NWT Board

List of Board Members

Sara Corcoran – Chair

Sara has over 25 years’ senior Human Resources and Organisational Development experience and played a leading role in some hugely exciting projects, such as the launch of the University of Suffolk (2016). She now focuses on leadership coaching and facilitation, and as co-founder of Thinking Outside Ltd, is drawing on the natural environment to deliver inspiring and impactful individual and organisational development. Sara is a qualified Executive Coach, a Fellow of the CIPD, a Board Trustee of the Association of University Administrators, a Governor of Writtle University College and Co-Chair of the OD in HE network. Her interests include reading, dancing, walking, theatre, watching rugby and travel. She is also the very proud mother of two incredible young men.

Ashley Bowdler

Ashley is a Chartered Manager, Founder and Director of Ibernet.org, a Marketing and Business support organisation working with blockchain technology and General Manager for net72 Marketing Agency. Ashley is a passionate sportsman and once an amateur theatrical who claims his acting days are behind him. He enjoys playing for and managing his village football team although not at the levels he had once played. Ashley supports the development for the town in which he was born and is passionate about the regeneration of Ipswich as a thriving Business and Arts hub. Ashley has enjoyed success within his role, which he believes comes from great teamwork, a desire to learn, and exploring new ideas. Ashley carries an infectious motivation into all projects.

Marc Bradbrook

Marc is a passionate supporter for the transition from fossil fuels to a clean future and wants to leave something positive behind for his kids and future generations.

Marc is Vice President of Business Development at Drax. Drax’s strategy is to become a global leader in negative emissions, by deploying its BECCS technology around the world to support the decarbonisation of energy systems and industry and the global drive to tackle climate change.

Outside of work Marc loves the NFL and has been a San Francisco 49ers fan since 1985.

Vickie Brazier

Vickie has lived in Ipswich all her life and has a background in law, qualifying as a Chartered Fellow Legal Executive and is an Associate at Taylor Haldane Barlex Solicitors in Ipswich, working in the area of Family Law, specialising in Child Care Law. Vickie works in the community, attending organisations that support young parents, providing legal advice and attending educational settings, promoting the legal profession to young people. Outside of work, Vickie enjoys reading, the theatre, socialising with family and friends and trying to get to the gym! Vickie has been interested in drama from an early age and once sought to pursue a career as an actor, undertaking work experience on the show Le Misérables at the Palace Theatre, London. Vickie likes to fundraise for various charities. In October 2022, Vickie engaged in a firewalking event raising funds for St Elizabeth Hospice. Vickie also likes to attend quiz nights.

Cathy Frost

Cathy is the owner of an independent high street shop. Her business, Loveone, a gift and homeware store can be found on St Peters Street in Ipswich. Cathy established the shop in 2007, and is a champion for the high street and small business, recognising the importance of a vibrant town centre and the role that communities play in this.

Cathy is a one of the directors for the The Saints Community Interest Company. A group that delivers the St.Peter’s Street markets twice a year. This market supports artisans and crafters from the local area and has helped to cement The Saints in Ipswich as a vibrant independent shopping area.

Cathy has lived in Ipswich for over 30 years and has been a supporter of the New Wolsey since it reopened 22 years ago. Cathy believes the cultural offer in Ipswich is particularly strong with many exciting groups reaching audiences both locally and far and wide. Cathy is keen to work with the theatre to ensure the New Wolsey continues this strong tradition, extends into new communities and realises the potential of the new Spiral building, NW2.

Alice Hardaker

As Development Director at the University of Suffolk Alice leads the Alumni Relations and Development team, fostering relationships with the University’s communities, donors, friends, graduates, honorary graduates and other stakeholders. Before this Alice was Head of Fundraising at Essex Wildlife Trust where she built and lead a portfolio of income streams including corporate development and partnerships, grants and trusts, gifts in Wills, individual philanthropy and membership. For several years she was General Manager at multi-award-winning London fringe theatre Southwark Playhouse, seeing its successful relocation into larger premises and leading on financial and operational management. She also led the in-house team across marketing, press and publicity, education and outreach, production, visitor experience and sales. Alice grew up in Suffolk and has been very lucky to work for organisations that support creativity, placemaking, education and our green spaces – all causes that are close to her heart. The skills and hobbies she wishes she kept up include yoga, music, languages and surfing. Alice has an MA in English Literature from the University of Leeds and has also studied at Trinity College, Dublin and University of California, San Diego. She is a qualified Nutritional Therapist.

