STAFF PROFILES
TRUDI REES
Acting
Trudi trained originally in classical ballet and had a successful dance career before retraining as an actress at The Poor School, graduating in 1997. She has worked extensively in the West End, in regional theatre, television and as a Director at The Poor School for 20 years, until its closure in 2018. Recent productions include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Tom and Viv, The Accrington Pals and The Lady from Dubuque.
MARCELLE DAVIES
Movement/ Dance/ Animal Study
Marcelle was Head of Movement at The Poor School for 27 years and has worked at RADA, Rose Bruford College and London School of Theatre Studies. She also teaches movement and early dance at the British American Drama Academy and for Florida State University in London on their Theatre Studies course. She has worked as a Movement Director on productions at Rose Bruford and for companies such as Ridiculusmus, Shady Dolls and The Canting Crew. Originally working as a clown and acrobat and in physical theatre, she toured as an actress with companies such as Trickster Theatre, Accordo Povo, South Glamorgan’s Theatre in Education Company and Actors’ Workshop Cardiff before becoming a movement teacher.
CHRISTIAN FELLNER
Voice
Christian trained originally as a classical singer at Trinity College of Music in London and in Moscow, Russia. An interest in the spoken voice took him to the Central School of Speech and Drama where he graduated with distinction from the MA Voice Studies course. He has been teaching and coaching voice for twenty-five years, training people from all walks of life as well as many actors and singers. As a performer, he has worked as a soloist in opera and concert in Europe, Russia and the Middle East, and continues to perform as a recitalist. His recording of Schubert songs – Aufenthalt – was released in May 2016.
JEN MALARKEY
Movement
Jen trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, where she gained a 1st class MA in the teaching of movement for actors. Teaching includes Middlesex University, Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Central School of Speech and Drama, Birmingham School of Acting, Identity Drama School and The Poor School. She sits on the audition panel for Central School of Speech and Drama for undergraduate entries. Jen is Artistic Director of Encounter. Through Encounter she makes shows about (extra)ordinary events, ideas and people. The company is committed to creating new work with dance by working in collaboration with both trained and untrained performers from a range of communities and artistic disciplines. They have presented shows at Soho Theatre, Traverse, Lowry, Watford Palace Theatre, Northern Stage, ARC Stockton and The Yard.
ALISON DE BURGH
Stage Combat
Alison is the first female Fight Director – the first woman to gain entry to the Equity Register of Fight Directors. She has worked on plays at the RSC, National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and on numerous West End shows and national tours, on operas at the ENO, WNO, Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne and many more. On screen she has worked for the BBC, various ‘indie’ movie companies and was not only stunt advisor but took a part herself in the teaser for the recent movie Mindhorn. As a tutor, Alison was Fight Master at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art for sixteen years, a regular tutor at The Poor School for over ten years and provider of Stage Combat Classes at the Actors Centre for over nine years. Alison has a Masters in Historical Research – her dissertation was on Elizabethan Swordplay – is a coach with the British Academy of Fencing and is a Long Bow Champion and coach.
GRANTLEY BUCK
Singing
Grantley was Head of Musical Theatre at the Urdang Academy in Covent Garden for seven years, Head of Singing at Master’s Performing Arts for six years and Head of Musical Theatre at The Poor School for thirteen years. He has worked for Arts Educational, The Roundhouse, the Globe Centre and spent two years as a principal in the West End production of GREASE. He obtained a BA (Hons) in Music from Leeds University.
