Where are you from? 

Kelly-Anne: Glasgow.

When did you start working at Jigsaw? 

2013

Which Jigsaw schools do you and have you worked in? 

I started as cover drama teacher at Crouch End for a few weeks and now I am the drama teacher for Jigsaw Enfield and singing and drama teacher for Jigsaw Edmonton.

What subject do you teach? 

Drama and singing.

Where did you train?

In Glasgow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; I studied musical theatre. I also have an Honours Degree in Politics and Public Policy from Glasgow University.

What did you do before Jigsaw?

I worked as a singer on a cruise ship going to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Cyrpus, Greece and Turkey. While I was studying I worked in lots of shops but I think most of my wages were spent on the staff discount. The worst job I ever had was when I was 15 and I worked in a cafe and the manager used to make us put frozen food into our apron and bring it to the kitchen to pretend it was being cooked fresh.

What’s your greatest career achievement?

 Oooh I don’t know I’m pretty proud of everything I’ve done and I have no regrets – I like to think that something big and exciting could happen at any time.

What do you enjoy the most at Jigsaw?

I enjoy working with the different students. Jigsaw Enfield is a massive school so it’s really lovely to teach such big groups full of very different people and watch them grow in confidence and as performers. I am delighted that this year’s main show has students playing big parts who played small parts last year.

What has been your favourite moment at Jigsaw?

There have been lots but possibly the first week we all came together on presentation term at Enfield. All of the groups had been given challenging physical theatre pieces to work on and I was really proud of how well they had adapted to the new performance style.

What’s your favourite show?

My Fair Lady.

What would be the most rewarding role or show for you to do?

 Eliza Dolittle. I also really enjoy working on new pieces of theatre as it’s great to be involved in the development of a new piece and there is a real sense of pride seeing what it becomes.

Who is your favourite actor/actress? 

I have too many! I like actors and actresses who take you by surprise and can play a wide range of roles.

Do you have a favourite song?

Hard to pick a favourite but cheesy old school pop songs are special to me like “Shout” by Lulu because my mum and I used to do ‘kitchen songs’ where we would basically sing really loudly in the kitchen while making food.

If you had a film of your life who would play you?

Maybe a Jigsaw student in the future?

Anything else you think we should know about you?

I’m always hungry and normally for naughty food! As soon as I go home to Glasgow I go visit my Granny and get some chips and cheese!

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page. 

Jo has been working for Jigsaw since 2000 and she currently manages three weekend schools. Jo has 16 years experience of working with children. She has completed special needs and child protection training and loves to combine her childcare experience with her passion for the performing arts.

Here we ask Jo a few questions about herself and life as a Jigsaw manager…

Where are you from?

Islington.

Which Jigsaw schools do you and have you worked in?

Enfield, Winchmore Hill, Finchley and soon to be Edmonton in September 2014.

What’s your background?

I specialise in early years child care.

What did you do before Jigsaw?

As well as training in early years’ education, I also trained as both a hairdresser and a chef. I loved both of these!

What’s your greatest career achievement?

There isn’t one specific achievement that stands out to me, more so the variety of work that I have done and the enjoyment that I have gained through it.

What do you enjoy the most at Jigsaw?

My biggest enjoyment is the children and watching their progress.

What has been your favourite moment at Jigsaw?

My favourite moments are at the end of the year when the children receive their awards. It’s great to see the children that have attended for years receive credit for this.

What’s your favourite show?

Miss Saigon is my favourite musical of all time. I don’t have a favourite Jigsaw show as I enjoy the variety!

What would be the most rewarding role for you to play?

I would love to be Rizzo in Grease.

Who is your favourite actor/actress and why?

Leonardo DiCaprio is my favourite actor because he is so versatile.

Do you have a favourite song?

“There are Worse Things I Could Do”, the song that Rizzo sings in Grease.

If you had a film of your life who would play you?

