About Us
Laura Davies
Laura Davies
Artistic Director
Laura trained at the Guildford School of Acting in Musical Theatre (BA Hons). After graduating, she joined P&O Cruise’s Headliners Theatre Company as a lead singer aboard MV Oceana and then the MV Oriana. After travelling the world (twice) Laura went on to perform as a solo cabaret artist at leading Warner Hotels across the country. From there, Laura’s credits include Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” Festival Theatre Open Air Season; Mole in “The Wind in the Willows” UK Tour; Solo artist at The International Press Party for the Royal Wedding at St James’ Palace as well as numerous appearances as a soloist at various functions.
In 2009, after playing the title role in Cinderella at Reading’s Hexagon Theatre alongside Rula Lenska and CBeebies Presenter Simon Davies (who she went on to marry!!), Laura joined forces with Director Mitch Jenkins and helped him to co-found Sussex Youth Theatre and then Surrey Youth Theatre.
With the success of both Sussex and Surrey Youth Theatre, Laura hung up her show tights in 2012 following the West End, UK and European Tour of Abbamania as Agnetha (“the blonde one”), to focus on teaching and developing Surrey Youth Theatre.
Laura now lives in Godalming with her husband and daughter, India, and is enormously proud to be the Director of Surrey Youth Theatre.
Mitch Jenkins
Mitch Jenkins
Founder
Mitch trained initially with Pennie Bardsley at West Sussex Theatre Studios, Worthing
and subsequently at Redroofs Theatre School.
Mitch has worked and performed with many industry favourites including Kate Winslet, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Vicki Michelle and Rula Lenska and has worked extensively for major organisations including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
On May 25th 2015 he appeared on the live semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent where he and his dog Cally ‘The Wonder Dog’ broke the Guinness World Record for popping balloons – They are now the official world record holders popping 100 balloons in 41.67 seconds.
He has lead a West-End Sing-a-Long masterclass at The Royal Festival Hall alongside the cast
of Mama Mia, Jersey Boys and Priscilla Queen of the Desert for S.O.L.T.
Mitch was asked to direct The Reading Hexagon’s Pantomime ‘Cinderella’ with Rula Lenska as Fairy Godmother
after directing the sell-out production of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ at Dorking Halls for The Proper Pantomime Company.
He Directed and was the Vocal Coach for the musical ‘Return to the Forbidden Planet’ at the talent factory,
Kansas City and was also resident Musical Director for The Realistic Theatre Company of Edinburgh for five
years and also directed ‘The Railway Children’ for them. He was Assistant Director on ‘Billy Liar’ at
Southill Park Arts Centre.
More recently Mitch has been Vocal Coach to the $1 million rock group ‘Purplemelon’ and to up and coming
artists Dane Norris, Middlehill, Contrabanned and Locust Resin.
Writing credits include: Mitch has written and arranged the music to four musicals…
‘Children of the Clearances’, ‘The Railway Children’, ‘The Drummer Boy’ and ‘Barrie’,
all of which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. ‘Culture Vulture’ for The Realistic T.I.E company.
Theme and incidental music for ‘Frankenstein’ for Doug Rollins at the Greenwhich Theatre.
He has also written two comedy pilots for television with his writing partner Alex Raven,
‘Out of the Frying Pan’ and ‘The Ham Club’.
Theatre credits include: Nurse Nancy in ‘Robin Hood’ at The Connaught, Worthing, Caprice (Ugly) for QDOS
at The Hawth, Crawley, Widow Twankey in ‘Aladdin’ for Dick Ray at The Shaw, London.
Jamie in ‘Carnaby Street’ at the Arts Theatre, West End and Nomis Studios, Olympia.
The Soldier in ‘A Game of Soldiers’ with Kate Winslet at The Novello. Dream Man in ‘Mrs. Vershinin’ at
The Riverside, Hammersmith. Mr. Jarvis and Sparrow in ‘Stargazer’ for Polka Theatre, which toured
Wimbledon, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
‘Spencer’ in ‘Boogie Nights’, on tour for QDOS. ‘Walter’ in ‘Ketchups Kitchen’ at The Wolsey, Ipswich.
‘The Zookeeper’ in ‘Please Don’t Feed the Animals’, for ‘Green Carpet’.
Other theatre includes: ‘Mr. A’s Amazing Maze Plays’, ‘Into the Woods’, ‘The Secret Garden’,
‘ The Meg and Mog Show’, ‘Annie’, ‘Oliver’.
TV credits include: Jim in ‘Birds of a Feather’ (BBC), Rod in ‘London’s Burning’ (ITV), David in
‘Bad Boys’ (BBC), plus ‘Crimewatch’ and ‘Newsnight’ for the BBC. He is also featured as the vocal coach in
the ‘Purplemelon’ documentary.
