Meet the team
Here at The Actor's Lounge we have a dedicated and passionate team working behind the scenes to make sure everything works smoothly for our students and teachers. Meet the team that makes the magic happen.
Abigail Boyd
Abigail Boyd is the heart and visionary behind The Actor’s Lounge, a space created to inspire, uplift, and empower actors and creatives on their journey, whatever their ability or goal. A passionate mentor with a deep love for the craft and a mischievous sense of humour, Abigail knows first-hand the joys and benefits of skills that acting can gift us, not just in the industry but in our lives in general.
A passionate connector at her core, Abigail creates the space for magical, human moments using the craft of acting as a vehicle for growth, fun and confidence.
A working actor and producer for many years, Abigail has experienced the industry from every angle on set, on stage, and behind the camera. Her work has given her a deep respect for the process, rigorous training, and the unseen graft and grit that builds a truly versatile “actor’s toolkit.” That journey fuels her commitment to process-led, growth-focused training where students are encouraged to push their comfort zones with courage, humility, and generosity.
What began as a simple idea to connect with fellow creatives in her local town and delve deep into the craft of acting has grown into a thriving organisation with many locations around the UK and supportive community where friendships are built for life. A journey that has been and is “an absolute joy and privilege “.
Abigail’s mission is simple: to break down barriers, provide actors with the tools and inspiration they need to succeed and remind them that their dreams are valid, their voices matter and their stories deserve to be told.
Dominique Gerrard
Dominique gained a degree in English and Drama at Bretton Hall before completing acting training with The Actor's Company. She then undertook specialist training in The Meisner Technique with Scott Williams at The Impulse Company. She has been teaching drama and acting to people of all ages since 2003 and is passionate about bringing out people's potential through the power of acting.
Teaching experience includes: Old Vic New Voices, Questors Youth Theatre, University of West London, Kingston College, Arts Depot, White Rock Theatre and The Theatre Workshop.
She is an award-winning Theatre Director, often focusing on new writing and has directed many shows which have toured the UK. Notable directing credits include: Quintessence by Emily Carding, Room by Heather Alexander, Havisham by Heather Alexander, Punch by John Knowles, America Ground, the musical by John Knowles, A Necessary Woman by Deborah Clair, SOE by Deborah Clair. She has been working for The Actor's Lounge since 2023 and is absolutely delighted to have found an organisation with which she shares core values about sharing the craft of acting in a supportive environment where everyone can develop and grow.
Felix Johnson
Felix trained at The New York Conservatory and has been working in TV, film, and theatre for over a decade. His credits include a starring role in the TV series Bronx SIU, alongside a wide range of other screen and stage projects. Since The Actor’s Lounge first opened, Felix has been teaching both screen and theatre acting, bringing a wealth of professional experience and a grounded, practical approach to the craft.
He is passionate about making acting feel accessible both as an art form and as an industry and finds it deeply rewarding to help others uncover their creative potential and grow in confidence. For Felix, teaching is not simply about passing on knowledge; it’s a shared exploration, rooted in connection, curiosity, and a mutual love of storytelling. He continually finds inspiration and fresh insight through the students he works with.
As Operations Support & Student Engagement Lead, Felix is at the heart of The Actor’s Lounge, ensuring every student’s journey from first enquiry to Spotlight accreditation is smooth, supportive, and inspiring. He connects the dots between students, tutors, and teams, sources venues that meet TAL’s high standards, schedules Showcases that allow every student to shine, and gathers feedback to drive continual improvement. His role bridges operational delivery with student experience, ensuring both run at the highest standard.
Ellis Parsley
Ellis is a Norfolk-based creative who will try just about anything creative once - and probably twice if it involves Greek mythology or a good Dungeons & Dragons campaign. She brings a growth mindset to everything she does. A proud Jack of All Trades, Ellis approaches life with a simple philosophy: “Why not give it a go?”
That curiosity is what led her to The Actor's Lounge, where she continues her acting training and loves every minute of it.
When she’s not in class, Ellis is the Digital Engagement Lead at The Actor's Lounge. She manages TAL’s social media, newsletters, design, and all the little details that help everything look visually lovely. Along the way, Ellis has worked with BBC The Social on youth-led content, trained with the BFI, immersed herself in festival work, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, and is currently studying Classics with the Open University.
Whether she’s creating content, sharing student successes, working on designs or bringing a new idea to life, her goal is always the same: to share the passion, joy (Serious Play), and connection that make The Actor's Lounge special.
Which means every post, response, and story you see has a bit of her energy behind it. Ellis is here to cheer you on, celebrate your wins, and help keep our feed as inspiring, creative, and welcoming as our classes.
Jessica Randall
I'm a performer, director, and arts facilitator with a breadth of experience spanning devised work, classical and contemporary performance, and arts education. I trained at Rose Bruford College of Performing Arts, with additional studies at the Estonian Academy of Theatre and the Baltic Film and Media School - which gave me a rigorous and internationally informed foundation for my practice. Away from all things theatre, I'm a big reader, a music lover, a self-confessed foodie, and a film enthusiast - basically anything that feeds the imagination and stokes creativity. Those passions are very much part of who I am, and I think they genuinely inform the way I approach storytelling and performance.
I'm one of the core acting tutors at The Actor's Lounge in Norwich, with a specialism in devising and theatre making. I love working across a range of actor training methodologies, bringing a rigorous and creative approach to everything I teach. Alongside my teaching, I'm also involved in tutor support and recruitment - helping to bring passionate practitioners into the TAL family and making sure our tutors have what they need to do their best work.
What I love most is that TAL genuinely believes acting should be accessible to everyone; adults of all ages and abilities, wherever they are in their journey. There are courses for all experience levels, and the focus is on creating a safe, supportive space for people to develop their craft. The tutors are passionate about sharing the craft and helping each student achieve their potential, and that's exactly the kind of environment I want to be part of. The aim is to bring together creative people from all walks of life, and watching that community grow and support each other is genuinely the highlight of what I do. We take the work seriously, but don't take ourselves too seriously.
Charlie Venables
Charlie trained at the Oxford School of Drama and is a working actor with a deep passion for the craft of acting and actor training.
As Student Experience Coordinator at The Actors Lounge, Charlie oversees all things student-facing, ensuring that every student’s journey with TAL is as smooth, supportive, and rewarding as possible. He is also a tutor at both the Brighton and Eastbourne schools, where he loves helping actors develop their skills, confidence, and understanding of the craft.
Charlie believes strongly in the transformative power of actor training and the positive impact it can have on people’s lives, both on and off the stage. What he loves most about The Actors Lounge is its commitment to making high-quality actor training accessible to people across the country, creating opportunities for actors from all backgrounds to learn, grow, and thrive.
Jawad Rasheed
Jawad plays a vital role in keeping The Actor’s Lounge running smoothly behind the scenes. With a strong background in web development and IT support, he helps shape the school’s online presence and digital experience, ensuring that creativity flows as effortlessly online as it does in the classroom.
Passionate about problem-solving and innovation, Jawad enjoys using technology to make creative spaces thrive. He takes pride in supporting the team’s vision by maintaining the platforms that help artists learn, grow, and share their stories with the world.
His background is rooted in web development and technology, but what inspires him the most about working with The Actor’s Lounge is the community of artists and dreamers he gets to support. He loves finding ways to make our online platforms more intuitive, engaging, and accessible for everyone who visits or studies with us. For him, technology isn’t just about code and systems - it’s about connection, storytelling, and helping others shine.
