Meet the Production Team

Graduating from Queen’s University Belfast with a BA Hons in English & Drama, Jess continued with her studies qualifying as a Primary School teacher and receiving her PGCE in Primary Education with Distinction from Durham University. Jess has also received her Licentiate in Musical Theatre through the London College of Music (LLCM). She is always studying for a Masters of Education (specialising in Leadership) with Ulster University.

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Jess has been a drama teacher for over 10 years and has taught at various schools around Northern Ireland. Jess joined the The Avenue Arts Academy team in 2019 as Head of Drama and Assistant Artistic Director. She is also Head of the Junior School.

Working on various shows at the SSE Arena, the Waterfront Hall, Theatre At The Mill, The Mac and The Grand Opera House in different roles, including production and stage management, Jess has a very rounded understanding and knowledge of theatre.

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Credits

Performance: Titanic: The Musical, Beauty and the Beast, HMS Pinafore, Evita, Les Misérables, Chess & The Phantom of the Opera (Fusion Theatre, Island Arts Centre). The Music Box (The Waterfront Hall). Beauty and the Beast (Lisnagarvey Operatic & Dramatic Society, Island Arts Centre)

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Production: Assistant Stage Manager - Cats (SSE Arena)
Production Assistant - The Music Box (The Waterfront Hall),
Production Manager - Evita, Grease, West Side Story, Titanic, Sweeney Todd
Stage Manager - Titanic, Sweeney Todd, Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Assistant to the Director Lights, Camera, Action - (Various Locations), The Addams Family, Evita
Grand Opera House, The Mac, The Avenue Arts Academy & Island Arts Centre.

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Direction: Lion King Jr, Newsies Jr, Fame Jr, Aladdin Jr, Seussical Jr, Matilda Jr, Legally Blonde Jr & High School Musical

Sarah trained at Arts Educational School, London.

She is a respected Choreographer and Dance Facilitator having worked on award winning,
highly acclaimed productions including Molly Wobbly, Leicester Square Theatre,
London, Cabaret at The MAC, Belfast & The World Goes Round at The MAC, Belfast.
With a unique Musical Theatre, TV and Teaching career spanning 26 years, Sarah’s
more recent work includes Jack and The Beanstalk, Waterfront hall. Faust-ish, Lyric
Theatre, Frankestein’s Monster Is Drunk And The Sheep Have All Jumped the Fences,
Brian Friel, Theatre.

She worked on the CBBC TV series Nova Jones, this work also included choreographing
live TV appearances for Nova Jones and backing dancers, liaising closely with BBC Media City, Manchester and RTE, Ireland
Sarah teaches a wide repertoire including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Commercial Jazz, lyrical
and Musical Theatre and currently teaches at Mountview, Belfast and The Avenue Arts
Academy, Belfast.

She has a strong reputation for delivering high quality industry standard training and is
passionate about inspiring young dancers to further develop their talent.

Sarah is a qualified dance teacher with The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
(ISTD) in Modern Theatre, Tap and Ballet, a qualified fitness instructor and also a
qualified Dance for Parkinson’s Practitioner providing dance classes for people with
Parkinson’s Disease through out Northern Ireland.

