Jacqui Drake-Sweiss

Jacqui started dancing at the tender age of six and has not stopped since! She has appeared on stage with many of the local societies including Yeadon Amateurs, Horsforth Grove, The Bradford Players and for many years at The Alhambra, Bradford for both The Bradford Catholic Players and Great Horton Amateur Operatic Society.

Jacqui qualified as a dance teacher in 1982 and since then has tutored hundreds of children from 3 years upwards and plenty of adults too in the techniques of ballet, tap, jazz, modern and theatre dance.

Jacqui is also a very well respected choreographer in our region. Memorable productions are Calamity Jane and Anything Goes (Bradford Alhambra), Crazy For You (Horsforth Grove), Copacabana (Barnstormers Theatre Company), Carousel (Sheffield Lyceum) and The Full Monty (Leeds City Varieties). She is one of an elite group of choreographers to be invited to lecture and workshop at the National Operatic and Dramatic Association Annual Conference.

In 1998 Jacqui choreographed the award winning production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Buxton Opera House, (International Festival of Musical Theatre).

In 2000 Jacqui won the award for Best Choreographer for her work on A Chorus Line, (Wharfedale Festival), and a year later took the award again for her choreography for Mack & Mabel. In 2004 she received the award for a third time for the musical Copacabana.

In 2002 Jacqui was approached by West Yorkshire's popular radio station 'The Pulse' to not only choreograph but also supply and train the dancers for their roadshow productions. She has worked alongside artists such as Gareth Gates, Liberty X, Busted, Mark Owen, Daniel Bedingfield, Rachel Stevens and McFly, to name but a few.

Jacqui teaches Performing Arts at both the Leeds and Bradford schools and choreographs all the school productions.

David Kirk

David qualified as a drama teacher in 1991 and has taught students of all ages from 3 to 26. He specialises in musical theatre and stage drama but also teaches skills required for film, TV and radio - script reading and interpretation, characterisation, improvisation and mime.

An accomplished performer and director, David has worked extensively throughout Yorkshire and the North East at all the leading theatres. Recent productions have included Carousel at the Sheffield Lyceum, Jerry's Girls (UK premiere) at the Leeds City Varieties, The Wizard of Oz at the Bradford Alhambra and My Fair Lady at the Waterford Opera House (winner of 2 major awards at the International Waterford Festival). Other awards have included best director at The Wharfedale Festival for the last 5 successive years, best director at the International Musical Theatre Festival (Buxton Opera House) and 3 outstanding musical productions in 2000 (A Chorus Line), 2001 (Fame) and 2003 (Copacabana). He has also lectured for the National Operatic and Dramatic Association.

He has played numerous roles in productions at major theatres across the county and beyond. Recent roles have included 'Georges' in La Cage Aux Folles, 'Oscar' in Sweet Charity, 'Pseudelous' in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 'Fagin' in Oliver! and Jerry in the highly acclaimed The Full Monty.

He teaches drama at both Début branches, directs the bi-annual starstruck production and the Début musical productions.