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MEET THE TEAM

TRUSTEES, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE & PATRON

Chairman (Trustee)

Head of Stage School

Cath Kemp-Johnson

Chairman (Trustee)

Head of Stage School

Cath joined the committee in 2025 after helping out with props in previous shows, She soon became a very valuable asset to Starmaker sourcing and making props and set items for our productions as well as reorganising our Costume Store and taking responsibility for our entire production wardrobe. She also organises all of our public and private events at Starmaker. In 2026, Cath stepped up to become our new Chairman.

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Operations & Technical Manager

Tom Widdis

Operations & Technical Manager

Tom is most happy on his computer but will happily get involved in most technical things that are asked of him. He lives and breaths programming having spent 6 years studying computing. In his spare time he likes to design and print 3D items, so do get in touch if you have any 3D printing requirements. Tom's younger brothers are in the theatre company and Stage School and he was encouraged to join the committee by his mother Vicki! Tom also enjoys helping during show week and you can normally find him in the tech box doing lighting.

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Welfare Officer

Liz Pearson

Welfare Officer

Coming soon

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Marketing Manager

Vacant

Marketing Manager

Coming soon

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Company Manager & Finance Director (Trustee)

Head of Stage School, Summer School & LAMDA

Vicki Widdis

Company Manager & Finance Director (Trustee)

Head of Stage School, Summer School & LAMDA

Vicki is a busy mum of four boys and spends her time juggling home, work and volunteering with various charities including Starmaker has been involved with Starmaker Since 2014 and joined the committee in 2016 as Business Manager, she is happy to now be taking on the roles of Company Manager, Finance Director and Trustee. She also really enjoys producing the Starmaker shows and has dabbled as assistant director too. Vicki is finance director in her e-commerce company TAOS Gifts that she has run with her husband Rob since 2010, starting her entrepreneur journey as a sole trader in 2001. She enjoys a challenge and has a great love of anything technical and Excel, most of all she loves to learn new things.

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Membership Secretary (Community Trustee)

Becky Stewardson

Membership Secretary (Community Trustee)

Becky has been involved with Starmaker since her son started in the Company in 2023 initially supporting as a chaperone, and took on the Community Trustee position and committee member in 2024. She absolutely adores musical theatre even if she herself has no singing voice and is generally terrified of being on a stage! She is however a keen amateur musician playing violin in several local orchestras and occasional pit work. When she isn't supporting her Starmaker family, she's also busy as a Trustee and Secretary of Reading Youth Orchestra.

Becky has a full time role in an energy research company as a global reward and benefits leader, also has a daughter and is a pet mum to a dog, 2 rabbits, a cockatiel and many fish!

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Production Administrator

Shannon Wake

Production Administrator

Coming soon

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Patron

Kate Winslet

Patron

Kate spent many years at Starmaker taking part in some wonderful productions. Starmaker helped her dreams become a reality. Our organisation has a special place in her heart and she continues to support us through her success and even the occasional surprise visit.

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Company Secretary (Trustee)

Jess Jones

Company Secretary (Trustee)

Jess recently joined Starmaker as Company Secretary and Trustee, and she is thoroughly enjoying every aspect of her role, from organising files to designing artwork. When she's not collaborating with the committee, Jess serves as the Director of Senior Drama at Reddam House Berkshire School, where she passionately teaches GCSE and A-Level students about all things related to the stage.

A seasoned performer herself, Jess is trained in both physical and musical theatre. She has starred in numerous productions, including Starlight Express, Wicked, CATS, and Les Misérables. Additionally, Jess is a former member of #IDEK Theatre Company, where she toured schools in the UK and New York, helping students navigate their further education choices.

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Artistic Manager

Katie Upton

Artistic Manager

Katie’s Starmaker journey began in 2016 as a cast member in Legally Blonde. and performing in many Starmaker productions before signing on as Assistant Director for Seussical in 2019.

In the years that followed Katie focused on her training in the performing arts, performing in BTA’s Dogfight: The Musical at The Southwark Playhouse in 2019 and graduating from READ College with an ATCL Level 4 Diploma in Performing (Musical Theatre) awarded by Trinity College London.

Katie now works as a LAMDA teacher, and has been on the production team for Starmaker since 2021 as well as being Artistic Manager and helping the committee to decide on future productions.

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Events Manager

Michelle Wade-Green

Events Manager

Coming soon

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FOUNDERS OF STARMAKER


Dennis Carver, Alan Cornish, Angela Cornish, Terry Hodgkinson, Elaine Hunt, Maureen Langham, David Parsonson, David Savage and Linda Webdell.

 

VICE PRESIDENTS
 

Richard Agg, Ben Ashton, Shirley Ashton, Marilyn Baker, Keith Baker, Joyce Bamford, Graham Borham, Sir Michael Caine, Kate Caton, Charles Coultas, Michael Cuckson, Gloria Ellis, Anthony England, Jim Ewan, Jenny Green, Steve Harris, Henry Hawes, Lynda Hewlett, Carol Hodgkinson, Beverly Legg, Timmy Mallett, Alistair McKay, Mary McKay, Paul McKenna, Sam Murray, Lynne Newell, Lady Norrie, Malcolm Palin, David Parsonson, Jean Pratt, Mike Quirke, David Savage, Cathie Savage, Rebecca Simons, Tansy Simpson, Julie Slevin, Alan Smith, Alison Smith, Glynis Smith and Helen Woodford.

 

HONORARY MEMBERS
 

Annie Bassett, Charlotte Bonney, Wayne Davis, Steve Druce, Barbara Jenkins, Lesley Pearson and Oliver Widdis.
 

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