MEET THE TEAM
EMMA LOUISE TINNISWOOD - FOUNDER, ACTING, MUSICAL THEATRE & MUSIC
Emma is an actor, director, writer and teacher who founded Step On Stage in 2005. Emma graduated from The University of London (BA Hons in Drama and Music), Central School of Speech and Drama (P.Cert Applied Theatre), University of London (QTS - Drama, Music and History) and University of Dundee (M.Litt and QG) and has worked in theatres and education for the last 25 years. She is deeply passionate about the performing arts and the benefits it can hold for young people. She has directed over 160 productions for children and adults and has been involved in over 30 others in varying roles! Credits are too numerous to mention but favourite productions have been Look Back In Anger (Electric Theatre, Guildford), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Farnham Shakespeare Festival), After The Dance (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford), Edward II (Rose Theatre Bankside), The Merchant of Venice (Riverside Studios), Midsummer Nights Dream (Richmond Theatre), The Edelweiss Pirates (Bush Theatre), Les Liaisons Dangereuse (Electric Theatre Guildford), My Hearts A Suitcase (Mill Studio Guildford), The Willow Pattern (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith) Millie's Dream (Rhoda McGaw Theatre) and Frankenstein (Edinburgh Fringe Festival).
Emma loves teaching all aspects of the performing arts but she specialises in directing & devising, music, musical theatre, physical theatre, acting technique, playwriting and classical acting. She has taught in primary and secondary schools as well as numerous youth theatres and companies. Emma also teaches privately and has prepared students for LAMDA, TRINITY and ABRSM examinations for 25 years. Students have gained Drama scholarships to St Georges Weybridge, Notre Dame, Sir William Perkins, Kingston Grammar School, St Catherine's Twickenham, Prior' s Field Godalming and gained places at Webber Douglas, Guildhall, Italia Conti and Arts Educational Schools.
Emma writes and regularly writes for young people and youth theatres with numerous plays and musicals being performed and published. She was a LAMDA examiner for a number of years prior to having her little boy. She has recently had work published for LAMDA and in Acting and Poetry anthologies and is currently working on a series of new plays for young actors. Her first book, Monologues and Duologues for Young Performers is published by Bloomsbury and Methuen Drama and was recently a finalist for Outstanding Drama Resource 2023 with the Music and Drama Awards. Her second book is due out with Methuen Drama in 2025 and her play Sing Little Cuckoo is soon to be published with Silver Birchington Plays. Her writing website is www.emmalouisetinniswood.co.uk
Emma is an actor, director, writer and teacher who founded Step On Stage in 2005. Emma graduated from The University of London (BA Hons in Drama and Music), Central School of Speech and Drama (P.Cert Applied Theatre), University of London (QTS - Drama, Music and History) and University of Dundee (M.Litt and QG) and has worked in theatres and education for the last 25 years. She is deeply passionate about the performing arts and the benefits it can hold for young people. She has directed over 160 productions for children and adults and has been involved in over 30 others in varying roles! Credits are too numerous to mention but favourite productions have been Look Back In Anger (Electric Theatre, Guildford), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Farnham Shakespeare Festival), After The Dance (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford), Edward II (Rose Theatre Bankside), The Merchant of Venice (Riverside Studios), Midsummer Nights Dream (Richmond Theatre), The Edelweiss Pirates (Bush Theatre), Les Liaisons Dangereuse (Electric Theatre Guildford), My Hearts A Suitcase (Mill Studio Guildford), The Willow Pattern (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith) Millie's Dream (Rhoda McGaw Theatre) and Frankenstein (Edinburgh Fringe Festival).
Emma loves teaching all aspects of the performing arts but she specialises in directing & devising, music, musical theatre, physical theatre, acting technique, playwriting and classical acting. She has taught in primary and secondary schools as well as numerous youth theatres and companies. Emma also teaches privately and has prepared students for LAMDA, TRINITY and ABRSM examinations for 25 years. Students have gained Drama scholarships to St Georges Weybridge, Notre Dame, Sir William Perkins, Kingston Grammar School, St Catherine's Twickenham, Prior' s Field Godalming and gained places at Webber Douglas, Guildhall, Italia Conti and Arts Educational Schools.