Someone very confident. I think I’d choose Glenn Close who plays ‘Cruella De Vil’ in ‘101 Dalmations’.

Anything else you think we should know about you?

Just that I’ve got a very tough shell but I’m a softy underneath!

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page. 

Spotlight on Drama Teacher Joe Bromley

Joe Bromley has many years’ experience of teaching, acting, directing and writing.  She loves drama and creativity and encourages students to write their own pieces for performance.  She also has her own theatre company, Really Big Pants, specifically for primary-aged children. This week we caught up with Joe to hear about her classes at Jigsaw Ealing and find more about the teacher behind the Jigsaw T-shirt. 

 

What are you working on this term at Jigsaw Ealing?

It is currently presentation term in Ealing, and Group 1 have been focusing on… timing.  They’re presenting The Wonky Donkey, which involves some audience participation and will (hopefully!) be very funny.  But we’ve gone quite serious for the other groups – Group 3 have been studying elements of The Hate U Give and have worked extremely hard on blending narration and dialogue into a powerful extract.  And Group 2 have gone rogue – we have taken inspiration from Hamilton and they’ve written their very own hip-hop poems to perform about issues they want to address.  The creativity that has come out in class has been astounding and I am extremely proud of them.

 

As well as being a teacher for Jigsaw you are also a published writer and run your own theatre company.  Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about your theatre company, Really Big Pants?

There are only two of us in the company, and we do everything from sourcing the props and washing the costumes, to processing the bookings and then getting out on the road to schools, theatres, arts centres, bookshops, libraries, museums, castles, festivals – you name it! – and performing!  It is specifically for primary-aged children and we wrote three shows with themes that we really cared about: literacy, the environment, and self-esteem.  (And yes, a pair of really big pants feature in each one.)

 

Can you tell us a bit about your book Suddenly… and other stories?

The book is an adaptation of our storytelling show, plus two further adventures for the main characters, Grandma and Red.  It features gorgeous illustrations throughout and was written to delve deeper into their world.  It was a joy, and a lifelong dream.  There is a sequel swirling in the mists of my head, but next up is a book of poetry to go with another one of our shows!

 

What would your advice be to a young person who is keen to write but doesn’t know where to start?

Read!  Read, read, read, and then read some more!  And then just write.  Structure and grammar and spelling and all that malarkey matter, but creating a story is the most important part.  There are so many ways to tell stories – making them up and acting them out with your friends or dolls (or compliant pets), or drawing them in a comic strip, or simply observing somebody and then imagining a little adventure for them, are all great ways to think up a plot but then sit and write it down.  It doesn’t have to be perfect straightaway.  That’s what editing is for.  Practice.  The more you write, the better you’ll get.  Go for it.

 

What do you think are the benefits of the performing arts?

I believe the benefits are endless.  They are a mirror for values and play a vital part in everyday life – not just having the confidence to express yourself, but also as an outlet for creativity.  What would life be like without expression?

Food for thought indeed!

 

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page. 

Shannen has been teaching dance and Performing Arts for Jigsaw for just over a year now in Broxbourne. Shannen has recently joined the teaching team in Jigsaw Ware and they are currently working on their show “Funny Goings On in Gloobury Mansions”. Here is a little insight into Shannen’s Performing Arts background and why she finds teaching so rewarding…

 

Where are you from Shannen? Hertfordshire

When did you start working at Jigsaw? Summer term in 2014.

Which Jigsaw schools do you and have you worked in? Jigsaw Broxbourne and Jigsaw Ware

What subject do you teach? Dance and Performing Arts

Where did you train? Italia Conti Arts Centre (3 Years), DNA Studios (Teacher Training) (1 Year), The Dance College (Teacher Training) (Currently Studying There)

What did you do before Jigsaw? Have you had any jobs that you loved/hated? I have only ever been a Dance and Performing Arts teacher. This is my 7th year and I still absolutely love it!

