Mike Ainsworth
After a varied career in the Prison Service, from officer in HMP Lincoln to running the lifer unit in Wormwood Scrubs (where he facilitated and performed in the first prison based opera) and Deputy Governor in HMP Holloway, Mike worked in a variety of roles in the voluntary sector focused on Hate Crime, prejudice and rehabilitation.
For over 50 years Mike has directed and acted in amateur theatre. From a 5 hour production of
Nicholas Nickleby to a joyous
Slice of Saturday Night and the intensity of Wit he loves a challenge and new ventures. For 15 years he has been the chair for the management board of Arc Theatre - London leading TIE production company. He has toured with them using Forum Theatre that ignited a love of improvisation and audience interaction. His love for the latter also explains his addiction to Pantomime Dames and villains.
Jean Anderson
Jean gave up a long career in the Fitness Industry 3 years ago to pursue her lifelong passions of music and drama, first as an audience member, now as a performer. She played the Queen of France in this year’s panto at Cornerhouse Arts Theatre and still gets the odd bow from Surbiton residents. She sings with Encore.
Jean also enjoys film, cooking, red wine and steam train rides which may make her appear strange or interesting, depending on your perspective.
Zoë Arden
Zoë performs with many local theatre companies including Teddington Theatre Club, OHADS and Cygnet Players. Recent acting credits include Lily in Alfie, Alice in Billy Liar, Mrs Purkiss in Matchgirls, Cynthia in The Incident Room and multiple characters in Under Milk Wood.
Zoë has a penchant for panto, appearing in four at Hampton Hill Theatre in recent years. When she’s not treading the boards, she’s swimming in the Thames or teaching leadership and storytelling. She was delighted to play the coquettish Maggie in
A Coy Mistress for Upstage in 2023.
Abbie Armitage
Abbie Armitage is currently studying Design at Loughborough and enjoys many creative activities. She has been performing since young, participating in multiple Stagecoach workshops and learning ballroom dance.
She reached Grade 5 LAMDA acting qualification, earning a distinction in every exam. She joined the Young Actor's Company, Wimbledon where she performed a modernised recreation of Romeo & Juliet and Judy Upton's Team Spirit both at the New Wimbledon Theatre.
She was delighted to play June in The Theatre Ghost and a yob in Digging the Dirt, as well as undertaking a host of backstage roles for Upstage in 2024
Kate Ashley
Kate got the acting bug at school playing the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz to great acclaim, mostly from her mother. She joined an amateur theatre group and spent her formative years playing various stroppy teenagers and doughty northern women in works by Alan Bennett, Bill Kenwright, Alan Ayckbourn and the like. A career in social work and family life got in the way for a decade or three and she returned to acting in her fifties.
These days she is often to be found at the back of the stage in musicals as she dances like a Meccano giraffe and doesn’t sing much better. She has played many a panto villain and has even played the Dame where her skills were thoroughly confused by being a woman playing a man playing a woman.
She recently compered The Vagina Monologues, played Hedda Hopper in Judy the Musical and the nurse in Romeo and Juliet.
In her spare time she writes comedy and spends a lot of time in the sea.
Nataya Ayres
Nataya studied drama at school and caught the bug! She loves to sing and has always enjoyed drama. She loves voicing characters on video games, such as Undertale, and voice acting on apps online too. She aspires to be a professional actress one day.
Becoming the Narrator for
Theatre Ghost and
Digging the Dirt was her debut on stage for Upstage.
Ian Baksh
Ian Baksh trained at ALRA and has been acting professionally since 2007. He has appeared on the small screen, big screen and stage, performing lead and supporting roles across drama, comedy, live experiences, musicals and revues.
He's also a keen singer, writes the occasional screenplay and has written a book. In normal life, he works in marketing.
Ian is really excited to be involved with Upstage!
Lucy Bailey
Lucy is a professional actor and has appeared in numerous roles, including the Mum in a trilogy of ‘Outnumbered’ style Direct Line ads with Saatchi & Saatchi, a politician in a filmed extract in Great Britain at the National Theatre directed by Nicholas Hytner, and Nurse in
Romeo and Juliet during the RSC’s Outdoor Summer Season and on tour.
