Judi Armstrong Christie - (Director)
Actress, Musician and Workshop Leader
Judi was born and brought up in Glasgow. She was a member of the Glasgow Schools Concert Band for 6 years playing clarinet and had an early love of singing, but it was not until much later that she started her career in acting. She received a full scholarship and trained for 3 years at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London where she met Philip Ayckbourn. Between 1994 and 1998 Judi worked on television programmes such as; ‘Inspector Morse’, ‘Soldier Soldier’, ‘Eastenders’, ‘Between the Lines’, ‘Porkpie’, ‘Backup’ and ‘A Mug’s Game’. Her theatre roles have included Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Viola in Twelfth Night, Amanda in Private Lives and Penelope in A Slight Accident. During this time she and Philip were both involved in the theatre company ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ in London, where they presented open-air Shakespeare plays in various parks around the city. Judi travelled extensively in France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland with the London Production Company before she and Philip decided to create their own touring theatre company.
Quorum Theatre Company is an English speaking company that provides plays to teenage students in the south of France. The company have been touring since 1998 and now perform to over 15,000 students per year in 120 schools between Bordeaux and Nice. Please have a look at our website - www.quorumtheatre.com.
In addition to acting with and running the administrative side of Quorum Theatre Company, she provides drama classes and acting workshops to children and adults. Resident in France since 2000, Judi is bilingual and together with the acting workshops and drama courses that Ailsa Craig Theatre will be offering, she is in a position to propose ‘French Through Theatre’, the opposite of what Quorum provides in France, to youngsters in the Ayrshire area. Many young French students have benefitted greatly from this practical way of learning English and this will no doubt be true of English speaking students.
Teresa Revill
Singing and Voice Coach
Teresa graduated from Hull University with a BA Hons in English and Drama. She then went on to Post Graduate Teacher Training at London University.
After teenage roles at Birmingham Old Rep as Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and Tuptim in ‘The King and I’, her professional career began as a workshop leader, composing and acting in TIE (Theatre in Education) companies in and around London, before appearing in West End Musicals, various Pantomimes and singing for pop and film sessions.
Her favourite and longest-lasting ‘gig’ was as a Booth Singer (fancy name for West End backing vocalist!) in ‘Starlight Express’ at the Apollo Victoria Theatre which she did for 12 years, whilst also singing in ‘Grease’ at the Dominion Theatre and ‘Saturday Night Fever’ at the London Palladium.
Teresa performs regularly with the Maida Vale Singers and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Concerts include ‘Oklahoma’ and ‘HMS Pinafore’ (BBC Proms Royal Albert Hall), ‘Pal Joey’ and ‘On Your Toes’ (Brighton Dome) and the acclaimed ‘Sweeney Todd’ with Bryn Terfel at the Royal Festival Hall.
She has furthered her vocal studies with the Voices Foundation which uses a 7-year based programme to introduce children to all aspects of music including notation and composition through singing alone.
Teresa has worked with Quorum Theatre Company since 2003 and is very happy to be working for Ailsa Craig Theatre alongside Judi, her colleague and friend.
Shelly Bentley
Acting and Movement Teacher
Shelly trained at Birmingham School of Speech and Drama for 3 years and graduated with a BA Hons degree in Acting and Musical Theatre. Her first professional job was with Quorum Theatre Company touring in the South of France. She enjoyed the experience so much that she has now worked for the company for 5 years. During that time Shelly also worked with Rainbow Theatre Company performing plays and leading drama workshops in schools around Great Britain. She spent a summer with Rain or Shine Theatre Company performing ‘Love’s Labours Lost’ in outdoor venues throughout England and Wales. Shelly played in a new musical called, ‘The Man Who Knows’ which was premiered at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She also spent several weeks in ‘La Ronde’ at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre in London. Most recently she played the role of Jessica in ‘A Fool’s Wager’ with Quorum Theatre Company.
Shelly has appeared in a commercial and several British films, most recently - ‘Jericho’s Walls Are Falling Down’, which opens in summer 2009. She works regularly as a voice over artist, mainly for British Telecom and works for many role-play companies, both medical and corporate.
