Ann Russell, MA, ALCM, LLCM (TD). Ann Russellcombines a career as an actor and theatre director with her work as a teacher and adjudicator. She trained with the late Deirdre O’Connell at the Focus Stanislavski Studio, has an MA in Modern Drama from UCD and a Licentiate Diploma (Teaching) from the London College of Music and Drama.
A former teacher and senior examiner with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Ann formed her own school in 2004. Since then she has developed a highly successful programme for Public Speaking and Presentation Skills and has an outstanding record in training teachers of Speech and Drama.
Ann is a member of ReActors Actors’ Agency (www.reactors.ie). In November 2011 she performed in Romeo and Juliet for Devise + Conquer, playing the wonderful part of The Nurse. She also recently played in Elysium Nevada, which enjoyed a revival at the Viking Theatre at the Sheds in Clontarf. She devised, directed and performed in A Titter of Wit which played at the Irish Writers’ Centre throughout the summer of 2011. Other recent theatre includes Richard 11, Portia Coughan and The Get Together. She toured the UK and Ireland in Marie Jones’ hit play Women on the Verge of HRT and toured Ireland with John B. Keane’s Moll and the hugely successful The Chastitute with the late Mick Lally. As a member of the Focus Theatre she appeared in many productions including The Secret Rapture (David Hare), The Balcony, (Jean Genet) and the great American classics, All My Sons, (Arthur Miller) Precious Sons, (George Furth) and Awake and Sing (Clifford Odets). Other theatre includes Reading Turgenev for Meridian Theatre, Cork, Dancing at Lughnasa (Punchbag in Galway) and Vampirella and the Company of Wolves at the Project Arts’ Centre.
Directing includes the highly successful, The Bother with the Brother which was based on the work of Flann O’Brien and performed at Bewleys Café Theatre in October 2011, ATitter of Wit at the Irish Writers’ Centre, Macbeth for the Rathmines Festival 2009, The Stump and The Shape at Focus Theatre, Greatest Hits, Dublin Fringe at Bewleys, Are you Listenin’ to me Gaybo? by Mary Halpin which toured throughout Ireland.
Ann has appeared in RTE’s Fair City and Roddy Doyle’s Family and Ballykissangel for BBC. Film work includes Frankie Starlight and Snakes and Ladders.
Sine Lynch BBS(Hons) LRIAM.
A talented actor, Sine is also a qualified drama teacher and public speaking
facilitator. In her teaching, she focuses on building the individual’s
confidence, communication skills, imagination, problem solving skills and
teambuilding, through use of drama. Sine is a former student of Ann Russell's
Academy and now prepares students for their teaching diplomas. Sine also works
for RADE (a FÁS community employment scheme that engages recovering drug users
with creative activities such as drama, creative writing, film production, art
and tai chi), where she manages all business administration and conducts weekly
drama workshops for a group of 20+ adults. Sine made the transition into the
drama teaching in her late twenties. Before this she worked as a sales and
marketing executive.
Maeve McGowan MA, BA, ARIAM. Maeve has worked in Business for
over ten years in sectors ranging from design to telecommunications
through to the Arts. She holds a BA in International Marketing
and Languages from DCU. As a marketing Manager she honed
her communication and presentation skills through presenting
at conferences and making sales pitches to clients. Five
years ago Maeve decided to specialise in the area of communication
and training. She recently completed an MA in Theatre
Studies from DCU (first class honours), a performance
course at the Gaiety School of Acting and studied for
her teaching qualification at the Russell Academy achieving
the Associate Diploma (A.R.I.A.M.). Maeve works as a director,
actor, drama teacher and facilitator of drama workshops.
She also co-presents a weekly radio arts’ show Centre
Stage on 103.2 Dublin City FM.
Sarah Weakley BA (Hons) LRIAM. Sarah trained at the Samuel Beckett Centre, TCD, has a BA in English and Classical Civilisations from UCD and a Licentiate teaching diploma in speech and drama from the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She has trained with many of the leading voice and acting coaches in the world including Enrique Pardo of Pan Theatre in Paris, Professor Mokiev of the Moscow Arts Centre and Kevin Crawford of the Roy Heart Centre in France. While in Australia she worked with Freewheels Theatre Company in Newcastle.
A former examiner at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Sarah has worked as a teacher of drama at many schools in Ireland, teaching adults and children of all ages.
Students enjoying recent mime workshop as part of the Teaching Diploma course in Speech and Drama