First training as a ballet and contemporary dancer in her youth, more recently, Lucy gained a distinction in acting from the City Lit, completed the RSC’s ‘Making Shakespeare’ Summer School, and took part in Frantic Assembly’s ‘approaches to devising, text and physicality’ workshop.
Lucy enjoys drama, comedy, and working with accents, particularly Derbyshire and Lancashire.
Ellie Ball
Ellie Ball has acted from an early age in plays, musicals and pantomimes. In 2016 she was a founder member of the Mint Theatre Society, a pop-up theatre company which travels around various venues.
In August 2024 Ellie will be making her debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival performing in a one-woman show.
Rachel Bavidge
Rachel is a professional actor who trained at Webber Douglas Drama School and has lived in Surrey with her family for over 15 years. She's appeared in the West End, worked with Sir Peter Hall, recorded over 80 audio books and has had two stints on the BBC Radio Rep company.
TV includes
East Enders,
Casualty,
Call the Midwife and she will be in the next season of
The Crown.
A Nags Tale is Rachel’s first radio play for Upstage.
Matthew Baylis
Matthew Baylis is a stand up comedian, actor and writer. He has performed across the UK, in Oslo, Prague, Budapest, Australia, South Africa and many venues in France and Spain. He has credits for acting in film, on stage and on radio/Audible - mostly comic parts - whether they were written that way or not!
His claim to fame is that he was once a brand ambassador for a laxative.
For Upstage, Matthew has already played a serial killer and other roles in our many radio plays, Truman in our film version of Seven Hills Road, and Simon in The Theatre Ghost.
His versatility and many voices mean we are sure he will be in many more of our productions to come
Claire Bender
Claire trained in dance (ballet, contemporary, jazz and tap) after leaving school and went on to complete a music degree in her thirties.
Her professional life has been spent working as a vocalist, so it’s novel for her to be cast in our radio plays The Allotment and The Phonecall.
Claire is the mother of two boys ages 3 and 7 and when not mummying, or working with us, she is running her children’s theatre company Pop Star Performers.
She recently played Gloria in
Digging the Dirt as part of our double-bill at Esher Theatre in September 2024.
Emily Berry
Emily Berry is a Drama and Theatre Graduate from the University of Kent, where she obtained an impressive first.
Her credits include community theatre projects with Wild Yak Productions and Tangled Feet and is currently working with Parrot Theatre Company in their show Death and the Carpenter and performing Rock of Ages', her first musical in years!
She is very excited to be involved with Upstage and diving into radio head first!
Clare Bond
Clare Bond is from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and enjoys visiting the theatre for amateur and professional performances.
Her first appearance on stage was as a crow in The House that Jack Built and has recently joined Upstage to take part in one of the Overheard radio plays.
Clare also enjoys walking, singing and keeping fit.
Pat Boothman
Pat has enjoyed an international career in theatre, radio, tv and film, as well as directing and teaching in London, Toronto, Hong Kong and Cape Town.
She trained at Teacher’s Training College in Cape Town and George Brown College in Toronto (Drama) and Oxford (BADA Drama).
Her theatre highlights are in THREE TALL WOMEN, in Toronto, many Ayckbourn comedies, including HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, in Toronto, Blithe Spirit (Madame Arcati), also in Canada, INHERIT THE WIND at London’s Old Vic and ELLA’S SECRET, a two-hander, in which she performed and produced at London’s Baron’s Court Theatre. She has appeared in a Tesco xmas ad, various short films, including BAG LAD, voice-overs and radio.
Her website
www.patboothman.com is linked to Spotlight UK.
Mark Bradford
Mark Bradford has been performing in Panto for over 15 years with amateur production company, The Barn, before embarking on his first professional role last year at Esher Theatre playing the Dame in Dick Whittington.
He is delighted to be taking part in his first radio play of
Jack and the Beanstalk playing Patty Patchit and Upstage are thrilled to have his dameship on board!
Lorraine Chappell
Lorraine Chappell trained at Arts Educational School and The Royal Ballet School.
Some of her theatre credits include; Aspects of Love, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Cats, Alfie the Musical, Fame, The Secret Garden, South Pacific, Martin Guerre, Peter Pan, Pirates of Penzance, Acorn Antiques the Musical, Gone with the Wind, Mamma Mia and most recently Mamma Mia the Party at The O2.
