Luis De Abreu MA, PGCE, FRSA       Joint Principal and Artistic Director, Bird College Conservtoire for Dance & Musical Theatre

Luis trained at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, under the direction of Doreen Bird, and then went on to train in Drama at the Poor School where his tutors included Paul Caister, Bardy Thomas, George Hall and John James. Other training has included a Script and Story Structure Course with Robert McKee, Approaches to Physical Theatre at Middlesex University a Mask Workshop with the Pleiades Company and Kasm Mask, and Commedia dell’Arte with Antonio Fava. He has also completed an MA in Physical Theatre at the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway University of London, and a PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University College. Performing roles include Heinz in Today, Albert Parker in When We Are Married, Toby in Ways and Means, Mr Burnum in Hands Across the Sea, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Ensemble in Sweet Charity and South Pacific, God Spell, Chitterlow in Half a Sixpence and Lucio in Measure for Measure. Luis was also one of the original Bird Theatre Company members.

He joined the College as a Drama Tutor in 1996 and was later promoted to Head of Drama and Performance Studies. He was also Agency Manager for Bird Personnel Management from 1998 – 2005. He was appointed Deputy Principal & Artistic Director of Bird College in 2005, Executive Director and Trustee of Bird College in October 2008 and was most recently appointed Joint Principal and Artistic Director in 2019. As a director, he has worked on Hands Across the Sea, Bouncers, Barnum, The Wiz, The Owl And The Pussycat, Line, Teechers, Infidelities!, Road, Habeas Corpus, Private Wars, Commedia dell’Arte, Children of Eden, The Life, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Fascinating Rhythms, Who Could Ask for Anything More?, Bat Boy, Kiss Me Kate, Songs for a New World, Legends, Icons and Idols, 42nd Street, Sweet Charity, Elegies, Noitamina, Crazy for You, Fame The Musical, Burlesque and Other Distractions, Hello Dolly, Footloose, Broadway Then and Now, West Side Story, Curtains, Hooray for Hollywood, Cabaret, Hot Mikado and Joie de Vivre. Other productions include choreography and direction for Dentro Da Minha Cabeça and choreography for Metamorphosis (Dance Theatre). Publications include A Career into Dance for CDET. Luis was part of an AHRB Innovation Research Project, 19th Century theatre rehearsal process, which was headed by Dr. G. Bush-Bailey & Dr. J. Bratton at Royal Holloway University of London. He wrote and designed the Foundation Degree in Creative Industries: Acting for Bird College which was successfully validated by University of Greenwich for five years as well as the Pre-Vocational Foundation programme in Dance and Musical Theatre. He was External Examiner for the BA (Hons) Physical Theatre programme at St Mary’s College, Surrey University from 2005 -2009.

Amy Field

Amy began her dance training at the Liz Burville Dance Centre in Bexley and went on to study all aspects of Performing Arts at Bird College.  Upon graduating, she joined the cast of ‘Starlight Express’ at the Apollo Victoria where she played the role of ‘Buffy the Buffet Car’. Following her three years on eight wheels, Amy joined the original London cast of ‘We Will Rock You’ at the Dominion Theatre and was thrilled to perform with the company at Buckingham Palace at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. She then spent a year understudying the roles of ‘Roxie Hart’ and ‘Velma Kelly’ in ‘Chicago’ at the Adelphi Theatre. Amy then took the dual role of ‘Ashley The Smoking Car’ and Dance Captain on the first U.K tour of ‘Starlight Express’. She later returned to the West End to join the original London Cast of ‘Spamalot’ at the Palace Theatre where she was the Standby for the lead role of ‘Lady of the Lake’. After a fantastic two and a half years the show closed but Amy stayed at the Palace, joining the cast of ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ playing the role of ‘Marion’ opposite Jason Donovan.  Now retired from performing, Amy has regularly had the privilege of being on the judging panel for national dance competitions. She is thrilled to be joining the Supreme team and can’t wait to see each performer show casing their talent and dedication on stage! Whilst judging for Amy focusses on “performance, dynamics and technique”.

Ellie Beaumont

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