Maureen-Victoria Ward, M.Mus Perf., B.Mus.Ed., H.dip.Hons., G.R.I.A.M
Agent /Artistic Director / Vocal Coach / Drama Coach / Musical Theatre Tutor / Choreographer

Maureen-Victoria Ward, Soprano, has a Masters in Music Performance (RIAM and DCU) and also possesses a Bachelor in Music Education Degree from Trinity College Dublin. As well as being a working qualified teacher in Singing, Musical Theatre and Speech and Drama, she is also an Agent, Examiner and an Adjudicator.

Maureen has been a soloist in many operas (including Wexford Opera Festival) and many musicals throughout Ireland, England, Brussels, Italy and U.S.A. She has also performed in numerous recitals worldwide.

From a young age, she toured as a solo singer, actress and dancer with the musical “Peace Child” around Ireland, and then in the U.S.A as the European representative. She was the only Irish representative who made it to the final 5 in the search for the Westend Musical Theatre show “A Song for Bernadette”. Maureen has been a very successful Bursary Winner and Overall Prize-winner at many competitions and festivals throughout the country and abroad for all styles of Singing and Drama, and has received a lot of news, television and radio coverage.

Maureen has a very keen interest in educating children and young people of all abilities through the Arts, and has been teaching for over sixteen years. Her students are multiple Prize-winners in Musical Theatre, Classical and Popular Singing Competitions; and in Speech and Drama Competitions throughout Ireland, Wales and England.

Her successful students have had glowing careers in their own right and many of them are familiar faces on RTE, TV3 and TG4 programmes, and have been cast in Leading Roles in Professional Theatre and Musical Productions. One has represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song contest, one has the current title of "Junior Achiever of the Year" at the Maternity and Infant Awards, another has been an IFTA nominee and a Monte Carlo TV and Film Festival nominee, others have been winners of AIMS Awards for Best Lead Vocalists + Actors, and many have been recipients of the Irish Permanent Higher Achiever Awards from the RIAM.

In 2003, Maureen founded Talented Kids Performing Arts School and Agency, which continues to grow from strength

to strength. The school, which is based in Clondalkin,  Naas and Kilcullen gives classes in Singing, Drama, Musical Theatre, Modelling and various styles of Dance to students from the age of 3 up to Adults. Maureen also acts as an Agent to the students in the school and has many students at present

starring on RTE’s Fair City, many of The Den’s Young People’s Programmes, Drama Series ie "Primeval" & "Camelot", Feature Films such as "This Must Be the Place" which stars JOHNNY WARD alongside Oscar Winning Actors Sean Penn + Francis McDormand,  " The Last Furlong" which features newcomer HOLLY GREGG who has received multiple press coverage due to her having to shave her head for the lead child role of cancer patient "Laura", “Ella Enchanted”, newly released feature film"Shelter"and “Wimbledon”, Short Films including the award winning “Janey Mary” and many others which have been shown in Irish Cinemas and in Film Festivals here and abroad, Current Television and Radio Adverts, Web dramas, as well as Musical Shows, Corporate Shows and Pantomimes.

In 2009 and 2010, Maureen was the National Director for the whole of TEAM IRELAND at the prestigious Hollywood World Championships Of Performing Arts. She won the WCOPA "National Director of the Year" in 2009 and in 2010, an award for "Outstanding National Director".

Maureen has been Head of Musical Theatre in the Royal Irish Academy of Music since 2005 and has recently revised the National Local Centre Musical Theatre + Popular Singing Examination Syllabus for Ireland. She has also been teaching Singing and Musical Theatre at the College of Dance in Monkstown since 2005, where many of her Singing Students have gone on to win FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to Top English Musical Theatre Colleges.

Johnny Ward
Vocal Coach / Drama Coach / Musical Theatre Tutor

At 24 years of age, Johnny has built up a very impressive résumé. He has just finished shooting the new Kirsten Sheridan film “Doll House” where he starred as the male lead ‘Eanna’. In August 2010, he also had a leading role in the feature film “This Must Be the Place” where he starred alongside Oscar Winner, Sean Penn. Johnny has been featured in a number of films and TV programmes. He was ‘Danny’ in “The Best of Times”; ‘George’ in “Fear” (Disney’s Incredible Stories), ‘Bastien’ in “The Sock Monster” (Disney’s Incredible Stories), ‘Billy O’Brien’ in “Stone”, ‘Paul’ in A “Man of Few Words”. He has also appeared in “Delphine”, “Boy from Mercury”, “Custer’s Last Stand Up” (BBC/RTE) and “The Informant”. He starred on RTE TV’s Soap Opera “Fair City” as ‘Kurt Whelan’ for over a year. He played the part of ‘David Flood’ in a film about the “Stardust” tragedy (RTE), ‘Marcus’ in “Prosperity” (RTE) and played ‘Diarmuid’ in the award winning short “An Creatur”.

