- lightsup.perform@gmail.com
- The Drama Studio @ Fulham Boys School
Led by Broadway and West End stars Kristen Gaetz and Yvette Robinson, Lights Up! Perform is a space where creativity is unleashed and confidence comes alive.
Through high-energy improvisation, scene work, acting through song, and performance, our classes encourage students to dive deep into their imagination, take risks, and discover what they’re truly capable of — on stage and beyond. We nurture not just performers, but bold thinkers, strong collaborators, and expressive storytellers.
Each class is built on joy, connection, and play — because when you’re having fun, growth happens naturally. At Lights Up! , we don’t just teach performance — we help you find your light and let it shine.
Our dedicated team of exceptional teachers is complemented by West End professionals who bring their industry expertise to our performing arts classes, whether through masterclass sessions or full-term courses. This rare opportunity for students, ranging from young learners to corporate participants, to be taught by the best in the industry is a testament to our commitment to excellence.

CO-FOUNDER
Yvette Robinson
Co-Founder of Lights Up Perform
Yvette trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, and has spent over 25 years performing in the West End and internationally. Alongside her performance career, she has been a professional Monkey Music teacher for toddlers for over 14 years and has worked extensively as a solo practitioner in primary schools, teaching drama and song.
Her theatre credits include:
The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age – Belle Livingstone
Miss Saigon (Australia) – Ellen (original cast)
Into the Woods (Australia) – The Baker’s Wife
Evita (Australia and UK) – Mistress / alternate Evita
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Marion
Mamma Mia! (International Tour) – Donna
My Fair Lady (Australia) – Eliza Doolittle
Les Misérables 10th Anniversary (Australia) – Fantine / ensemble
Starlight Express (Germany) – Pearl, Dinah, Buffy, and Ashley
I Do! I Do! (Vienna English Theatre) – Agnes
Yvette has also participated in notable workshops, including:
Dreamland by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth – Melissa
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, directed by Bartlett Sher – Paulina
Love Never Dies (Andrew Lloyd Webber workshop)
Romeo and Juliet (musical adaptation) – Lady Capulet
She appears on the original cast recording of The Woman in White and has contributed to several other cast recordings throughout her career.
Her screen work includes:
South Pacific (Touchstone Pictures), starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr.
Anna in Series 2 of Here We Go (BBC UK)
Leading role in the short film Inescapable (2024)
Isla, guest lead, in FBI: International (2025)
Yvette is passionate about sharing creativity, confidence, and joy through performance and teaching, and is excited to continue growing Lights Up Perform with Kristen.

CO-FOUNDER
Kristen Gaetz is co-founder of Lights Up Perform. She has been dancing professionally for over 20 years, doing musicals throughout the United States. Kristen started in Los Angeles performing in productions of “Crazy for You,” “Evita,” and Will Roger’s “Follies” before landing the role of Phyllis Dale in the 1st National Tour of “42nd Street”. She was then brought into the Broadway company of “42nd Street” where she continued in the role of Phyllis. After that, Kristen played the roles of Rhoda and Rita in the Broadway Touring Company of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” for four wonderful years. She also performed in “Hello Dolly!” and “Kiss Me, Kate” at the Sacramento Musical Circus, “Mame” at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, and sang for the 75th Anniversary of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Since moving to London, Kristen was cast as Cheryl in “I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road” at Jermyn Street Theatre. She was a part of the original “42nd Street” cast here on the West End, where she covered Dorothy Brock and Phyllis Dale and was a swing for the dancing ensemble. Most recently, Kristen returned to the West End where she joined the cast of Dear Evan Hansen at the Noel Coward Theatre. She was the standby for both Cynthia Murphy and Heidi Hansen.
For the last two years, Kristen has been working with the Earls Courtiers as Musical Director, Choreographer, and Assistant Director to put on the summer musicals with the kids from the community, which has been an incredible experience. She’s currently working alongside Yvette to grow Lights Up Perform and is looking forward to bringing the same fun, energy, and music to the students all year long.

