Corona Theatre School
Encyclopedia
Corona Stage Academy was a successful British drama school founded by Rona Knight in the mid 1940s. The school started in Chiswick before later moving to 16 Ravenscourt Avenue, Hammersmith in 1955. The school produced many top names of the British stage and screen, but it closed in 1989 following the retirement of its principal, Rona Knight. However, it was then re-opened under a new name, Ravenscourt Theatre School, with a new principal, Sir Robin Phillips.
Sir Robin ran the Corona agency for many years and most of the traditions of Corona were incorporated into the Ravenscourt Theatre School including the uniform and the teaching format, which had full academic studies in the morning and vocational training in the afternoon. Following the retirement of Sir Robin Phillips in March 2007 the school was taken over by Rowena Brooks and Christopher Price.
In September 2009 the school relocated to its current premises in Kew, London and in January 2010 Christopher Price stepped down as co-principal and Mary Grecco was appointed as the new Co-principal alongside Rowena Brooks. Under new management and a new location the school sought it necessary to combine the two previous school names and re-name the school Corona Theatre School.
The school still carries many traditions from Corona Stage Academy such as the academic uniform which has only had minor changes but as of September 2009 the timetable format will change too 3 full days academic study and 2 full day vocational study, the vocational uniform has also changed to keep up to date with "The Performer of Today."
The school admit both boy and girls aged 7 to 16 and provides a clear focus on Performing arts (Dance, Drama & Singing) with the full time students receiving education and examination in 13 different GCSE Curriculum subjects. The school also runs a college were students 16+ can undertake a take a 3 year course in performing arts. Entry to the school is by audition, personal interview and written assessment.
Keith Faulkner
Dean Gaffney
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Ray Winstone
Leona Lewis
Dennis Waterman
Patsy Kensit
Daniela Denby Ashe
John Pickard
Nick Pickard
Mark Lester
Helen Worth
Celena Cherry
Bronson Webb
Nicola Stapleton
Simone James
Francesca Annis
Susan George
Frazer Hines
Richard O'Sullivan
Emma Davies
Darryl Read
Michael Redfern
Margaret Ann Cox
Mitch Mitchell
As well as many current students working on various professional TV, Film, Radio and Theatre projects.
, My Almost Famous Family
and Harry Potter
, as well as various westend and TV productions.
Sir Robin ran the Corona agency for many years and most of the traditions of Corona were incorporated into the Ravenscourt Theatre School including the uniform and the teaching format, which had full academic studies in the morning and vocational training in the afternoon. Following the retirement of Sir Robin Phillips in March 2007 the school was taken over by Rowena Brooks and Christopher Price.
In September 2009 the school relocated to its current premises in Kew, London and in January 2010 Christopher Price stepped down as co-principal and Mary Grecco was appointed as the new Co-principal alongside Rowena Brooks. Under new management and a new location the school sought it necessary to combine the two previous school names and re-name the school Corona Theatre School.
The school still carries many traditions from Corona Stage Academy such as the academic uniform which has only had minor changes but as of September 2009 the timetable format will change too 3 full days academic study and 2 full day vocational study, the vocational uniform has also changed to keep up to date with "The Performer of Today."
The school admit both boy and girls aged 7 to 16 and provides a clear focus on Performing arts (Dance, Drama & Singing) with the full time students receiving education and examination in 13 different GCSE Curriculum subjects. The school also runs a college were students 16+ can undertake a take a 3 year course in performing arts. Entry to the school is by audition, personal interview and written assessment.
Alumni
Charlie BrooksCharlie Brooks
Charlene "Charlie" Brooks is a Welsh actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
Keith Faulkner
Dean Gaffney
Dean Gaffney
Dean Martin Gaffney is an English actor most notable for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC1 soap opera Eastenders from 1993 to 2003, when his character was axed. He has since made guest appearances in the soap in 2004 and 2010. Gaffney went on to appear in various reality television shows,...
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, and as Adam Parkinson in Carla Lane's series Butterflies...
