student, where he graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Acting for Contemporary Screen Media as well as the Pinnacle Award.
GARTH HOLCOMBE
ACTING
Garth is an experienced, respected and highly sought after acting teacher and coach, who has over 24 years of experience in the stage and screen industry. His teachings span across all elements of live performance and screen.
PIP EDWARDS
SCREEN ACTING & CASTING
Pip is an actor, director, presenter, screen acting and audition coach, career and mindset coach, and facilitator. Pip has a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts (Acting) from NIDA & a Bachelor of Creative Arts (filmmaking, philosophy & arts law) from Melbourne Uni.
ROB MAXWELL
VOICE
Rob is a voice, dialect and acting teacher. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Voice, and is a graduate of the Atlantic Theatre Company in NYC. He has worked extensively as an actor and teacher both in Australia and overseas, including residencies at Yale School of Drama and Carnegie Mellon University.
LYN PIERSE
IMPROVISATION & ACTING
Lyn Pierse has taught a generation of actors, teachers, standup comics and students of Improvisation and Acting for over 35 years at NIDA, ACA, AIM, Sydney Actors School, and is a sessional teacher University of New England, Macquarie University, Drama NSW.
JOSHUA BELINFANTE
TECHNOLOGY CRAFT
Joshua Belinfante has crewed on TV series for Discovery Channel, National Geographic, SBS, Channel 9 & Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as music videos for international artists. Joshua has taught filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, Sydney & Gold Coast and at SFS & SAS.
FELICITY JURD
VOICE
A teacher trained graduate of Atlantic Theatre Company, NYC, Felicity Jurd has studied at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Australian Theatre for Young People. She made her TV debut in JNP's Land of Hope as a core cast member and her ABC Radio debut in Cyclone Tracy.
PHILIP QUAST
ACTING AND MUSICAL THEATRE
Philip has an interest in the "connections" between performance mediums; looking at why actors are great both on screen & theatre, including those multi-skilled from musical theatre. He understands the link & explores fundamentals of cross training principal.
ANCA FRANKENHAEUSER
MOVEMENT & ACTING
Anca feels cross-feeding between performing arts, with dabbling in visual arts, has enriched her life, both professionally and generally. Since discovering dance in her native Finland, teaching has always been on the agenda for her.
NICHOLAS GENTILE
MUSICAL THEATRE
Nicholas Gentile has carved a distinguished niche for himself in the music industry, earning acclaim for his prowess in theatre, performance, and composition. A graduate of the esteemed Talent Development Project, Nicholas has honed his skills on a global stage.
RAECHYL FRENCH
VOICE
Raechyl French is an experienced voice coach, actor and voice over artist with an MFA: Voice from the National Institute of Dramatic Art and Diploma of Screen Performance from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
BRAD CARTER
DANCE
Brad Carter is a graduate of Brent Street - Diploma of Musical Theatre & Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year - Advanced Diploma of Contemporary Dance. He also is a qualified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer.
JANINE WATSON
ACTING
After graduating from the National Theatre Drama School Janine trained with SITI Company New York.
SHANE ANTHONY
ACTING
Shane Anthony works as a theatre director and producer in Australia and overseas. He is a graduate of the Directing Program at National Institute of Dramatic Art, Screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and has also completed a BA in Theatre Studies at QUT.
MEGAN O’CONNELL
ACTING
Megan O’Connell graduated from WAAPA in 2006 and has been working theatre, film, television and voiceovers for almost 20 years.
ANNA HOUSTON
ACTING
Anna Houston graduated from NIDA in 2004. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Cultural Studies at Perth's Curtin University, and trained at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in 2010. She has directed two plays for Sydney Actors School, in 2022 and 2023.
CJ JOHNSON
FILM STUDIES & SCREENWRITING
SHANNON GOSTELOW
HEALTH FOR THE ACTOR
Shannon is a Registered Psychologist and has also trained and worked as a professional actor.
FELIX WILLIAMSON
SCREEN ACTING
A graduate of NIDA, Williamson has starred in productions for Sydney Theatre Company, State Theatre of SA, Bell Shakespeare and Ensemble Theatre. Felix is the writer, director of the multi award winning webseries Avalon Now 1 & 2, The Circle and Grey Nomads 1 & 2.
KIM HARDWICK
ACTING
Kim trained as a dancer before studying acting at Victorian College of the Arts, directing for theatre at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and directing for screen at Australian Film, Television and Radio School.
NICK BOLTON
BUSINESS FOR THE ACTOR
Nick is a regional filmmaker based on the South Coast of NSW, working across film, documentary and commercial. His last two creative projects have been Oscar longlisted (Mate 2023), and an AACTA award winner, (Finding Addison 2024).
ERIN GOOD
DIRECTING
An award-winning director. Her films have won awards at national & international festivals. Festival acceptances include Montreal World Film Festival. Erin's film The Wonderful was nominated for a Director's Guild Award & won the ATOM Award.
STEPHEN HUNTER
VOICE OVER
Stephen has worked across both film and TV in both Australia and New Zealand. Stephen’s breakthrough role was as the Dwarf, BOMBUR in three of Peter Jackson’s films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies.
JULES BILLINGTON
ACTING
A NIDA graduate, Jules works as a director, actor, and performance & movement coach. They are a regular director of the Bell Shakespeare Players who perform nation wide with a repertoire of shows for both high school and primary school students.
DOUG HANSELL
MUSICAL THEATRE
Douglas is one of Australia's most versatile actors, working across film and television, theatre, musical theatre, cabaret, the concert platform and as a voiceover artist both here and in the UK.
ANDREA DEMETRIADES
CASTING & SCREEN TESTS
Andrea is an actor originally from Western Australia. Since graduating from NIDA, she has worked consistently in leading roles across film, television and theatre. For theatre - Sydney Theatre Company: Home, I’m Darling, Arcadia, Arms and the Man, Perplex, Pygmalion. Bell Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night.
TIM DASHWOOD
FIGHTING FOR SCREEN
Tim has been interested and involved in movement practices, specifically in fight work since studying Acting at the University of Southern Queensland, graduating in 2005.
LINDA NICHOLLS-GIDLEY
VOICE
Trained as an actor and a theatre voice/accents and dialects specialist, Linda lives and creates on Wallumedegal Land. She has worked in the Industry for over 20 years.
YANNICK LAWRY
VOICE
Yannick moved from London to Sydney in 2008 and has worked as an actor, voiceover artist and broadcaster both in the UK and Australia. He's worked both on and off-air at Capital Radio London, 2GB, Nova 96.9 and smoothfm.
CLAUDIA BARRIE
ACTING
Claudia is a highly experienced multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years experience in the industry. She has worked extensively as an actor, director and theatre producer since 2004. She is also a passionate educator who has worked for exclusive drama schools across the country including WAAPA, NIDA and ACA.
SAM FREEMAN
SCREEN TECHNOLOGY
Sam’s teaching style draws from over a decade of experience in film, television and video production in Australia and overseas with a focus on creative problem-solving and the technical nuances of filmmaking. more...
JACK STARKEY-GILL
VOICE
Jack graduated from NIDA’s Master of Fine Arts (Voice) degree in 2021, and now works as a Voice Lecturer and Specialist to Acting students at NIDA, ACA and SAS. Jack comes from a background in acting, having achieved a Bachelor of Dramatic Art at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2010.