Edward

I am a professional teacher, HE Lecturer, actor, theatre director and producer. I love the English language, particularly its poetry and its dramatic literature, and as well as the received literary canon, I have a keen interest in science-fiction and other genres of speculative literature. I love to cook, to play music, to watch sports and to go to live performance. I have three kids aged 11 to 15.

My approach is based on the desire to give students access to the curriculum by building confidence in their own judgement and their ability to express that judgement, both in writing and with their own voice. I blend my academic knowledge of literature with my performance experience and techniques to give my students new insights and to encourage them to engage with and respond to the challenges that the curriculum offers them. I have a particular empathy with SEN students, since I have had to master some of these issues myself.

Availability: I am currently available both days and evenings on most days of the week, and during the days at the weekends.

Willing to travel: 30 miles

Experience: I took an English degree at Oxford, and then trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama as an actor. After working in theatre for 12 years, I trained as a Secondary teacher of English and Drama at the Institute of Education, UL. I worked at a North London Comprehensive for a year, and then became Theatre Director / English and Drama teacher of a large Independent School in North Yorkshire. After two years I returned south to take up the position of Artistic Director and Producer at Frinton Summer Theatre, and to become Head of Acting at Bird College in Sidcup, Kent. I left this post in 2012, and since then have been performing and directing on the radio as well as acting and directing at Frinton and other theatres. I have also been working closely with primary schools in Ipswich, developing drama programmes that suit their needs as well as working as a class teacher for years 4-6. I have also had extensive experience of coaching students for dramatic performance - LAMDA/competition work - and for audition entry to vocational training courses up to MA level. I am about to start as a visiting practitioner at the Mercury Theatre`s Early Career Training Programme.