Nelson Training Team

the team

"... the sketches!! Fabulous! Entertaining but the messages went home. Keep up the good work - it's working"
Simone Green, Customer Services Advisor, Stratford District Council
Customer Care May 2005

Clockwise from left: Viv Nelson, Kevin Tillett, Lee Farley, Austin Gussett, Delroy Brown, Keeley Harker,
Pablo Reybould, Ben Manning, Jon Mortimer, Lindsay Maples, Wincey Willis, Betty Coltrane, Bob Traynor

Viv Nelson
Originally from Liverpool, Viv was educated at the Universities of Cardiff, Warwick, Leicester, and the OU and holds masters degrees in education and training.
Before establishing Nelson Training, Viv worked at Solihull College where she rapidly became one of the youngest ever department heads running a large management department offering a wide variety of qualifications.
Whilst working for the college, Viv helped to establish Solihull Training Consultancy in 1988, where she designed and delivered hundreds of training courses as their senior trainer and consultant.
Prior to that she worked for the CEGB, Shell UK, the Inland Revenue and ran an adventure playground for 12 months in Kirkby Liverpool.
Viv is a keen advocate of alternative and accelerated training methods and started to incorporate drama into her training courses in 1998, since when she has been experimenting and researching the various ways in which the performing arts can bring training to life.
In addition to drama, and improvisation Viv also uses storytelling as a medium for training and has also organised many samba percussion sessions to liven up a team building session for the delegates!
Viv’s main strength is her training experience and qualifications which allows her to offer the full package of training needs analysis, design, delivery, and evaluation of programmes.

Kevin Tillett
Kevin has worked with Nelson Training since November 2001as an actor and trainer/ facilitator. He is a biology graduate and a qualified and experienced teacher/ trainer, holding a post-grad Certificate in Education. His training experience prior to Nelson Training included running opera workshops for adults and children including special needs.
In addition to training on many sessions, Kevin has also facilitated team away-days and appeared and performed at conferences and shows on behalf of Nelson Training. He is an actor and performer with many years experience. He has performed with the D’Oyly Carte opera company, and regularly in pantomime. His career has taken him abroad several times where he has performed a wide variety of roles, from Shakespeare to light opera. He regularly works as a MC /compere for private and public functions.
Lee Farley
Lee joined Nelson Training having qualified in Theatre Studies and Dramatic Art at the University of Warwick and has also an Advanced Acting Diploma from the Welsh College of Music in Cardiff. He has had extensive experience working in schools as a storyteller, drama workshop leader and ‘Poetry in Schools’ leader in the London area.
He then progressed to youth drama teacher before moving to Evesham where he ran a very successful adventure playground. He was initially educated at Dyson Perrin School in Malvern and has been actively involved in Youth Projects at Malvern Theatre and regularly performs in and directs for The Malvern Players. Lee has also worked in radio and television for the BBC in a variety of acting roles.
Bob Traynor
Robert Traynor (Bob) trained at the Guildhall, and Birmingham School of Music.
Bob has been working regularly with Nelson Training since November 2001, both as an actor and also a trainer/ facilitator. Bob has successfully facilitated training sessions in communication skills, conflict handling and team building, and has experience in teaching and training in a wide range of subjects including opera to special needs children nationwide and scratch panto to IT departments as a team building session!
Bob has also toured internationally in his performing career, including trips to the States and Germany. An ex D`Oyly Carte member Bob regularly performs principal roles in Gilbert & Sullivan and appeared in The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado at The Buxton International G&S Festival. At Christmas time for three years running he performed with John Inman as the Emperor of China in Aladdin. He has recently rejoined us following a successful principal role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which has just finished its West End run.

Wincey Willis
Wincey joined the team in September 2003. She is best known as a weather presenter on Tyne Tees TV and TVam, and as Channels Four’s Treasure Hunt adjudicator. She has also had her own programme on BBC radio, been poet in residence at The Cheltenham Literature Festival (2002), written articles, books, plays and songs. Her film credits include appearing in Consuming Passions with Willie Rushton, Vanessa Redgrave, and Jonathan Pryce.
Betty Coltrane
When Viv Nelson first trained using actors Betty Coltrane was in the first session and has since regularly acted out Forum Theatre roles as a traffic warden, police officer, probation officer, and office clerk to name a few. Betty performs in her own productions for the Tree Frog Theatre Company of which she was the founder.
In addition to this Betty has many years experience in a wide variety of acting roles including television and film work. She has appeared in her own one-person stand-up show at the Birmingham Arts Festival two years running and her recent ‘Macbeth in 25 minutes’ had the theatre overflowing.
Austin Gussett
Austin was trained at the Birmingham Theatre School after graduating in English Literature. In addition to many years theatre work he has worked in audio and film whilst writing his own material. He is a prolific playwright and has recently completed plays that he hopes will be appearing in production shortly.
Delroy Brown
Viv first worked with Delroy in 2001. Delroy is an experienced professional actor and also an excellent drummer playing regularly with Alvin Stardust in addition to performing with his own band. Following a recent successful tour of South Africa he is now appearing with the BBC Radio rep company.
Lindsay Maples
Originally from Southend, Lindsay joined the team in March 2004 and has since helped to deliver many sessions.
Lindsay has written and performed in her own pantos in Hereford and Scotland and trained at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh. She has also appeared in lead roles up and down the country from serious drama to light theatre.
Ben Manning
A skilled actor and trainer, Ben has written, directed and acted in two sell out productions at theEdinburgh Fringe. He has performed in venues around the country as well as in a comedy short on HTV West.

Den Woods
Den trained at the Birmingham School of Speech & Drama and Bourneville School of Art. Her theatrical credits include Shakespeare (Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet) and her film credits include the Barmaid in Brown Paper Bag, winner of the BAFTA short film 2004. She has appeared several times on TV including Claire in The man who wouldn’t paint Hitler –winner of Royal Television Society Awards 2002.
Iain Sigston
Ian trained in the West Midlands and been appearing up and down the country in a wide range of plays from light comedy to serious drama. Partially sighted himself, he has recently been touring a production both for and by visually impaired people. He has been performing corporate role play for several years and first worked with Viv Nelson in 1999
Dr Jon Mortimer
Jon works for Nelson Training as its senior training consultant and web site, course materials and literature designer. He is also the company one to one coaching specialist with a wealth of experience of business and management over many years. He has held a professorship at the University of the West of England and was a visiting fellow at the Campus Ventures business incubator unit at Manchester University where he developed their training programme for high technology based businesses.
Keeley Harker
Keeley trained at East 15 Acting School. Since leaving college she has acted in many roles for the stage including Carla in The Other Man, Helen in Why Me? and Mam in Young Hearts (all for Hull Truck Theatre Co.). Film roles have included Tanya in Single Life.
Pablo Raybould
Pablo is a character actor who joined Nelson Training at the end of last year.. Following a career in the motor trade Pablo became a professional actor. He specialises in comic roles and improvisation and has also appeared in a number of TV shows such as Casualty and Dalziel & Pascoe.
Una George
Una works tirelessly in the office and answers your emails & calls and sends out your bills. She keeps the accounts and databases up to date and makes sure everything runs smoothly.