Lorraine also runs 'Mini Molesey Theatre Club' a children's musical theatre school and 'Molesing Ladies Choir' a singing group for ladies; keeping her love of jazz hands, high kicks and singing alive in the local community.
Most recently Lorraine has been helping create jingles for our radio plays and next live production. Her Upstage debut, playing the lead in A Coy Mistress, was a joy to behold.
Sahera Chohan
Sahera has always had an interest in performing arts. She comes from a family of broadcasters and actors and started her career with BBC television working in production, before becoming a presenter, fulfilling a long-held dream to present for the BBC. She reported on several programmes, including Countryfile, with John Craven.
Sahera has studied acting for several years and performed in Richmond Orange Tree Theatre’s Community Production,
Seven Celebrations in July 2022. She plays Crystal in SSIA, the Spring 2023 production for Upstage Theatre Company.
In her spare time, Sahera enjoys travelling to the Arizona desert where she used to live on a horse ranch, learning equine therapy
Albert Clogston
Lindsay Crutchett
Lindsey has performed in over 50 amateur performances, ranging from Shakespeare to Restoration comedy to farce.
A Speech and Drama teacher, she currently teaches the LAMDA exam syllabus to over 100 students ranging in age from 6 to 18 as well as teaching several adults who do not have English as a first language.
Her contributions to the Upstage radio plays are too many and varied to list.
Amanda Dowdney
Amanda has a key role backstage sourcing, placing and managing props for our productions.
Having had leading roles in productions at primary school, as an ex-pat in the UAE and various other amateur dramatic productions, Mandy is now resuming her on-stage presence as Kay, the world-weary usherette, in our Esherette trio.
Sarah Edgar
Sarah has 25 years experience in live theatre and recorded work, at a semi-professional (paid) and amateur level. Past projects have included interview/ testimonial style adverts, voice overs and radio plays for university students as well as small film projects, both on camera and also during the script development stage.
Known as a confident performer, her many accents have landed parts like Gladys in Hi De Hi, panto dames and nearly everything in between! During lockdown she led a local group into the world of green screen, directing, recording and producing the panto Rumplestiltskin.
Also a scriptwriter, Sarah concentrates mainly on pantomimes, writing under the name of Edgar Stephenson www.pantofun.com.
Two of Sarah’s pantos are part of our Christmas Upstage 2024 radio plays series.
Gwithian Evans
Gwithian Evans is a young actor from Surrey, who specialises in stage and voice over work, which has taken him all the way from playing outrageous characters in school halls to leaping over sofas in the West End.
When not performing, he’s playing Dungeons and Dragons or some over complicated board game. He has a great love for radio plays, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy being his favourite and was on repeat all throughout his childhood. A dream role of his would be any character from that eclectic sci-fi.
Other hobbies and fascinations include 3D printing, house renovation, engineering, and tap dancing.
His theatre credits include
The Mousetrap (West End);
Taking Steps (OSO Arts Centre);
The Tailor-Made Man (StageDoor Theatre);
The Elephant Song (Park Theatre);
Much Ado About Nothing
(Folksy Theatre);
Jane Eyre (Minack Theatre)
Sailor, Beware! (Manor Pavilion Theatre);
Spider’s Web (Pomegranate Theatre);
Albion (Electric Theatre);
The Last Post
(Hobgoblin Theatre Company).
Vaughan Evans
Vaughan Evans is a highly active, non-professional playwright and actor. His trilogy of plays, Interesting Times, was published in November 2020, with each taking a major socio-political issue of the 2010s, blending it with a #MeToo inspired sub-plot and culminating in a debate involving audience participation.
His latest play, A Rude Awokening, explores the rights and wrongs of woke culture.
Vaughan sings bass with the London Welsh Rugby Club Male Voice Choir, with whom he has performed at venues including Frascati Cathedral, Lambeth Palace and the London Palladium.
A long serving member of Toastmasters International, he is the author of Stand, Speak, Deliver! How to Survive - and Thrive - in Public Speaking and Presenting. He has also written a dozen other books related to his day job as a consultant on business strategy and planning.
He has performed in many productions for local theatre groups including Richmond Shakespeare Society, Putney Theatre Company and Teddington Theatre Club.
Vaughan recently starred in The Life Class and its sequel and is reading A Virtual Wife for Upstage in November.