Ray Winstone
Ray Winstone
Raymond Andrew "Ray" Winstone is an English film and television actor. He is mostly known for his "tough guy" roles, beginning with that of Carlin in the 1979 film Scum and as Will Scarlet in the cult television adventure series Robin of Sherwood. He has also become well known as a voice over...
Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman is a British actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks.-Early life:...
Patsy Kensit
Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
Daniela Denby Ashe
John Pickard
John Pickard (British actor)
John Pickard is a British actor who is currently best known for appearing in Channel 4's Hollyoaks playing Dominic Reilly from 2005-2010. He is the brother of fellow Hollyoaks star Nick Pickard, who plays Tony Hutchinson, Dom's half-brother, in the soap...
Nick Pickard
Nick Pickard
Nicholas "Nick" Pickard is an English actor, best known for his role as Tony Hutchinson on soap opera Hollyoaks.He is currently the longest serving cast member and appeared in the very first episode in 1995...
Mark Lester
Mark Lester
Mark Lester is an English former child actor known for playing the title role in the 1968 musical film version of Oliver! and starring in a number of other British and European films of the 1960s and 70s and in a number of television series.-Early life and film career:Lester was born in Oxford,...
Helen Worth
Helen Worth
Helen Worth is an English actress, best known for her portrayal of the Coronation Street character Gail McIntyre- Early life :...
Celena Cherry
Célena Cherry
Célena Cherry is the lead singer of the 1990s UK girl group, Honeyz.-Solo career:...
Bronson Webb
Nicola Stapleton
Nicola Stapleton
Nicola Kathleen Stapleton is an English actress. Stapleton began her career at an early age. She is most famous for her work on British television, in particular her roles as Mandy Salter in BBC's EastEnders and Janine Nebeski in ITV's Bad Girls.-Early life:Stapleton grew up off East Street, which...
Simone James
Simone James
Simone James is a British actress best known for her role as Becca Swanson in television soap opera, EastEnders.- Career :James trained at Corona Theatre School and Rose Bruford College. She received minor roles in various television programmes including Holby City...
Francesca Annis
Francesca Annis
Francesca Annis is an English actress, known for her film and television appearances, most recently in the BBC series Wives and Daughters, Cranford, and Deceit.-Early life and education:...
Susan George
Susan George (actress)
Susan Melody George is an English film and television actress, and film producer.-Career:She trained at the Stage School, Corona Theatre School and has acted since the age of four, appearing on both television and film...
Frazer Hines
Frazer Hines
Frazer Hines is an English actor best known for his roles as Jamie McCrimmon in Doctor Who and Joe Sugden in Emmerdale. Hines was born in Horsforth, a civil parish of Leeds.-Acting career:...
Richard O'Sullivan
Richard O'Sullivan
Richard O'Sullivan is an English comedy actor who is probably best known to British and Australian audiences for his role as Robin Tripp in the 1970s sitcoms Man About the House and Robin's Nest and as the title character in the period family adventure series Dick Turpin.O'Sullivan also starred...
Emma Davies
Darryl Read
Darryl Read
Darryl Read is a British poet, singer, guitarist, drummer, actor, and writer. Read is among the forerunners of punk rock...
Michael Redfern
Michael Redfern
Michael Ian Redfern, born 30 March 1943 in Isleworth, London, England, is a British actor, known for his appearances on television and stage.-Career:...
Margaret Ann Cox
Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell
John Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
As well as many current students working on various professional TV, Film, Radio and Theatre projects.
Corona Management
Corona Theatre School runs a school agency, for both all the full time students, past students and some actors and actresses from outside the school. The agency is run by Rowena Brooks and James Spicer. Recent work for students include the famous Cadburys Eyebrows Commercial and various other commercials, Blue PeterBlue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, My Almost Famous Family
My Almost Famous Family
My Almost Famous Family is a British children's television series produced by the BBC and originally aired between 12 September to 21 November 2009 on CBBC on BBC Two....
and Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
, as well as various westend and TV productions.