Award Winning Composer & Top Agent Complete Onstage Acts Faculty

Award-winning composer Dougal Irvine (Departure Lounge, Teddy) and major entertainment agent Stuart Piper of Cole Kitchenn complete the faculty line-up for this year's Onstage Acts summer course. Dougal will lead a session exploring his own material, giving a unique insight into the mind of the composer, and Stuart will lead an exclusive and invalu- able Q&A session. They join previously announced Producer and Casting Director Danielle Tarento (Titanic, Dogfight), 2015 Olivier Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical Katie Brayben and the original creative team comprised of Paul Spicer, Julie Atherton (Avenue Q, The Last Five Years) and Musical Director Susanna Squires.

Students will also have the chance to workshop new and exclusive material by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary, the critically acclaimed songwriting partnership known for their musicals Jet Set Go!, The Great British Soap Opera, and most recently the Leicester Curve's production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, and newcomer Ella Grace who's musical Trouble featured at the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Onstage Acts is a musical theatre summer course for adults, developed as an opportunity to re-focus, and to absorb ideas from those at the top of their game. The week long course is open to musical theatre performers from all walks of life, whether you're profes- sional, in education, taking a break, or just curious. It focuses on performance of contem- porary musical theatre, explores brand new writing and features masterclasses & Q&A's with a power-house line up of major theatre performers, composers, producers, casting directors and agents, culminating in a showcase presentation at the end of the week.

Taking place in London between 27th-31st July, the course costs the student/artist-friendly price of only £150 for the week's tuition and is open to anyone aged 18 and over.

Dougal Irvine trained as a playwright at The Royal Court. His first musical, Departure Lounge, won the MTM award for best music at the Edinburgh Festival, was selected to run at the New York Summer Play Festival, and subsequently received it's full London and US premier productions simultaneously at the Waterloo East Theatre and the Royal George Theatre in Chicago. The UK production was nominated for best new musical at the 2011 Whatsonstage Awards. Most recently he composed Teddy, a new musical which opened to rave reviews at the Southwark Playhouse.

Stuart Piper founded Cole Kitchenn Personal Management Ltd 10 years ago, and is re- mains as Managing Director to the company, now part of the ROAR Group. He represents a variety of leading artists - among those currently starring in the West End are Janie Dee in The Seagull, Lauren Samuels in Bend it Like Beckham, Glynis Barber in Beautiful, Anita Louise Combe in Gypsy, Amy Lennox in Kinky Boots, Alison Jiear in Three Little Pigs, Julie Atherton in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, and Pixie Lott in Breakfast at Tiffany's on which he is Associate Producer, at Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Clients currently on tour include Mica Paris in Love Me Tender and David Bedella in The Producers. Screen talent includes Rita Simons in Eastenders, Joan Collins in Benidorm, Emily Atack in Dad's Army feature film, and Samantha Womack in Mount Pleasant / Kingsman: Secret Service.

His producing credits include Neil Henry (Edinburgh), Hatched 'n' Dispatched (Park The- atre), Phill Jupitus in Lifecoach, Nicholas Hoult in New Boy (both Trafalgar Studios), Snoopy (New Players) and he co-founded the live Whatsonstage Awards annual concerts, himself having received 4 producing nominations, voted for by the theatregoing public. Stuart is also a regular contributor to The Stage Newspaper.