Clare Farrow
A writer and arts curator, Clare Farrow is passionate about the theatre, and has performed with a number of amateur dramatic societies in London and at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Her favourite roles include Mother in The Railway Children (Richmond Shakespeare Society / RSS 2018), Mrs Pankhurst in Oh What a Lovely War (Barnes Community Players 2018), and The Ghost of Christmas Past / Mrs Cratchit in The Christmas Carol (RSS 2019). She has also performed poetry at A Concert for Peace (RSS 2018) and has enjoyed working directly with writers on new plays and monologues, both for RSS and the Edinburgh Fringe.
She has her own play-reading group called The Woodpeckers, founded in 2020.
Victoria Franklin
Victoria loves being on stage and her many roles range from Prospera in a gender altered production of The Tempest to the land girl, Vera, in Lilies on the Land, the Leatherhead Festival Winner (2015) for which she also won best actress at the Woking Drama Festival.
For Cobham Players, Victoria’s production of
The Graduate
won the NODA Award for Excellence and her other forays into directing:
The Odd Couple and
A Bird in the Hand
were sell-out successes.
Victoria has worked for the Old Vic, The National Theatre and Opera North and more recently volunteering for Grange Park Opera in West Horsley.
She was delighted to play the calculating villain, Mrs Zee, in The Smoking Gun and hopes to do more for Upstage.
Becky Frith
Now a resident of Esher, Becky was born and raised locally in East Molesey and gained a love for theatrical arts while at school. She enjoyed learning tap and ballet at dance class and after leaving junior school, was a member of her secondary school’s drama club appearing in a Cluedo based murder mystery evening.
Fast forward 30+ years and Becky is now a mum to 5 gorgeous children and 3 beautiful grandchildren. Having battled with mental illness since she was 16 she has finally have found herself and her confidence again and wants to shine and show others there is light at the end of the tunnel and you can come back bigger and better then ever.
Upstage are delighted to welcome Becky.
Helen Ganney
Helen debuted as an angel in her playgroup Nativity aged 3. Since then, she has taken part in countless, plays, musicals and pantos.
Most recently Helen undertook the title role in The Killing of Sister George, Rosie the rapping granny in The Wedding Singer, mum in Rita Sue and Bob Too and Geraldine in The Vicar of Dibley.
She is an event director and actor for a national murder mystery company, provides voice overs for two mental health apps and is one of the founding members of improv group, Chaos Emporium.
Celia Gatward
Celia caught the acting bug from a young age, chasing a few LAMDA exams along the way. Deciding to study the fun further, her BA (Hons) in Drama lead her to work with a troop of professional actors bringing “Shakespeare to Life” for secondary schools around the UK. This early work inspired a number of creative initiatives in making drama and acting accessible for all. Performance has mostly been stage based, ranging from the classics through to some good old English farce.
Celia also enjoys putting pen to paper, and has been known to write a play or two. She is also current training with IAMPRO
Paul Hanna
Paul has appeared with theatre companies in both Birmingham and London, most recently Sleeping Beauty (dame) Peter Pan (pirate), The Railway Children (father/train boss), Rapunzel (jester) and Aladdin (dame).
This year he will be performing a monologue and a murder mystery (hen-pecked husband/suspect!).
Paul is a regular contributor to Upstage radio plays.
Marc Harris
Marc Harris is a playwright, amateur actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist. His credits include: Goodnight Mr. Tom (Abbey Theatre, Company of Ten, 2022), a scene from Blast from the Past (Cockpit Theatre, 2016), Looking For You (Pantameters Theatre, 2016), A Slice of Saturday Night, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, High Society (Bloomsbury Theatre, Applause Young Variety Club of Great Britain, 1993 – 1996), The Tin Man, The Wizard of Oz (Norwood Theatre Players, 1995), Comedy Review (Spec Revue Group, 1988 – 2002, Bloomsbury Theatre, Mermaid Theatre, Intimate Theatre, Barnet Youth Club).
Marc has written full length plays, short plays, monologues, topical/satirical songs and comedy sketches and contemporary/folk songs and is delighted to bring his talents to Upstage.
Miranda Hewitt
Miranda Hewitt is an actor, producer, voice over artist and speech trainer. She has worked across the spectrum in theatre, TV, radio and current affairs.
