Introducing Team Thomford

Dee has managed performing arts academies since 2013. Within her first year, at her first academy in Oxford, she worked with Nicki. They have been working together ever since.  Over the last 10 years they have educated hundreds of young people in acting and musical theatre. During this time Laura’s daughter signed up to their lessons and it wasn’t long before Laura became part of their team too. 

As well as shows they have also arranged many performing arts trips including to London, LA, NYC and Paris, where students have taken part in West End and Broadway workshops, seen many theatre shows, and also performed.

Nicki and Dee have put on shows with their past students at various venues in the West End and well as local venues in Swindon. Their past students have sung with G4 as part of their tours, been children’s chorus for the musical Elf at Cardiff International Arena, been acting chorus for opera tours at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, and danced on the stage at Disneyland Paris. 

Acting wise,  their past students have worked with the National Theatre as part of their NT Connections festivals, where students have performed at different theatres, including the Bristol Old Vic.  Past students have also performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

Our Team

Say hi to Team Thomford! Click on the images of any of our team below to learn more about them.

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Dee

Graduated with a Masters, from the Guildford School of Acting. 

She has been a presenter, actor, and voice over artist for various companies including the NHS, Nationwide, very.co.uk, Save the Children, Children in Need, Mothercare, British Forces, Unite Student Housing, and the V&A Museum.   Photographic work for nationwide magazines (golfing, pregnancy, fiction stories), trade shows, Channel 5, MS Campaign and corporate stock images. 

Screen credits include Casualty, Five Daughters, Lee Nelson Show, Celebrity Scissorhands (all BBC), The Girls of Hedsor Hall (MTV), and the film Fathers of Girls. 

Children’s theatre credits include Spirit of the Ring in Aladdin (Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield), Wicked Queen in Snow White (Pier Theatre, Bournemouth), Nana / Understudy in Peter Pan (Grove Theatre, Dunstable), Norman Price in Fireman Sam (UK Tour). Various characters in the Mr Men, Tom and Jerry, Mr Panda Show, Barney and Postman Pat (All UK Tours).    Dee performed as Spud in Spuds Big Mess (Hammersmith Apollo) and Bob the Builder in Bob the Builder (Poland Arena Tour).   

In the height of Tweenies, Dee was Bella in public appearances and dance shows. 

Plays include Mandy in Two Lips Indifferent Red (Diorama, London), Mia in Word Salad (Cheltenham Playhouse), The Mind in The Mind of a Narcissist (The Space, Edinburgh), The Manager in Contractions (Riddles Court, Edinburgh), Finalist in Monologue Slam (Birmingham Rep), Senator 1 in Othello (Bath Assembly Rooms), Chorus in The Portrait of a Lady (Directed by Peter Hall, Theatre Royal Bath). London fringe includes, Hecuba in Hecuba, Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice, Lucy in The Rivals and Butler in The Clink.

Nicki

Nicki graduated with a degree in English and Drama at De Montfort University, Leicester. 

She taught several times at summer camps in America for they kept asking her back and she loved it.  For over 10 years now Nicki has been teaching secondary school drama, she has taught so many students and directed many shows. 

Nicki has worked in weekend performing arts education for years, where she has taught the ages of 3 to 25, in various areas, including Oxford, Reading and Swindon. She has mainly taught drama but has also been a teacher of singing, musical theatre, film, and tv. Nicki has directed numerous performances which have been performed locally, in the west end, and in Disneyland Paris.

Shows she has performed in, include Wicked Queen in ‘The Missing Easter Egg (Swindon), Fairy in ‘The Fairy Prince’ (Brighton), Emma in ‘Contractions’ (Oxford / Edinburgh), and Emma in ‘The Mind of a Narcissist’ (Bristol / Edinburgh).  Nicki is also involved in local theatre societies where she regularly performs in musicals. Past roles include Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act. The list of musicals she has performed in is endless.

Paula-Jane

Paula-Jane has been performing since the age of 7 and has a wealth of experience. She is a World Tap Champion (twice!)  She has performed in in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (UK Tour), Dick Whittington (Theatre Royal Windsor), A Piece of Cake (Brockley Jack Theatre), and The Mind of a Narcissist (SpaceUK, Edinburgh).  She has danced internationally including at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies in Canada.  Paula-Jane has performed on many cruises for Crystal Cruises and Princess Cruises, including roles in Rock Around the Clock, Some Enchanted Evening, and Broadway Revue. 

 

She has choreographed for several local amateur theatre groups in the area as well as other theatre schools in Swindon and brings a multi-faceted and versatile array of performance techniques to her teaching. Paula-Jane is very excited to be a part of the faculty at Thomford Academy and looks forward to working with everyone.

Macy

Coming soon

Rhys

As well as teaching  at Thomford Academy, Rhys works as a Teaching Assistant at the Commonweal School of performing arts, and as a Drama Tutor for DPAG (Dorcan Performing Arts Group).  
 
He has had theatre training with Tanwood Youth Theatre , Quirky Bird Theatre and Theatre for Life.
 
Rhys has performed in many shows and recently for TV too.  A selection of recent local shows include Doody in Grease, Shrek in Shrek, Strephon in Iolanthe, Aaron/Carlos in Legally Blonde, Miss Trunchball in Matilda Jr, and the Beast in Beast and the Beast.  He also performed as Harrison in the new play Word Salad,  as part of the first Cheltenham Fringe Festival, at the Cheltenham Playhouse. 

Laura

Laura has worked in weekend performing arts education for many years, as a teaching assistant, in administration, as a chaperone, and generally everything going.  This has included working locally, in the West End, and in Disneyland Paris. Laura has also worked in various roles at the Wyvern Theatre, including Stage Door Receptionist, Theatre Administer (maternity cover), and front of house.  She has had group acting training with the Shoebox Theatre, and acting training as a solo via LAMDA, with distinctions. Laura has performed with Thomford Theatre in Bristol and Edinburgh, as part of the Chorus in ‘The Mind of a Narcissist’, with a sold out run and 5-star reviews.  She returns to the stage in 2024 to perform at the Cheltenham Playhouse, in ‘Word Salad’.

Introducing thomford academy
launching spring 2024

Swindon's newest performing arts academy is here.

We’re creating an academy dedicated to inspiring the next generation of performers and igniting creative potential. With weekly classes for young people aged 4-18 covering a range of disciplines, there’s something for everyone at Thomford Academy.