People

Director - Sally Allsopp

Educated locally in Dunstable, Sally left school for Middlesex Polytechnic(now university) where she gained a BEd (hons) in Drama and English. Working as a freelance music setter, keyboard teacher and Drama workshop leader, Sally gained experience in various performance fields with Cabaret music productions and Triangle Theatre company.Sally is an accomplished singer winning many prizes and taking on many solo roles in musical theatre, opera and operetta including Dido in Dido and Aneas, Mabel in the Pirates of Penzance, Yum Yum in The Mikado, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Chava in Fiddler on The Roof, Jenny Diver in the Beggar's opera and many many more.

Since 1998 Sally has worked as a teacher at Vandyke Upper School and has helped the school team gain several places in Global Rock Challenge at professional venues including The Gordon Craig Theatre. She has also helped found the Vandyke Arts initiative - The Arts Factory. Sally is team leader of Drama and Theatre studies at Vandyke Upper School. Sally is also a director of Advance Creative Solutions.

Previously working at the Leighton Buzzard Theatre and for SBDC devising and running a variety of holiday workshops Sally has built up a wealth of experience which allows her to work with young people of all ages and abilities to fulfil their true potential.

Highlights include


Musical Director - David Allsopp

David graduated with a GRSM from The Royal Academy of Music, principal studies french horn and piano. David is a very accomplished performer, arranger and accompanist. Presently David works for World Vision an international children's charity but finds time to work closely with LBCT and also runs a worship band at HSBC. David composes and arranges many styles of music


Assistant director - Hayley Green

Hayley first joined LBCT when she was 8 and spent 10 years performing in many shows and community events with the group. Her favourite shows included Ring of Roses and Les Miserables. Hayley studied Drama at Winchester University and went on to do an MA in Theatre at Staffordshire University. Hayley joined the Advance Theatre Company in 2013 and has enjoyed being in productions with them such as Oliver and The Mikado. Hayley now acts as assistant director at LBCT and loves working with all the groups and also works behind the scenes helping with costume, make-up and set, and enjoys both the acting roles and making sure productions run smoothly! Hayley teaches Drama at Vandyke Upper School and is also a director with Advance Creative Solutions and a "Yes Let's" practitioner

Drama workshop leader-Tom Scudamore

Tom has been supporting the Mini and Children’s Theatre rehearsals since May 2015, whenever he could during university breaks, and now on a weekly basis. Having attended LBCT from 2004-2010, Tom (affectionately known as Tommy!) loved playing characters, from Dandy Dan in Bugsy Malone to the back of a pantomime horse in Jack and the Beanstalk! He now takes pride in working with LBCT’s kids to develop their drama skills and imaginations through improvisation and rehearsed performance. After graduating with a BA in English Literature from the University of East Anglia, Tom completed an MA in Applied Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He has facilitated workshops on emotion, equality, physical theatre, comedy and improvisation, and worked with Haringey Shed, Harrow Arts Centre and on Vandyke Upper School’s 2019 National Connections Project. He has conducted research on non-verbal drama experiences, and written on the effects of teaching in-role, the vitality of story-making, and the opportunities drama creates for deep understanding and personal exploration in education. In May 2019 Tom travelled to Australia, running exercises and forums on arts-based learning at the University of Sydney, and implementing creative processes at St. James’ Catholic Primary School, in Yamba. At the Barn on Saturday mornings, Tom always enjoys working with the youth helpers and promoting the team spirit, be that through co-leading dance warm-ups to a variety of musical genres, creating crazy pun-driven ideas for the kids to respond to, or encouraging costumed activities, which lately involved a science-themed fair featuring wigs, fake glasses and an old Xbox controller! Tom currently works at a tutor for Explore Learning, and in his spare time writes comedy sketches and drama. He aims to have his writing performed in the near future. He is a "Yes Let's" practitioner

Drama workshop leader-Carly Halse

After completing a BA in Modern Drama at Brunel University, Carly went on to train at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama achieving an MA in Performance Practices and Research. During her training, she was fortunate to experience a wide variety of performance styles, including site-specific work, clowning, live art, and community theatre, as well as classic text. Carly has been acting professionally since graduating, and is most passionate about devised work and new writing. She was one of founding members of OutHouse Collective, an associate company of The Roundhouse formed in 2008 and has also been lucky enough to work extensively with renowned performance artist Marisa Carnesky, most notably in the Time Out’s Critics Choice Tarot Drome at the Old Vic Tunnels. Her most recent work has seen her performing as part of the highly acclaimed Ragnar Kjartansson exhibition at The Barbican in London. Carly is also a highly experienced teacher and facilitator, a published writer and a regional editor for Female Arts, a website dedicated to championing women in the arts and business. She has had great fun performing with Advance Theatre Company over the years, and played Bet in their production of Oliver! and Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods. Carly’s musical repertoire incorporates classics from many modern musicals, including Cabaret, Chicago, Rent and Wicked, as well as lots of your favourite Disney tunes. She can also provide a myriad of vintage tunes from yesteryear; anything from Cole Porter to wartime classics to Eighties rock!

Production Manager - Abigail Smith

Abigail has been actively involved in musical theatre since the age of five. Having been part of LBCT for over fifteen years, she has played a multitude of roles, from the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz to Eponine in Les Misérables.

Abigail gained an interest in production during her A Levels. While studying at Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Abigail produced numerous music video, television and advertising projects, one of which went on to win Royal Television award for Best Entertainment. She was also involved with designing and managing several original musical theatre and dance productions, giving her valuable experience of the inner workings of a professional theatre. She went on to complete a masters degree in Media Management at the University of Glasgow.

Having worked with LBCT as a rehearsal assistant for over five years, Abigail is now our production manager, taking on all the ‘behind the scenes’ organisation that makes LBCT productions so successful.

Although now based in Glasgow Abi keeps a handle on all things Media and production related for the group.


Mini Theatre and Children's Theatre (youth helpers) 2022-23


Adult rehearsal assistants:


Advance Theatre Company rehearsal assistants