Miranda has performed in lead roles for Bill Kenwright, Lee Menzies and Michael Winner to name a few and has been the voice behind many leading UK campaigns. She has fronted
The Money Programme and arts documentaries and producedcharity performances of
Shadowlands (which went into West End run) and is currently producing a charity performance of Peter Shaffer’s
Lettice and Lovage, playing a lead role, Miss Schoen.
Cassandra Hodges
Cassandra is an Actress, Writer and Producer from London. She read English and Drama at Sussex University then studied Acting at Drama Studio London.
She has recently appeared in The Comedy of Errors and Henry V at the Roman Theatre in St Albans and created web series Jonas and Jacinta which is now on Twisted Mirror TV. She runs Tales Retold production company and is a Stage One graduate Producer.
Her Upstage debut, playing Jo in
A Coy Mistress, just a matter of weeks after having a baby was an amazing commitment to her art!
Jon Howell
Jon Howell became involved in acting when he joined Pyrford Little Theatre for a three-hander where he was murdered at the end. In the many years that have followed, he’s had many non-fatal roles, performing in a range of plays and pantomimes.
This led him to directing, and eventually writing and directing pantomimes. He was conscripted for Oh What a Lovely War with the Byfleet Players and is now enjoying being a member of Upstage Surrey.
Steve Infield
Steve trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and insists the fact that this academy no longer exists has absolutely nothing to do with his time there.
He has directed and acted in many lonesco and Pinter plays and describes himself as having a penchant for the absurd. His performance in our production of the newly written Air B n B can be described in many ways, but absurd would not be one that springs to mind. Feel free to judge for yourself.
Steve has played a variety of roles for Upstage, using his incredible range of accents, both on radio and on live stage. He took the lead role in A Virtual Wife for Upstage in November 2024.
Glenn Johnson
Glenn Johnson was born, raised and educated in Woking, before training at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art for two and a half years, passing with distinction.
He has worked touring TIE performing Aesops Fables - Mask work, Fringe work at Kings Head Theatre most notably working alongside Larry Lamb and George Sewell in Inherit The Wind and has even ran his own theatre company offering two one act plays adapted to be performed in peoples homes.
Glenn now works as a Senior Yoga teacher with his own private business and is delighted to have discovered Upstage.
Rax Lakhani
Rax Lakhani made his acting debut in 2023 in The Three Musketeers. He has subsequently performed in Anne Frank the Play, Descent Into Svalbard, The Cherry Tree (the Page to Stage Festival) and reprised the lead role of Hercules Poirot in the 2024 pantomime Murder Mystery at D’Arcy Manor.
In 2025, Rax will be appearing in Treasure Island at the CornerHOUSE playing the role of Long John Silver.
Rax has been keen to join Upstage for a while, but was waiting for the right play.
Elise Linwood
Elise Linwood boasts an astonishing 220 learning hours and is now an actor/director/writer. She recently directed Descent into Svalbard as well as a ‘Page to Stage’ performance of Weapon of Choice.
She particularly enjoys absurd, warm comedy where characters find a resolution after all kinds of ridiculous capers.
Her career spans from EFL teacher to PR and Mental Health Adviser and Upstage looks forward to using all her talents in the future.
Richard Lyons
Richard started acting (on stage, that is) back in 2016, in Ladies' Day but quickly gave up on the idea of being discovered. He has since performed in several Ember Players productions, including the lead role in Bolt from the Blue, and, most recently, Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol.
He has recently retired, a fact which he likes to describe as the best career move he ever made.
Somewhere, Sometime in America was his Upstage debut and we look forward to welcoming him back soon, although we are competing with his newfound love to travel in retirement!
Mich Maughan
Mich Maughan trained at the Poor School, London. Her breakout role was Marie in Open House at the Edinburgh Festival. Other roles include the lead in Aunt Dan and Lemon at the Mill Studio, Guildford, the Duchess of Berwick from Lady Windermere's Fan and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at the Workhouse Theatre, Kings Cross as well as a role in TV sitcom Meet the Adebanjos.
Mich is excited to be back on stage after a 10 year hiatus with Upstage in Peter Shaw’s double bill.
Karen McGregor
Karen McGregor developed a passion for acting and theatre at school. After completing Theatre Studies at A level she played various roles from drama to comedy in local theatre groups.
