The Arden School of Theatre

Marie Critchley

Marie started her acting career at The Young Vic Youth Theatre, London after graduating with a degree in English from Liverpool University.

Marie has worked extensively in television where she has performed alongside actors that include Kenneth Branagh, Keeley Hawes, Michael Gambon Stephen Graham, Vicky McClure and Olivia Colman.

Screen credits include JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy (BBC/HBO) BAFTA award winners In The Flesh and Don’t Take My Baby (BBC) The Secret Agent, See No Evil, South Riding, Ripper Street, Wallander and Lilies.

Marie’s theatre work includes A View From The Bridge (West End Birmingham Rep, Bristol Old Vic) The Snow Queen, Jude, William (The Young Vic) Adam Bede,Our Day Out, To Serve Them All My Days (Royal Theatre Northampton) Beautiful Thing ( Bolton Octagon/York Theatre Royal) Can’t Pay Won’t Pay! Brassed Off and Dreamers (Oldham Coliseum)

Marie completed a postgraduate qualification in teaching at Central School Of Speech and Drama and has since trained with international acting coach and Meisner specialist Larry Silverberg and Hollywood acting coach Ron Burrus from The Stella Adler Studio in New York.

Will Nelson

Will teaches MA Directing, as well as BAs in Acting, Musical Theatre and Vocal Studies here at The Arden.

After starting his career in the licensed trade, Will became a mature student in his 20s.  After attaining his MA, Will worked at the University of Cumbria before establishing the DIY West End Theatre Company in Morecambe. 

Having then worked as a professional Actor and Director, Will joined The Arden as a teacher in 2018.  Since then, he has published several study guides for A-Level and has also reviewed work for New Theatre Quarterly.

On his love of teaching, Will noted “As a student I realised that I got as much joy from helping others to achieve, as I did from achieving things myself.

“This is a feeling that has never left me.

“Seeing every group through from day one to graduation; it never gets old”.
 

Dr Wayne Steven Jackson

Wayne has been making theatre, both solo and as a co-founder of Escape Theatre, since 2004. His work explores autobiographical experiences and the vulnerability of memory to map, challenge, and document social change, often exploiting and experimenting with technology as a second performer to represent voices that are, for a number of reasons, not present.

His practice has been continually supported by hÅb, and previously greenroom, through Method Lab and Works Ahead commissions. His performance work includes Escape in Chic (2004), Nought Point Nought Seven Nine per Hour (2005), Losing (2008), How I Lost the Pound Coin (And Why I Want It Back) (2009), (and two) (2012), Now|Then (2017), From Me To Us (2020). He has delivered contemporary theatre workshops across Europe, at higher Education institutions in England, Spain, Norway, and Denmark. Through his role as Head of Theatre and Performance (TaP) at the Arden School of Theatre, he trains creative performers to make postmodern, innovative, and evocative new work.

His 2019 doctoral research explored the performance of memory in connection to placemaking, specifically located in his home city of Hull during its year as City of Culture in 2017, and resulted in the critically acclaimed Now|Then. He has presented his academic research in theatre, performance, and memory at a number of conferences both nationally and internationally including at Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA), Queen’s University Belfast, and NCTE’s Assembly for Research in Birmingham, Alabama. His most recent chapter ‘From the Screen to the Streets: Translating Digital Engagement into Performance Practice to Facilitate Multiple Contributions to Placemaking’ is published in IAB’s Negotiating Place and Space through Digital Literacies (2019).

He is also collaborative founder and senior lecturer for the trans-Pennine MA in Performance Practice with Sheffield Hallam University.

Tomas Simon

Tomas holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and Sports Science.

His specialisms are commercial dance and street dance, but he also teaches anatomy, music and video-editing.

As a performer, Tomas has worked with some of the biggest artists in the world: Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Kelly Rowland, Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift, Cheryl Cole, Alexandra Burke, The Saturdays, Peter Andre and many more. 

Tomas is still very much involved in the industry today as a choreographer. He has choreographed fashion shows for New Balance, festival set Maxx and their dancers, and choreographed commercials and corporate performances. He regularly contributes to the choreography on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

“Teaching has always been and always will be my passion - I started my own dance school at the age of 20.

“I am never prouder than when I see my students and ex-students shine on a professional stage.”
 

Natalie Maloney

Natalie teaches Dance and Performance, Musical Theatre and Vocal Studies.

Natalie started as a competing gymnast but soon found her love for dance. She completed a level 3 National Diploma in Dance at the Manchester College, before being offered a full scholarship at The Hammond School. Natalie was awarded a Level 6 Trinity Professional Diploma and won the Wayne Sleep Award for ‘Outstanding Choreography’.

Upon graduating Natalie was offered a position as a professional dancer for Princess cruise-lines. Natalie performed at sea for five years, working alongside some very well-respected producers/choreographers, including Broadway directors Stephen Swartz (Wicked) and Al Blackstone (Emmy-nominated for SYTYCD). 

Natalie was then invited as an industry professional to deliver dance across the northwest. This is where she discovered her passion of teaching and a true love for student achievement and accomplishment:

“I’m never prouder than when I hear about a graduating student being offered agency representation, succeeding at an audition or accepting a future performance contract!”
 

Dave Fortune

Dave teaches BA (Hons.) Music Production & Composition here at UCEN Manchester.

Dave has been obsessed with music ever since he started playing in rock bands in his early teens. He later became interested in other genres like hip hop and electronic music, learned to produce and DJ, and has been doing both ever since!

Dave has an impressive amount of industry experience. His music has been released worldwide and received mainstream radio play on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music.  He has managed an independent record label.  He has promoted music events and still regularly DJs. He has also performed electronic music live and worked as a mix engineer for both independent labels and corporate clients. 

Dave is also a published writer and has presented at academic conferences, most recently the Innovation in Music Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

After starting a career in teaching with The City College before joining us here at UCEN Manchester.

Dave says his proudest moments are “any time I see an ex-student of mine who is doing well in the music industry and still working hard at their craft!”
 

Graham Lappin

Graham teaches BA Hons Musical Theatre, BA Hons Vocal Studies & Performance.

Born and raised in Manchester, Graham trained as an actor and singer and brings over twenty years of experience to his role at the Arden. As well as teaching and writing, Graham enjoys family time spent with his husband and daughter.

Graham started out as an actor, appearing across the UK and in London's West End in productions such as "Elf", "Legally Blonde", "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "The Wind in the Willows". He then moved into writing; his musicals "The Rise" and "Climb Way Up" both had their premieres in Manchester in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Graham became a teacher because he wanted to share his industry experience and specific skills with students.

Graham’s proudest moment? “When my first cohort of students (their first day was also my first day) gave their final performances in their third year show "Little Women" ahead of graduating.”