Professional Acting Extended Diploma: Oxford

John McCraw trained as an actor at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and worked as a performer
for 13 years in theatre, TV, radio and voiceover, including stints with Hull Truck Theatre, Polka Theatre and
Live Theatre in Newcastle. He is now a theatre practitioner, writing and delivering education programmes
for children and young people with a range of leading organisations such as The National Theatre, Pegasus,
Mousetrap Theatre Projects, Primary Shakespeare Company and Polka Theatre. He currently specialises in
devised productions with young people and directing Shakespeare with young companies.
john mccraw.
Acting Tutor
edda sharpe.
Voice Tutor
Edda Sharpe is a specialist voice and dialect coach. Her skills are employed on numerous professional
theatre productions at the highest level, for the RSC, the West End, and internationally. She is also in great
demand as a voice and body language coach delivering high level communication skills training to the
business sector. Edda is known for her mastery of text, her ability to make the apparently complex simple
and accessible, and her excellent rapport skills, all of which she combines with her expertise as a dialect
coach. Through her career she has developed a deep understanding of how to bridge the needs of the
actor, the director, the text and the production. She is Head of Voice and Dialect at the Shaw Festival
Theatre in Canada and has worked on over 70 productions there over the past ten years. She was Head of
Voice at E15 Acting School from 1997-2001, and was the principal dialect teacher on the MA Voice Studies
course at Central School of Speech and Drama for eight years. Edda has also provided acting coaching
and training for Lamda, e15, Guildford, Arts Educational and Mountview theatre schools, as well as the
University of Minnesota. Edda’s ground breaking first book, ‘How To Do Accents’ (co-written with Jan Haydn
Rowles) was published by Oberon Press in Oct 2007 and is a National Theatre best seller. Edda is also an
accredited NLP Practitioner, currently embarking on her Masters.
Emma Webb works as a director, movement director and performer. She has recently worked with Red
Dog Theatre, toured the UK as a performer with physical theatre company Justice in Motion, directed
a show for care homes with Living the Drama and is currently in preparation for directing Human Story
Theatre and a project with Pegasus Theatre. She is also devising a new show with mime/clown/ movement
company Splintered Itinerary. She trained in dance at De Montford University, was a freelancing practitioner
and teacher for 20 years before completing a masters at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in
Movement Directing and Teaching. Emma creates work with all realms of the community with her company
Tangled Webb. She is a highly experienced teacher and workshop leader.
emma webb.
Movement Tutor