Matt Harrison

Matt is a Director and Theatre Maker from North Yorkshire.

His first professional acting job was in Ipswich, where the New Wolsey’s Creative Communities Department showed him theatre’s potential for social change. This experience gave him both a love for the town and highlighted the vital importance of a great, local producing house.

Matt trained at East 15 Acting School and on the National Theatre Directors course. He’s a previous National Theatre New Works Department Resident Director and a JMK Award Finalist. Matt has directed work at venues including Southwark Playhouse, Northern Stage, The New Diorama, Ambassadors and Criterion Theatres, collaborating with artists including Emma Rice and Kathy Burke. He has worked extensively with emerging actors at a selection of Drama Schools, Young Companies and the National Youth Theatre.

Laura Herbert

Laura grew up in Ipswich and has lived in the local area for several years. She has always loved reading and storytelling: she studied English at the University of Bristol and was involved in student theatre whilst there. Laura joined Birketts LLP in 2018 as a trainee solicitor in the charities team and continued her training in the employment and employee incentive teams. She qualified solicitor in 2020 and now specialises in employment law providing commercial and strategic advice to employers and employees, focusing on finding pragmatic solutions and helping clients with their engagement and culture.

Before becoming a solicitor, Laura spent long periods abroad: she worked as a chalet cook in the Alps across two years; she worked alongside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on an international protection scheme for Burmese refugees and she spent time in the Calais camp, mostly putting her cooking skills to use in the kitchens. In her spare time, Laura volunteers with the Suffolk law advice centre. She is a keen sportswoman has held various roles on the Ipswich hockey club’s committee, including as their ladies’ club captain. Through a friend who is a hot air ballooning pilot, Laura has been involved in the GB hot air ballooning community and has represented the country at national championships as a crew member.

Sarah Sheppard

Sarah has lived in Ipswich and the surrounding area all her life. She has been a frequent visitor to The New Wolsey Theatre, taking in many shows a year. She enjoys the diversity of shows put on by The New Wolsey Theatre – from comedy to musicals and plays to pantomime.

Sarah’s professional skills help to support The New Wolsey Theatre and the benefits the Theatre brings to Ipswich and the surrounding area. A CIMA qualified account with over 24 years’ experience, Sarah currently works for The Sigma Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust in Clacton. The Trust is responsible for running 8 Secondary and 4 Primary Schools, all based in the Colchester and Tendring areas of North Essex. Prior to her current role, Sarah has also worked in the NHS, accountancy practice and the corporate world.

Outside of her working life, Sarah is a keen walker and is an active member of Ipswich Outdoor Group. She serves on their Committee as Treasurer. Many of her weekends are spent walking in the local area. Sarah also enjoys travelling further afield, hiking in the hills of the Peak District, the Lake District and beyond.

Sophie Woolley

Sophie is a writer and performer and director of Augmented Productions (Augmented tour 2020). Sophie is currently working as an actor in a TV drama, and writing for The Unicorn Theatre. She has also recently written for EastEnders and Casualty.

As an actor, writer and theatre maker, she’s worked with Told by an Idiot (Augmented, Associate Company), and toured extensively in the UK and Europe. She’s worked with the Lyric Hammersmith, Soho Theatre (When to Run & Writers Attachment Programme), Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Birmingham Rep, Salisbury Playhouse, Theatre Royal Plymouth. She has also collaborated with Andile Vellem and Unmute in South Africa.

Sophie’s plays include When to Run, Fight Face, Bee Detective, Augmented. Sophie is Deaf and is an advocate and maker of creatively accessible theatre. All her plays are accessible using creative captioning. Training includes Channel 4 Screenwriting Course, BBC Writersroom Writers’ Access Group, Clore Leadership Fellowship, BBC Radio Sparks.

Charlotte Wormstone

Charlotte moved to Suffolk in 2013 and works for Birketts LLP as a property litigator. She has been involved with the arts from an early age; studying ballet from the age of 2, being part of a youth theatre from the age of 13, studying English and Drama and performing at the Edinburgh Festival whilst at university. Having always felt at home in a theatre, being appointed to the Board of Directors for the New Wolsey Theatre was an extension of Charlotte’s previous theatrical experience and an added dimension to her involvement with the New Wolsey Theatre, as both an audience member and a performer. Charlotte is excited to be able to play a small but active part in the enthusiastic and dynamic team that runs the Theatre and who consistently bring exceptional arts experiences to Ipswich and Suffolk as a whole.