In theatre, he has played many roles including ‘Prince Edward’ in the Theatreworks award winning production of “Richard the III” at the Samuel Beckett Centre, ‘Gavroche’ in the Cameron Mackintosh production of “Les Miserables” at the Point Depot, ‘DJ’ in “The Buddhist of Castleknock” by Jim O’Hanlon, and principal parts in numerous musicals and cabarets in Ireland and abroad. Johnny has been the recipient of many awards and bursaries for Drama, Singing and Musical Theatre. Notable Awards include “Best Newcomer” prize in the Irish Country and Western awards held in February 2006 and Best New Cabaret Performer in February 2007.

Johnny is a singer/songwriter and bass player in the prize-winning band, Lost and Soundwhich featured on “Fair City” and TV3. He featured on “Capital D” with a song he wrote for Teen-Line Ireland. Other TV credits include: Late Late Toy Show, Kenny Live, Den TV, Starstream (Winner), Jump Around, Echo Island and Ireland a.m.
He has been in a number of Web dramas, Voice-overs, TV and Radio adverts including the current McDonalds and Lyons Tea TV Commercials.

Johnny is a Drama and Singing teacher at Talented Kids Performing Arts School and Agency. He is represented by its adult agency and continues his training with Maureen V Ward.

Susan Ward, B.Mus Perf., G.R.I.A.M
Vocal Coach / Drama Coach / Musical Theatre Tutor / Choreographer

Susan Ward graduated from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and DCU with a 1st Class Honours degree in Music Performance. Susan has been singing, dancing and acting since the age of 3 and has performed in prestigious venues all over Ireland and around the world including Portugal, Italy, Germany and America. She has won numerous prizes and overall bursaries in many Singing, Drama and Dancing Competitions worldwide.

Susan has attended many master classes with notable singers and musicians such as Ann Murray, Graham Johnson, Sarah Walker and Ugo Benelli. She has performed in many shows, musicals and operas, most notably:Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Mercury (Dido and Aeneas), Kate (The Yeomen of the Guard), Nancy (Oliver), Golde (Fiddler on the Roof), Shona (Poga’s Wonderland), Maria (Sound Of Music), Eliza (My Fair Lady).

Susan has been a professional actress since a very young age and was the only Irish actress chosen from our country to fly over to Hollywood and appear in the feature film “Wimbledon” alongside Kirsten Dunst.  Susan was also cast in the Miramax Movie “Ella Enchanted”, where she played the “Head Fan Club Girl” alongside co stars Anne Hathaway, Joanna Lumley and Minnie Driver. Susan has been featured in many TV Commercials aswell.

Susan represented Ireland in the 2010 World Championships of Performing Arts held in Los Angeles. She returned with many Gold medals for singing and acting, and won overall awards for her age category too. She was absolutely delighted to receive the title of “Overall Champion of the World” for singing in the Grand Finals which was aired live on the internet and viewed all over the world. This was then later broadcast on Fox TV Channel in USA. Whilst in Los Angeles, Susan was approached by two record companies who are interested in signing her for her original songs. All of her originals were awarded Gold and Overall Awards. Susan has just finished recording her CD of Original Songs.

Tara Landers Choreographer / Musical Theatre Tutor

Tara began her dance career at the tender age of three with the Aedeen O’Hagen School of Ballet where she was awarded many Distinctions throughout the years in her R.A.D Exams. Dance Credits include “Tinkerbell” - Peter Pan; “Mrs Tiggy Winkle” - The Tales of Beatrix Potter; “Dr. Coppelius” - Coppélia. Tara also danced  and sung regularly in Christmas Cabaret Shows in well known venues throughout Ireland such as the Olympia Theatre, and was also involved in many Dance Events ie Jane Shorthall’s Dance Blitz’s where she worked with choreographers from all over the world.

After Secondary School, Tara studied Ballet, Contemporary, Tap, Singing, Jazz and Musical Theatre intensively for two years at The College Of Dance, Monkstown. Whilst there, she had the privilege of working with the highly acclaimed Ballerina “Fiona Chadwick” and the prestigious Welsh Contemporary Company “Diversions” - now known as “The Dance Company Of Wales“.  On graduating from the College of Dance with a Diploma in Professional Dance Studies, Tara then went on to further her Dance training in “Fonty’s School of the Arts” Tilburg, The Netherlands. She spent three years there majoring in Contemporary and Dance Theatre which included intensive lessons in Ballet, Jazz, Afro Jazz, Afro, Cunningham, Limon, Graham, Dance Theatre and Creative Dance Technique.

During her time in The Netherlands, Tara worked with professional dance companies such as “Station Zuid“, “Scapino Ballet” and “N.D.T.” ie Netherlands Dance Theatre. She also gained an enormous amount of knowledge, skills, experience and expertise through regularly working with choreographers such as “Dylan Newcombe” and “Raymond Esterhuizen”.

Tara has now settled back in Ireland and is enjoying performing here again, as well as passing on all the knowledge and skills she gained to students from all over Ireland ,who would also like to pursue a career in Dance.