In addition to acting, Shelly is also an accomplished singer and dancer. She has been taking dance lessons since she could walk and regularly attends classes at Pineapple dance studios in London. Shelly sings both classical and musical theatre. She is a member of Southwark Cathedral choir and recorded Arvo Part’s new concerto at Westminster Abbey. She is also plays the violin to grade 8 standard.
Shelly coaches drama on a one-to-one basis, helping youngsters prepare for scholarships or drama school entry exams. She teaches children aged 3-4 and 5-6 the basic skills of acting, singing and dancing with Jigsaw Theatre Arts. Shelly also coaches children in preparation for their LAMDA exams [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Acting]. She is passionate about the importance of teaching acting, singing and dancing to children and teenagers. She believes it improves their confidence and their coordination and allows them to use and develop their imagination in a safe and creative environment. For more information please visit www.shellybentley.com.
Melanie Bickers
Actress and Workshop Leader
Melanie is originally from Yorkshire, and her love for acting and singing started at an early age. She was a member of several school choirs and got to the final
of Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year with the St Aidan’s Chamber Choir in 2000. Melanie also attended a children’s drama school, where her passion for acting really took off.
Continuing into her teenage years, Melanie then trained for 3 years in Acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, and on graduating she gained her first small role as an actress in ‘Waking the Dead’ for the BBC. She then started actively seeking roles in Theatre in Education, and met Judi through Quorum Theatre Company. She has worked with the company playing roles in ‘Checking Out’, ‘The Genuine Article’ and ‘A Plan of Action’, and it was on these tours that Melanie discovered her love for working with young people.
In the year that followed, Melanie set up her own children’s drama school Animate Children’s Theatre in London, and has been teaching acting, singing and performance skills to children aged 4-11 ever since. Melanie believes strongly in the confidence-building aspect of drama, having benefited greatly from this as a child. She has also noticed a great improvement in the children’s articulation and diction which their parents love! These basics prepare the children to go on to the next level of acting, where like at Ailsa Craig Theatre, they have the opportunity to explore more advanced acting techniques, and maybe go on to a career in the Performing Arts themselves. Melanie currently teaches with Animate in Essex and Kent, and is looking forward to teaching with Judi at Ailsa Craig Theatre too.
Becky George
Dance and Physical Skills Teacher
Becky trained at The Oxford School of Drama, graduating in 2002. Prior to this, she gained a first class (Hons) degree in Drama from Royal Holloway, University of London, which included directing, devising, physical theatre, dance-drama, New writing and contemporary British Drama.
Becky has worked for Quorum Theatre Company for two consecutive years and loves performing in France. She enjoys touring and bringing theatre to a wider audience. She has toured extensively throughout the UK and Netherlands, playing Alice in Illyria's outdoor performance of 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' and Luciana in 'The Comedy of Errors'.
Becky has worked for Quorum Theatre Company for two consecutive years and loves performing in France. She enjoys touring and bringing theatre to a wider audience. She has toured extensively throughout the UK and Netherlands, playing Alice in Illyria's outdoor performance of 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' and Luciana in 'The Comedy of Errors'.
Being passionate about acting, Becky enjoys passing on that enthusiasm to young people. She regularly performs her interactive one-woman show about the Great Fire of London, for 6-year-olds, at the Museum of London.
She has toured secondary schools performing a show to develop an understanding of Shakespeare for SATs, and a piece to address the issue of teenage pregnancy.
As an experienced Event Manager, Becky runs treasure hunts, murder mysteries, and team building activities for corporate companies. She excels at organising and addressing large groups of people and motivating them to work as a team and achieve their full potential.
Becky taught herself to juggle 10 years ago and has attended numerous juggling conventions in Britain and throughout Europe, developing a range of basic circus skills. She loves dancing and is advanced at Salsa
Becky taught herself to juggle 10 years ago and has attended numerous juggling conventions in Britain and throughout Europe, developing a range of basic circus skills. She loves dancing and is advanced at Salsa
and Latin American and Ballroom dancing.