Commercial credits include: Featured Soul Singer in the KFC commercials (ITV), IKEA commercial for
Norway, Telephonist for Northern Telecom,
Singing credits include: Lead vocals for the ‘Pirelli Calendar’, ‘Princess and the Goblins’ cast recording for
Robert Macintosh, Lead and Backing vocals on the ‘Carnaby Street’ original cast recording for Carl-Leighton
Pope organisation. Lead vocals for ‘Who Dares Sells’, to accompany the best selling book of the same name.
Perks in ‘The Railway Children’ original cast recording.
Angela Wood
Angela Wood
Assistant Director
Angela began her training at Elmhurst Ballet School, which she attended full-time from the ages of ten to eighteen, before completing the three-year Acting & Musical Theatre Diploma at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Angela has been teaching dance and drama to for over fifteen years. Before joining Surrey Youth Theatre, Angela taught at Ayres Clarke Theatre School in North London, where she ran the drama department and introduced the LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) exam syllabus. She is an experienced LAMDA teacher, having supported over 100 children through the examination with an impressive success rate.
Angela’s acting and dancing credits include TV commercials for Sainsbury’s, Turner Classic Movies and Fox’s Biscuits. Theatre credits include Celia in As You Like It and Alice in a touring production of Alice in Wonderland. She most recently performed as a dancer at the closing ceremony at The London Olympics.
Angela is passionate about teaching and loves engaging with children of all ages. She thrives on building the confidence of those she teaches and passing on to them some of her passion and experience.
Tara Baker
Tara Baker
Teacher
Tara trained with Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, where she had five years of semi-professional theatre experience. Some of her theatre credits include the Wicked Witch in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (Festival Theatre), and ‘Dr Faustus’ (Minerva Theatre).
She has professional experience in both film and television, having worked on a number of feature films at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, including ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean.’ As well as appearing in music videos for the likes of The Kooks, and TV adverts such as FCUK, Tara has also had two small roles for the BBC as a Nurse in ‘That Mitchell and Webb Look’ Comedy Sketch Show and Christine in the reconstruction documentary ‘7/7 saved by a Miracle’.
In 2015, Tara started running icare youth theatre workshops, which are focused around the subject of Global and Local Social Injustice. Using games and theatre skills to explore and develop their understanding of the various Global and Local Social Injustices they recognise in the world around them, empowering them and equipping them for their future as world changers.
Her most recent project was filming a series of pregnancy videos for the NHS, while she was pregnant with her first child. Tara is now a Mum of two and thrilled to be using her skills and experience as a teaching assistant with Surrey Youth Theatre in Godalming.
Simon Davies
Simon Davies
TV and Film Professional and Workshop Leader
Simon has been a regular contributor to children’s programming since 1991 and is well known as a presenter. Currently Simon contributes to either end of the cultural scale: writing ZINGZILLAS, SHOW-ME SHOW-ME and MR BLOOM’S NURSERY for Cbeebies and presenting live Shopping Channel television for BID-UP TV. (Similar audience, different age-group!)
Born and bred in Cardiff, Wales, Simon graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before moving to London to perform stand-up comedy. Simon’s presenting skills started with PLAYSCHOOL and CORNERS for Children’s BBC. During this time he developed an interest in writing scripts and songs for television. By 1990 Simon was a regular face on Children’s BBC; presenting for PLAYDAYS, hosting WATCH! for BBC Schools programmes and anchoring BSkyB’s weekly teen-magazine series COOL CUBE. In 1991 Simon was given his first series commission, co-devising and writing MELVIN AND MAUREEN’S MUSICOGRAMS for BBC Pre-School programmes and in 1994 devised and scripted the BAFTA nominated MONSTER CAFÉ. By the mid-90s (having devised 3 children of his own!) Simon relocated to Surrey. He got involved with BBC and Channel 4 Schools Programmes, where he scripted and played the King of Diamonds for 3 series of MEGAMATHS, he wrote 3 series of MATHSMAN, he wrote an animated James-Bond spoof MATHS-CHALLENGE …and was a contributor to MATHS MANSION for Channel 4. (In fact any programme beginning with the letter ‘M’). Simon also scripted and presented children’s quiz-show SICK AS A PARROT (1994-96), wrote a music series for Channel 4 JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1997) and scripted a history series for Fflicc Films TALES FROM WALES, (1998) focussing on characters and events
from Welsh history. In 2000 Simon was drafted-in to present and script TIKKABILLA for CBeebies. Since then Simon has become a regular contributor to the pre-school channel: writing for FIMBLES, BOOGIE BEEBIES, SONGCATCHER, STORYMAKERS and comedy scripts for NUZZLE + SCRATCH and GIGGLEBIZ.
Most recently Simon has played film roles in ‘David and Goliath’ for Hollywood director Tim Chey, plus ‘The Indian Bride’ and ‘Three Women and a Doctor’, feature films for German Terrestrial Television. He is most recently recognised as “Sir Jeff” in the Enterprise advert. He regularly presents MC’s live corporate events including Guinness World Record Events for the Blue Hat Group; runs presenter courses at Pinewood Studios and is currently developing a children’s animation idea for Disney. Simon lives in Godalming with his wife, Laura and their daughter, India.