Emma writes and regularly writes for young people and youth theatres with numerous plays and musicals being performed and published. She was a LAMDA examiner for a number of years prior to having her little boy. She has recently had work published for LAMDA and in Acting and Poetry anthologies and is currently working on a series of new plays for young actors. Her first book, Monologues and Duologues for Young Performers is published by Bloomsbury and Methuen Drama and was recently a finalist for Outstanding Drama Resource 2023 with the Music and Drama Awards. Her second book is due out with Methuen Drama in 2025 and her play Sing Little Cuckoo is soon to be published with Silver Birchington Plays. Her writing website is www.emmalouisetinniswood.co.uk
ASHLEY JOHNSON - DANCE & MUSICAL THEATRE
Ashley trained at Scala Kids, and continued his training at Bodywork Company Dance Studios. He has been teaching at SOS for 3 years and teaches Musical Theatre, Jazz Dance and Acting. He has over 15 years teaching experience working as a professional performer and an educator.
Recent Credits Include: Shrek (Crampton Hall), Prince Valentine in Sleeping Beauty (Elgiva Theatre), DDA Live (New Theatre Royal), West End In Windermere 2021 (Windermere Theatre), Mary Poppins (Windermere Theatre), Strictly Musicals (Kings Theatre Portsmouth), Aladdin (Princess Theatre).
Theatre Credits: Brad/Ensemble in Hairspray (Gaiety Theatre), Ensemble in Singing In The rain (Adelphi), Production Vocalist in They Live In You (Churchill Theatre), Ensemble in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Adelphi), The Railway Children (Swanage REP, Leatherhead REP), Ensemble in 42nd Street (Grand Opera House, Leeds), Baz/Shaft in Boogie Wonderland (Qdos Entertainment), Principle Dancer in Simply Ballroom (Qdos Entertainment), DAMUUS Dance Company (City Varieties, Leeds & Wakefield Theatre Royal), Dance Captain/Ensemble in Snow White (Grand Opera House, York), Principle Dancer/Choreographer/1st Cover in Aladdin, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk (Kings Theatre, Southsea), Production Vocalist with “The Dance Mob” (Liverpool Arena), and appeared as Ben in “Below” (Short Film).
Television Credits: Ladbrokes (Advert), Emmerdale (ITV), My Parents Are Aliens (CITV), Heartbeat (ITV), My Spy Family (Boomerang), Eastenders (BBC), The Football Show (Ident), Iconoclast (Ident), You Me and Apocalypse (Sky 1).
Choreography Credits: Isle Of Woman (UK Tour), Costa UK Awards (Ricoh Arena), Jesus Christ Superstar (Kings Theatre), The Number 1 Show (Leys Theatre), Dance Rocks & Let the Good Times Roll (Broadway Theatre, London), Great Ormond Street Christmas DVD (Whitbread), Guys & Dolls (Bodywork), Little Shop of Horrors (Bodywork), Strictly Musicals (Park Theatre), Fame (Bodywork), Fame (Kings Theatre), Grease (Bruton), Peter Pan (Bruton), West End Summer Schools (Throughout the UK), Get On Stage (Kings Theatre), Loserville (Kings), Grease (Mumford Theatre), Billy Elliot (The Leys Theatre), Body Electric 2017/2018/2019 (Gordon Craig), The Greatest Show (Ashville), Legally Blonde (Kings Theatre), Strictly Musicals 2018/2019 (Park Theatre). Ashley runs his own Dance Company - Dance-In-Uk
Ashley trained at Scala Kids, and continued his training at Bodywork Company Dance Studios. He has been teaching at SOS for 3 years and teaches Musical Theatre, Jazz Dance and Acting. He has over 15 years teaching experience working as a professional performer and an educator.
Recent Credits Include: Shrek (Crampton Hall), Prince Valentine in Sleeping Beauty (Elgiva Theatre), DDA Live (New Theatre Royal), West End In Windermere 2021 (Windermere Theatre), Mary Poppins (Windermere Theatre), Strictly Musicals (Kings Theatre Portsmouth), Aladdin (Princess Theatre).