Teacher

CJ Johnson is a leading West End actress and top vocal and acting coach in London working with an elite stable of professional artistes to absolute beginners. Highly experienced with pop bands and professional performers with upcoming tours and shows, CJ has been featured as a vocal coach on The X Factor and MTV and is a singing teacher, acting coach and musical director in many of London’s leading theatre schools and conservatoires, currently the BA Hons Musical Theatre course at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. She is a Royal Academy of Music post-graduate with 22 years’ teaching experience and has furthered her training in studying Estill Voice Training-Parts 1&2. She also has built an extensive career in theatre, film and TV with credits such as ‘42nd Street’ (West End), ‘Small Island’ (National Theatre), ‘The Light Princess’ (National Theatre), ‘Little Shop Of Horrors’ (Royal Exchange), ’Oliver’ (UK tour), ‘Piaf’ (West End), ’Rent’ (West End) and is currently appearing as Natalie Jacobs in ‘The Mystery Of Marilyn Monroe’ (Netflix).

Teacher
Emma Clifford trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Upon graduating, she understudied and played the role of Karen in “Speed-the-Plow” at the London Old Vic with Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum.
Theatre credits:
– Roxie Hart in “Chicago” at the Cambridge Theatre, London
– Anita in “West Side Story”
– Young Sally in “Follies,” Festival Hall
– Tanya in “Mamma Mia”
– Elsa Schraeder in “The Sound of Music”
– Joseph, Evita, Mademoiselle X in “The Stronger” by August Strindberg at the Arcola Theatre
– Olivia in “Twelfth Night”
– Catwoman in the World Arena Tour of “Batman Live” for Warner Bros
– Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth,” London
Film credits:
– Vampire killers – Momentum Pictures
– Pelican Blood – Ecosse Films
– Wrong Turn 3 – 20th Century fox
– John Carter of Mars – Disney/Pixar’s first dramatised film
Television credits:
– Krod Mandoon (Comedy central)
– Upstairs Downstairs playing Wallis Simpson (BBC)
– New Blood (BBC), A Confession (ITV)

Teacher
Justine Marie Mead
Originally from Penarth, South Wales, Justine trained at the Guildford School of Acting and has spent over 20 years performing professionally and teaching in academies and schools.
Her theatre work spans classic musicals, immersive shows, and family theatre, with roles including The Enchantress in Beauty and the Beast, Belle Livingstone in 58th Street and The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age, Betty Blast / Eleanor in Footloose, Mary Read in Bonny and Read, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and Snapdragon / Fluella the Ice Witch in Tickledom. She has also performed in productions like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Prince, Zanna Don’t!, and Overtures at the V&A Museum.
Justine brings her professional experience and passion for performance into her teaching, helping students develop confidence, creativity, and their own love of performing.

Teacher

Iain is a director and practitioner. Following a First Class honours drama degree from Bretton Hall, Leeds University, he initially worked as an actor; including plays at The Royal Court, Young Vic, The Royal Exchange Manchester, Liverpool Playhouse, the Unicorn Theatre and Hull Truck. He was nominated for Best Actor in the Manchester Theatre Awards. Iain’s film and TV work includes A Rather English Marriage, Christmas Carol the Movie, Always and Everyone, Coronation Street, Grease Monkeys, Doctors and The Bill.
His directing work includes shows at Greenwich Theatre, the Churchill Theatre Bromley and the National Theatre Connections Festival. He has also directed at several drama schools.
Iain was previously the Classical Acting lecturer at the University of West London. He has also taught on the M.A. Acting Course at Drama Centre and is an Associate Artist at Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation.

