Graduate Spotlight

Actor

After a few years of touring schools with various Theatre In Education Companies, Cheryl landed her first West End role in Man of the Moment at the Gielgud Theatre, directed by Alan Ayckbourn. Further Theatre credits followed with Dance of Death (Almeida Theatre), Measure for Measure and The Blue Angel (Royal Shakespeare Company), Robert Lindsay’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac (Haymarket Theatre), a season at Lo’s South Bank open-air venue, the Scoop and appearances in Chicago and The Wind in the Willows.

Cheryl has played featured roles in many TV productions. Amongst her favourites are Allo Allo, Doctor Who, Little Britain, Casualty, Bad Girls, The IT Crowd, Little Miss Jocelyn, The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, Middlemarch, Cold Enough for Snow and Eskimo Day. She currently plays the much-loved character of Heather Trott in Eastenders opposite Linda Henry.

Cheryl is a skilled musician and plays various instruments. She is also a singer/songwriter.

Director

Graduate of American Theatre Arts, Ellie completed the Young Director’s Apprentice Programme at the King’s Head Theatre, London in 2007, directing American Shorts with Jelena Curcic, assistant directing on Cat’s-Paw (5 stars – Time Out) and returning in 2008 as an Associate Director for No Entry. As a director, Ellie collaborated with Israeli playwright Dorit Makleff on a translation of her play, God Explodes Laughing, directing readings at Oval House and Blue Elephant theatres in London. Monday, her second collaboration with playwright and actress Gloria Williams, has attracted widespread acclaim.

Ellie’s assistant directing credits include: SH*T-M*X (Trafalgar Studios, West End, London), A Rabbi in the Attic (Manhattan Rep, New York), Tales from Mumbai (Blue Elephant, London), When Five Years Pass (Arcola Theatre, London) as well as assisting on the Rose Bruford Acting Summer School (2006 & 2007). Ellie’s own training at Rose Bruford College included spending a year in Texas where she directed Loyalties. After graduating from her American Theatre Arts degree she went to New York to work for Atlantic Theater Company as their Artistic Intern during the season of the critically acclaimed The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Spring Awakening (both transferred to Broadway).

Artistic Director

Jorge Lopes Ramos is the founder of Zecora Ura Theatre and the artistic director.

Jorge has been a resident artist for Rose Bruford College and Oval House Theatre, and associated director for CPC Gargarullo (Brazil) since it’s opening in 2007. After a brief career as an actor Jorge has been working in London as a theatre director and producer for many years. At the same time his directorial work has been presented in festivals and residencies across the world, including various states of Brazil, Japan, UK, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Norway, Italy, Poland, Finland, Iceland, France, Australia and Scotland.

Jorge graduated from the European Theatre Arts course with a first class degree with a qualification in gestual acting from the Real Escuela de Arte Dramatico (Spain), Japanese Butoh dance (UK, Japan and Germany), theatre of masks and Commedia Dell’Arte. In the past 5 years he has established a program of workshops and residencies within symposia, conferences, universities and schools in the UK as well as international world- wide theatre festivals and residencies.

Since 2004 Jorge has also worked as post-graduate tutor at Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford College and University of East London.

www.zecoraura.com

Playwright

Roy’s theatre credits include:

No Boys Cricket Club (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Starstruck, (Tricycle Theatre), Lift Off, Clubland, Fallout (Royal Court), Local Boy (Hampstead Theatre), The Gift (Birmingham Rep), Souls (Theatre Centre), Days of Significance (RSC), There’s Only One Wayne Matthews (Polka), Angel House, Little Sweet Thing (Eclipse Theatre Tour), Night & Day (Theatre Venture), Josie’s Boys (Red Ladder), Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, Baby Girl, Slow time (Royal National Theatre), Absolute Beginners (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith), Joe Guy (Titata Fahodzi/Soho Theatre), Out of the Fog (Almeida Theatre), Sucker Punch (Royal Court Theatre).

Television:
Offside, Babyfather 2 (BBC TV) Fallout (Channel Four).

Radio:
Homeboys, Tell Tale, To Sir with Love, Westway (BBC).

Awards:
31st John Whiting Award, Alfred Fagon Award 1997, 1999 EMMA award – all for Starstruck; the George Devine Award 2000 for Lift Off; Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for most Promising Playwright 2001 for Clubland, 2004 South Bank Show Arts Council Decibel Award for Fallout; BAFTA Award 2002 for Best Children’s Drama for Offside, 2008 Screen Nation Award for achievement in screenwriting for Fallout.

Roy was awarded an OBE for services to Drama in 2008.

To listen to Roy's top tips on the BBc Worldwide Service click here

Actor

Currently playing the title role in King Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and on tour.

RSC:
Macbeth, Hamlet, Coriolanus, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Old Vic/RSC), Julius Caesar, Tantalus (RSC/Denver Centre), Family Reunion, Romeo and Juliet.

Ensemble productions:
Leontes in The Winter’s Tale, Julius Caesar in Julius Caesar, Tramp in The Grain Store, King Lear in King Lear, Soothsayer in Antony and Cleopatra.

Theatre:
In Blood – The Bacchae, Small Craft Warnings, An Enemy of the People (Arcola); Don Quixote (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Angels in America (Headlong/Lyric Hammersmith); The Lady of Leisure (Liverpool Playhouse); Missing Persons (Trafalgar Studios/Assembly Rooms); Tamburlaine the Great (TMA Award for Best Performance in a Play. Bristol Old Vic/Barbican); Messiah, King Lear, Waiting for Godot, The Seagull, Waste (Old Vic), The Bacchae, The Oedipus Plays (and Greece), Absolute Hell, The Cherry Orchard, The Duchess of Malfi, Coriolanus, Animal Farm, You Can’t Take it with You, Lorenzaccio, Oresteia, The Spanish Tragedy (National Theatre).

Television:
Casualty, Trial and Retribution, Waking the Dead, Tiberius Gracchus, The Ten Commandments, Guardian, Jason and the Argonauts.