Our Staff
Olga Conway
Principal/Director of Discovering Drama
Dip.Hons, H.Dip, PGCA, LIBSD
- Olga attended the Conservatory of Music and Drama at DIT, studying drama for three years and graduating with first class honours.
- Having finished her initial studies she opened “Discovering Drama” in 2002 with just 9 students.
- In 2005, while continuing the school, she completed her H.Dip from UCD in drama studies.
- Drama has been a part of Olga’s life since she was five years old – she completed some fourteen drama exams from the Guildhall school of Music and Drama and LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Drama) before attending drama college.
- Olga was awarded a PGCA from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon and University of Warwick in “Teaching of Shakespeare to young people”. She conducts ‘Hands On Shakespeare’ workshops in Secondary schools.
- She holds her Licentiate in Teaching drama from the Irish Board of Speech and Drama.
- Olga played ‘Constance Wilde’ in ‘The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde’.
- Olga was part of the Boots Cancer Care advertising commercial on TV.
- Olga was part of the Castle Lake Arts Festival in Johnstown, performing Shakespeare.
Andrew Holden
Teacher
- A native of Waterford, Andrew trained as an actor with the Gaiety School of Acting and The London School of Musical Theatre.
- His previous credits include appearances with The Gate Theatre, The Cork Opera House, Waterford Spraoi, Little Red Kettle, Bryan Flynn Theatrix, Long Road Productions and The Everyman Cork amongst others.
- Mostly recently he has appeared in ‘The Shakespeare Review’ at The Theatre Royal Waterford and The Eugene O’Neill International Festival in New Ross.
- He has directed productions of ‘I Love You,You’re Perfect. Now Change’, “Oklahoma!’ and ‘Assassins’.
- Andrew has previously given drama workshops for CTYI and in various primary and secondary schools around the South East.
- Last year he played Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’ in Garter Lane to sold out audiences.
- Andrew recently finished directing a hugely successful production of ‘My Fair Lady’ in Waterford.
Heather Hadrill
Teacher
- Heather is the current producer for Four Rivers, having previously worked on its productions of The Beauty Queen of Leenane,
More Stately Mansions, Blackbird and Happy Birthday Dear Alice. - She has been the Artist in Residence at Wexford Arts Centre, and also works as a freelance Speech & Drama Teacher, teaching children and adults in the community.
- As a co-founder/facilitator of WORDPLAY – a group for writers, actors & directors in County Wexford, Heather has produced seven new productions.
- She has also worked as a freelance director and actor, which has included directing five Baroque Operas in joint Irish-Czech productions, working as Head of Drama in Chester International School in Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and acting roles in-various theatre productions.
- Heather has an Associate Diploma in Speech & Drama Teaching from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, a B.A. in Communications and is a past participant on the Gaiety School of Acting Performance Theatre Company.