Most recently she completed 3 terms with the Rose Players at the Rose Theatre, Kingston performing in end of term showcases which included scenes from A Number, Animal Farm and The Seagull.
She is thrilled to be joining Upstage.
Tarryn Meaker
Tarryn Meaker is an actress, director and writer with several credits including for Racing Stripes, Grace, Love& Alice and That Day Comes.
She is very happy to have discovered Upstage Surrey and its celebration of local talent.
Wendy Megeny
Wendy has acted with Questors Theatre, Ealing since the 1980s. Recent performances include Mari (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice), Mammy (The Cripple of Inishmaan), Nancy (Nell Gwynn) and Ruby in the premiere of the winner of a national playwriting competition, Dead Boy Café.
During lockdown, Wendy played Fatima in the
Zoom Plays for Lockdown written and performed by several members of Upstage.
Lisa Mills
Lisa has been actively involved with drama since the late seventies, taking part as a performer in numerous plays, revues, and special events. A keen director, her past productions include The Prisoner of Second Avenue , Arsenic and Old Lace, Amadeus , and The Dresser.
Lisa recently took the lead in
Lady in the Van locally, having been postponed on opening night for 2 years due to lockdown! Lisa has performed in many radio plays for Upstage but was delighted to direct her own play
Digging the Dirt as part of our double-bill at Esher Theatre in September 2024.
Susan Monteregge
Susan Monteregge holds a BA hons in Drama from Natal University, South Africa. From 1993 to 2008 she worked as a professional actor, director, scriptwriter and story liner in theatre and TV before moving to the UK.
She has played lead roles such as Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie; Steel Magnolias (M’Lynn); People are Living There (Milly) Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it all for you (Sister Mary Ignatius) and a one-woman show, Intercourses. She featured in films I Dreamed of Africa; The Millennium Menace and television dramas like Justice For All and SA national TV soap Generations.
Susan worked as storyliner and assistant director on television shows Coca-Cola Popstars and Sho’t Left and wrote and directed stage productions The Loser; Defending the Planet; Chronicles of a Car Guard; Aaron McIlroy @ Work and wrote The Seven Deadly Sins.
Since moving to the UK with her family Susan has worked in Adult Social Care.
Claire Morrissey
Claire has been performing for as long as she can remember. She left Cornwall in her early 20’s to seek her fortune in London, and went on to graduate from the Royal Academy of Music.
She has been working professionally for over 25 years migrating back and forth from theatre to film and TV, appearing in Doc Martin, various short film dramas and Off West End productions.
She moved to Surrey some years ago and is getting involved in Upstage, where she is keen to perform, direct and write.
Tryphena Mulford
Tryphena's first role was Aruntius in Ben Johnson's Sejanus His Fall and later went on to play Molossus in Peter Hall's Tantalus for the RSC. She has played Jane Eyre, Bianca in Othello, Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Alice in Wonderland and title roles in Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Laura in The Glass Menagerie for the Civic Theatre, Belfast as well as other roles for Wildcard Theatre.
She has developed long-term drama and writing programmes with young offenders in prison, ex-offenders and those on parole.
Having given up the stage to start a family, she now runs the gallery and education programme at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames. She began working with Upstage in some radio plays but more recently played Beata, in
Digging the Dirt.
Darren Partridge
Darren is a veterinary surgeon and a 2nd Dan karate blackbelt. A former aerobatic pilot, mountaineer, diver and markedly unsuccessful motor racer. He thinks it important to work beyond the Comfort Zone - especially everyone else’s.
Previously a writer of short stories, Darren now concentrates on radio plays for Upstage, writing, editing and performing in several. He is very excited about his upcoming live performance in Upstage’s A Coy Mistress, a play in which nobody dies, for a change.
Darren is a former holder of a Lawnmower Racing World Record.
Lyla Pugh
Lyla Pugh has had a great love of the theatre and the arts of all types since a very young age. She has taken part in a number of radio plays to date and takes her work very seriously. This has enabled her to deliver some extremely sensitive character work.
Lyla also loves to sing and play the violin. She hopes to be a professional actor in the future.
Jacqui Roberts
Jacqui has been treading the boards since the early 1980s, whilst juggling a full-time career in conservation, editing scientific reference books on orchid nomenclature (though she can't keep a houseplant alive), raising a family, volunteering at the local arts centre and as a veterinary receptionist (thankfully more success with pets than houseplants).
