More About Us
Steph Barnard | Director
Steph has known little else but this industry since she was a young girl. Drama School trained since the age of thirteen, courtesy of Redroofs Theatre School, she then moved on to study and graduate from the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
After a few years performing in the industry, Steph decided to switch her focus and began work at an agency where she had the chance to learn how to become the the agent she knew she wanted to be. Shortly afterwards, Steph joined K Talent Artist Management where she was given the opportunity to manage her own client list and there she stayed for six successful years, developing her own pool of talent and building strong connections within the industry
Steph adopts a very personal approach to being an agent. She sees it as a million minute jobs thrown together. Sometimes mentor, sometimes motivator, although mostly agony aunt, if we're all being honest
Thanks to her many years in the industry, Steph recognises, more than many, that a career in this industry is full of ups and downs
Steph sees her job as being there, side by side with our clients, in both extremes
Steph has completed her Level 3 Mental Health First Aid Training
David Stoller | Director
David graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a First Class Degree (BA Hons) in Performing Arts and was awarded the Sir Nigel Hawthorne Award for Outstanding Achievement
David has been a working professional actor for over twenty years now and that's two decades in many ways. For twelve years he worked mainly in the West End appearing in Billy Elliot, From Here To Eternity, The Lion King, Wicked and Les Miserables to name, well, you know, all of the shows. However, David also has experience on screen with a handful of feature film credits and two handfuls of television credits to his name
Alongside Steph and Mel, David set up Cowley, Knox & Guy after two-and-a-half years working as the undisputed number one (well, only) male agent for K Talent Artist Management
David understands only too well the trials and tribulations of being an actor and recognises acutely the importance of the relationship between actor and agent which he defines as being a partnership
David has completed his Level 3 Mental Health First Aid Training
Mel Wildey | Director
Like David, Mel also graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a Degree (BA Hons) in Performing Arts in 2000. (Although, much to David's constant delight, she missed a First by one mark and failed to win an Award for Outstanding Achievement)
From an early-ish age Mel had the slightly unusual ambition of wanting to be an agent. Not a pop star. Not a fashion icon. An Agent. And so for the last twenty years or so she has done just that as chief cook and bottle washer of K Talent Artist Management
In addition to being a vastly experienced agent, she also works as a freelance Casting Director, working in both stage and screen
Having a large family herself (large in number of course, not physical build, you understand) she believes it's an agents job to nurture and encourage and understands the importance of managing a healthy and fulfilling family life alongside a successful performing career
Mel is fiercely loyal, exceptionally organised and incredibly approachable. Although, on the flip side, her grammar is dreadful. So sorry about that
Mel has completed her Level 3 Mental Health First Aid Training
Andy Brady | Creatives Agent
Andy graduated from St Mary's University with a BA (Hons) in Drama but then decided to do further training (minus those annoying essay things) at the lauded Mountview Theatre School - graduating in 2000
Andy has been a successful working actor for over twenty years appearing in umpteen West End shows and UK tours and, slightly more specifically, thirteen Film and TV projects . His proportionally large face also pops up in an advert from time to time
Andy formally joined the team in 2022 but had long since been connected with David, Mel and, especially, Steph who he met working front of house together many moons ago. Don't worry, they will tell you all about it.
Andy is very excited about the prospect of developing and expanding the Creatives side of the company over the next few years and looks forwards to being the driving force behind its success. And success is something he is very used to having won the "Slimmer of the Week" award at least twice
Andy is supportive, passionate, ambitious and talks way too loudly on the phone
Our client ethos
We support a pro-active approach from our clients. In today's world those that sit on a sofa and wait for their talent to be discovered are left behind. And no amount of day-time television will rectify that. We insist that our clients consider themselves as a self-contained business. A product. A brand. And no business, product or brand can survive in these times without actively sourcing their own opportunities, seeking new introductions and focussing on the considered enhancement of their own skill sets. To stand still is to move backwards. A cliché but, in this case, a suitable one
We fervently believe that the agent/client relationship should be equal. The agent does not work for the client and the client does not work for the agent. They are a partnership. A team. Here at Cowley, Knox & Guy they are equal partners. Although, for the record, not in any financial way. Obviously
We look for longevity in our partnerships with clients. A career doesn't tend to go supernova overnight, despite what mainstream Saturday night television talent shows might suggest. It takes time to nurture, develop, adapt and hone. And time is precisely what we aim to invest in all of our clients
We offer a holistic approach to our clients. We believe in aiding the development of the whole person and not just the performer. This is because we believe that talent only gets a person so far - diligence, intelligence, class and devout professionalism are equally essential. A sense of humour is useful too - although not a pre-requisite