TheatreStarz Stage Academy

ABOUT US

ASHLEIGH
PRINCIPAL & Singing teacher/ Musical Director

I have been a performer my whole life! From a very early age I have had a passion for the theatre, either onstage, backstage or in the audience. 
After gaining my BA Hons degree in Musical Theatre & Technical Theatre I moved to Portugal to teach singing and to perform- this is where I met my now husband Aaron. He studied at the Brit school in London and we soon realised we had a shared love of the Theatre and performing arts.

After moving back to the UK I worked as a Drama Teacher for a number of well known Stage Schools before becoming a Principal of a popular franchise. After a while I decided to set up my own Theatreschool using my own brand- TheatreStarz which has been running for six years. 

Over the years I have written and Directed many shows along the years including Billy Elliot, Annie, Elf, Matilda, The Little Mermaid, Robin Hood, Bugsy Malone and many more.

I am still an active performer and have just recently played Nicola in Kinky Boots at the Royal & Dernagte in Northampton, Ruth in Calendar Girls at the Royal & Derngate, Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical and the Royal and Derngate and Maureen in RENT at the Masque Theatre.

Other roles include The Wicked Witch of the West- Wizard of Oz, Velma- West Side Story, Mimi- Guys and Dolls, Audrey- Little Shop of Horrors and Abigail- The Crucible.

Teaching and Directing is my passion and seeing what our students can achieve is what it’s all about


Melanie 
dance teacher/ choreographer


Hi I’m Melanie and have been the dance teacher at Theatrestarz for just over four years now.
I started dancing at the age of 4, in Northampton and have qualifications in all grades of tap, modern, ballet, jazz and national dance including an ISTD associate level in tap dancing
As well as teaching dance I have choreographed many many shows all over Northamptonshire and surrounding areas.
Some choreography highlights include ~ 42nd Street, Wizard of Oz, Sister Act, All Shook Up, Annie, Shrek, The Addams family, and of course Theatrestarz’s Matilda, The Little Mermaid and Elf!
I also still like to tread the boards myself from time to time as I also enjoy singing & acting too, and have played many principal parts including - Grace Farrell in Annie, Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz, Sylvia in All Shook Up, Bonnie in Anything Goes, and Morticia in the Northamptonshire premiere of the Addams family
I have recently played Sarah in Company at the Lighthouse Theatre alongside taking the role of choreographer for the show.
I have many years of experience from teaching to performing and love to share that knowledge and passion with the younger generation of today.

Katy
Drama Teacher/ director

From a young age I've been deeply immersed in the world of Musical Theatre through the wonderful Youth Societies in my hometown. My journey led me to specialise as a Vocalist in Musical Theatre, culminating in a BA Hons in Music.
With a rich background in drama and music, I'm not only a qualified music and drama teacher, but also a private vocal coach and I have been involved in running and teaching musical theatre classes in and around Northamptonshire. I've run award winning choirs and actively participated in musical theatre societies across Northamptonshire. In April 2021, I took a significant step by establishing and managing my own venture, Zozimus drama, offering non-performance drama classes for children aged walkers to 11 years.
My passion for performing has led me to portray various roles my favourite being, Cathy in The Last Five Years at The Castle Theatre, and Laurey in Oklahoma!
Beyond the stage, my true passion lies in directing. As a school teacher, I've directed productions such as Les Misérables School Edition (2014), Peter Pan (2015), and Miss Saigon School Edition (2016). My journey continued as I founded the Northampton Musical Theatre Company’s Youth Society, guiding performances like Les Misérables School Edition (2018), the beloved High School Musical (2019), Addams Family Musical (2022), and Sister Act (2023). Currently, I'm eagerly preparing for our upcoming show, Oliver, scheduled for February 2024.
I am thrilled to become a part of the TheatreStarz team, looking forward to connecting with the incredible young talents who attend this wonderful theatre school!

THEATRESTARZ STAGE ACADEMY