The Vocal Development Series
presented by Little Joke Productions
The Vocal Development Series is an initiative designed to create well-rounded vocal training opportunities in New Zealand. Each event is themed around the tutors presenting at the events and their particular specialities.
THE VOCAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES | AUGUST 2026 AUCKLAND
Join us for a two-day vocal and performance training event featuring workshops led by Rebecca McFadzien, Charlotte West, and Jeremy Hinman.
Open to all voice users, including teachers, public speakers, as well as singers and actors, come explore how to build or adapt your technique to mic work, stop feeling overwhelmed when you hear and see yourself back, get comfy reading all kinds of copy, and learn how to take feedback and work collaboratively. Guided by our tutors with current and relevant local industry experience, you’ll leave with practical checklists, updated skills and the confidence to begin putting together great recorded work.
PRICING
The cost of this event is $350.00, including GST.
Payment plans are available. Please use the code PAYPLANTVDS at checkout to reserve your spot for a 25% percent deposit. We will email you to arrange a payment plan that works for you after we have received your order. If the full price is a barrier for you, please email us to discuss your situation.
ABOUT THE EVENT
DAY ONE
Workshop One: The Psychology of Self-Reflection | with Charlotte West. Watching and listening back to yourself can be awkward, but it’s also your secret weapon. Charlotte shows you how to listen and watch your own work in a way that’s constructive instead of critical. You’ll learn how to turn self-reflection into real development, so every take makes you stronger.
Workshop Two: Working with a Director | with Jeremy Hinman. Get inside a director’s head. Jeremy will break down what a musical theatre director actually does, what they’re looking for from the cast, and the unspoken expectations in the room. You’ll walk away with a pre-rehearsal checklist so you can start your new gig prepared, professional, and on the best foot possible.
Workshop Three: The Self-Tape Basics | with Rebecca McFadzien Before you can shine on camera, you need to get the foundations right. Rebecca will go through a technical checklist for setting up and recording a clean, professional self-tape at home. Then she'll cover how to package, label, and submit your tapes so they stand out for all the right reasons and actually get watched.
DAY TWO
Workshop Four: All Things Callbacks | with Jeremy Hinman Callbacks can feel like a whole new game. Jeremy will take us through how to approach them with confidence. From prepping smart to working with readers and potential scene partners in chemistry reads. We’ll cover what panels are actually looking for in that room, and how to give it to them without overthinking it.
Workshop Five: The Self-Tape Sparkle | with Rebecca McFadzien Once the tech is sorted, it’s time to make choices. Rebecca shows you how to bring originality and authenticity to your self-tapes so you’re not just another face on the screen. Learn how to let your personality and skills come through, even if you’re used to working live off-camera instead of in front of a lens.
Workshop Six: VoiceOver Components | with Charlotte West Voiceover is a whole different skill set for actors and singers. We’ll explore what makes a great VO artist, what a reel is and what it should have in it, and how to work smoothly with sound engineers and directors. You’ll also get self-reflection tools to assess where your VO skills are at now, plus practical tips for practising and levelling up.
MASTERCLASS SPOTS
At the end of the day there will be Masterclass spots available with a limited number of participants, which involves 1–1 tutoring in front of and observed by the group. These spots will be randomly selected to make access to this opportunity as fair as possible. The content worked on is the participant’s choice and can be sung or spoken, including monologues/speeches/poems, or anything they would like to do. All masterclasses will be filmed and can be used however the participant would like, for their reel, shared online or as a self-tape for future auditions.
Selection will be before the event, and there will be an extra cost of $150 on top of the base event ticket. Selected participants will be notified and invoiced by email. If you would like to be in the draw for a spot, please check the appropriate box at checkout.
AGE POLICY
All our events are unsupervised, adult-oriented environments for ages 14+
CANCELLATION POLICY
In the unlikely event that any of our presenters are unable to attend, all efforts will be made to secure a suitable substitute presenter, and the event will proceed as planned. If an appropriate and comparable replacement presenter cannot be found, a full refund will be given to all ticket holders.
AUCKLAND | Sat 1st & Sun 2nd AUGUST 9:30 am - 5:30 pm Location: Vault at Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland Central
REBECCA MCFADZIEN Rebecca was born just off-Broadway in New York City and has been performing ever since. She holds a degree in Performing and Screen Arts (Acting) and has worked professionally in the screen industry for over 17 years across Los Angeles and Auckland.
Her screen credits include a recurring role on Shortland Street, as well as lead roles in feature films, television series, short films, and commercials. She’s also a musical theatre kid at heart, and recently has been delving back into it having played Julia (Alternate) in Centrestage Theatre’s production of The Wedding Singer musical last year. Rebecca runs a self-tape and acting coaching business, supporting actors to build confidence on camera and deliver authentic performances.
In these TVDS workshops, Rebecca will guide us in translating the storytelling of musical theatre to screen—while keeping its unique energy and magic intact!
CHARLOTTE WEST is a well-known voice-over artist, vocal coach, performer and producer. She's been a station voice for TVNZ channels since 2014, as well as working with numerous clients across TV, radio, and online platforms. As a performer, Charlotte works as a commercial singer on jingles, corporate bookings, in musical theatre productions, and as a touring vocalist with Operatunity. With a passion for empowering vocalists and a wealth of experience in vocal coaching, Charlotte West is a sought-after expert in her field. A graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA), Charlotte further honed her performance skills with Estill Voice Training and the Meisner Technique. She provides comprehensive guidance to her students in her specialist topics of musical theatre, contemporary voice, and voiceover, with a truly equal focus on storytelling and vocal function/health.
JEREMY HINMAN is an Ōtautahi-based performer, director, choreographer and producer. He recently directed and choreographed the inaugural production for TheatreWise, Bring It On, and frequently teaches his open adult theatre jazz classes around the country. Other recent direction credits include Shrek The Musical touring Australia, the Court Theatre Youth Company’s production of Six Characters In Search Of An Author and Chess The Musical at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. He was one of the founding members of Blackboard Theatre Collective, for whom he directed and produced many projects, and is the creator of cabaret drag trio Les Femmes. He is a 2011 graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) and a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Jeremy has a passion for sharing his knowledge and experience with young people, having directed and choreographed five productions for Diocesan School for Girls in Tāmaki Makaurau, directed Finding Nemo Jnr for StageAntics Summer Pilot Program and directed/choreographed pilots for Junior Theatre Festival NZ for several years.