EXECUTIVE CHAIR Simon Hunter began his career as a screenwriter and producer. He wrote Twisted Tales: Bonus Mileage, produced by Australian icon Bryan Brown for the Nine Network Australia. Simon's screenplay secured Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush to star in the episode. DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Originally from Perth, WA, Rebecca is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (2009) and Edith Cowan University (2004). With 13 years experience across multiple industries, Rebecca is a highly qualified public speaker, corporate trainer, MC, teacher, and mentor. GENERAL MANAGER Ashley Curry came to Sydney Actors School with over 5 years of marketing experience and another 5 years of design experience. He started his journey with SAS as Marketing Manager, moving into Recruitment and Admissions and now oversees the daily running of the school as General Manager. ACTING Kevin graduated from NIDA in 1971 and was a member of the Old Tote Theatre Company from 1973-1974. He has made appearances on ABC Radio and Television, Sydney Theatre Company, Marian Street and Nimrod Theatre Productions. He was a founding member of the Q Theatre. ACTING AND MUSICAL THEATRE Philip has an interest in the "connections" between performance mediums; looking at why actors are great both on screen & theatre, including those multi-skilled from musical theatre. He understands the link & explores fundamentals of cross training principal. IMPROVISATION & ACTING Lyn Pierse has taught a generation of actors, teachers, standup comics and students of Improvisation and Acting for over 35 years at; NIDA 22 years, ACA 25 years, AIM 6 years, Sydney Actors School 4 years, sessional teacher University of New England, Macquarie University, Drama NSW. SCREEN ACTING & CASTING Pip is a professional actor, film & theatre maker, acting & career coach, casting assistant & entrepreneur. She has a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts (Acting) from NIDA & a Bachelor of Creative Arts (devised work, filmmaking, philosophy & arts management/law) from Melbourne Uni. VOICE Simon was born in Scotland and now lives in Sydney, he holds a MA in French & Spanish from Cambridge University, a PGDip in Music Theatre from the Royal Academy of Music, & a MFA in Voice from the NIDA. Over the past 20 years he has worked as a singer, actor, singing teacher, translator & voice coach. MOVEMENT & ACTING Anca feels cross-feeding between performing arts, with dabbling in visual arts, has enriched her life, both professionally and generally. Since discovering dance in her native Finland, teaching has always been on the agenda for her. VOICE A teacher trained graduate of Atlantic Theatre Company, NYC, Felicity Jurd has studied at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Australian Theatre for Young People. She made her TV debut in JNP's Land of Hope as a core cast member and her ABC Radio debut in Cyclone Tracy. MOVEMENT Roel Voorgij has been active in theatre since he was 12 years old. Starting at the Rotterdam Youth Theatre Hofplein, he studied Theatre at the Amsterdam Theatre Academy, followed by completing the internationally recognised Amsterdam University of the Arts, Mime Education. VOICE Al is a WAAPA Musical Theatre (1999) and NIDA Voice Studies (2004) graduate working predominantly as a voice/dialect, singing and acting coach. One of his major influences as a voice practitioner is the master teacher Barbara Houseman, with whom he undertook private training in London in 2015. ACTING Garth Holcombe's career has spanned the Film, Television and Theatre industries both in Australia and Internationally. A graduate of the NIDA, he has also studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art London, and has lived in and worked as an actor in Australia, London and New York. FILM STUDIES & SCREENWRITING MUSICAL THEATRE Nicholas Gentile has established himself as a fine talent in the music industry with shining testimonials concerning theatre, performance and composition. A proud graduate of the prestigious Talent Development Project, Nicholas has performed and studied around the world. ACTING Shane Anthony works as a theatre director and producer in Australia and overseas. He is a graduate of the Directing Program at National Institute of Dramatic Art, Screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and has also completed a BA in Theatre Studies at QUT. TECHNOLOGY CRAFT Joshua Belinfante, filmmaker and photographer holds an eye for the eccentric and the surreal. Joshua founded Finesilver Media in 2018 and has been self-producing short films, music videos and stop motion animations since 2008. VOICE OVER Stephen has worked across both film and TV in both Australia and New Zealand. Stephen’s breakthrough role was as the Dwarf, BOMBUR in three of Peter Jackson’s films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. EDITING Fiona is an editor who has cut short films, documentaries and television drama. Fiona has taught editing at a variety of film schools including 6 years as Editing Lecturer at the AFTRS. She has provided transition training from FCP to Premiere Pro for editors at SBS TV and spent time as editing mentor at the Yangon Film School in Myanmar.
SIMON HUNTER
REBECCA JOHNSTON
ASHLEY CURRY
KEVIN JACKSON
PHILIP QUAST
LYN PIERSE
PIP EDWARDS
SIMON MASTERTON
ANCA FRANKENHAEUSER
FELICITY JURD
ROEL VOORBIJ
ALISTAIR TOOGOOD
GARTH HOLCOMBE
CJ JOHNSON
NICHOLAS GENTILE
SHANE ANTHONY
JOSHUA BELINFANTE
STEPHEN HUNTER
Fiona Strain
CJ Johnson is the President of the Film Critics Circle of Australia. He is the film and television critic for The Nightlife on ABC Radio (Australia). His reviews air at 11:15pm on Tuesday nights. His film blog Film Mafia (www.filmmafia.com.au) is widely read internationally.