I started the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy because in 2011 my wife and I moved to Johannesburg from England. Prior to this, I trained as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. My twenties were spent both on stage, touring Europe, and in front of television cameras filming a children’s programme which ran for several seasons. Over the years, I transitioned into more corporate roles, gaining experience in sales, marketing and franchising in the UK. Once my wife and I married, we made South Africa home, and I felt that this was an ideal opportunity to get back into drama. A few emails and video calls later, and I was the proud owner of a Helen O’Grady Drama Franchise!

I help children and teens – both shy and outgoing – become more confident and get a self-esteem boost, by using a unique, developmental speech and drama programme. What makes me different is that I am not interested in the perceived talent of any of the children. Our curriculum is designed to help all children in an organic way to become better communicators. Whatever our students choose to be in life (and very few of them will choose performing arts), they will have to speak in front of people, and through our programme, we remove the stigma and fear from that.