Teacher

Griffin is an American musical director, producer, and actor-musician based in London. Some highlights include Kinky Boots (Norwegian Cruise Line), Five Guys Named Moe (Above the Gatehouse – London Pub Theatre Award winner), and touring with Tim Bray Theatre – New Zealand’s leading theatre for Children. He now specialises in producing and MDing new writing and will be touring the play Ripper to Camden and Edinburgh Fringes. Griffin also teaches at several leading drama schools including Emil Dale, Goldsmiths, and Urdang, among others. He maintains a private music teaching practice in west London.

Teacher

Felicity has covered a wide breadth of work in theatre, tv, film and radio.
Since leaving Webber Douglas Academy, her theatre credits include the International tour of Mamma Mia playing Rosie, It’s Her Turn Now at the Mill at Sonning, Fiddler on the Roof at the London Palladium with the late great Chaim Topol, and she has worked in repertory theatres all over the country from Salisbury to Liverpool as well as numerous national tours including Lend Me A Tenor, Charley’s Aunt, Fiddler on the Roof, Round The Horne Revisited (playing Betty Marsden) and Liza Liza Liza (playing Liza Minnelli).
She has appeared in many BBC Radio plays: The Far Side of the Moore, Boris and Michael: The Two Brexiteers, Heading For Paradise, The Iraq Dossier and The Adventures of Sexton Blake. She has also appeared as the reader on BBC Radio 4’s popular series The Write Stuff.
Most recently, Felicity can be heard on Audible.co.uk as Titania in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, directed by Dirk Maggs, and other plays include Sheltered, Sherlock Holmes, Weeds and an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s first successful novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
Felicity has also played many character roles in video games including the BAFTA award-winning Baldurs Gate 3, and has dubbed many animations such as Florrie’s Dragons and Laura’s Star. She also appeared in Tickety-Tock, another glorious animation series, as Madame Au Lait the ping-pong playing, cake-baking cow, shown on Channel 4 and looks upon this as one of her finest performances!
Currently, on screen, Felicity can be seen as Gladys Baker in the Amazon Prime series “The Peripheral”.
“This class is so much more than ‘performance and drama’. Yvette and Kristen have a gift for connecting with the kids and helping them find their voice, and perform like no one is watching”
" I love Lights Up! " Monday used to be my most boring day, but now I have something to look forward to. It is the best class ever. The teachers are always so supportive and have made me feel so much more confident. My favourite part is that we perform shows in front of parents and friends and in public. The bonus part is at the end of term; we have a Light up! Party! "
“My daughter absolutely loves attending lights up perform drama classes. Performing in front of people was a challenge for my daughter, but after few sessions she told me that she loves it and looks forward to going every week. Margaux has grown in her confidence, in creative expression, in social interaction, she is learning so much every week. She is so happy. Learning a script, improvisational techniques, singing, dancing…are challenging for the children and they really love it!
Thank you for your hard work…all your techniques to improve public confidence are very professional!”
Our daughter joined Lights Up from the very beginning, and it was an immediate hit. It is the highlight of her week. Her confidence and ability have grown hand over hand under the expert stewardship of Yvette and Kristen. They have managed to create a warm, safe and inclusive platform that stimulates and challenges children to perform, whatever their ability or experience. Whilst there is clear focus and discipline there is also ample space for fun and laughter. Parents are kept up-to-date on what’s happening and are regularly invited to come and see their children perform.
I just want to thank you so much for all the incredible work you do. I deeply believe there is no greater way for the children to learn how to express themselves, become more confident while having fun and creating memories that will stay with them forever. Is pure joy for me to see them acting, singing and dancing. Seeing them how children should be ! Happy and thoughtless. What you two do is simply amazing and I admire you for all the passion and love you put into it.

Elevate your strengths up
Elevate your excitement up
Elevate your creativity up
Elevate your energy up
Elevate your LIGHTS UP
THE DRAMA STUDIO
Fulham Boys School - 532 Fulham Road
London, SW6 5BD
lightsup.perform@gmail.com
www.lightsup-perform.com
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