Our Trustees
George Branagh – Chair
George worked in policing for some 38 years and during that time he spent 26 years as a Detective/Senior Investigating Officer mostly within the Fraud Squad.
He is a post-graduate of Leicester University where he gained an MA Degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences. He is also a graduate of the Defence Academy Advanced Command and Staff Course. He has held many Senior Strategic Command posts with responsibility for a diverse specialist portfolio and lead for ensuring multi-agency processes were in place/support.
Kate Burn – Trustee
Kate was born and raised in Colchester, with deep family roots in the area. She enjoyed an international corporate Human Resources career spanning more than 25 years, working with global organisations to develop people, support leadership, and drive organisational change.
Passionate about giving back to her local community, Kate is committed to supporting the arts and helping ensure they remain accessible, inclusive, and enriching for future generations. She is especially proud to support the Trust through her family’s connection with the performing arts; her son is a keen actor, film writer and director, and has appeared on stage at the Headgate Theatre on numerous occasions.
Alison Gaukroger – Trustee
Originally from the West Midlands, Alison has been a Drama and Performing Arts teacher for 33 years. She has been at the Sixth Form College, Colchester for 30 years and is currently Head of Performing Arts.
Gill Green – Vice Chair
Gill has long been an enthusiastic theatre-goer and supporter of the arts. She has an academic and health research background as a (now almost-retired) Professor at the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Essex. She has experience of academic and research leadership as Head of the School and as Director of the National Institute of Health Research, Research Design Service for the East of England.
Gill’s research has focused on people’s experiences of living with long-term illness. She has led a number of research projects about socially excluded groups, most recently leading an international project about access to health care for young people living in low-income urban areas with high levels of violence.
Gill has an interest in public involvement in research to ensure that research is grounded in the needs and priorities of patients and the public. She is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all areas of life and at the University of Essex has played a key role in work to promote gender equality.
Kevin Inskip – Trustee
Kevin has been in Essex his whole life, living around the Maldon area until 2021, when he moved to Colchester.
Kevin worked in the finance and data analytics industries for 41 years, leading global teams in analytical insights, before taking early retirement in 2026.
He has been an active member of the local theatre scene since 2022, performing here at the Headgate Theatre as well as the Mercury Theatre main stage and Mercury Studio in both amateur and professional productions, where he is affectionately known as ‘Skip’.
Kevin is passionate about the arts and encouraging local talent as well as continuing to develop his own acting ability.
He is known to have a positive attitude and a love of singing, which he hopes to bring to musical theatre in the future.
Robert Macaulay – Trustee
Robert was born in Colchester and grew up on his father’s farm in Ramsey and received a 2:1 degree in Agriculture at Wye College, University of London. One of his brothers has been a drama critic with a national newspaper.
He has been married to Mary for more than 50 years and they have three adult daughters and seven grandchildren. They have always enjoyed going to the theatre and increasingly go to plays at the Headgate Theatre.
Robert left the family farm after more than 30 years running, he trained and qualified as a licensed conveyancer. He practised as a conveyancer, increasingly as a commercial conveyancer, for over 20 years. He retired from being a property lawyer in 2022.
Sallie Mills Lewis – Vice Chair
Sallie Mills Lewis is an actor and producer. Early in her acting career, she played leading roles in professional shows in the Mercury Studio. She has performed and produced in a range of venues, including the Headgate, Colchester Arts Centre, the Lakeside Theatre, the Quay at Sudbury, the Corn Exchange, Ipswich and in pubs, gardens and National Trust properties across East Anglia.
Alongside her love of theatre, Sallie looks back on over 20 years of senior management and leadership in the public sector, acting as Deputy Chief Executive of NHS North Essex before running her own consultancy for clients in the NHS, local government and voluntary sector.
Sallie is passionate about the local theatre scene. Her main interests are: nurturing emerging theatre talent, encouraging drama innovation and inspiring future generations of theatre lovers.
Mike Poole – Trustee
Michael has been involved with amateur theatre for over sixty years, acting and directing for Colchester Theatre Group, Royal London Drama Club, Orpen Players and many other local drama groups.
He was one of the original members of Theatre Arts Action Trust, spending some thirteen years looking for a building as a home for amateur theatre in Colchester.
He has had various roles on the Management Committee/Group, lastly as premises manager.
“It was a great joy to me and the other members of TAAT that the Headgate Theatre was officially opened by David Forder in 2002”.
Catherine Streatfield – Treasurer
Catherine is a retired Certified Accountant having spent most of her working life in the Financial Services sector.
She has been volunteering at the Headgate Theatre since August 2025, working on props and set as well as being part of the costume group. Prior to this she was a member of the Orpen Players for 8 years.
Our secretary to the board
Rosie Forth – Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Rosie has been involved with local theatre, mainly Colchester Theatre Group, since moving to Colchester in 1979. She was an early member of TAAT and has been volunteering at the Headgate Theatre since it began.
She was a member of the former Quire World Music choir for many years, and now enjoys singing with Colchester Choral Society.
She retired in 2023, after many years working in IT as an analyst/programmer.
Advisors to the board
Kate Cavill
Kate is an actor, writer and singer with a physical disability, who has had a life-long passion for theatre, especially musicals. She grew up in East London but relocated to Colchester in 2017, quickly becoming active in the local theatre scene. Kate has performed in amateur productions at both The Headgate and The Mercury. She made her professional acting debut in 2024 in CRIPtic Arts play, ‘The Crip Monologues’ at Camden People’s Theatre.
As well as acting, Kate also writes. She completed her BA Hons Literature degree in 2014 with The Open University. She is currently developing her first full-length play, titled ‘Klara’, and she received a nomination for her short film ‘Beyond The Castle Walls’ at the 2025 Stratford-upon-Avon Film Festival.
Kate is looking forward to contributing to the future of The Headgate as an Adviser to the Board.
Pat Gaudin
However, theatre and the arts have played a big part in her life outside work! She has served on a number of boards including until recently the TAAT Board and for the last 12 years, Trustee/Director of the Essex Book Festival. The Headgate is very special and I am pleased to be able to continue to support as an Adviser to the Board.
Wendy Smith
Wendy Smith is a founding member of Theatre Arts Action Trust and has championed the Headgate Theatre since its very beginning. From leading fundraising initiatives to delivering training workshops, organising events and directing numerous acclaimed productions, she has played an active role in the theatre’s development.
She is also a director of 3wishes Theatre CIC, a regular producer in the Headgate programme and Colchester Fringe Festivals. Previously, she served as a Board Member of the Directors’ Guild of Great Britain and as Vice-Chair of the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.
Wendy is delighted to be part of the team shaping *Now, Next and Beyond*—the Headgate’s strategy for 2026–2029.