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Credits

Choreography - Nova Jones (CBBC), The Shop At The Top of The Town (The Mill Theatre, Newtownabbey) Frankenstein's Monster Is Drunk and The Sheep Have all Jumped the Fences (E59E59 Theatre, New York + The Brian Friel Theatre Belfast)Department Store (Belfast Arts Festival) Macbeth Bouncers (The MAC Theatre, Belfast) Freak Show (Riverside Theatre, Coleraine & Irish Tour) The 39 Steps (The Lyric Theatre, Belfast) Beauty and the Beast (The Waterfront, Belfast) Aladdin (The Marketplace Theatre, Armagh) Freak Show (The MAC Theatre, Belfast) The World Goes Round (The MAC Theatre, Belfast) Phantom of the Opera (The Mill Theatre, Newtownabbey) Suppliant Women (Gaeity Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival) Sleeping Beauty (Belfast Waterfront Hall) Sleeping Beauty (The Market Place Theatre, Armagh Spectacular Aladdin (SSE Arena, Belfast) Sleeping Beauty (Belfast Waterfront Hall) Sleeping Beauty (The Market Place Theatre, Armagh) Suppliant Women, Dublin Theatre Festival, Crazy (The Grand Opera House, Belfast) The Woman in White (BBC) The Faerie Thorn (Societiätstheater, Dresden Irish & Uk Tour) The Importance of being Earnest (The MAC Theatre, Belfast) Aladdin (The Waterfront, Belfast) Cinderella (The Market Place Theatre, Armagh), 1932: The People of Gallagher Street (MAC Theatre, Belfast) The Suppliant Women (The Grand Opera House, Belfast) 39 Steps (The Lyric Theatre, Belfast) Cinderella (The Waterfront, Belfast) Little Red Riding Hood (The Market Place Theatre, Armagh) Dancing Shoes: The George Best Story (The Grand Opera House, Belfast) Crazy (MAC Theatre, Belfast) My English Tongue My Irish Heart (The Waterfront Hall, Belfast: English & Irish Tour) Molly Wobbly (Leicester Square Theatre, London) Jack and The Beanstalk (The Waterfront Hall) Tinseltown The Musical (The Mill Theatre, Newtwonabbey) Cabaret (MAC Theatre) Molly Wobbly (Phoenix Artists Club, London – Broadway Baby ‘Best Choreography’ Nominee) Hunchback The Musical (The Mill Theatre, Newtownabbey) Hansel & Grettel (The Lyric Theatre, Belfast) Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory (The Lyric Theatre, Belfast, Edinburgh Fringe Festival) The Haunting of Helena Blunden (The Waterfront Hall, Belfast) Alice The Musical (The Market Place Theatre, Armagh) The Magic Hat (KCFA Arts Theatre, Seoul) Pinocchio (The Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Hansel & Grettel The Marketplace Theatre Armagh) McCool (The Lyric Theatre, Belfast)

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Theatre - King’s High (King’s Theatre, Glasgow) Guy’s and Doll’s (UK Tour). Dick Whittington & Cinderella (Gaiety Theatre, Ayr) The Cannon & Ball Show (Britannia Theatre, Great Yarmouth 1992 & The Opera House Theatre, Blackpool 1994) Aladdin (Mayflower Theatre, Southampton) A Tribute Gala to Lord Delfont (The Opera House Theatre, Blackpool) The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton) Mystique (Stageworks Productions).Billy Pearce’s Laugh In (Princess Theatre, Torquay, Futurist Theatre, Scarborough & The Opera House Theatre, Blackpool) Cinderella (The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford) Dick Whittington & Aladdin (The Grand Opera House, Belfast 1991 & 1992) Sleeping Beauty 1993, Cinderella. 1994, Aladdin 1995, (King’s Theatre, Glasgow)

Keith has been involved in Musical Theatre from a very young age assisting his father, Wilfie Pyper, in many of his musical productions. Growing up in The Salvation Army, music has always been important to him, and he has led their choir for over 15 years. Keith had the great pleasure of attending Methodist College Belfast and was heavily involved in the music programmes. Being part of the school’s Chamber Choir allowed him the opportunities to sing in some magnificent surroundings such as Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Windsor Castle. Here, he learned a great deal of excellent choral training from some of the best Choirmasters in the UK.

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Keith is no stranger to being on stage, having performed with various theatre groups across Northern Ireland. However, his true passion is being a Musical Director. Keith is currently Musical Director of The Avenue Company and Fusion Theatre Company. He also works as a Director, Musical Director and Choreographer within school productions

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Credits

Musical Director: Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeny Todd, Cinderella, Sister Act, Newsies Jnr, Matilda, Beauty & The Beast, The Sound of Music, Titanic, Fame Jr, Guys and Dolls, Anastasia, Seussical Jr, Mulan, Guys and Dolls, The Greatest Show, Titanic: The Musical, A Night at the Cabaret & The Addams Family.

Keith has formed his own vocal school in Dalgety Voices and a number of his pupils will take to the stage tonight. Keith is also the founder and Musical Director of Cantare Voices, a choir from across Northern Ireland that sings a variety of beautiful music in order to raise money for local charities. Keith also volunteers to lead the Ascert Alcohol & Drug Rehabilitation Choir.

Niamh graduated last year with a BA in Drama at Queens University Belfast, achieving a 2.1. She also has Level 4 Diploma in Musical Theatre from Trinity College London. She is hoping to carry on her love for teaching by completing a PGCE in the future. 
 

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Credits

Velma in Chicago (Avenue Arts), Rizzo in Grease (Avenue Arts), Anna in Spring Awakening (MMK), Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5 (Ulster Operatic Company) and is currently rehearsing for Addams Family with Ulster Operatic where she will be playing Wednesday Addams in the Grand Opera House this September.