Teachers
Hannah Underwood
WDYC Founder
Hannah has over 12 years’ experience of teaching children and teens. She holds a BA (Hons) in Theatre and won The Stage Scholarship. She teaches in school and runs afterschool clubs specialising in LAMDA training in Acting up to and including the Medal Grades. Her main passion is directing and devising with young people.
In her spare time she creates work with her company ‘The Creative Collective’ a community project that recruits creative talent to join forces and make beautiful things. Since 2015 she has been producing community events which bring people together whilst raising money for charities.
Rachel Shaw
Teacher
Rachel trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and went on to enjoy a 20 year stage career which included The Royal National Theatre the West End including Les Miserables, Mamma Mia and My Fair Lady and many UK and International Tours. Since having her son in 2008, Rachel has found a love of passing on her knowledge as a singing and LAMDA teacher to children. She loves to see them grow in confidence, find their voice and achieve their dreams. Rachel still loves to perform professionally, most recently opposite Anton Du Beke in Jack in the Beanstalk.
Helen Corry
Teacher
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Catherine Vernon
Teacher
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Hello, I'm Hannah 👋
This is the Why Don't You
I’ve been mad about performing and creating my whole life. At 8 I was writing my own shows and building set and costume and forcing my friends and family to take part or watch. I was very shy around people, but when I started acting I discovered I could be anyone on stage and simply lost all inhibitions. I continued to write plays for my peers at local holiday clubs, whilst performing in school plays and as a young adult chose a BA in Theatre Studies at DeMontford University that focused primarily on devised work.
Out in the big wide world, I joined ‘In Yer Face’ Physical and Mixed Media Theatre Company and toured with them for two years. After winning ‘The Stage’ scholarship at The Drama Academy I went on to broaden my theatre craft in the heart of Whitechapel, London.
I continued to work as a jobbing actor whilst writing and performing my own plays. After many years and many jobs in and out of acting whilst raising my own family, I was delighted to start offering acting classes to kids in my local area. These classes have grown into holiday clubs and Why Don’t You was born out of this. As someone who has always had a big imagination, I don’t like to put anything in boxes, and so Why Don’t You, doesn’t fit a mould. Its really about giving kids the tools to try something new and different to kickstart their own creative journey.
I am also very passionate about my community and finding creative talent to join forces and make beautiful things. Since 2015 I have been producing community projects which bring people together to make events that everyone can take part in, whilst raising money for some amazing charities.
Get Involved
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