Stage Academy

Company led by:

• 

  Robyn Holdaway

  Senior Stage Director

  Robyn is a non-binary actor best known for their work as Layla in Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’. Their credits also include: AMC’s ‘Moonhaven’, BBC’s ‘Strike: Lethal White’, and various other stage and screen roles. Their audiobook work includes the award winning ‘Our Wives Under the Sea’, as well as critically acclaimed ‘Sistersong’, ‘How To Understand Your Gender’, and ‘Skin’. They are an active member of the LGBTQ community, and they are passionate about bringing this diversity into the mainstream both as an artist and as an activist. They have been teaching drama to all ages for over fourteen years, at various youth theatres and theatre schools across the country. As a private drama tutor Robyn has helped with auditions, skills development, and assisting their students to land places at Drama School. Robyn is committed to creating a safe and inclusive working environment, and helping each student to reach their full potential.
• 

  Emma O'Rouke

  Junior Stage Director and LAMDA Tutor 

  Emma trained at the Northern Ballet School, and graduated in 2020. Her theatre credits include: Belle in Beauty and the Beast (Charming Entertainment), Cinderella in Cinderella (Charming Entertainment), Belle in Once Upon A Fairytale (Neverland Theatre), and Swing in the Lego Friends live shows at Legoland Windsor Resort.

  Emma is thrilled to step into the role of Director, bringing her experience as an Assistant Director at YAC and her teaching experience from other schools. Passionate about helping students develop their skills, confidence, and creativity, she looks forward to working with the next generation of talented performers.

• 

  Kayleigh Barnes

  Upper Stage Academy Director and Head of LAMDA

  Kayleigh trained at Stageworks Studios and Liverpool Theatre School where she graduated in 2017.

  Her theatre credits include: The White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland), Nurse (Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham Royal Ballet, UK Tour), Peter Pan (Peter Pan), Flounder (The Little Mermaid) Princess (Aladdin), Goldilocks (Goldilocks and the 3 Bears), Beauty (Beauty and the Beast, UK Tour), Mowgli (The Jungle Book, London), Lucy (Dracula, Rome) and Marie (The Nutcracker, London & Rome)

  Her TV/Film credits include: Kate (National Pubwatch), Apprentice (UBS Bank Commercial), Cyclist (Greater Cambridge Council Commercial), Aga (North Pole HQ, Thistles Stirling Commercial) Melissa (One Service – Five Meals, Pizza Express Commercial), Caroline (Seven Stages, ITV) and Amy (After Life, SWRC Films).

  Kayleigh has been teaching drama for many years and is really excited to be joining the team at YAC and working with the brilliant young talent here.

• 

  Yael Elisheva

  The Company Director

  Yael Elisheva is a multidisciplinary theatre-maker, director, facilitator, and performer with an artistic practice specialising in comedy, drag, movement, and social politics. Their work has been platformed at Soho Theatre, CPT, Riverside Studios, Kingshead Theatre, The Pleasance, Glastonbury, JW3, Omnibus Theatre and other venues around the UK.

  Yael spent six years teaching drama and improv to incarcerated and court-involved young people with Drama Club NYC. Yael was an associate artist with Highly Sprung Theatre Company and is currently the Resident Artist at Company Three Youth Theatre in London.

• 

  John Lowery

  Junior Stage Academy Director

  John is an actor and educator with more than a decade of experience across stage, screen, and drama training. He began his journey with the National Youth Theatre and went on to perform in West End productions from a very young age.

  He has a genuine passion for working with young performers, and his enthusiasm is truly contagious. John has supported many young actors who have gone on to work in the West End, on film, and in television.

  His career has taken him across Europe, performing in productions ranging from Shakespeare to Disney. His screen credits include major films such as Stan & Ollie and Disney’s Dumbo, and he most recently appeared in ITV’s Three Little Birds.

  John also joined the ensemble of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall and will take on the role of Guy in The Storyteller, an exciting new country-and-western production. He is also especially proud of achieving a pantomime “hat-trick” after playing Prince Charming three times!

  John is incredibly excited to bring his experience, energy and love of storytelling to The Young Actors Company Peterborough. His appointment marks a really exciting new chapter for the academy. We cannot wait to continue strengthening Peterborough while creating even more opportunities for our wonderful young actors.