Meet our Teachers

Sammy Fonfe

Owner and director of BTS

MA in Creative Musical Theatre Practice – Arts Education School

Sammy trained in musical theatre at Italia Conti Academy of Dramatic Art and later on gained an MA in Creative Musical Theatre Practice at Arts Educational School, London, where she later became the dance tutor on the BA Acting course.

Choreographic and Movement Direction credits include: Jane Ayre UK Tour – 2019/2020; Beauty and the Beast (Redhill); Dick Whittington (Windsor Castle); Snow White (PHA, The Harlequin Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (RBL, Greenwich Theatre); Twelfth Night (RBL); Henry II, Much Ado About Nothing (RABBLE); From Up Here (Tristan Bates Theatre); A Night of the Musicals (UK Tour); Somewhere Over The West Way (Edinburgh Festival); Sweet FA (Theatre Royal Portsmouth); The Tenth Kingdom (Carnival Films); Dangerous Corner (UK Tour); Lisa Scott Lee on Tour (Asia and UK Tour); Hot Mikado (The Wilde Theatre); A View from a Bridge (Lyric Hammersmith). Assistant Choreographer/Director on Evita for the opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new theatre; Associate Choreographer on Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Spelling Bee. Movement Director – Judus Excalibur and Love and Information (Arts Education Theatre).

Performing credits include: Phantom u/s Columbia in Rocky Horror Show (European Tour); Annie, Royal Variety performances, Dance Captain – Cinderella, Aladdin, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast for Bill Kenwright Ltd (Theatre Royal Windsor); Lola in Clandestine (Riverside Studios); Chloe in Sitting in Silence (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith); Support Act for 911 & Bewitched Tour (UK Arena Tour); Ash, Rachel Stevens Top of the Pops performances for (Moloko, Back to My Roots, Ash and Slow Ryder).

Sammy co-wrote the sitcom Deja Vu which was made into a pilot starring Paul Nicholas and Sue Holderness. Sammy toured the UK in the pop group Word On The Street, making numerous TV appearances and arena tours and Best New touring act performing at the Docklands Arena.

Sammy is Managing Director of the Berkshire Theatre Company. Where she loves to give the new generation opportunities to learn and gain performing opportunities in the amazing work of theatre.

Phil Buck

Head of singing and musical Director

BA Hons in Musical Theatre – Mountview Academy

Whilst in training, Phil played various roles, such as Felix in Humble Boy Tony/ Stephen in Copacabana, Gremio in Kiss Me Kate, Zach in A Chorus Line (Shaw Theatre) and Tony in West Side Story (Battersea Arts Centre).

Since leaving Mountview, Phil filmed with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig in The Golden Compass, before leaving to go on a world tour with The Twelve Irish Tenors.

Phil made his West End debut appearing in La Cage Aux Folles at The Menier Chocolate Factory with Douglas Hodge, Philip Quast and Una Stubbs, playing the role of Etienne, where he understudied and played the role of Jean Michel.

He then went on to play Horis in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Alexandra Theatre, Bognor and soon after originated the role of Jim in the west end show Jet Set Go! at the Jermyn Street Theatre.

Dani Davies

Head of Drama and Director

Dani was a student at Mo’s Saturday Stage School (now Berkshire Theatre School) between the ages of 9 and 18. She then went on to train at the Arts Educational School in Dance and Musical Theatre, during which time she continued to teach dance and drama at BTS. She writes and adapts children’s plays and has directed many productions for BTS, including The Wedding Singer, The Dracula Spectacular Show, Honk, Oliver, The Farndale Avenue Townswoman’s Guild’s production of Macbeth, The Monster that Ate 3B, and A Step In Time. Other directing credits include Our House the Musical, Annie, Bugsy Malone, Annie Meets Oliver, Snoopy, Once Upon a Time, 101 Dalmations, Our Day Out.

Dani is currently training with The Academy of Performance Combat to be a fully qualified Stage Combat Teacher. She started a two year apprenticeship in 2009 and has been teaching at The Oxford School of Drama.

As well as teaching Dani worked as a professional dancer, her credits include Copacabana (UK No 1 Tour), Joseph (UK No 1 Tour), West Side Story at Camazaro Park Out Door Theatre, Elvis on Tour and numerous pantomimes.

