Gillian Oman
Speech & Drama, Musical Theatre, Drama Teacher

Gillian Oman Dip RTS ALSM Speech & Drama, Musical Theatre, Drama

Gillian Oman founded the Independent Theatre Workshop (ITW) over 23 years ago and today, it has grown to be one of the most respected and successful Theatre Schools in the country. Her students, through the ITW Agency have also worked extensively in professional productions with starring roles in Films, Television and Theatre shows.

Gillian originally trained at Redroofs Theatre School in the UK and went on to work extensively as an actress before starting the school in 1993. Gillian’s credits include Starting Out-Channel 4, The Clinic -RTE, Collision Course – BBC, Crimewatch UK – BBC, and the feature films An Awfully Big Adventure and Michael Collins but she is probably best known here for her role in Fair City as Caroline Clancy,on RTE.

Gillianteaches Speech & Drama in ITW preparing students for their Leinster School of Music & Drama Exams and Certificates, both privately and in small groups. Her students continually achieve excellent results and she is very proud that the overall LSM&D Excellence Award Winner 2008 Maurice Wright, 2009 winner Alan Kavanagh (now better known as comedian Al Porter) and 2014 winner Martha Breen were all students of hers.

Many of her students have been accepted into the top Drama Colleges including LAMDA, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Trinity LIR (ITW have the highest success rate of graduates being accepted to the LIR), New York Film Academy, Central School of Speech & Drama, DIT and Arts Ed (London). Gillian’s Film Production students have won top awards in Film Festivals at home and abroad.   

Gillian has directed, written and produced over100 shows including the ITW Musical Theatre end of year shows and productions for primary and secondarySchools She also directs the ITW Junior Shakespeare Company productions each year for the Schools Shakespeare Festival in Belfast. Having founded the Independent Youth Theatre in 1995 and Young Dramatic Arts Theatre Company in 2011 and directed several productions for them she is now happy (and very proud) to pass the baton on to ITW graduates. These graduates, having beentrained by Gillian and who are now working professionally as directors, writers and producers in turnbring their experience to the current members. Gillian’s career in Film and Television spans the last 25 years and includes extensive experience acting, casting, crewing, directing, producing and editing. She is also one of the foremost talent agents in Ireland, providing young actors for TV, stage and screen, resulting in her students having appeared in almost every major theatre production & film made in Ireland in the past 23 years.

Her main role however is to shape and nurture the talent of the fantastic young performers entrusted to her care. As well as teaching, she enjoys running the Independent Theatre Workshop on a day to day basis – continuously coming up with new and exciting challenges for the students and always striving to give them the best experience possible.