Tutors / performers

Iain Thompson: Drama. Iain set up nde having become bored with all the extra work of a full-time secondary school teacher. With qualifications in drama and music, and a degree in business studies, he saw educational and corporate drama as a good way of combining the usually incompatible subjects.

Jamie Bell: Dance. Trained in dance at Northern Contemporary School in Leeds, Jamie and his ‘crew’ are also the UK break-dance champions. He has training in many styles from ballet to street-dance.

Jon Beney: Head of Dance. Jon graduated in dance technique and choreography from Northern Contemporary School in Leeds and has been working with young people around the country as well as choreographing for corporate and television events.

Andy Pearson: Music and Drama. Andy trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA). He has appeared in, directed and written the musical scores for over 50 productions on film, television, stage and radio, both nationally and across Europe. He has lead and developed corporate and educational workshops throughout the country. He is head of composition for LAMDA and an advanced member of the Society of British Fight Directors. Andy is also a major part of the writing team for nde.

Richard Vergette: Teacher Resources. Richard is currently head of Performing Arts at John Leggott Sixth Form College in Scunthorpe; a beacon college in this faculty. As well as this, he is also an educational consultant for two leading agencies and carries out mock inspection work for the Association of Colleges. Richard has been a senior examiner for Edexcel for 4 years and is a former director from the board of Humberside Theatre in Education. He graduated with a masters in Education from Nottingham following a degree in Drama from Bretton Hall.

Dan Sproats: Writer. Graduating from Hull University with a degree in English literature, Dan is a full-time sixth form teacher and plays an active part in the directing, writing and performance at Hull’s Northern Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). For nde, he is our main writer and has been on board from the very beginning, adapting Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting for our first touring presentation.