She has also appeared in the Sky Sports Premier Football Season Advert 2009.

Dani is also the founder, along with her husband, of our sister company RABBLE Theatre (formerly Reading Between The Lines Theatre Company).

Chloe Weeden

Diploma in Musical Theatre – Performance Preparation Academy

Whilst training, Chloe’s credits included Lucinda in ‘Into the Woods’, Skylar in ‘Bring it On: The Musical’ and Louise in ‘Carousel’. Other credits include Princess Jill in ‘Jack at the Beanstalk’ at the Anvil Basingstoke and ‘Mission Impossible’ UK Tour starring Britain’s Got Talent Winners Ashley and Pudsey.

Chloe has worked for BTS as a teacher for over 5 years and was previously Dance Captain to Sammy in ’Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill for PHA.

Chloe’s main passion lies in teaching and she now works as a freelance dance tutor and choreographer in musical theatre. As a choreographer, she worked on ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ (Stratford Arts House), ‘Swing Project’ (Director/Choreographer, PPA) and is currently choreographing ‘Spring Awakening’ at Performance Preparation Academy in Guildford. She has also choreographed numbers for Berkshire Theatre School’s ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘Hairspray’, ‘Annie’, ‘Legally Blonde’, ‘Our House’ and many of their holiday courses.

Vikki-Marie Ryan 

Vikki trained at The Arts Educational School. After a successful performing career, Vikki joined The Artsed faculty as a dance technique teacher. Vikki also takes the auditions for prospective new students. She has choreographed numerous presentations & shows within Artsed.

Vikki has taught in various other leading colleges within performing arts, including Performers, Urdang, Laines, PPA and Cecchetti Associates.

Vikki has recently been a judge at The All England Finals.

Theatre credits as a performer include; WHITE CHRISTMAS, (West End, Dominion Theatre), WE WILL ROCK YOU (West End & International Tour), CANDIDE (ENO-London Coliseum &, Japan), EVITA (West End) BLOCKBUSTER THE MUSICAL (uk tour) FOOTLOOSE (West End & uk Tour), THE WEDDING SINGER (UK Tour), WHITE CHRISTMAS (Edinburgh Playhouse), FAME (West End), ANYTHING GOES (UK Tour),
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (UK Tour), ANNIE! (UK Tour), CARMEN (Holland Opera Park, London) GREASE (UK Tour), HALF A SIXPENCE (P&O cruises) JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT (UK TOUR), THE KIROV BALLET’S SLEEPING BEAUTY (Opera House, London), THE ROYAL BALLET’s THE NUTCRACKER (London).

Jak Ford-Lane

BA in Acting – East 15 Acting School

Jak trained at East 15 Acting school graduating with a BA in Acting. Since then his work has included; an advert celebrating British Radio for the BBC; Matilda the Empress (voted The Guardian’s top 10 of the readers’ favourite theatre of 2017); other TV credits include the BBC Series Taboo acting alongside Tom Hardy. Most recently he has been working for BBC Radio Berkshire on a comedy magic show.

In addition to this Jak teaches for award-winning company RABBLE Theatre and award-winning regional theatre The Watermill.

Jak also specialises in bespoke acting workshop delivery.

Lucy Fuller

BA (Hons) Theatre Dance – London Studio Centre

Lucy graduated from London Studio Centre in 2022 gaining a BA (Hons) in Theatre Dance, specialising in Musical Theatre.
Whilst in training, Lucy’s credits include: Veronica in Heathers, Killer Queen in We Will Rock You, Fantine in Les Miserables and Dance Captain for Hairspray.

Lucy has been working at BTS since 2019, beginning her teaching career as an assistant and is now manager of our Starlets.
Alongside her teaching, Lucy continues to perform at venues such as Mrs Riot in Covent Garden as a vocalist and has most recently performed as a solo singer at the Seven Dials Playhouse in London.

Monica Cleaver

Founder

Monica has been teaching for over 27 years in Reading. Professionally trained by Madame Helena Lehminski, she went on to perform in theatre, TV and films.

Monica is qualified in all the major boards to teach ballet, tap, jazz, drama and elocution. She offers personal one-to-one coaching in her small private studio in Caversham and she teaches in local schools.

Monica prepares her pupils of all ages for exams and teaching qualifications, auditions, presentations, and speeches.