Why not hire our actors to support your own in-house training?

Role playing in a training situation has been around as a learning tool for a long time.

Without defining it as such, many of us use role play as a basic tool of life. Whenever we project into the future in a kind of ‘what if’ scenario we are in fact in a role play of some sort.

We are projecting ourselves into an imaginary situation where, though we cannot control the outcome, we can anticipate some or all of the conditions and ‘rehearse’ our performance in order to influence the outcome. Much of the time we are better for it.

The use of Hendrix’s experienced actors in your own in-house training enables situations and scenarios to be realistically presented to groups of people in a work scenario.

It highlights and demonstrates some of the problems in the workplace – often triggering “Eureka” moments in delegates, as the crux of the matter is played out before their very eyes.

Who is it aimed at?

​Any learning and development, HR or training professional who wants employees to make sense of the theory and concepts learned should use actors in role play. It allows people to put it into practise the learning experience in a safe environment.

Role play using professional actors should be an essential part of any blended approach to learning. It is an interactive and engaging experience which drives the necessary learning and required behaviour change.

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"I just wanted to say a quick thank you from me and Accent for the terrific actors you sent across for yesterday’s workshop. Lee, Keir, Natalie and Safron were all absolutely fantastic and really brought the scenarios to life for us. They gave great feedback to the delegates and were fully engaged in what we were doing as well as what we were trying to achieve. So thank you!"Tony Cartmell, Learning Specialist at Accent Housing
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The benefits it brings

The use of professional actors allows situations to be played out in front of the delegates, giving the training an added reality.

This adds to the credibility of the training and aids learning – all in a risk-free environment.

Corporate role play is ideal for:

  • Training in Sales
  • Telephone Skills
  • Employment Law
  • Challenging Situations
  • Customer Service
  • Diversity training
  • Recruitment and Selection
  • Creative and Effective meetings
  • Leadership Skills
  • Coaching and managing and developing others
  • Other training providers looking to use actors in their sessions

In the medical profession it is often used to help professionals deliver bad news and difficult messages. For example, the development of the ‘bedside manner’.

“The actors were all really enthusiastic. They had reviewed and learnt all the information in the brief, they were proactive asking additional questions to our curriculum manager which was great. They were all in good spirits throughout the day and when I caught up with them all at the end of the day they all said they really enjoyed it. I’m kind of sad that I am not going to get to work with them again for a while.”
Operations and Events Coordinator for a police charity
“Working with Hendrix the Dog has been an inspiration. We have been using actors to bring life to role play in our Customer Engagement training along with our Sales Training.
Hendrix always provides actors that are perfectly matched to the session, even at very short notice. I cannot recommend Hendrix the Dog enough, professional, personal and reliable. The feedback from my candidates is always positive.
The role play element in our sessions has turned into the most enjoyable part of the session. We no longer have people dreading taking part; we now have people asking to take part.”
Julie Mills – managing director Train to Win.tv

Meet some of our great actors and trainers.