Recent dramatic endeavours include several pantomimes, storytelling at Story Café at Riverhouse Barn, An Evening with Cecil Hepworth (by Patricia Jones) and going full-on method to channel Jane Austen in Jane Austin & Friends (Patrcia Jones) - also at the Riverhouse Barn.
Jacqui joined Upstage for the September 2023 production,
Madame Blavatsky Lives and was thrilled to play Iris,
The Theatre Ghost as part of Upstage’s Autumn double bill 2024.
Sara Robinson
Sara first began acting lessons at 11 with Jean Challis and her son John, before he became ‘Boysie’. These two great teachers gave her an ear for comedy and the skills to develop character. She studied drama at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, which put her off acting completely.
Sara loves all things creative and has had a fun-filled career making and teaching the arts in its many forms: sculpture, creative writing, printmaking, textiles and ceramics.
Sara took a leap of faith during lockdown to play Serena in
Zoom, a series of 6 comedies in lockdown. This experience reignited her love for comedy and character acting and she has since performed both live on stage and in several radio plays for Upstage.
Denise Rocard
Denise has performed for the Cambridge Shakespeare festival, Tacit Theatre, Kingston Theatre Company, at The Rose, Kingston and Hampton Hill theatre. During lockdown she was in Angel Theatre’s rehearsed reading of All Work No Play and the film, Gobstoppers. Recently she was in Time Share Partner and the panto at the Cornerhouse Arts centre.
Denise is a freelance audio describer, helping make theatre more accessible to all, and enjoys exploring the great outdoors, historic houses and learning to play the ukelele.
For Upstage’s Sometime, Somewhere, in America, Denise took over the role of Rula at short notice, blending with the cast with ease. This was swiftly followed by a leading role in
Madame Blavatsky Lives. She recently played Sally in
The Theatre Ghost as part of Upstage’s Autumn double bill 2024.
Rose Ross
After decades long hiatus from performing (in many school productions), Rose is returning to acting. A Cornish Rose raised in Poldark country, she has had a long career in tech PR which has possibly helped keep the dramatic spirit alive.
She is thrilled to have been cast as DCI Hepper, in her first radio play for Upstage.
Rose Shaw
Rose Shaw most recently played a bitter and disillusioned business woman in Push Up, at the Temple Theatre (previously The Actors Temple). Rose has also appeared in two short films, Phallacy, as an A&E nurse, and The Manager, as an office manager.
Her training includes Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (online), The Independent Centre for Actors Training and with Mel Churcher and James Larkin, The Actors Studio. Rose is also a social worker specialising in adoption.
Mia Skytte
Mia Skytte started acting over twenty years ago. After returning to London and training at CityLit, she began performing with local groups such as
TTC, Richmond Shakespeare Society, Q2 and The Old Hamptonians.
Recent productions include Annie Cordwainer in Maybe It's Because (Canal Cafe), Jayne in Witch Hazel (Etcetera), Monica in Larkin with Women (The Old Red Lion) and Norma/Queen Rat in Look Behind You (The Tabard).
Mia runs her own dog walking business and enjoys reading (everything and anything), writing, painting (abstract colour works), singing, playing piano (not very well but working at it) and doing yoga.
Stuart Smith
Stuart Smith is a newcomer to the stage. He completed a 10-week stand-up comedy course and then performed some 5-minute gigs.
He recently appeared in an Upstage radio play but wonders if it’s time to step into an actual spotlight again and try his hand at stage acting.
Stuart also plays the drums yet still considers himself to be a musician
Sarah Somerville
Sarah played the role of Emma Thompson's law Associate, Amy Ward, in the feature film, The Children Act directed by Richard Eyre.
In 2106 she appeared at the Houses of Parliament as Jackie, the Volunteer, in the campaigning play, Food Bank As It Is.
Sarah appears in our radio play, The Launderette, and many others.
Elise Stannard
Elise has performed at the Walton Playhouse, The Rose and Rhoda McGaw theatres, with a variety of local groups. Shows include Singing in the Rain, Henry, A Tudor Musical, Anastasia and Sleeping Beauty.
She’s currently studying Performing Arts at university and recently achieved a distinction in Musical Theatre at the London College of Music.
