ALUMNI
Over the years, Glasgow Acting Academy has had the privilege of working with countless talented students, many of whom have gone on to achieve incredible success both within the industry and beyond. We are immensely proud to have played a part in their journey and remain committed to supporting them every step of the way.
Chloe Hodgson
Chloe attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO from the age of 11–16, where she trained across acting and musical theatre whilst performing in a wide range of productions. Following her time at GAA, she graduated from New College Lanarkshire with a BA in Musical Theatre.
Since graduating, Chloe has built an exciting professional career across stage and screen. Recent credits include Jodie Calvano in River City (BBC Scotland), Swing in Girls Night Oot! and Girls Night Oot! 2 (Insideout Theatre Productions) and Bernadette in Orphans (National Theatre of Scotland).
Alongside her professional performing career, Chloe continues to champion Scottish theatre and performance, and remains a valued part of the wider GAA alumni family.
“I will always be grateful for the Glasgow Acting Acting. As well as making lifelong friends, it gave me the confidence and confirmation I needed to pursue a career in the performing arts industry. The support and training I received was incredible, providing me with the essential skills required to enter the industry. The tutors always went above and beyond, encouraging me to constantly push myself. I cannot recommend this place enough to anyone considering a career in the industry, looking to grow confidence or just to meet the most wonderful people. GAA will always have a special place in my heart.”
Sean Connor
Sean joined Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO at just six years old and was involved in numerous productions and classes throughout his time at the academy. Following his training at New College Lanarkshire, Sean has gone on to build an impressive professional career across film, television and theatre.
His screen credits include Anna and the Apocalypse, Schemers, One of Us, Still Game and Trust Me, alongside his long-running role as series regular Dylan in River City (BBC Scotland). More recently, Sean appeared in The Legend of Davie McKenzie (A Play, A Pie and A Pint/Traverse Theatre).
Sean remains a hugely valued member of the wider GAA alumni family, and we are incredibly proud to watch his career continue to flourish.
"I think the length of time I ended up staying at GAA Speaks volumes for just how great the place is. I learned so many things growing up with some truly talented people. I got to work with people I admire every day and I definitely feel like my time at GAA has had a deeply positive effect on the actor I am today."
Michelle Donnelly
Michelle attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO from the age of 13, before training at New College Lanarkshire, where she gained her BA in Acting. She then continued her studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Michelle has gone on to build an impressive career across television, film and theatre. Her recent screen credits include Sparks (Channel 4), Muted (BBC Scotland) and A Calm Sea Sways, which saw her win Best Actress at the TMBT Film Festival in America and receive a Best Actress nomination at the Scottish Film Festival. Other screen credits include The Romance Class, Case Histories, Half Moon Investigations, Burnistoun, Healey’s House and The Rule of Thumb.
Michelle continues to work across stage and screen and remains a hugely valued member of the wider GAA alumni family.
"I joined GAA when I was 13 to try and gain some confidence, after a few classes I realised how much I loved performing and it became such a passion of mine and I decided to take my passion further and progress it into a career. My favourite parts whilst at GAA were Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Adela in The House of Bernarda Alba, I felt that both parts were challenging in their own way and I still remember them to this day! I am so thankful I joined GAA all those years ago as it gave me so many opportunities and I have so many great memories to cherish!"
Connor Curren
Connor attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO before going on to train at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. During his time at GAA, he appeared in productions including “Blackout” (NT Connections/GAA).
Since graduating, Connor has built an exciting career across both theatre and television. His theatre credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre), Lady Windermere’s Fan and Jane Wenham: The Witch of Walkern” (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). His television credits include Dodger (BBC/NBCUniversal), Two Doors Down (BBC Scotland), “Doctors”, “Casualty”, “Whitstable Pearl” and “Patience”.
Connor continues to work across stage and screen, and remains a hugely valued part of the wider GAA alumni family.
“I joined GAA in 2011 at 15 years old mainly to build confidence and it has since became the starting point for my love for acting and performance. From the get go I was welcomed into a warm and welcoming atmosphere and was challenged and encouraged by the work we did here, and the friends I made whilst attending are still mates for life to this day! The training here will not only help develop you as a person but also -as it did for me - can help kindle a lifelong passion for the arts, and I can safely say that without going here I wouldn’t be doing what I was doing today. So no matter what you decide to do later in life, the experiences you will have here at GAA will no doubt make it a second home in no time!"
Alana Jackson
Alana attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO before going on to train on the BA Acting course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2020. During her training, she was selected to appear in the Sam Wanamaker Festival at Shakespeare's Globe.
Since graduating, Alana has built an exciting career across theatre, television and comedy. Her acting credits include The Living Newspaper (Royal Court Theatre), Mary & Ada Set The World To Rights (Òran Mór), Scot Squad (BBC Scotland) and The Metamorphosis (Vanishing Point Theatre Company).
More recently, Alana has become one of Scotland’s most exciting rising comedy performers. In 2024, she won the prestigious “So You Think You’re Funny?” competition at the Edinburgh Fringe, with her debut comedy show “Last Orders” going on to receive sold out performances and critical acclaim.
Alana continues to work across stage and screen and remains a hugely valued member of the wider GAA alumni family.
