Paul Dunn
Co-founder, Principal, and Class Facilitator
Paul trained as a professional actor in the mid-90’s, and has been working ever since in theatre, film, television and radio – not only as an actor but also as a writer, director and producer.
His work with young students also spans back to that time, having performed and taught drama to all age groups for companies such as Redroofs School for the Performing Arts, Best Shot Theatre Company, Classworks Theatre in Cambridge, Faces Inc, as well as presenting workshops for Big Science.
In addition, Paul has extensive experience of Theatre-in-Education – running workshops and performing educational-based plays and musicals to both Primary and Secondary school children right around the country, for companies such as Kinetic Theatre Co, Pandemonium Theatre Co, StopWatch Theatre Co, and Classworks Theatre Co. He also ran the Kinetic Theatre production office in London for 6 years, before moving back to his beloved North-East in 2011, where he set up and established the award-winning production company Cranked Anvil.
Professional performance credits include:
Theatre: Most recently, Paul performed (alongside Jimmy Nail) in the Christmas at the Newcastle Cathedral Concert in aid of the Bobby Robson Foundation. Other credits include Dave in Dirty Dusting, Tristan in Seriously Dead (aka Right Place Wrong Time), a comedy farce touring the country with Tommy Cannon, Billy Pearce, and Crissy Rock, and Edward MacFell in The Cinder Path (all Entertainment Unlimited); Panto Dame for seven years at Durham Gala Theatre; Hamlet, Friar Laurence, Exeter, in a Shakespeare Season, Jimmy in Wise Men Say, (Cranked Anvil Productions); Father Bailey in The Fifteen Streets, Jesus in Dark Side of the Half Moon, Peter in John Wayne and Me (all at The Customs House theatre); Uncle in The Butcher’s Bill (Canny Craic Productions); Performer in various Sunday For Sammy concerts (Newcastle Arena); Mr Tumnus in The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe (Novello Theatre); Captain Crack in Voyage From Titan (White Bear Theatre/Done What Son Productions).
TV includes roles in Vera, George Gently, and Byker Grove.
Radio work has seen him write and perform in sketch comedy show Grin Up North for the BBC, Paul & Nessa’s Happy Hour for Cranked Anvil Productions, and as a presenter on Northumberland Radio and Spark FM.
Writing work: most recently, he adapted for the stage a touring production of Catherine Cookson’s The Cinder Path, (starring Charles Lawson – Coronation Street’s Jim MacDonald), which was officially endorsed by the Catherine Cookson Estate.
Vanessa Dunn
Co-founder and Class Facilitator
Vanessa trained at Redroofs School for the Performing Arts, where she met Paul, and has never looked back since!
She performed to thousands of children over many years during her residencies at the Novello Children’s Theatre in Sunninghill, nr Ascot. Some of her many roles include: Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, Jemima Puddle-duck, the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Tessie Bear in Noddy, Aunt Sponge in James and the Giant Peach, and Mrs Beaver in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, as well various roles in many pantos.
Most recent theatre credits include: Olive in Dirty Dusting (touring since 2022), the Snowman in Santa’s Naughty Elf (Customs House), various characters in the official touring production of Catherine Cookson’s The Cinder Path, and Muddles in the panto Robin Hood. She created the role of Suzanne in the Premiere of Leave The Queen Behind at London’s White Bear Theatre. She performed as one of the in-house costume characters when the Millennium Dome first opened in 2000. Radio work includes writing and performing in sketch comedy show Grin Up North for the BBC, Paul & Nessa’s Happy Hour, and as a presenter on Northumberland Radio and Spark FM.
She also helped to establish Cranked Anvil Productions, co-producing all of their productions and performing in many, including a Shakespeare Season and their popular Rehearsed Reading Nights. She also co-produced Jeff Brown’s (BBC Look North) debut play, Cornered, at the Customs House in South Shields.
Together, Paul and Vanessa have over 40 years experience of performing, teaching, and workshopping with and for children of all ages. Now they are delighted to bring all that experience to their students in their beloved home county, with the Northumberland Academy of Performing Arts.
Northumberland Academy of Performing Arts 