The Performer’s Toolkit: A Triple-Threat Studio Day
Dance. Act. Sing. Create.
Who: Year 3 to High School (sessions will be separated by age groups)
When: Monday, 13th July
Time: 9 am-3 pm
Location: Marrickville or Earlwood (near Canterbury, Kingsgrove, Innerwest
Cost: $95 pp
Early Bird Offer: $85 with code EARLY10
A one-day school holiday intensive designed for young performers to build confidence, creativity and real performance skills, in a supportive, high-energy environment.
Students rotate through acting, singing and movement sessions with experienced industry professionals, before coming together to hone in on essential audition skills.
Open to all levels: from curious beginners to experienced young performers.
Learn from Industry Professionals
Throughout the day, students will work with a team of experienced performers and industry professionals who bring real-world insight into the room. From stage to screen, our guest artists share practical skills, fresh perspectives and current industry practices — giving students the opportunity to learn, adapt and be inspired by different teaching styles. It’s a rare chance to train with multiple professionals in one day, building not just skills, but confidence in working with new voices and creative approaches.
What You’ll Experience
Across the day, students will take part in:
Acting Lab: Scene & Character
Build confidence, explore storytelling and bring characters to life.Vocal Lab: Voice & Performance
Develop vocal skills, musicality and performance confidence.Stage Performance: Musical Theatre Movement
Learn choreography and connect movement to storytelling.On-Camera: Screen Acting Basics
Build confidence on camera while learning the fundamentals of screen acting.Audition Lab: Audition Skills
Learn essential audition skills for theatre and self-tapes.
The Outcome
By the end of the day, students will:
feel more confident expressing themselves
gain skills across acting, singing and movement
experience working with multiple teachers
perform in a relaxed, supportive environment
Final Showcase + Q&A
The day concludes with a group performance and industry Q&A, where students can share their work and parents are invited to watch.
About the Workshop Director
Meet Veronica — The Coach Who Actually Walks the Walk
The Performer’s Toolkit: A Triple-Threat Studio Day is led by Veronica Clavijo, a professional actor, writer and creative producer. This intensive is designed to give young performers a space to explore, grow and feel genuinely supported.
With experience across screen and stage, Veronica brings both industry knowledge and a deeply human approach to teaching. Her goal is to help students build confidence, trust their instincts and connect to their creativity.
As the founder of The Pretend People, her work is driven by a belief that every child deserves the chance to express themselves, be imaginative, and develop skills that go far beyond performance.
Her screen work includes:
F Ward (Stan), Deadly Women (Beyond), Final Broadcast, Keith Urban & P!nk’s One Too Many, Face Up to the Sun, plus major campaigns for Bankwest, CitiBank, Real Insurance, and Tylenol.
Her stage highlights:
Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain, Marion in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Maria/Ensemble in 9 to 5, and work with KXT Broadway, Depot Theatre, Sydney Fringe, and more.
She’s also directed and coached young performers in Shrek Jr, Aladdin Kids, and assisted on The Lightning Thief (Regals) and Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert (Bondi Theatre Company).
But here’s the bit kids love most:
Veronica is the rare coach who blends professional-level training with playfulness, emotional intelligence, and genuine belief in every young performer she teaches. She knows how to challenge kids in ways that feel safe, exciting, and confidence-boosting — not intimidating.
She’s represented by CMT Talent, a proud MEAA member, a devoted educator, and the creative force behind The Pretend People.
In short?
She’s legit. She’s warm. And she knows exactly how to bring out the best in your young performer…on stage, on camera, and in themselves.
Our Guests
Ryan Ophel
Ryan Ophel is a dynamic performer and educator with a career spanning commercial musical theatre, opera, and screen.
After graduating from ED5 International in 2017, he made his professional debut in Disney’s Aladdin, launching a trajectory that has seen him appear in major productions including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera ( Opera Australia ), Disney’s Frozen, A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Co), Annie the Musical (Crossroads Live AU), the workshop and world premiere of Leap (Amy Campbell), and The Tap Pack touring throughout Germany and Indonesia.
He has also worked extensively with Opera Australia in productions such as La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, and Don Quichotte.
Beyond the stage, Ryan’s work includes appearances on The Voice, Australia’s Got Talent and Carols in the Domain. Ryan is currently working on “ The Merry Widow” with Opera Australia choreographed and Directed by Graeme Murphy AO
Adrian Espulso
Adrian is a performer working and living in Sydney. He’s most recently appeared in ABC Kids ‘Splashdance’, NRL ‘Drinkwise’ campaign, and Schick Razors ‘The Man I Am’ campaign.
Adrian was a top 8 contestant on Channel Ten’s Triple Threat show “I WILL SURVIVE” and has since performed in many live shows. He’s currently playing Manuel in Fawlty Towers and Ray in Confetti & Chaos with Interactive Theatre. He toured with ‘Eireborne – The Rebirth Of Irish Dance’ as their lead singer, ‘Jersey To Motown’ (Lovegrove Entertainment) and played Motel in ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ (RMS). Adrian also played Ricko in ‘Black Rock’ (Epicentre Theatre Company) and Judy in ‘The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show’ (Brent Thorpe).
Adrian has starred in many screen projects, including short films, television and commercials. He played Frank in ‘Frank Calls’ (Guillermo Sepúlveda) and Ralph Giancola in ‘Deadly Women’ (Beyond Productions).
Adrian holds a Cert IV in Performing Arts, completed the Estill Voice Training course and the Sing Over King CODA program. He trains with singing coach Linda Nagle and the team at Sydney Actors Collective. When Adrian is not performing, you can find him fixing trucks or playing football.
The Performer’s Toolkit: A Triple-Threat Studio Day
Monday 13th July | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
9:00 – 9:15
Arrival & Sign-In
9:15 – 9:30
Group Warm-Up & Ice Breaker
Session 1 | 9:30 – 10:30
Juniors:Acting Foundations
Build confidence, imagination and storytelling skills
Seniors:Vocal Technique & Performance
Develop vocal control, musicality and stage presence
10:30 – 10:45
Recess / Brain Break
Session 2 | 10:45 – 11:45
Juniors:Vocal Foundations
Explore pitch, projection and performance basics
Seniors:Acting: Scene & Character
Work with scripts to build believable, connected performances
11:45 – 12:15
Lunch Break
12:15 – 12:30
Group Reset & Warm-Up
Session 3 | 12:30 – 1:30
Juniors:Musical Theatre Movement
Learn fun, expressive Broadway-style choreography
Seniors:On-Camera Acting
Develop screen presence and natural, authentic performance
Session 4 | 1:30 – 2:30
Juniors: On-Camera Basics
A fun, confidence-building introduction to acting for screen
Seniors: Musical Theatre Performance
Refine choreography with performance quality and storytelling
2:30 – 3:00
Audition Skills & Industry Q&A
Parents are welcome to join for a Q&A
