Meet the team

Find out more about us…

  • Bo

    Company Director

    Bo began his Performing Arts training at 17. After 5 years of training in Acting, Dancing and Singing Bo was lucky enough to land his first UK Tour working with the likes of Stephen Schwartz, Scott Schwartz, David Pugh and Gareth Owen to name but a few Olivier and Tony Award winning names. His future went on to hold many more Stage performances along with TV shows like Waking the Dead and The Bill. After some time as a performer, Bo decided that his passion had extended to not only performing but also crafting and building the work. Directing and working on Films, Music Videos and Stage Performances came next culminating in Broadway World Nomination for Best Director in 2013 alongside big names such as Daniel Evans and Sir Richard Eyre. After reaching hugely acclaimed success in this area, Bo decided it was time to share his experience with others by teaching at schools all over the UK and Europe. After working extensively with 3rd year students and some of the top colleges in the UK on how to prepare and break into the industry, the next phase was a natural one and Bo’s building of an Actors Agency, Boland and Reeve LTD (Now Collective Agents) was inevitable.

  • Vanessa Boland

    Principal and YACtots Director

    Vanessa trained at the age of 18 on a 3 year scholarship. She went on to work professionally in Theatre and TV and Film. Credits include; Mimi in Guys and Dolls (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Barbara Windsor in Big Time (Stratford East Theatre Royal), Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People (BBC3), BBC’s Church of Now, Clouds of Grey (Moors Theatre), Show Off (Waterloo East Theatre), H.M.S Pinafore (The Little Opera House) as well as performing in various Pantomimes and voiceovers.

    In 2013 she trained at The Salon Collective London, studying the Miesner technique.

    Having taught for over 10 years in drama and theatre schools in and around Europe whilst working as an actor herself, she found that her passion lies working with young actors. She loves to spark their imagination and watch their confidence grow each week.

  • Nikki Perry

    YAC Liaison Coordinator

    Nikki is our Administration Manager, she helps with the day to day running of the company. Nikki worked in school Finance and Administration for many years before joining Young Actors 3 and a half years ago, she is also 1 of our chaperones and takes care of our Young actors when they are performing on stage and screen. When she isn’t working for us Nikki is also a freelance 1st aid trainer and she travels all over the county delivering training.

  • Darren O'Sullivan

    Creative Director

    Darren has been working in theatre industry straight out of college at the age of 18. He began his career as a actor and has performed in several nationwide theatre tours, Shakespeare, short film and pantomimes, before falling in love with directing and writing. He has since worked as a director on over 200 shows (150 of which being with younger actors) and has worked with The National Theatre, Ophelia Circus Theatre company, Abridge Theatre Company and 20Twenty Theatre Company, of which he was the founding member.

    Darren is also a creative director for Polkadot Pantomimes and was nominated for best director in the 2021/22.

    As well as directing theatre, Darren is also a published author of six psychological thrillers, signed to HarperCollins under his real name and Audible under a pseudonym BB Thomas. His work has been translated into several languages and has achieve bestseller status in 5 countries.

    He has two more novels scheduled to be published in 2023.

    He is delighted to now be the Creative Director for The Young Actors Company.

  • Leigh McDonald

    Agent

    Leigh went to Guildford School of Acting from 1987 to 1990, and then went on to be a jobbing actor working in musical theatre, straight theatre and cabaret for 23 years.

    In 2012, during her time at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, she decided that treading the boards eight times a week away from home was no longer the way forward. Instead, she now runs her own cabaret act, Mac&Eden, with her friend – singer songwriter Joanna Eden, playing one nighters and a few different Festivals, (winning best cabaret act at the Brighton Festival 2016), alongside working as the Casting and PR Manager at The Young Actors Company. Cabaret and casting are a perfect fit!

    Y.A.C Talent

  • Justine Andrews

    Agent

    Justine began her acting journey at the age of 9 with the Carlton Junior Television Workshop, attending weekly workshops and learning from some of the top industry professionals. At 19, she completed a one year course at Arts Ed Drama School in London and then went on to work professionally over the last decade. Her TV credits include WPC56 (BBC1), Edge Of Heaven (ITV), Some Girls (BBC3), The Job Lot (ITV2), Doctors (BBC1), Emmerdale (ITV) and Plebs (ITV2) and she has also worked professionally on stage in plays and pantomimes.

    Justine has always had a passion for working with young people and developing their creativity, imagination and craft. So whilst continuing her own acting career, she has joined the amazing team at The Young Actors Company to represent the talented youth of the company, and help them to achieve their own acting dreams.

    Y.A.C Talent

What people say about us

Kitty will be returning for the spring term. I think YAC keeps her sane!!!!

Meredith will definitely be continuing with YAC – that was never in any doubt!

Luka would very much like to continue. I have to thank you very much for all that you are doing for him. He absolutely loves to come to screen academy, and this is for the first time ever that he loves something so much, which also makes us as parents very happy.

I’d like to say a whopping thank you for all your collective hard work because YAC is central to my girls’ week. They absolutely adore the sessions for many reasons other than just the drama “lesson”.

Thanks so much for all of your and the rest of YACs work on this; Holly will be very excited about it. She continues to love her YAC classes, as ever a highlight of her week!

Let me share the words of Sir Laurence Olivier: “I believe that in a great city, or even in a small city or a village, a great theatre is the outward and visible sign of an inward and probable culture.

Culture… What else could we wish for our children? I KNOW: Maybe a troupe of friends, actors and performers for the stage: villains, cardinals and kings, the doubt of Hamlet, the hopelessness of Lear, three witches and one bear, the summer of our discontent and a winter’s tale. And: the smart Portia, Falstaff riding the last horse of Richard, the play and the drama…The life… all that and even more. Thank you for these months. Thank you for giving so much to my daughter, for showing that happiness is not a place, but always a direction.

- Agustín García

“Joining The Young Actors Company was the single most important step I took as an aspiring young performer. They gave me a push in the right direction and the ability to expand my horizons at an important time in life. Anything I have now and any success I may have in the future, I will always owe to The Young Actors Company.”

- Himesh Patel

Our connection with The Young Actors Company goes back over 12 years – we’ve seen our boys blossom and grow in confidence with each class, workshop and production that they’ve taken part in. They’ve learnt the importance of discipline, being prepared, speaking up and teamwork. They’ve done voice recordings, been on TV, in film and on stage. Most of all they’ve gained a life-long love of acting.

- George & Ann Lynn

My 12 year old daughter LOVES coming to YAC…she attends a studio class and a screen class and said to me that if we ever won the lottery she would like to go to ALL the YAC classes! She finds the classes fun and stimulating and looks forward to them. She likes the opportunity to develop her acting skills with likeminded people and get involved in cool projects, like the recent filming day at Nene Valley Railway. I find YAC staff professional, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and kind. I would thoroughly recommend YAC to the parent of any young person who is passionate about acting.

- Darcy Simpson

When I started at The Young Actors Company I never even imagined the impact it would have on my future. I went in with a heart full of dreams and came out believing they could actually come true. And they did! The training helped me develop my ability and my passion, and gave me my first step into the industry. Joining YAC was one of the best decisions I ever made!

- Zara Azam