"Bringing theatre to the community"
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Five Towns Academy Staff
Abby Evans - Drama
Abby has been a member of Five Towns Theatre for many years and has recently completed her course at Staffordshire university studying a BA Hons degree in Theatre Arts. Abby currently runs our drama group Superstars for children with Autism and Autism related disorders. She plans to one day make teaching drama her full time job.
As well as performing and leading workshops Abby is a budding Director with a keen eye for detail.
She enjoys working with the Academy students and seeing them progress as performers and individuals.
Ed Costello - Dance
Ed trained at the Academy for Theatre Arts graduating in 2013.
Since graduating Ed has continued to train in dance attending classes in both Stoke and London.
Ed continues to audition for shows both amateur and professional.
He is soon to be qualified to teach the BBO dance syllabus.
Ed says that there is nothing better than seeing kids enjoying and expressing themselves on stage and hopes that the Five Towns Academy will allow students to progress on to vocational training in the industry.Ed has choreographed many shows including The Wedding Singer, Into the Woods, Ghost to name a just a few.He has performed in many musicals in principal roles, ensemble and dance captain roles, these include Fame (Magna Cater Arts Centre - Staines ), RENT (Manga Carter Arts Centre - Staines), High School Musical (Mitchell Arts Centre), Bad Girls (Stoke Rep), Beauty and the Beast (Rugely Rose Theatre).
Becci Morrell - Music
Becci Morrell has been singing in a professional capacity for over 19 years now. Starting her career early, she had a taste for fame appearing on the Michael Barrymore show at the tender age of 14 and this is where she got “the bug”. From this point on she knew that this was what she wanted to do.
After gaining a BTEc in Performing Arts and A level Theatre Studies she was accepted at the Highly acclaimed Music school LIPA where she gained a BA Hons degree in Music, specialising in Estill technique vocals. Here she sung many vocals styles from
Musical Theatre and Jazz to Pop and Opera.
She Studied for 3 Years at LIPA which gave her the tools she needed to go out into the big wide world. Straight from graduation she went to Edinburgh to appear in the prestigious Fringe Festival in Blues in the Night for The Really Useful Company playing one of the lead female roles.
From this point onwards her career went from strength to strength and she worked in an ABBA Theatre show touring the UK and Europe (2003-2006), a Nostalgia Theatre show touring the UK (2007) and Beyond the Barricade a musicals review theatre show touring
UK and Europe (2008-2011).
She has also been lucky enough to be involved with 5* cruise liners for a few companies over the years, her first being for an American company called Gary Musick which was onboard the Celebrity Constellation in 2007. Proceeding this she worked for QDOS Productions from 2011 to present date either onboard in their Production casts as Lead Female Vocalist, as a Vocal Coach or as a Session Vocalist for their pantomime tracks.
Her professional works do not just stop at theatre shows or cruise ships she has also been lucky enough to do a lot of session work with some releases in the charts working for Candid records and Ministry of Sound. Her vocals were lucky enough to have been
featured on several dance tracks for groups such as Dario G and Sky High.
Along with all her freelance singing work and session work Becci is currently touring with The George Michael Story and is looking forward to the upcoming 2021 tour.
Keith Ragdale - Administration / Summer School Musical Director
Keith has over 25 years of experience within the performing arts industry.
He has musically directed dozens of shows within the Staffordshire and Cheshire area. He is also an accomplished sound and lighting designer as well as having a flair for set design.
Keith has a Higher Diploma in Performing Arts.
In 2002 Keith was one of the founding members of Five Towns Theatre and has used his passion to drive the company forward. Keith enjoys seeing cast members and students excel in the performing arts industry and has had the pleasure of seeing many of his cast members go on to a career in London's West End and professional touring productions. Keith is looking forward to seeing the Academy help people grow in confidence and develop their love for theatre arts. Locally Keith has appeared in musicals including Half a Sixpence, Smike and My Fair Lady. He has directed/musically directed Into the Woods, The Wedding Singer, Godspell, Ghost, Footloose, Grease, High school musical , Little Shop of Horrors to name a few.