Meet Ms Anna
Many hats, one passion: Performing Arts
A Life on Stage
From performing on stage, in classrooms, and even in school corridors, to directing my first full-length play at 16, I knew early on that the performing arts would be central to my future.
After completing a degree in Drama, Theatre and Television Studies in the late 1980s, I took a challenging production to the Edinburgh Fringe. Its success and strong reviews earned us an invitation to return, confirming that I needed to work in the arts in some capacity.
Over the following years, I travelled, performed, busked, clowned, directed, taught, and led workshops. In the 1990s, I ran a youth theatre and co-founded Tubthimping Theatre School for students aged 4 to 84. Alongside running the oversubscribed Tubthumping Youth Theatre, I worked as a professional theatre clown and teacher, including teaching clowning and Commedia dell’Arte at the Guildford School of Acting, whilst continuing as a freelance director and facilitator.
A move to the Netherlands for love opened unexpected doors through clowning, leading to training, directing, and performing with The Global Clown School Amsterdam and Teatro Munganga.
Then came motherhood. After spending a few years as a stay-at-home mum, I moved into formal education as a Performing Arts/Theatre teacher at the International School Hilversum. During my 17 years there, I rediscovered my love of performing, particularly through musical theatre. Eventually, I felt the pull back to creating, performing, and facilitating professionally, and decided it was time to begin that next chapter.
Our Vision for our Local Stars
In this energetic and supportive course, young actors will learn essential theatre skills including stage presence, character creation, movement, voice work, teamwork and performance techniques - all leading to a fun-filled showcase for family and friends at the end of the year!
Testimonials
“I have been working in primary education for a long time and have seen some farewell musicals. The musical that Jane rehearsed with the students was of a high standard, the best one I have seen in the past 40 years. The students acted as if they had already taken acting lessons for a long time. The singing was of good quality, and the students supported it with appropriate dancing or other movements. There was also humor in the setting and scenes. I can definitely recommend Jane. She can really achieve a professionally performed musical with your students in a short time.”
– Trudy Hogenbirk, Head of School
“Jane is a very enthusiastic teacher! Jane teaches us new techniques how to sing, act, and move to be on stage. I love that I’m learning how to act and sing together with my friends.”
– Dakotah (10)
“Our experience with Jane for the musical classes has been nothing short of amazing! It's clear that Jane not only has a deep passion for music and theatre, but also a special gift for working with children. She made learning fun and accessible for every skill level, helping each child shine in their role. Jane made sure each child felt important, no matter how big or small their part. This inclusivity and attention to individual growth was heartwarming to see, and the end result was an incredibly entertaining performance of Wonka that left all of us parents feeling proud.”
– Liesbeth, parent group 6
“Jane is a great teacher and my son loves her workshops. He has gotten more confident because of the theatre and I can only say good things to that.”
– Sly, parent group 6