Central School of Speech and Drama - Administration

Administration

On 9 October 2008, the school announced that 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature Harold Pinter, who attended the school in 1950–51, had agreed to become its president, succeeding Labour Party politician Peter Mandelson, who had rejoined the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown; previous presidents of the school included Dame Judi Dench and Lord Laurence Olivier. Current president of Central is Michael Grandage, CBE, Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse and alumnus of Central School of Speech & Drama

Current Principal Gavin Henderson CBE is an English arts administrator, conductor and trumpeter. Deputy Principal (Corporate) / Deputy CEO / Clerk to Governors, Deborah Scully; prior to joining Central, Debbie held a number of roles in the former Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). These included Deputy Senior Administrative Officer (1985-1987) and Registrar (1981-1985) at Southwark College, London; Divisional Office Management Clerk (1980-1981); and roles at Westminster College, London 1976-1981) and ILEA Accounts (1974-1976).

Deputy Principal (Academic)and Professor of Theatre, Simon Shepherd, joined Central in 2001. Previously a Professor of Drama at Goldsmiths, University of London, and before that Professor of Drama at the University of Nottingham, which he left in 1996. Simon is widely published in the areas of theatre and culture, performance theory, body and theatre, history and analysis of drama and theatre (especially early-modern, melodrama, twentieth century).

Dean of Studies and Professor of Sound, Ross Brown, formerly a painter, then a professional composer, performer and sound designer in theatre, Ross holds the first Chair in Theatre Sound in the UK. Since 1994, the aim of Ross' research has been to establish the subjects of theatre sound and aurality and advance their study by located them within a broader epistemology of sound and a framework of relevant theories and histories.

Director of Research, Robin Nelson, is a long-term member of the IFTR’s Theatre and Intermediality research group. Nelson joined Central in 2010 to support research development. In this context his work championing 'practice as research' (PaR) is particularly relevant, but he has broad interests in theatre and media. Robin has held a range of posts in the HE sector; he is an Emeritus Professor of Manchester Metropolitan University where for over a decade he has been a member of the senior staff, finally involved in research management. He was an invited member of the Drama, Dance & Performing Arts RAE sub-panel in 2007/08.