Our Story

Stroud Theatre Arts weekly classes were set up in 2018 to provide Musical Theatre training for Under 21s.

Our classes were created so that students can express themselves and their love of theatre in a safe, supportive environment and have a space where they can feel comfortable being themselves. Our aim is to produce confident and creative students who leave with the knowledge and skill of all three theatre disciplines (singing, dance and drama).

Meet the Team

  • Lauren Stroud

    PRINCIPAL

    DANCE

  • Sophie Hudson

    VICE PRINCIPAL

    DANCE & DRAMA

  • Louis Turner

    SINGING & DRAMA

  • Justin Thomas

    GUEST TEACHER & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

LAUREN STROUD

Principal Lauren Stroud trained professionally at Laine Theatre Arts, graduating with her National Diploma in Musical Theatre. Lauren is also an IDTA qualified teacher.

Lauren has had a successful career and worked professionally in the West End and UK Tours for the past 13 years. Although her performing career has taken her all over the world she still lives in the same area she grew up in which allows her to bring her knowledge and fun theatre opportunities to the young students of today.

Whilst busy with her performing career Lauren has never stopped teaching, doing numerous workshops of the shows she has been in, freelance choreography for festivals and shows in the area and private one to one lessons for young performers who are looking to audition for full time college.

Lauren has appeared in the following shows: Wicked, Grease, Hairspray, 9 to 5, High School Musical, Top Hat, Scrooge, Strictly Ballroom and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.

SOPHIE HUDSON

We are so thrilled to introduce Sophie who teaches our Minis & Juniors classes. Sophie began performing at the age of four training at her local dance school. She then went on to Bishopshalt School Sixth Form where she studied Dance and Theatre/Performance Studies. Whilst there she performed in the B.O.D.S productions of We Will Rock You and Grease.

Sophie took part in various theatre groups in the area including the Summer Youth Project at the Beck Theatre for multiple shows, Annie with Songtime Theatre Arts and in Encore Theatre’s production of Seussical, playing a Bird Girl. She has also appeared in BBC’S Big Schooland Bwark’s Drifters for E4.

Sophie then received a place at London Studio Centre and graduated in 2018 with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Dance (specialising in Music Theatre). During her time at London Studio Centre, Sophie performed in many productions, most notably Dance Overture 2016 and Dance Overture 2017 at the New Wimbledon Theatre and Spring Collection, Shakers and Little Shop of Horrors at Arts Depot, Finchley. In her final year she played Margot in Legally Blonde at the Pleasance Theatre.

At the end of 2019 she toured the UK with Hollywood Glamour, playing Doris Day. Over the past couple of years Sophie has freelanced as a teacher and choreographer working with various dance schools in the area. Recently Sophie has become a Mental Health First Aider.

JUSTIN THOMAS

Justin is currently performing in the hit west end musical BACK TO THE FUTURE at the Adelphi Theatre.

Training: D&B Academy of Performing Arts.

Theatre credits include: Ensemble in Goldilocks and the Three Bears (The London Palladium), Ensemble/Cover Kassim in Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre, West End), Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me, Kate (Kilworth House Theatre), Danny Zuko and Johnny Casino in Grease (World Trade Centre, Dubai & Curve, Leicester) directed by Nikolai Foster, Bernardo in West Side Story (Kilworth House Theatre), Sky in Mamma Mia! (International Tour), understudied and played Fiyero in Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), the title role in Aladdin (Shaw Theatre) and u/s Billy and Jordan in Dirty Dancing (National Tour).

Television includes: Children in Need (BBC), Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV) and Let's Dance for Comic Relief (BBC).
Film includes: Villager/Ensemble in Mamma Mia!, Here We Go Again (Littlestar/Universal Studios), and Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One (Warner Brothers Studios).