Limepalm Company Director
& Course Leader | LAMDA tutor

Susie has had a passion for theatre for as long as she can remember! She loved drama throughout her school days, studying drama GCSE and completing New Era Examinations in Drama and Speech and Acting completing all grades in both disciplines. Susie graduated from Birmingham University with a BA Hons in Drama and Theatre Arts in 1997. Since graduating Susie worked in professional theatre on numerous large-scale West End productions as well as producing her own small and mid-scale productions. She was General Manager for the Kings Head Theatre in London and General Manager for End of the Pier Productions who programmed and managed the Arts Theatre in London’s West End. Susie has also worked for two large theatrical agencies representing world class writers, composers, actors and creatives. In 2011, while on maternity leave, Susie joined the committee for the Lindfield Arts Festival and met Robin Belfield. Susie and Robin shared a passion for performing arts and were particularly interested in working with young people. In addition to working together on the 2011 and 2012 Lindfield Arts Festivals Robin and Susie went on to co-found Story Box (with Charley Harris) delivering pre-school storytelling sessions for little ones aged 6 months and up. In 2012 Susie and Robin founded Limepalm Productions.

Susie is a qualified First Aider.

Limepalm Company Director & Safeguarding Leader | LAMDA tutor

Holly has always loved acting and performing, the sense that you can escape into other worlds has always captured her imagination and creativity. Since the age of 12, Holly started to take LAMDA exams and has achieved up to gold medals standard in LAMDA in two different areas; Acting and Verse and Prose. During this time, she was also studying her ‘A levels’ in English Literature and Theatre Studies. With teaching as a chosen career, Holly graduated from Brighton University with a BA Hons in Upper Primary/Lower Secondary School teaching with English and QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). Holly continues to remain in education. She has taught a variety of different ages ranging from Reception children up to Year 9, with Drama at the heart of her classroom practice. After returning to work in 2011 from maternity leave, Holly was asked to become the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). Holly is a qualified First Aider.

Little Limes Course Leader

Lucy graduated from Exeter with a BA Hons in History, and went on to complete a MA in English with the Open University. Along the way she completed all the grades in New Era Speech and Drama examinations and developed an ongoing passion for music and theatre (and musical theatre!). Her career path led her through jobs with the police, National Crime Agency and MOD, before leaving to have her first baby 11 years ago. Three more babies followed in fairly quick succession, and the last decade has been largely dedicated to playing, reading to and messing around with children.

Along the way, Lucy took her babies to a wonderful storytelling session run by Storybox, a company co-founded by Susie. She loved it (and so did her babies) and before long, she was running the sessions, before following Susie to Limepalm, where she worked as an assistant with Saturday morning KS1 sessions. A few years later baby 3 started reception, and Little Limes was born, giving Lucy an opportunity to continue to play and read to and mess around with children, with the aim of building confidence and encouraging little imaginations to shine. Last year she completed a PGCERT at Brighton University, gaining her Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

Lucy is now a Deputy Manager at a local forest school nursery, a member of the Board of Lindfield Primary Academy, and a Beaver Leader in the village, and is deeply invested in children’s development and education in Lindfield.

Musical Theatre Tutor and Summer Workshop Group Leader

Jo is currently Head of Music at a state secondary just outside Brighton, although she has had a career running music departments and teaching young people, she still finds it exciting and challenging every day. She is very passionate about music in and out of schools and loves the way it allows students to tap into the other side of their brain, letting the creativity flow!

Jo’s passion and absolute love is being musical director for a show and she is lucky enough to have taken on that role in many productions, including “Grease” “Fame” “Dido and Aeneas” and “West Side Story” to name a few. She has taught Music for over 20 years and Drama for many of those as well, in addition she has taught in Australia and Spain. Jo has worked with young people from as young as 2 up to the grand age of 18. She has conducted orchestras, choirs, wind bands, rock groups, samba bands and various other exciting ensembles. She has arranged music for school ensembles and plays various instruments herself!

She counts herself extremely lucky to be involved with Limepalm Productions and is loving working with the amazing young people that are working towards their LAMDA Musical Theatre qualifications as well as a Group Leader for the annual Limepalm Summer Workshop.

Limepalm Company Director

Robin Belfield is a Theatre Director, Writer and Education Facilitator. He is currently Young People’s Performance Developer for The Royal Shakespeare Company, working with schools and young people across the country. As a freelance director and writer, Robin was awarded a place on the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme and since then has worked for many theatres including: The National Theatre, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Bristol Old Vic, The Dukes Theatre (Lancaster) and The Watermill Theatre (Newbury). He has also taught at several of the UK's drama schools including Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Oxford School of Drama.