Meet the BYT Team
Confidence. Communication. Creativity.
At Bright Young Things we are so fortunate to have teachers who are as bright, crazy and dramatic as the young people we teach! BYT is built on the strength of its teachers. We are passionate about bringing the expertise of those who have trained and worked with the best to the young, local talent of NI. A big thank you to all of the BYT Team. Here’s to loving going to work every day!
Meet Lisa Duffy
Lisa Duffy- Director
Founder and Director of Bright Young Things Drama, Lisa has a boundless energy and commitment to drama and confidence building for young people in NI. With a Single Honours Degree in Drama from Queen’s University, a Professional Acting degree from the world renowned LAMDA and a PGCE in Primary Education from Roehampton University, Lisa is passionate about continuous professional development and bringing these expertise to the young people of NI.
Alongside running BYT, Lisa has a second organisation offering Presentation and Confidence Building skills to businesses and organisations across NI and continues to lecturer in Performing Arts.
Meet Our BYT Team
At BYT we are so fortunate to have teachers who are as bright, crazy and dramatic as the young people we teach! BYT is built on the strength of its teachers. A big thank you to all of the BYT Team. You are brilliant.Here’s to loving going to work every day!
Roisin Gallagher
Roisin trained in Acting at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. Since then she has worked across the UK in Theatre, Radio, TV and Film. As well as treading the boards, she has over eight years’ experience as a drama teacher and children’s entertainment host in London and Northern Ireland. She has a passion for developing children’s confidence through creativity and is proud to be a leader of such a high quality company as Bright Young Things.
Jessica Samoy Plunkett
Jessica is originally from Arizona, USA. She studied Theatre Arts and Contemporary Leadership at the University of Arizona, after which she came to Belfast for a volunteer year. She then moved to Los Angeles and studied improvisation with Upright Citizens Brigade, but missed Belfast and after a year, came back to Queen’s to get her Masters in Drama and Performance: Interdisciplinary Arts. Jessica now lives and works in Belfast. As well as loving working for Bright Young Things, she facilitates drama for the Lyric Theatre (young people) and Open Arts (adults with disabilities), and is a yoga teacher!
Gary Crossan
Gary is a graduate of the Lyric Drama Studio and has a degree in Drama and English from Queen’s University. Previously he has worked with Kids in Control and trained with Replay theatre in Performance for Younger Audience. Gary has completed an Irish tour of the Caucasian Chalk Circle with Bruiser theatre company and more recently a run of “She Stoops to Conquer” in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Gary’s latest project has been directing a piece in the Playhouse, Londonderry named ‘ Life is but a Meme”, with Stage Beyond, a theatre company for young adults with learning difficulties.
Megan Keenan
Megan Keenan Graduated from University of Ulster Magee with a 2:1 degree in Drama, excelling in Directing and Theatre for Young Audiences. Megan was drawn to Bright Young Things because of the motto confidence, communication and creativity. This applied to her as she is determined to pass on her love of drama to children with learning difficulties. Megan was diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia when she was seven and never imagined that someday she could be a university graduate. Megan has acted on stage and for screen and has experience in childcare, including voluntary experience at a Nursery and a Baby Rave!
Gerard Kelly
Gerard graduated from Edgehill University with a degree in drama, specialising in applied theatre. Having facilitated for the Grand Opera House Belfast, The Lyric Theatre and Big Telly Theatre Company, Gerard is also experienced in working with children and young people with disabilities. Gerard has qualifications in performance combat , music and a number of circus skills and has numerous professional acting credits specialising in theatre for young audiences, character acting, mime, and clowning
Ruth Jennings
Ruth trained as an actor-musician at Rose Bruford College. Since graduating in 2010 she has worked as a professional actress, singer, teacher and facilitator in conjunction with Belfast City Council, Ards County Council, Big Telly Theatre Company, NI Opera and more, delivering drama and singing workshops across Northern Ireland. Having worked with children from the ages of 4-18, Ruth has worked with children with learning difficulties and has led specific workshops for children with Down’s syndrome alongside working as a substitute drama teacher in Fullerton and Downey House.