For Upstage, Elise played Zelda in
The Smoking Gun and was delighted to play a variety of musical parts in The Theatre Ghost at Esher Theatre in September 2024.
Helen Stephenson
The 'bug' hit young Helen, aged 10, playing Dopey in local amateur dramatics and she’s been there ever since. Performing in amateur shows ranging from Shakespeare to Ayckbourn she really enjoys performing comedy and farce.
Having appeared in and/or directed over 40 pantomimes, she now has great fun writing new, fresh scripts with Sarah Edgar (another Upstager).
Helen particularly loves singing, having played many roles in musical theatre including the Narrator in Joseph and solo with an orchestra at Sheffield City Hall.
Two of Helen’s pantos are part of our Christmas Upstage 2024 radio plays series.
Callum Stewart
Callum Stewart has been performing since the age of 7, developing singing, puppetry and magic skills along the way. He loves playing the fun, lovable, comedic characters but his versatility also means he’s played many serious toned roles on stage and screen too.
In June 2023, Callum produced, directed and hosted A Night of Variety with a cast of 30 featuring musical theatre, comedy and magic. Recent roles include Bob (aka Frankenstein's monster) in a murder mystery play The Dust of Dracula and a tour with ‘Chaplins Pantos’ playing the comedy lead, Barmy Bosworth in Jack and the Beanstalk on tour.
He is delighted to have found Upstage Surrey on his doorstep!
Elsa Sukul
Elsa Sukul is one of the youngest member of Upstage, just 10 years old. Elsa has been dancing since the age of 4 and loves all types of dance styles (including ballet, modern, jazz).
She has participated in several theatre-based productions (including the New Victoria Theatre in Woking) and over the last 3 years, she has been competing in dance competitions, specifically ballet, Greek, modern and group dance. Her hard work has paid off as she has now been selected for the Nationals and she was excellent in her role as Young Iris in The Theatre Ghost in September 2024.
Caroline Tattersall
Caroline came to acting later in life, finally fulfilling a life long ambition by taking a deep breath and knocking on the stage door! She has not looked back since and lead roles in local am dram productions followed, which led to her becoming part of a professional company touring with outdoor productions of Shakespeare and also pantomimes!
She’s been cast in a couple of independent films and also voice over for an online commercial.
Caroline came to Upstage having joined the cast of Zoom for lockdown and has since enjoyed being involved in the radio plays that have followed.
Susanne Tunnicliff
Susanne has appeared on the stage for many years. She has played various roles, from Principal Boy in panto to Shakespeare's Jessica in The Merchant of Venice. She has also appeared on stage in, Calendar Girls, Arsenic and Old Lace, Stepping Out and Abigail's Party.
Susanne has worked in advertising for many years, for Saatchi & Saatchi, making TV commercials and she worked with Danny Boyle in the 2012 Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics
Having completed a course in stand-up comedy and after some great gigs in front of the mirror in the bathroom, she performed a successful showcase in Camden. She loved being part of Risky Business, her Upstage debut.
Emma White
Emma grew up as a dancer and gymnast but has always had acting in the blood too. During her days living in North London, Emma was part of the Guild Players, where she was in a few plays and a pantomime. She was the lead female in Going Green, an unusual take on the future of green politics in Britain.
Emma took a break from the stage when her children came along, but has quickly become an active member of the Upstage casts, beginning with The Runner in The Smoking Gun, then Melissa, a key role in Somewhere, Sometime in America, followed by the caustic Pam in the September 2023 production, Madame Blavatsky Lives.
Emma joins Upstage again for
A Virtual Wife in November.
Debi Wright
Debi Wright
is a primary school teacher, responsible for directing and producing the Y6 Leavers' production each year.
Recent appearances have included
13 days for Hampton Hill Theatre and the comedy
A Beautiful Friendship at the Cornerhouse.
She has a passion for theatre plays and musicals and is thrilled to have found Upstage Surrey.
Josh Young
Josh studied English and Theatre at uni in New Zealand. While teaching English, he performed stand up comedy and was involved in film projects around Auckland.
Having left teaching and moved to the UK, he has performed in three Cornerhouse Theatre shows and has also completed two semesters at Identity School of Acting. Peter Shaw’s
Parent/Teacher will be his Upstage debut.