Directors and Teachers
Studio Directors - Kate and Charmaine Gorman
Sisters Kate and Charmaine Gorman have been in the entertainment industry all their lives. Hailing from an acting family they grew up under a dressing room table learning their craft from some of the best in the business. Both started as child actors in lead roles in children's television series. Further training internationally and long and rewarding careers in the industry followed, both women continue working in TV, film and theatre as performers, director and writer.
Passionate about passing on craft and knowledge (as their Dad Reg Gorman always said, "if you want to thank me for teaching you, teach someone else") they have now created a place to do just that.
Kate and Charmaine bring a unique perspective to a young actors journy, being child actors themselves who navigated the tricky path to have successful careers as adults, and being mothers of working child actors. This gives them an insight to know what emerging actors need to make it in the industry, but also how to navigate the business and thrive as humans while on this worthy pursuit of artistry. Whether the end result is a lifelong career in theatre, a star on the Walk of Fame or something else entirely, the journey is one of gaining confidence, communication skills, empathy and self discovery that will serve you well in any walk of life.
In addition to the Studio the Gorman sisters together with Kate’s daughter Olivia Deeble, have their own production company Baby Banksia, which recently produced the award winning teen drama television series More Than This, currently streaming on Paramount+.
Our Teachers
Our teachers are working professional actors and directors active in the film, television and theatre industry and also have years of teaching experience.
Our teachers come from a variety of training and techniques themselves, either from the New York studios of Meisner, Adler, Strasburg or Hagen, or London or Australia’s premier drama schools.
Our studio doesn’t subscribe to one methodology. We let the teacher bring their own pedagogy to their classes, but we have consistency across the scene study and shooting components being run like a professional film set with individual direction for the actor on character, text and bringing the scene to life.
Kate Gorman
Kate is a award winning director and has worked in the Entertainment industry for the last 35+ years acting, producing and directing. With Charmaine, she produced 'MORE THAN THIS' for Paramount + and also directed half the series. The series won ‘Best Live Action Jury Prize’ youth award and overall award at the Chicago Film Festival, 1st prize ACS award and nominations for Best Children's program and Best Drama at the ATOM awards and NHK Japan prize .
Kate wrote, directed and co produced the award winning film ‘FIVE MOMENTS OF INFIDELITY’ which won - Best Film DIGISPAA, Best Film Salento IFF (Italy), Best film Idaho PIFF (USA), The film received further nominations at festivals world wide for Best Screenplay, Best Direction and several best performances nominations. Kate co-produced and co-directed three documentaries over 5 years, including THE FACE OF BIRTH, which had a worldwide independent theatrical release, and helped change government policy. Kate directed two episodes of the ANZAC 100 year anniversary docudrama series BRINGING OUR STORIES HOME for ABCiview.
As an actor Kate has over 50 screen credits and 30+ theatre credits in both Australia and the UK with many leading roles in touring productions all over the UK. TV leading roles include being a regular on NEIGHBOURS (a role she created 30 years ago and got to reprise over the last 5 years) FULL FRONTAL, GET A LIFE, SHARK BAY, ZOO FAMILY. Guest roles include JACK IRISH, ROMPER STOMPER, CITY HOMICIDE , RUSH, VERY SMALL BUSINESS, UTOPIA and KATH AND KIM being just a few! IMDB LINK.
Kate has been teaching on and off for 20 years having been part of the facility for three years at BAPA (Ballarat University now Federation University) and one year at The National Theatre Drama School. She taught for a year at ScreenWise in Sydney and many various drama schools and dance schools across Melbourne. She has devised an intensive week workshop (shooting, directing, editing) with advanced teen actors to create broadcast quality content for showreels for various talent agencies in Sydney.
Kate is passionate about passing on craft and good technique as well as what she knows about the industry. She is constantly inspired by young actors and what they have to give. She loves working with teens particularly, and loved making Baby Banksia’s teen drama series which placed a huge emphasis on bringing out the authentic teen voice in performance by allowing huge input in character development from the cast.
Training
National Theatre Drama school Melbourne
Uta Hagen and Carol Rosedfeld- HB studios NY NY
Marcia Haufrecht Common Basis (Actors Studio) NY
Beryl Birrel (Actors Studio) Melbourne
Director training ACTF
CBI workshops with Rob Marchand
Pedagogy
Kate loves the exercises from her training at HB and Actors studio, but in more recent times has delved into Meisner (love a good repeat exercise) and loves the way Mike Lee develops characters. Knowing that different people learn differently and respond to different teaching and directing styles, she is led by the student and what they need. Although Uta, Sany and Lee would all be turning in their graves, Kate works under the premise ….‘I’ll help you find it and then if it works for you honey, …you do it!’
Charmaine Gorman
Charmaine has been in the entertainment industry for 30+ years as an actor, writer and producer. Working extensively in Australian television and theatre, some acting highlights include: playing the lead in children's television series Kelly, being nominated twice for a Green Room Award, once while working for the MTC, and most recently winning the award for best lead performer in a musical 2024 for A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.
Charmaine has toured with Bell Shakespeare Company, had roles in musicals and plays which toured Australia, highlights including : Hush in Possum Magic, Touring with Fiddler on The Roof and Under Milkwood, Being part of the original MTC workshop for Sapphires and touring as supporting lead in the MTC production of High Society.
Charmaine has had three plays produced, and written several others. She has written for television sketch comedy, fringe festival and comedy festival shows, (often also acting and sometimes producing). Charmaine received FilmVic script development funding for a feature, development funding from the ACTF for a series and worked with one of Australia’s best loved authors Colleen Mc Cullough and Television writing mentor Alison Nisselle, adapting a novel for screen.
Charmaine lived in Berlin for 10 years and during her time there she wrote, produced and starred in her short film Ricochet, ran the Down Under Berlin Film Festival, appeared in 10 plays including touring Germany extensively with English speaking company Whitehorse highlights include; Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and playing Lady Macbeth. Charmaine also worked at the prestigious OPER KOLN (Cologne Opera House) in Die Kinderoper Köln.
TEACHING - Charmaine has taught at BAPPA (Federation University), Starbound Music Theatre Workshops, YABC, and Swing Patrol.
TRAINING - CBI workshops with Rob Marchand, Beryl Birrell (Actors Studio) Melbourne, extensive vocal training with Graham Clarke, WIll Conyers and Jemery Powell.
Pedagogy
Charmaine has a passion for the technique and skills of comedy and bringing performance into they whole body. If there is a gag hidden anywhere in the text .. she'll find it.
Tony Rive
Tony Tony Tony!
Beryl Birrell
Beryl