Meet Our Tutors
Meet Our Team of Tutors
Our team of tutors are specialists in voice, performance and communication. They are among the leading experts currently working in Ireland & UK.
Utilising their experience as professional actors, voice experts and corporate communications coaches, their expertise, applied in small group settings, is at the core of The Lir at Work’s success.
CATHAL QUINN is one of the most in demand voices coaches in Ireland today – and is currently the Head of Voice and Speech in The Lir Academy, Trinity College Dublin.
After training at the Royal Scottish Academy in Glasgow, Cathal began working as a professional actor – before completing his Masters in Voice Studies from Central School of Speech and Drama. Since then he has taught at the Oxford School of Drama and was Head of Voice at the Gaiety School of Acting from 1998 – 2012 before leaving to join The Lir Academy as Head of Voice – with a primary focus on Voice and Dialect.
Cathal has worked as a Voice & Dialect Coach on numerous Film & Television productions including Albert Nobbs, Parked, Eden The Escapist, Love/Hate, Kitchen and Omagh. He is the artistic director of both Mouth on Fire Theatre Company and Guthanna Binne Sioraí. His theatre credits include coaching the American Premiere of The Home Place at the Guthrie Theater where he also taught Shaw, Wilde and Beckett.
Cathal has worked for many years as a voice and communications performance coach within the corporate sector working with clients including NTMA, Twitter, Lifestyle Sports, Paddy Power Betfair, Vodafone, Diageo, Aer Lingus, ESB, Abbott Ireland, The Department of Health, Trinity College Dublin and Standard Life.
Carol Noakes is a highly qualified voice and speaker coach, working with clients to develop their executive presence, public speaking and personal impact on and off stage.
Carol has a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Language, and an MA in Voice studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Before coaching became her passion, she was an actor in theatre, television, film and a presenter in the corporate environment.
She has taught voice, text and acting at leading drama schools in London and Manchester, and her voice work with young professional actors in TV and theatre includes productions for Channel 4, the BBC, Granada Television, Contact Theatre and Manchester Royal Exchange.
In addition to her voice coaching credentials, she is accredited in Leading and Developing High Performance, Insights Discovery, NLP and mindfulness-based coaching, and combines these approaches to work with teams and leaders on positive influencing and resilience. She has a particular interest in building women’s ability to make their voices heard.
Clients include: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, FCO Services, House of Commons, Cabinet Office, Treasury Department, Credit Suisse, Accenture, Santander, Deloitte, Lloyds, Amex, Barclays, Rolls Royce, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Orange, Virgin, Caterpillar, Guardian Newspaper, Financial Times, Twitter, Channel 4, Granada TV, UNICEF and Meningitis Trust.
Andrew has worked as course director of RADA’s Foundation Course and Drama Centre London’s MA in European Classical Acting, and as an associate tutor on the MA in Playwriting at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has also taught acting for dancers at the English National Ballet, text, voice and scene study at Shakespeare’s Globe and rehearsal processes and techniques for TV and film at Wimbledon Theatre.
Andrew holds a BA (Hons) in English and German and an MA in Text and Performance Studies (with distinction) from King’s College London and RADA.
Andrew’s communications skills training for business includes presentation coaching for Deutsche Bank’s equity derivatives department and AMV BBDO Ltd; leading extended courses in the Middle East; and regularly coaching executives at Ted Baker, preparing them to present new lines of clothing to the rest of the company. He also works with numerous pharmaceutical, energy and media clients.
Andrew is an established director of theatre and short films, winning a Shortcutz London award for The Babysitter. His books include An Attitude for Acting: How to Survive and Thrive as an Actor (written with Dr Tara Swart) and Genre: Guide to Writing for Stage and Screen.
Debra Leigh’s career in the performing arts spans over 30 years – having worked as an actor, broadcaster, presenter and voice over artist. Since earning her MA in Voice studies from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama – Debra has spent the last 10 years working as a voice & communication coach with clients spanning a diverse range of industries including Banking, Legal, Medical, Politics, Media & Creative Arts. As a Master Practitioner of NLP, she favours working from a holistic standpoint as a coach and facilitator.
Maria’s career as a professional actor, singer, and writer spans 20 years – and led her on the road to becoming an Executive Voice Coach 15 years ago.
A regular contributor on Irish radio and television with appearances alongside John Murray, Miriam O’Callaghan, Pat Kenny & Ryan Tubridy – Maria was also a writer and performer with legendary Irish comedy trio The Nualas. She works as a facilitator and storyteller for Roddy Doyle’s organization Fighting Words, and has presented her own radio program on RTE Radio 1. Throughout her career, she has worked with artists as diverse as Jim Sheridan, Ken Loach, Angela Lansbury, Patsy Kensit, Mia Farrow, Martin Shaw, Keith Carradine and Dionne Warwick, and has worked as a performer and presenter for The Gate Theatre, RTE Concert Orchestra, BBC, RTE, Shakespeare & Company in Boston, and Lincoln Center in New York.
Maria has adapted her skills and techniques as a professional performer; to coach professionals in performance & public speaking within the corporate market. Maria takes tried and tested skills and techniques found in the world of Business Psychology, Theatre, and Performance and adapts them for the professional and corporate market – equipping her clients with the skill sets required to become clear, captivating, and memorable communicators – allowing them to breathe colour and life back into their business communications and presentations.
Maria’s corporate clients include Google, Diageo, Novartis, KPMG, Deloitte, Websummit, Stryker, Ericsson, Volkswagen, Grant Thornton, and LinkedIn.
Sandra Miller has worked extensively as a communication skills consultant, trainer, coach and role-player for over twenty years. She trained at Manchester University (BA Hons in Drama) and at RADA. She has performed extensively in the West End and in repertory theatres throughout the UK.
Her specialisms include presentation skills, personal impact, assertiveness in meetings, influencing skills and storytelling. She also enjoys working on interview skills and facilitation skills training, as well as scrutiny training for local councils.
She works in the private, public and third sector and hugely values the variety of clients she has worked with – from the Cabinet Office, Treasury and other government departments, to the BBC and many local councils and academic institutions. She enjoys working with several blue chip companies including banks, law firms, financial services organisations and management consultancies.
Whist always maintaining the RADA philosophy and work ethos, her clients regard Sandra as being down-to-earth and as someone who brings a great sense of humour and warmth to learning.