Staff

Senior Leadership Team

Tim Gill | Principal

As the Principal of the college, Tim brings a wealth of experience and passion for providing exceptional education at Court Theatre. Holding a Masters degree in Arts Management from City University, Tim has a deep understanding of the business side of the arts. Additionally, as the Director of The Courtyard Studios and the Artistic Director of The Courtyard Theatre, he has directed film, TV, and music videos, which has allowed him to develop a broad range of skills in the creative
arts.

As a director, musician and presenter, Tim brings a unique perspective to his role as Principal, and he is committed to creating the best possible learning environment. With his background in arts management, experience in directing film, TV, and music videos, and passion for education, Tim is dedicated to leading the college in providing an exceptional learning
experience and environment to students.

Paul Taylor | Executive Director

Paul trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and has enjoyed a varied career as an actor for film, TV and theatre, an Artistic Director, Principal of a Drama School and CEO for a renowned arts marketing company. He is the first actor from the western world to play a lead role on Chinese TV in a 21 episode series that boasted over 200,000,000 viewers per episode.

Cory Peterson | Director of Studies 

Cory Peterson graduated with honours from the University of St. Thomas in his native Minnesota, USA with a degree in politics and economics. Cory then studied at the Webber Douglas Academy in London and GSA where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Acting. Notable theatre, TV and film credits include The Crown, Jurassic World 2, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Patrick Melrose. Cory has taught at universities and drama schools in both the USA and UK, notably the School for Film & TV NYC, Italia Conti, Court Theatre Training Company and the University of Surrey.

Dave Bourn | Deputy Director of Studies | Improvisation & Devising

Dave is a writer, director and improviser and teaches devising and improvisation at the University of West London, London College of Music, and Giles Foreman Centre for Acting, as well as in the business arena. He is also a member of the Applied Improvisation Network, a worldwide organisation exploring the impact of improvisation beyond the theatre. Dave has directed many comedy shows and worked with comedians/character-comedians including Felix Dexter, Phil Nichol, Chris McCausland, Stephen K Amos & Laurence Clark, as well as directing the Perrier nominated show “Things I Like I Lick“.  He also produces the “Modern Horror Stories” anthology show. 

Paul Jaynes | Head of Acting

Paul has 40 years’ experience of working in theatre. Starting life as an actor, Paul has over 20 television credits for companies such as Granada TV, Yorkshire TV and the BBC and has also worked in theatres including Leeds Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic, Contact and the Royal Exchange in Manchester. Paul then went on to become a theatre director working at places such as Coventry Belgrade, Leicester Studio and The Library and Forum theatres in Manchester. During this time Paul moved into teaching and has taught at Bristol Old Vic, Webber Douglas, Manchester Metropolitan and eventually became Head of Acting at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester. Paul moved to London and has been Director of Studies at Court Theatre Training Company for the last 4 and a half years.

Siva Zagel | Associate Producer

Siva is the Associate Producer for Court Theatre Training Company and Head of Programming at The Courtyard Theatre. She is also a freelance Creative Producer, Programmer and General Manager, working with companies and venues including STFW (Edinburgh), Outside Edge Theatre, Hoxton Hall, Metal Culture and Lewisham & Southwark College. She has honed her skills working at Edinburgh Festival Fringe for over 20 years and has extensive UK and International touring experience. A notable recent project she has enjoyed is Polished Scar, with AboutFace Theatre Company – The Park Theatre 2022.

Konstantinos Raptopoulos | Marketing & Communications Manager

Konstantinos is the Marketing and Communications Manager for Court Theatre Training Company, The Courtyard Theatre, and The Courtyard Studios. He brings a decade of expertise in marketing, public relations and communications across the music, entertainment industries, and the arts. A seasoned strategist, he has worked with high-profile names and organisations like Rex Orange County, JAMALA (Eurovision Winner 2016), and Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso), Maisie Smith (BBC Eastenders), Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Topless – The Musical, as well as well-respected cultural institutions, festivals, and brands including Abbey Road Studios, Camden Fringe, and the Benaki Museum. Specialising in traditional and digital marketing, media relations, and audience engagement, he has secured top-tier media coverage in outlets like the BBC, The Guardian, Daily Express, and Capital FM. Whether crafting campaigns for artists, theatre productions, live events, or an organisation’s profile, his results-driven approach ensures clients’ stories are heard loud and clear in today’s competitive landscape.