“I am so grateful for my time at Glasgow Acting Academy! From the classes to the rehearsals/productions I was involved in, I have so many happy memories! GAA strikes the perfect balance of pushing their students to reach their potential whilst creating an encouraging and fun atmosphere. My classes at GAA used to be my favourite days of the week! The training allowed me to develop skills that I will carry with me throughout my career. If you are looking to pursue a career in acting, I can’t recommend GAA enough!"
Bailey Newsome
Bailey attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO before going on to train at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2019. Since then, he has built an exciting career across theatre, television and film.
His theatre credits include Moorcroft (Tron Theatre/National Theatre of Scotland), Romeo & Juliet (Bard in the Botanics), The Scaff and Write-Off”(A Play, A Pie and A Pint), alongside productions including Oor Wullie: The Musical, A Potted Christmas Carol, Tay Bridge and A-Z of Dundee (Dundee Rep). During his time at GAA, Bailey also appeared in Blackout (NT Connections/GAA).
His screen credits include Outlander (Sony/Starz), Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (World Productions), Scot Squad (BBC Scotland), The Sunny (The Comedy Unit), The Field of Blood (BBC Scotland) and Saved (Creative Scotland).
Bailey continues to work across stage and screen and remains a hugely valued member of the wider GAA alumni family.
“I’ve had an absolute blast working on all sorts of shows since graduating in 2019 but absolutely none of it would be possible without GAA. I attended classes at GAA from 2010 until 2016. In those 6 years not only did I begin to learn the skills that are needed but I also developed friendships with people that will last a lifetime. GAA is a warm, kind place that is open to anyone and everyone. Many of my friends from GAA are now doing incredible things and I’m so proud of them all. I would say that even if you don’t wish to pursue a career in the arts, you would still gain so much from a place like GAA. What it has done for people’s confidence and social skills is fantastic. I loved every second of my time at GAA and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a career in the arts or to anyone who is looking to try something new and get out their comfort zone. GAA is the place to be!"
Gabrielle Monica Hughes
Gabrielle attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO before going on to graduate from New College Lanarkshire with a First Class Degree in Acting with Creative Enterprise.
Since graduating, Gabrielle has begun building an exciting career across television and theatre. She appeared as Nadia in Two Doors Down Christmas Special (BBC Scotland) and recently toured Scotland in The Time Machine: A Radical Feminist Retelling (Jordan & Skinner). Her screen credits also include Dept. Q (Netflix).
Alongside her acting work, Gabrielle is also a singer and creative based in Glasgow, continuing to develop work across the Scottish arts industry. She remains a hugely valued member of the wider GAA alumni family.
“I attended GAA for a lot of my childhood and always felt supported and inspired by the teaching that they offer. From a young age I always knew I wanted to perform and having the opportunity to do that with GAA was extremely encouraging and the skills I learned there allowed me to pursue my professional career. I owe so much to Glasgow Acting Academy, so much of finding out who I am as a performer, and as a person came from my time at GAA. I’m lucky enough to have made friends for life and get so excited to continuously support the glorious work they do for the Scottish Industry.”
Ryan J McKay
Ryan attended Glasgow Acting Academy SCIO before going on to train in Acting and Performance at New College Lanarkshire. In 2016, he was accepted into Frantic Assembly’s prestigious Ignition Company, beginning an ongoing relationship with the organisation.
Since graduating, Ryan has built an exciting professional career across theatre, television and film. His theatre credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, West End), Kidnapped (National Theatre of Scotland), Water Colour (Pitlochry Festival Theatre/Byre Theatre), Ignition (Frantic Assembly), The Gorbals Vampire (Citizens Theatre) and Blackout (NT Connections/Royal Lyceum Theatre/GAA).
His screen credits include Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (Netflix/BBC Scotland), Shetland (BBC Scotland) and Casualty (BBC).
Ryan continues to work across stage and screen and remains a hugely valued member of the wider GAA alumni family.
"I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for GAA. It gave me the opportunity to grow, create and perform. It taught me the ins and out and what it means to work in this industry. GAA is somewhere I'll never forget."
Aodhan Gallagher
Aodhan began his training at the Tisch School of the Arts, NYU in New York City in 2015, straight after leaving Glasgow Acting Academy. Since joining the school's Dramatic Writing department, he has written several scripts for theatre, film and television that have received in-class workshops and have been staged and performed at GAA when he returned home for the summer. He's had the opportunity to be trained by Pulitzer Prize Nominee writers and professionals in the industry, who have helped him hone his craft and reach his full potential. On top of his writing, he has also used the experience of being at Tisch to train as an actor as well. In 2016, he was accepted into the Tisch Open Arts Acting Studio, where he was taught by some of New York's top acting coaches and has used what he's learned from the studio to perform in plays on NYU's campus. This year, Aodhan was also accepted into NYU's Acting Program in Berlin, where he will be studying a course called Brecht, Stanislavski and Beyond, which is an intensive studio that focuses on training young actors to blend naturalistic styles of performances with the less conventional styles in order to enhance their stage presence. Aodhan frequently comes back to GAA to work with the students and pass on what he has learned. No matter what, GAA is what ignited his interest in writing and performing so it will always hold a special place in his heart.