Theatre Credits: Brad/Ensemble in Hairspray (Gaiety Theatre), Ensemble in Singing In The rain (Adelphi), Production Vocalist in They Live In You (Churchill Theatre), Ensemble in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Adelphi), The Railway Children (Swanage REP, Leatherhead REP), Ensemble in 42nd Street (Grand Opera House, Leeds), Baz/Shaft in Boogie Wonderland (Qdos Entertainment), Principle Dancer in Simply Ballroom (Qdos Entertainment), DAMUUS Dance Company (City Varieties, Leeds & Wakefield Theatre Royal), Dance Captain/Ensemble in Snow White (Grand Opera House, York), Principle Dancer/Choreographer/1st Cover in Aladdin, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk (Kings Theatre, Southsea), Production Vocalist with “The Dance Mob” (Liverpool Arena), and appeared as Ben in “Below” (Short Film).
Television Credits: Ladbrokes (Advert), Emmerdale (ITV), My Parents Are Aliens (CITV), Heartbeat (ITV), My Spy Family (Boomerang), Eastenders (BBC), The Football Show (Ident), Iconoclast (Ident), You Me and Apocalypse (Sky 1).
Choreography Credits: Isle Of Woman (UK Tour), Costa UK Awards (Ricoh Arena), Jesus Christ Superstar (Kings Theatre), The Number 1 Show (Leys Theatre), Dance Rocks & Let the Good Times Roll (Broadway Theatre, London), Great Ormond Street Christmas DVD (Whitbread), Guys & Dolls (Bodywork), Little Shop of Horrors (Bodywork), Strictly Musicals (Park Theatre), Fame (Bodywork), Fame (Kings Theatre), Grease (Bruton), Peter Pan (Bruton), West End Summer Schools (Throughout the UK), Get On Stage (Kings Theatre), Loserville (Kings), Grease (Mumford Theatre), Billy Elliot (The Leys Theatre), Body Electric 2017/2018/2019 (Gordon Craig), The Greatest Show (Ashville), Legally Blonde (Kings Theatre), Strictly Musicals 2018/2019 (Park Theatre). Ashley runs his own Dance Company - Dance-In-Uk
CHARLOTTE PEPPERELL - SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR & ACTING TEACHER
Charlie is an avid theatre lover and advocate for the creative arts. During school and university, she both performed and produced shows including Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, The Dreaming, Pirates of Penzance, Our Country's Good and 1984, as well as achieved her Gold Grade 8 Acting with LAMDA.
She first began teaching at Step on Stage in 2010, working with Emma as an assistant teacher. After completing her studies (Philosophy BA Hons) she moved to Singapore to work full-time at Centre Stage School of the Arts. She taught children from ages 3-18 in both Creative Drama and acting training, and directed numerous shows including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shipwrecked, The Selfish Giant, Animal Farm, Living with Lady Macbeth, Grimm Tales, and the Dreams of Anne Frank. She also studied for and completed her MBA with the University of Birmingham.
Upon returning to the UK, she entered the corporate world, working first in advertising and currently the events industry. Although this is now her full-time job, she still can't quite say goodbye to the world of performing arts, so supports Step on Stage on both the admin side of things and some teaching. She strongly believes that her background in theatre and creativity is the reason for her success in the corporate world, given the huge amount of transferable skills that performing teaches, including confidence, communication, and collaboration.
Charlie is an avid theatre lover and advocate for the creative arts. During school and university, she both performed and produced shows including Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, The Dreaming, Pirates of Penzance, Our Country's Good and 1984, as well as achieved her Gold Grade 8 Acting with LAMDA.
She first began teaching at Step on Stage in 2010, working with Emma as an assistant teacher. After completing her studies (Philosophy BA Hons) she moved to Singapore to work full-time at Centre Stage School of the Arts. She taught children from ages 3-18 in both Creative Drama and acting training, and directed numerous shows including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shipwrecked, The Selfish Giant, Animal Farm, Living with Lady Macbeth, Grimm Tales, and the Dreams of Anne Frank. She also studied for and completed her MBA with the University of Birmingham.
Upon returning to the UK, she entered the corporate world, working first in advertising and currently the events industry. Although this is now her full-time job, she still can't quite say goodbye to the world of performing arts, so supports Step on Stage on both the admin side of things and some teaching. She strongly believes that her background in theatre and creativity is the reason for her success in the corporate world, given the huge amount of transferable skills that performing teaches, including confidence, communication, and collaboration.
