Team

DRAMA SCENE was founded by Ferne Reynolds Lategan in 2008. Ferne is a qualified speech and drama professional and holds an Honors Degree in BA Dramatic Art.

Having lived in Dubai since 2003, Ferne decided to return to her first love, drama and founded DRAMA SCENE with around 30 students. Under her vision and guidance the school has grown into the largest skill based performing arts school the region as well as the largest private LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) Exam centre in the Middle East. Ferne believes in combining technique with creativity in order to offer drama as more than just a past time but a life long skill set. Under her guidance, many of her teen students have been accepted into top drama courses within international universities and drama schools across the UK, US and Canada in an effort to pursue careers in performance.

Aside from teaching and managing DRAMA SCENE across the ME, Ferne adjudicates interschool debating, performing and public speaking events in and around Dubai and produces and delivers corporate workshops. She is further passionate about directing and in 2012 co-directed Love, Loss and What I Wore written by Nora Ephron. Ferne herself is no stranger to performing. Whether on stage, in front of a camera or co hosting the awards ceremony for The Dubai International Film Festival Ferne is at home in front of an audience. Her experience covers numerous stage productions, soap operas and cameos in international films.

Zoe hails from Scotland and trained in Musical Theatre at New College Lanarkshire, receiving her BA in Performing Arts.

Zoe is a passionate, bubbly and nurturing teacher who is well versed in Acting, Musical Theatre, Singing and Dance and loves to share her knowledge and passion with children aged 4-17 years. Zoe and has taught in different primary and high schools across Scotland. Her speciality is singing, especially one to one tuition although she has also choreographed many larger productions and taught different dance disciplines including street dance, tap, jazz and contemporary.

Zoe is no stranger to performing on stage herself, she has been performing since she was a young child and still loves to perform. Some recent credits include: Elle Woods in ‘Legally Blonde’, Sarah in ‘Our House’, Cathy in ‘The Last 5 Years’, the Narrator in ‘Joseph’, Laurey in ‘Oklahoma’ and Reno Sweeney in ‘Anything Goes’.

Zoe is excited to join Team DRAMA SCENE, share her love of performing and inspire others to tread the boards.

Carly has loved performing since the age of 2 and by the age of 3 was competing in local dance competitions in the UK. These competitions took her up and down the country by her teenage years and her love of performing has never stopped.

Carly attended the Daphne Bennetts School of dance in the UK for many years, she took her learning further to complete a 1 year Diploma in Performing Arts (Dance) at LIPA and a further 3 years at Liverpool Theatre School to receive her Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre.

Upon completing her training Carly has been working in the industry, both as a performer, choreographer, talent manager and teacher. Her work has taken her around the world to countries such as France, Australia, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Kuala Lumpur, Philippines and the GCC. Carly has taught many styles of dance, drama and musical theatre with ages ranging from young children to adults. She has been a cover teacher at many reputable drama, dance and theatre schools in the UAE and likes to make her classes fun, engaging, and educational.

Carly is looking forward to being a part of the DRAMA SCENE team and sharing her knowledge, experience and nurturing young talent.

Amanda Mpofu -Performing Arts Teacher
Amanda Mpofu is a passionate Performing Arts and Public Speaking teacher with over a decade of experience in the theatre world. Originally from Zimbabwe, she spent 13 years as part of the Victory Arts community, where she acted in theatre productions and films, honing her craft and connecting with fellow creatives. Amanda also spent 7 years nurturing young performers at Masiyephambili Junior School before expanding her reach internationally.

Her journey has taken her across the globe, including time in Dubai and Melbourne, where she further developed her skills as a drama instructor and improv teacher. Amanda’s experience in improvisation has greatly enriched her teaching style—helping students build confidence, think on their feet, and communicate with clarity and creativity in both performance and public speaking.

A creative force, Amanda specializes in acting, directing, and writing inspirational plays that spark thought and conversation. She thrives on those magical “aha!” moments—when students discover their potential or fall in love with the stage. Amanda is no stranger to DRAMA SCENE and has worked with us previously. Our students adore her bubbly energy and love learning from her.

Rebecca Lucy is a passionate Performing Arts educator and performer with over eight years of teaching experience, specialising in BTEC Performing Arts pathways alongside Drama, Musical Theatre and Creative Media. She is committed to nurturing confidence, creativity and performance skills in young people of all ages. Rebecca trained at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Music Theatre. During her studies, she was a proud member of the BBC Award-winning UCLan Chamber Choir, performing as a Second Soprano and touring the South of France, as well as performing at a variety of prestigious events throughout the UK.

Rebecca first discovered her passion for performance while studying GCSE Drama and BTEC Dance at school then swiftly moved on to study Performing Arts National Diploma at Cardinal Newman College, and has been recognised with regional NODA Awards for her performances in amateur dramatic productions.

Alongside her teaching career, Rebecca has enjoyed performing in numerous musical theatre productions, taking on leading roles including Grace in Annie, Mimi in RENT, and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. She has also performed in dance productions across local theatres in Lancashire, won local singing competitions, participated in Broadway masterclasses and workshops, and regularly performs at local gigs whenever she returns home to the UK.

Having taught private singing lessons to students of various ages and spending a year with the Pauline Quirke Academy, where she taught the Poppets programme, inspiring younger performers to develop confidence through music, movement and drama, Rebecca relocated to Dubai to pursue her passion for education.

Rebecca is thrilled to be a part of the DS team and looks forward to inspiring the next generation of performers, helping every student build confidence, develop their talents and discover a lifelong love of the performing arts.

Gemma Cleary is a Teaching Artist and Drama Literacy Specialist with over twenty years of international experience across the UK, Australia and the United States. She is skilled in preparing students for exams, auditions and the stage, and brings a professional background in performance, writing and youth-theatre direction to her teaching. Gemma has worked with leading organisations including Sydney Theatre Company, the New York Film Academy London and the International Performing Arts Academy Los Angeles. She is known for her calm, supportive approach and her ability to build confidence, communication skills and a strong connection to text. Her classes are structured, engaging and student-centred, helping young people develop as expressive, capable and self-assured learners.