  • Julie Flower | Online Presentation Training
    Julie Flower
    Julie has a background in senior public, private and third sector management and works as a leadership and team consultant, facilitator and coach. She is also an award-winning improviser who has trained and performed extensively within the UK and at international festivals. She specialises in integrating improv in evidence-based leadership, team and organisational development, working with clients as diverse as GlaxoSmithKline, IE Business School (Madrid) and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She is currently conducting research into leadership coaching and improv.
  • Delyth Hughes - Hendrix Training | Improve Presentation Skills
    Delyth Hughes
    For more than 20 years Delyth Hughes has been implementing successful PR strategies for global brands such as Discovery, Activision and WPP. Today she works with clients large and small to help drive their business growth and brand awareness locally and internationally. She has a proven track record of implementing highly successful communications strategies, and she runs our Introduction to Public Relations workshop.
  • Miles Western | Public Relations Skills Training
    Miles Western
    Miles is an award-winning stage and television actor and singer. He is one of Hendrix’s lead trainers and runs many of our group and one-on-one Presenting with ImpACT sessions for clients such as Frogmore Property, Westminster City Council, Penguin Random House, Livebookings.com, East Sussex County Council and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
  • Mark Lacey | Online Public Speaking Training
    Mark Lacey
    Mark has been a professional actor and director for more than 25 years. As an actor he has toured extensively round the world and worked with Dame Judi Dench, Sir Michael Gambon and The Royal Shakespeare Company. He runs training sessions for Hendrix in England and in Wales for a host of clients including Westminster City Council and The Refugee Council. His role play work includes sessions with the NHS and Stansted Airport.
  • Christie Peto | Presenting with Confidence Training
    Christie Peto
    Christie has a background in theatre and vast experience working as a role play actor within the corporate, police and medical fields. Much of this role play work centres around conflict resolution, communication skills and best practice within the work place. She is one of Hendrix Training’s lead role play actors. Additionally Christie delivers workshops and presentations to young people and adults on a wide variety of topics, often using drama and acting as the main tool.
  • Richard Matthews | Online Public Speaking Training
    Richard Matthews
    Richard comes from a background of sales management roles in Heinz, United Biscuits, Golden Wonder and Swissair, before training to become a professional actor. Since then, he has worked in theatre, radio and film. Richard has delivered presentation and communications skills training around the world and joined Hendrix in 2019. He understands the pressure of working in high-pressured corporate environments and helps raise individuals’ self awareness as well as their awareness of others to develop their presence and impact in front of an audience.
  • Craig Peters | Corporate Role Play Actors
    Craig Peters
    Craig is a classically trained actor who graduated from Manchester’s Metropolitan Capital School of Theatre in 2000. He directs for theatre and film. He runs Hendrix’s Presenting with Impact course as well as the tone of voice sessions and is part of our role play team.
  • Holly Smith | Public Relations Skills Training
    Holly Smith
    Holly graduated with a degree in musical theatre from The Arts Educational Schools London and has experience in stage, radio and screen. She is one of Hendrix’s core corporate role players supporting third-party trainers delivering, for example, diversity/equality and interviewing techniques training.
  • Jonas Cemm | Online Presentation Training
    Jonas Cemm
    Jonas trained at The Birmingham Theatre School and as well as theatre and film work has a vast experience of corporate role play. He has worked for clients including the NHS, Six Continents, Bass Leisure and Axa. He has run our presentation skills training for many clients including Westminster City Council and Wardour Communications.
  • Leila Birch | Corporate Role Play Actors
    Leila Birch
    Leila Birch is an expert at helping managers and leaders take their presentation skills to the next level. She oversees our Advanced Presenting with Impact workshops run on a one-to-one basis or with small groups. She has a master’s degree in Voice Studies from Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. As a professional actor she works in the UK and the US for Disney, ITV, the BBC and Nickelodeon among others. Leila played Teresa di Marco in EastEnders and performed voices in the Golden Globe-winning Missing Link.
  • Lawrence Brown - Hendrix Training | Confidence building
    Lawrence Brown
    Lawrence trained at Bretton Hall, Leeds, before becoming a professional actor. For the past 18 years he has used his performance background to develop presenting skills in those less used to the limelight of public speaking. Lawrence has written, designed, developed and produced presentations for a variety of companies. Clients include General Managers and Business Unit Directors of companies ranging from Novartis UK and Takeda Pharmaceutical to the Tactical Firearms Unit and National Leadership Co-ordinator (Hertfordshire County Council). Lawrence is highly motivated, audience friendly and provides contagious enthusiasm.
  • Lucy Moffat | Virtual Presentation Skills Training
    Lucy Moffat
    As well as leading on Hendrix’s presentation skills training Lucy is also the company’s creative director responsible for devising new and innovative courses using acting techniques. Away from Hendrix, Lucy runs a hugely successful drama school in Kent called All The Arts.
  • Karen Bartholomew | supporting working environment
    Karen Bartholomew
    Karen is an actor, playwright, and producer, who runs her own theatre company. She is a hugely experienced role-player and presenter skills trainer. She previously worked at the BBC and combines her business experience with her theatre background to enrich training scenarios and create memorable learning experiences. Clients include NHS, Deloitte, BBC, The Foreign Office, ATOS, UKSport, and CRM Care Group. She coaches on Leadership Skills, Handling Conflict, and Customer Service.
  • Steve Hemsley | Virtual Public Speaking Training
    Steve Hemsley
    Steve is Hendrix co-founder and remains a working journalist. He delivers most of the company’s media training courses and supports our actors when clients request a blended course which covers presentation as well as media skills. He has trained executives at a range of clients from WPP and Westminster City Council to Wardour Communications and CP Field.
  • Judy Monti | report writing
    Judy Yorke
    Judy delivers our Writing Skills workshops. She is an experienced journalist who helps clients be clearer in their business communication. Our workshops focus on helping employees develop a strong, clear, direct and unambiguous writing style. Ultimately, this will improve a company’s image.
  • Phil Dexter | boost your confidence when writing
    Phil Dexter
    Phil is an expert in creating an inclusive and unbiased workplace. He coaches employers on best practice so they create workable policies and an inclusive culture. As with all Hendrix’s trainers, his approach is collaborative and interactive. He is a former accredited equality, diversity and inclusion facilitator with the British Council.

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Presenting with impACT!

Innovative training to boost confidence, including Presentation Skills coaching...

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Telephone voice skills

Improve your team’s telephone voice skills (ideal for contact centres & sales teams)...

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Professional Actors

Corporate role play, in-house training, customer service, sales & assessments...

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Media Skills training

Our professional journalists will make sure learners are prepared for a media interview...

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Presenting with impACT!

Innovative training to boost confidence, including Presentation Skills coaching...

Learn More
Image
Telephone voice skills

Improve your team’s telephone voice skills (ideal for contact centres & sales teams)...

Learn More
Image
Professional Actors

Corporate role play, in-house training, customer service, sales & assessments...

Learn More
Image
Media Skills training

Our professional journalists will make sure learners are prepared for a media interview...

Learn More