JASPER SIMMONS - CLASS ASSISTANT
Jasper has been acting with Step on Stage for 11 years and has loved every minute. He first joined the Acting class on a Tuesday where he completed many LAMDA exams to distinction, most recently his Grade 8. In 2020, Jasper joined the Advanced Musical Theatre class on a Saturday where he has appeared in plays including Cats, Grease Gone but Not Forgotten and Letters and Longings, for which he earned a nomination for Best Young Actor at the Woking Festival. Jasper has been a part of the Youth Theatre Shows since 2018, appearing in Goodnight Mr Tom, A Christmas Carol, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Peter Pan and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Jasper has been working as an assistant at Step on Stage since 2022 and has loved sitting on the other side of the director’s table and assisting with many shows and helping younger students with their own LAMDA examinations. At school, as a drama scholar, Jasper has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jekyll and Hyde, Constellations and After Life, for which he earned a nomination for Best Actor in the National School Theatre Awards. Looking forward, Jasper is studying Drama at A-Level and continues to pursue his passion for performance at Step on Stage and beyond.
Jasper has been acting with Step on Stage for 11 years and has loved every minute. He first joined the Acting class on a Tuesday where he completed many LAMDA exams to distinction, most recently his Grade 8. In 2020, Jasper joined the Advanced Musical Theatre class on a Saturday where he has appeared in plays including Cats, Grease Gone but Not Forgotten and Letters and Longings, for which he earned a nomination for Best Young Actor at the Woking Festival. Jasper has been a part of the Youth Theatre Shows since 2018, appearing in Goodnight Mr Tom, A Christmas Carol, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Peter Pan and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Jasper has been working as an assistant at Step on Stage since 2022 and has loved sitting on the other side of the director’s table and assisting with many shows and helping younger students with their own LAMDA examinations. At school, as a drama scholar, Jasper has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jekyll and Hyde, Constellations and After Life, for which he earned a nomination for Best Actor in the National School Theatre Awards. Looking forward, Jasper is studying Drama at A-Level and continues to pursue his passion for performance at Step on Stage and beyond.
JESSICA JENNER - CLASS ASSISTANT
Jess has been a member of Step on Stage for 9 years, where she is part of the Advanced Musical Theatre group and Show Choir.
She trained in Theatre at The BRIT School having achieved a distinction and is currently training in Acting at ArtsEd in Chiswick. Jess’ next adventure will be a big move to New York City where she has secured a place on a talent based scholarship at New York Film Academy to study Acting for film which she is extremely happy and excited about.
Jess has performed numerous roles in Youth Theatre Productions, her favourites being: Mrs Bucket in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, The White Witch in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mrs Cratchett in a Christmas Carol and George in Goodnight Mr Tom.
She has also performed in numerous musical showcases, Holly and Ivy concerts, singing for royalty at Windsor Flower Show and even Windsor Castle. Jess has also received awards at the Richmond Drama Festival having been awarded Young Performer of the Year Runner Up in 2022 and 2023. She is extremely proud to be a member of Step on Stage and will always be truly grateful for the support & opportunities they have given her.
Jess has been a member of Step on Stage for 9 years, where she is part of the Advanced Musical Theatre group and Show Choir.
She trained in Theatre at The BRIT School having achieved a distinction and is currently training in Acting at ArtsEd in Chiswick. Jess’ next adventure will be a big move to New York City where she has secured a place on a talent based scholarship at New York Film Academy to study Acting for film which she is extremely happy and excited about.
Jess has performed numerous roles in Youth Theatre Productions, her favourites being: Mrs Bucket in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, The White Witch in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mrs Cratchett in a Christmas Carol and George in Goodnight Mr Tom.
She has also performed in numerous musical showcases, Holly and Ivy concerts, singing for royalty at Windsor Flower Show and even Windsor Castle. Jess has also received awards at the Richmond Drama Festival having been awarded Young Performer of the Year Runner Up in 2022 and 2023. She is extremely proud to be a member of Step on Stage and will always be truly grateful for the support & opportunities they have given her.