What’s your greatest career achievement? Working professionally as the Dance Captain on a Resident Entertainment team at a Warner Leisure Hotel for a year!

What do you enjoy the most at Jigsaw? Seeing every class run in each week smiling and excited to dance.

What has been your favourite moment at Jigsaw? Definitely being entertained by some seriously impressive moves and skills by the kids during their break times at Jigsaw Ware!

What’s your favourite show? I couldn’t possibly pick, I love every show! The most recent 2 shows I have seen though were ‘Matilda’ and ‘Memphis’, they were both incredible. I’d recommend them both to anyone!

What would be the most rewarding role or show for you to do? Anything, I’m not picky, haha. Just as long as it was an enjoyable and challenging role. Then I would have a sense of achievement from it.

Who is your favourite actor/actress? Why? Anne Hathaway and Johnny Depp. They are both realistic and versatile!

Do you have a favourite song Shannen? Sadly no, but I like anything that’s upbeat and puts you in a good mood. So I play ‘I Don’t Like It, I Love It’ by Flo Rida & Robin Thicke in class a lot!

If you had a film of your life who would play Shannen? Amy Schumer – She’s hilarious!

Anything else you think we should know about you? Thanks to having family in Australia, I’ve been lucky enough to have travelled around the whole world. There are plenty of memorable, beautiful places to explore out there!

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page. 

Where are you from?

Pontypool, in South Wales.

When did you start working at Jigsaw?

January 2015.

Which Jigsaw schools do you and have you worked in?

Broxbourne and Ware.

What subject do you teach?

Drama in the upper school, though I also teach 5-6’s in Performing Arts.

Where did you train?

Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

What did you do before Jigsaw? Have you had any of jobs that you loved/hated?

Before Jigsaw I was working as an actor, and still am. My best acting experience was a touring production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We visited some stunning theatres throughout UK and also got the opportunity to work on Shakespearean texts with school groups. This was a real eye-opener and I quickly realised that I wanted to teach drama and run workshops.

My love/hate job would have to be from when I was younger and worked at Thornton’s (the chocolate shop) for about five years. It was a great job in my teens because I could get my hands on as many sample chocolates as I could eat, but I quickly discovered that too much chocolate does make you ill; that was a sad realisation!

What’s your greatest career achievement?

Performing in the 24 Hour Plays on the Old Vic stage in a play which was written and performed in twenty-four hours, hence the name. It was a thrilling experience and put me in contact with some amazing actors, directors, writers and producers.

What do you enjoy the most at Jigsaw?

THE STUDENTS!  Every week they make me laugh.

What has been your favourite moment at Jigsaw?

The first show I did at Broxbourne was a highlight. We did Wizard of Oz and everything came together really well and the students came across brilliantly in front of their parents. It was so rewarding to see all our work over the past eleven weeks come together and, more importantly, to see everyone having fun on stage; I think that’s one of the most important things to me as a teacher, that my classes are having a good time and enjoying their experience at Jigsaw.

What’s your favourite show?

My favourite musicals would be Miss Saigon or Songs for a New World, because both are great musicals for actors, they have so much drama. My favourite play I’ve ever seen was Enron at the Royal Court, I can’t explain, it was immense.

What would be the most rewarding role or show for you to do?

Richard III is an amazing role and I’d love to play that part. It would be a huge challenge, but if I ever got the opportunity to play Thenardier in Les Miserables then I would be a very happy man; that is a dream role.

Who is your favourite actor/actress?  Why?

I think Toni Collette is a really impressive actress, she always manages to portray really interesting characters and a huge range of emotions.

Do you have a favourite song Liam?

Every week I think my favourite song changes.

If you had a film of your life who would play you?

My friends all think that it would be Chris O’Dowd. He seems like a good bloke so I’d be alright with that.

Anything else you think we should know about Liam?

I love custard.  I would eat custard with anything if I could.

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page.