Tutors

Andrea Bergamini | Singing

Andrea Bergamini comes from a family of musicians and since his early age he has distinguished himself in many national piano competitions. He graduated in Law at La Sapienza in Pisa, in Drama at Link Academy in Rome and in 2012 he completed a Master Degree in Musical Theatre at the Guildford School of Acting. He has always pursued both the Performing and the Teaching careers going on tour and leading workshops in Italy within the Shakespeare Drama Company in Tuscany, in Spain as a singer, in New York for the MTVNY and in London also at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End. He applies the “Mimic Method” for actors by Orazio Costa to singing, creating a didactic for students to master both prosody and melody.

Emma Taylor | Tutor – Evolution of Theatre

Emma has been Artistic Director of Canal Cafe Theatre and producer of NewsRevue since 2001. She has directed four graduation productions at CTTC including Jane Eyre, Blue Stockings and Blithe Spirit. She is the writer-performer of critically acclaimed MAN, A One Woman Show (“Compelling” The Guardian – London/Edinburgh). Emma is also the author of The Pocket Producer and has received multiple accolades, including a Guinness World Record for NewsRevue and an Outstanding Achievement Award from IARA and London Pub Theatres.

Pippa Wilson | Voice

Pippa is a visiting voice tutor on the BA Acting degree at the Court Theatre Training Company and has over two decades of experience as a voice practitioner. She ran workshops at the groundbreaking Actors Centre, London (now closed) and has worked in theatre, radio and voiceover. Pippa has a Master’s in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, teaching there and at East 15 Acting School, London. She originally trained as a speech and language therapist and specialised in voice.

Claire Llewellyn | Stage Combat

Claire Llewellyn originally trained as an actor at Mountview but has been a qualified BADC Stage Combat teacher for over 12 years. Claire is an Associate Teacher and Fight Director with Rc-Annie working all over the UK and internationally. She is a trainee examiner for the BADC and has served on the Committee for 8 years as Workshop Officer. Notable Fight Director credits include Ages of the Moon, Whodunnit, The Process, Wait Until Dark. As Associate FD Prince of Egypt, Witness for the Prosecution and Alone in Berlin.

Kate Montague | Voice

Kate is a richly experienced voice tutor, and somatic psychotherapist. She is and established visiting voice lecturer on the BA Acting degree at the Court Theatre Training Company. Kate has a degree in acting and a Masters in voice studies from London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is an experienced actress with credits in theatre, television and film.

Lina Pettersson | Movement 

Lina initially trained as a dancer and graduated from Laban with a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre and performed in various shows ranging from baroque dance to short film and installations. Her focus then shifted towards movement for actors and movement directing, as well as building her own acting experience. Lina is also a yoga teacher.

Winston Stephenson | Movement

A Sports Injury/Rehabilitation Therapist for over 23 years. He runs a wellbeing company, Balance, which offers health & fitness programming, remedial training, injury rehabilitation and personal development. He has taught at many health clubs and corporate institutions across London as well for international appointments.

Peter Warnock | Acting for Camera/Voice Over

As a working actor and voice over for nearly 30years, Peter is ideally placed to be a highly effective acting/voice coach. With an MA from BSA plus teacher training under Berry, Sharpe and Linklater, Peter has taught at LAMDA, ALRA, The Patel Conservatoire, The Courtyard and with The Acting Habit, as well as working with countless actors individually. Acting/VO work includes: Witcher III, Dying Light, Outlander, The Crown; work with RSC, ROH and the Abbey Theatre; over 200 hours of episodic TV; and numerous commercials.