About Imaginaire Speech and Drama
After teaching Speech and Drama lessons with the amazing Head Held High, the exciting opportunity came up to take on some of their Auckland venues and continue teaching our wonderful students. We leaped at the chance!
As a deeply passionate group of teachers, we form a tight-knit whānau dedicated to inspiring our students to discover their voices and unleash their creativity. Our focus is on fostering confident, courteous, inquisitive, and joyful young individuals through our specialized speech and drama curriculum. We believe that these qualities are the foundation of a happy and successful life, and it's our goal to instill them in all our students.
Our courses are tailored to students aged 5 to 18 and offer professional certificate and diploma qualifications through esteemed institutions such as the New Zealand Speech Board and Trinity College of London, a world-renowned speech and drama college.
At Imaginaire, we take equal delight in nurturing the next generation of acting extraordinaires and empowering children to overcome shyness and communicate with confidence.
From our family to yours, we extend a warm welcome to Imaginaire.
Confidence
Creativity
Communication Skills
Self Expression
Imaginaire Speech and Drama lessons are held at six Auckland venues and online lessons, during school terms.
Our Team
Within our teaching team, you'll find some of New Zealand's top notch actors, public speakers, and teachers. Each member brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, creating a vibrant tapestry of acting and communication experience for our students to draw from.
Nicole Bright
Director and Teacher
Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts, majoring in Acting.
Nicole has extensive experience working with children in the Arts. A Speech and Drama Teacher for 10 years, Nicole has taught a wide range of ages from preschoolers to primary and secondary students. She was also selected as the 'Artist in Residence' at Pakuranga College, under the Ministry of Education’s ‘Artist in Schools Programme’. She created and ran workshops based on acting techniques for over 300 students of Drama, Dance and English as well as special needs students.
Nicole is an Actor and Voice Over Artist and has also been a professional children’s entertainer for over 16 years and founded her company Imaginaire in 2009.
Nicole has a natural affinity with young people and has a caring, imaginative and enthusiastic teaching style. Nicole is passionate about working with young people and inspiring them to grow into their own and develop confidence through drama and the performing arts.
Nicole loves… spending time with her husband Johnny and their two young children Harland and Rosalie. Her dream is to take them to Disneyland one day - a favoutite destination of hers!
Alice Pearce
Teacher
Bachelor of Arts (Theatre and Film) from Victoria University, and Diploma of Acting from The Actors Programme.
Alice is an actor and creative, originally born and raised in Wellington and now living and working in Auckland. Cast as a dancing raindrop at the age of 5, she has been performing ever since! She has appeared in a raft of theatre productions, as well as various short films and screen productions. She also does voice-over work, writing, crew work and is a freelance sketch artist. Alice has worked with a wide range of ages - from kindergarten through to high school - and is a big fan of play and imagination. She loves to foster warm environments where young people can develop their confidence and voice.Alice's favourite place is the beach and she almost always has a sneaky little pile of sand hiding in her shoes at all times.
Holly Shervey
Teacher
ATCL in Speech and Drama, LTCL in Teaching Speech and Drama, Acting Diploma, National Certificate in Film and Television Production.
Holly is an accomplished actress and writer from Auckland, New Zealand, and holds an LTCL qualification, showcasing her expertise in the performing arts. Graduating from a leading drama school, she has made her mark in prime-time local and international screen productions. With over 70 episodes of her own award-winning shows, Holly is not just an actress but also an established writer.
Her recent acting roles include a supporting part in the horror film "The Tank" and a guest appearance in the comedy-drama "Double Parked." Notable screen credits include “Shortland Street," "Head High," and "Mean Mums." Holly is currently developing two television series.
Beyond her creative endeavours, Holly has taken on a teaching role, leveraging her LTCL qualification to mentor and teach aspiring performers. Her journey is a testament to her passion for storytelling, both on and off-screen, and her commitment to nurturing the talents of the next generation in the dramatic arts.
Holly has a love for nature and exploration. She especially loves to go hiking with her husband Emmett, and explore different parts of New Zealand with him. They are thrilled about their upcoming travels to Paris, Italy, and London during the school holidays this year.
Julia Guthrey
Teacher
Master’s in Physical Theatre at RADA (London), Bachelor of Performing Arts at NASDA (Christchurch) and ATCL in Musical Theatre
Julia has worked as an Actor at the Pop-up Globe and in many Musical Theatre shows around NZ. She spent a couple of years in the UK, touring shows to schools, care homes and Shakespeare gardens.
Julia loves to help unleash children’s creativity and to give them the tools to feel proud and confident.
"I am passionate about bringing stories to life through the exploration of movement, voice and expanding the imagination”
Molly Curnow
Teacher
Acting Diploma from The Actors Programme.
Molly Curnow is an actor based in Tāmaki Makaurau, most recently appearing as Isla in the brand new kiwi drama series ‘Testify’.
After graduating from The Actors Program in 2021, Molly has spent the last few years working as an actor in film, television & stage productions.
Alongside that, she has also been teaching speech & drama to school-age students, teaching both within schools and in community centres.
Molly cultivates a joyful, supportive environment in her classes that encourages students to be themselves, work collaboratively and grow confidence.
When she isn’t teaching or acting professionally, Molly spends her time practicing yoga, crocheting and making music.