I am a Greek, London-based theatre maker, actor, and movement director. I completed my BA in Acting in Greece and my MA in Actor Training and Coaching at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I am currently pursuing my PhD research at Royal Holloway, University of London. My doctoral research explores how Ancient Greek tragedy can be taught within contemporary actor training through the use of Greek folk dances, examining how traditional movement practices can deepen actors’ physical, emotional, and cultural engagement with classical texts.
I currently teach Greek drama at the London College of Performing Arts and have also taught Greek tragedy at Royal Holloway, University of London. Alongside my academic work, I work as a freelance practitioner, offering one-to-one coaching and group classes.
My teaching and professional experience includes:
I work as a movement director and choreographer on theatre productions in the UK and internationally. My recent work includes The Suitcase: Losing Famagusta (Camden Fringe 2024), Home Undone (Camden Fringe 2023), and Unsee (Belgrade, 2023), collaborating with theatres, training institutions, and independent companies to shape embodied, expressive stage languages.
Links for The suitcase: Losing Famagusta
I have over a decade of professional experience in the acting industry, working primarily in theatre. My recent performances include The Unsee by Danai G. Miliaraki in Belgrade, Home Undone at the Camden Fringe Festival (Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre, London), and Μόνο για σήμερα by Manos Kouvedakis. (Photos included)
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Despoina completed her undergraduate studies at The Higher Dramatic School ‘Athenian Scene’ in Athens. As an actor she has focused on theatre performances in which she interpreted roles from Ancient Greek Tragedy, Shakespeare as well as contemporary plays. In addition to her work in theatre, she is a dancer and choreographer. Her choreographies are influenced by Greek traditional, Latin American and contemporary dances.
Despoina trained as an acting coach at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she acquired her Actor Training and Coaching MA throughout which she led classes as a Movement practitioner. She is currently a Ph.D. researcher at the Royal Holloway University. Her research interest is focused on ancient Greek drama using techniques such as Suzuki and Chekhov.
She is currently teaching Ancient Greek Drama at the London College of Performing Arts.
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Danai G. Miliaraki is a passionate creative writer and performance artist from Greece. After her Language and Literature Studies in her hometown, she realized her dedication to theater and performance making and joined Birkbeck University’s MA Text and Performance, which included lessons in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). Her art often includes interactive elements as she believes that participation is a starting point to approach art as something relevant to more people. Her goal is to create a common ground for more voices through performing arts, which she feels is a powerful way to deconstruct the artistic canons. Some of her recent works are the interactive performance Unsee, adaptable for exhibition spaces and galleries that was performed in 2023 at U10 Art Space Exhibition, Belgrade, and the Arts Week of Birkbeck University, London.
She participated as a co-writer at the Camden Fringe Festival with the play Home Undone which was performed at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London.
She often likes to work on interdisciplinary projects and was recently part of the Monument artistic event in London, which included prose reading, music performances, and a monologue performance of her own.
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Alex is trained teacher and actor with a commitment to the telling diverse stories and to being a partner of change. Having trained as an actor, he then worked in a variety of industries, until he discovered his passion for teaching and became a student on the MA Actor Training and Coaching course at Central School of Speech and Drama, which he graduated in 2019 with a distinction. It was during this time that he developed his teaching further specialising in play and clowning and subsequently delivering a ted talk on how actor training might be changed through the use of ‘Clowning’. He is currently submitting PHD proposals on how ‘Elements of Tabletop gaming could be used to create a more inclusive environment’ and a jobbing creative. His teaching style is very playful with elements of psychophysical to work with each individual actor and work with whatever makes them unique.
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Parke has worked as a professional actor from 16 years in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom. As an actor, Parke has worked for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Quintessence Theatre Group, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Grand Theatre Company, and Walnut Street Theatre to name a few. As a fight director, Parke’s work has been seen at numerous theaters including the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Rose Bruford College (UK), Sight and Sound Theatres, and Shakespeare in the Canyon. As a voiceover actor, you can hear Parke’s voice on the English versions of Btooom!, Medaka Box, and Kids on the Slope.
Parke earned an MFA in Actor Training and Coaching (with Distinction) from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, an MFA in Acting (with Distinction) from the University of Houston's Professional Actor Training Program, and a BA in Musical Theatre from Colorado Mesa University. Parke has also trained with members of SITI Company, the SCOT company, Second City Chicago, the Atlantic Acting School, and Improv Olympics Chicago. Parke has worked as an actor, improviser, stunt performer, fight director, director, and educator.
Parke currently is a Lecturer in Acting – Voice and Movement Specialist. Parke has taught at Rose Bruford College (UK), where he also movement directed a site-specific performance of The Children's hour as well as In the Blood. Parke has also taught movement at East 15 Acting School (London), Fourth Monkey Acting Training Company (London) and the University of Houston. Parke also has coached students at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (London).
Parke’s research interests include critical pedagogy, actor training and well-being, and collaborative and devised performance. He/Their vocal pedagogical interests are the Lessac Kinesensic training, the work of Barbara Houseman, and Linklater voice training. His/Their movement pedagogical interests are Viewpoints, Michael Chekhov, Lecoq, Suzuki Actor Training Method, and Stage Combat. Parke is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Stage and Screen combat. He is a member of Actor's Equity Association, SAG- AFTRA, Association of Theatre in Higher Education, Association of Theatre Movement Educators, and the Voice and Speech Training Association.
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Georgina is an actor and teacher bringing 17 years of professional experience to her work with students. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she works in film, television and theatre, and her performances include lead roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in London’s West End alongside her extensive screenwork. In order to grow and deepen her teaching practice Georgina studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, gaining a Masters’ degree with distinction in Actor Training and Coaching in 2020. Georgina also trained as a professional dancer, and her teaching is rooted in physical approaches to text, character and storytelling using elements of Laban, Michael Chekhov technique and Bella Merlin’s work on Stanislavski to help actors find and maintain a strong physical, emotional and intellectual connection to their work.
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