Our Team

Here at Big Time Academy we are very proud and fortunate to have a team of professional, committed and passionate teachers. Our regular qualified staff, along with a number of other guest directors and industry professionals, work together to provide Big Time students with the best possible training in a fun, friendly, and focused environment.
First aiders: Adam Morley, Nicole Michelle, Sarah Day, Emily Hammond, Gracelyn Byrne and Brandon Sutherland-Parker.

Nicole Michelle (Principal & Founder)

Nicole trained in acting and musical theatre at the nationally renowned theatre school Swish of the Curtain in Bournemouth. She enjoyed success in exams, public performances, festivals and competitions, and television appearances including Channel 5s “Don’t Stop Believing” in 2010. In 2013 she moved to London, graduating with a first class BA(Hons) Degree in Musical Theatre from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2016. She has been teaching, directing and performing ever since.

She founded Big Time Theatre School (now known as Big Time Academy) in Canterbury in 2015. In 2017 she opened Big Time in Mill Hill, and expanded the company’s operations to include sold out immersive family shows, Christmas experiences, and creative lead in 2018 Year of Learning in association with Barnet Libraries and the Arts Council. Nicole is the Principal of Big Time Academy and has taught at many other performing arts institutions across London, including Red Star Theatre Arts in Putney where she was Head of Acting. She directed all their major shows as well as all exam classes in acting. Her pupils have had excellent success in exams, shows and entry to full time theatre school. Her direction credits include; Bugsy Malone, Peter Pan, James and the Giant Peach, The Greatest Show, Wizard of Oz, Seussical, Alice in Wonderland and Once Upon a Time.

Nicole is extremely passionate about teaching and working with children, and runs a Petite Performers Franchise alongside Big Time Academy, with Big Time Pre-Prep, a brand new nursery, opening in 2023.

Professional Credits:

  • Professional Credits Include:

    • Amazon Prime’s ‘The Gift’ to help raise money for the NHS Charities Together; starring alongside Joe Pasquale, Caprice and Vanessa Phelps.
    • Frantic Assembly’s ‘Peepshow’ at The Canal Cafe in 2017
    • Joint composer and lyricist for The Petite Performers franchise

Gracelyn Byrne (Deputy Principal)

Gracelyn began her training at Frances Bleasdale’s School of Dancing at the age of 2, training in ballet, tap and modern, then progressing to contemporary dance. She graduated with first class honours in Dance Performance from Middlesex University and has recently completed a Masters Degree at the University of Chichester. 
 
Her recent experience includes dancing with in the renowned touring company Mapdance, touring works by Ceyda Tanc, Joseph Toonga, Yael Flexer and Robert Clark. Other work includes premiering her new choreography at Wigan Borough Festival, Choreographing at The Burgen Project, performing ballet for HRH Prince Edward, working with Lesley Main re-staging ‘Water Study’ and completing intensives with Company Wayne Mcgregor, Anna Watkins, Hofesh Schechter and Phoneix Dance Company.
 
Alongside this, Gracelyn has completed a placement with Amici Dance Theatre Company, specialising in performing for less abled dancers and has become a community arts dance teacher, specialising in dance for the elderly and less abled. She has been a dance and drama teacher for more than 7 years! Gracelyn takes great joy in working collectively with her students to create new and innovative choreographies that are exciting to make and watch whilst ensuring children can reach and exceed their full potential.

Alexandra Wright (RAD Exam Teacher)

Alexandra is from the wirral and began dancing at the age of three. She studied at the Hammond School in Chester, and at sixteen gained a place at the English national ballet school were she continued her training for two years, before deciding to complete her diploma at Laine Theatre Arts.

Alexandra is a professional dancer and musical theatre performer who has been lucky enough to perform in number one productions here in the UK and internationally. Some of her most recent credits include: Leilani/Alternate Margot In “Legally Blonde” (Uk & Ireland Tour), Polly/Ensemble in “Funny Girl” (Uk & Ireland Tour), Bombalurina in “cats” for RCCL international to name a few. Alex trained under the royal ballet’s associate programme from the age of nine to sixteen and as a result got to perform in “Giselle” with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Alexandra has always had a passion for teaching and therefore decided to pursue this alongside her performing career. Gaining her ballet teaching qualifications with the royal academy of dance in 2012 (as well as istd & idta qualifications) she has experience teaching all forms of dance to children all the way through to adults up and down the uk. She is extremely excited to be a part of big time academy and hopes to inspire the younger generations as her teachers once inspired her.

Emily Hammond

Emily’s bio coming soon…

Sarah Day

Private LAMDA Teacher, Musical Theatre Singing Teacher

Sarah graduated from the Arts Educational schools London with A Ba(hons) degree in musical theatre.

Theatre credits: Mary Margaret ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Cover Jenny/Ensemble ‘The Calendar Girls Musical’ (Original Cast, Uk Tour), Nellie ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ (The Union Theatre), Siren ‘Orpheus The Mythical’ (The Other Palace), Rose ‘The Romford Rose’ (The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch), Janet ‘Sincerely Yours’ (The Landor Theatre).

Other credits include: Working (Workshop, Directed By Luke Sheppard), Follies (The Royal Albert Hall, Directed By Craig Revel Horwood), Soloist On Bbc Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night.

Sarah has her own Film Production Company ‘Daybyday Productions’ where she writes, Directs and produces Short Films. Her Recent Film ‘Mind=Full’ was shortlisted for a Mental Health And Wellness Award By The Ahrc.

Orit Zlotogorski

Musical Director for Youth Theatre Production, Private Singing Teacher

Orit is a London based singing teacher, music therapist, singer, actress and a children’s entertainer who is originally from Israel, where she attended the Jerusalem academy of music and dance in the classical singing department, and graduated in 2013.

During and after the Academy Orit performed as Nutrice in the opera “L’incoronazione di Poppea”, and in the world premier of the opera “When He Was Good”, she also worked as a children’s entertainer with
different companies, a choir singer with the prestigious Madrigal Singers Ensemble, as well as numerous other choirs and ensembles. She is currently a trainee in the Vocal Balance teacher training course for Music Theatre and Pop. Orit also holds a Master degree in Music Therapy from the University of
Haifa, and enjoys the diversity of a career shaped by teaching and
performing, with the goal of maintaining the inspiration to bring students to excellence all while keeping their well-being, and emotions in the highest regard.
Orit has over 13 years teaching experience in the performing arts at various music institutions, and as a private singing teacher.

Brandon Sutherland-Parker

Cover Teacher

Brandon is a choreographer, multi-disciplinary creative and teacher based in London. Brandon began his theatre training in youth theatre companies where he harboured his love of performing and making, continuing to become a co-director and choreographer of several productions by the age of 15. He set up his own commercial dance company in 2014 and explores a varied range of themes and mediums, producing thought-provoking and dramatic works for stage, film, installation and musicals. Alongside creating, Brandon has a passion for teaching, facilitating workshops and classes to engage others in his practice. At present Brandon is seeking to expand his career within the arts.