Tutors and Staff

Our community experts have been hand-picked to deliver arts education that gives young people real time experience in a working theatre environment, while fine-tuning their natural talented and/or acquired skills.

Loretta Pennington

Stagecraft Director

Loretta has had a long career as a professional singer and actor in New Zealand and abroad, on the musical theatre, opera and concert stage. As a vocal teacher she has mentored the next generation in private practice, and through NZ schools. Loretta is also founder of digital music tuition programme MusicSkool. For 18 years Loretta has been co-director of Lyrica Productions Ltd. Lyrica is a professional vocal performance group working throughout New Zealand in high profile events in the corporate and festival sectors. In 2019 Lyrica were invited to China to perform in the international Sister Cities Festival in Chengdu.

Caitlin Morris

Stagecraft Tutor

Caitlin Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts from Waikato University where she majored in Theatre Studies, and is currently completing her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. No stranger to Riverlea Theatre, Cailtin recently appeared in Hamilton Musical Theatre’s production of Hairspray -adding to the list of shows she appeared in in her home-town of Whangarei. Caitlin has also previously performed character work with Enchanted Entertainment and her many other skills include promo and event management work. Caitlin is super excited to get started with Stagecraft in 2024.

Coryn Knapper

Stagecraft Tutor

Coryn has been a Stagecraft tutor in musical theatre for about ten years. She is a retired school teacher specialising in music and drama, with extensive experience in directing school shows and youth choirs. She was the musical director for Riverlea Theatre Junior Broadway shows: “Seussical Jr”, “Aladdin Jr”, ‘Annie Jr” and “Madagascar Jr”; and directed “Alice in Wonderland Jr” and “Into The Woods Jr”. Coryn also runs a private singing studio, entering students in Trinity College London exams with great success. This year her senior Stagecraft class was successful in obtaining a Grade 6 musical theatre certificate with Trinity College. In 2023 Coryn will take this class on to Grade 7; and begin a junior exam class at the grade 3 or 4 level. Coryn really enjoys working with students who have a keen interest in, or a love of, performing.

Dennis Ralph

Stagecraft Tutor

Dennis has been tutoring at Stagecraft for 10 years and is a life member of Hamilton Playbox Repertory Society. A flamboyant actor, he has performed, directed, and written in all forms of performance and in all of Hamilton’s performance venues. Active in the arts community, Dennis was on the steering committee responsible for the creation of performance spaces in Hamilton (Meteor Theatre and Gallagher Centre) and has taught Arts and Drama in the education system for 30 years. As a performer,Dennis is regularly seen at National Arts Festivals and prides himself on being the best “Mrs Claus” in the business! Dennis is also nationally known in event management.

Gabrielle De Bruijn

Stagecraft Tutor

Gabrielle is a mother, educator and performer who has completed the first year of her Bachelor in Education. Since 2015 the exuberant Gabrielle has used her dramatic talents to perform Ruben the Road Safety Bear Presenter/Mascot for the Waikato Regional Council – a role she LOVES. Gabrielle has also had a long involvement in the Hamilton theatre scene, often performing main roles including Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz), Anita (West Side Story), a stilt-walking witch (Macbeth) and Mrs Salt in Hamilton Playbox’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Gabrielle also participated in a production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Gabrielle has travelled extensively throughout the Waikato with Theatresports team for weekly, improvised theatre games and is looking forward to bringing all her skills together for Stagecraft.

Georgia Pollock

Stagecraft Tutor

Georgia Pollock holds a BA majoring in English and Theatre Studies from The University of Waikato. She is no stranger to the stage, having taken lead roles in many productions over the years at Riverlea Theatre, Cambridge’s Gaslight Theatre, The Meteor and The University of Waikato. Georgia has previously been a tutor with Riverlea Stagecraft and also Excite Academy and in 2022 headed up the successful senior acting exam class programme at Stagecraft to prepare students for Grade 6 Trinity College, London. In 2023 Georgia will run both a senior and junior acting exam programme for Stagecraft.