Recorded on 11/06/2026
Maria Forryan is Subject Lead of Drama at Elliott Hudson College. She has also taught A Level Music, BTEC music, GCSE English, EPQ and been a mentor for Trainee teachers whilst working there. Maria has been there for 10 years now, since moving back from Shanghai, and she also works for AQA as an A Level Drama examiner too.
Starting her teaching career as Head of Music at a comprehensive school in Oldham, although she also taught Drama - which she definitely preferred. Maria then moved to a very posh private boarding school in Suffolk, which she says, ‘looked like Hogwarts’, there she held the position of director of Drama for 4 years.
Fancying somewhere a bit louder and brighter she then took a job as Director of Performing Arts at the British International School in Shanghai before she moved back to the UK with her husband to start a family. They didn't know Leeds well but Maria’s sister lived in Morley and they liked the city from the couple of times they had visited. So, from the other side of the world they decided to move to the best city there is - Leeds. And she’s been here ever since.
Additionally, Maria: volunteers as a theatre critic and interviewer for Leeds Living magazine, which promotes living in Leeds. Usually covering professional productions, mainly at Leeds Grand and Leeds Playhouse, she also enjoys reviewing local amateur theatre too. Maria particularly like to review children's theatre as she can take her two children with her too - and they by all accounts love it. Maria also does upon request interviews with cast members or directors in the lead up to particular shows. In the last year she set up her own instagram page maria_Reviews_leeds_theatre where she shares all the links for the shows she reviews, and anything else that she sees, such as music concerts or shows outside Leeds.
Maria also plays for Leeds Wheelchair Basketball team where her husband is a coach. She is a qualified scaffolder and brick layer! A qualified minibus driver and, like me (Thanks to Underwood training – check out series 5 episode 33 for more on them) a first aider (which she uses at work). Maria is also a trustee on her kids’ PTA as well being as a parent governor.
This one goes hard on theatre and I hope it’s as fun for you to listen to this recording as it was to listen to Maria talking.
You can find Maria’s reviews on her Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/maria_reviews_leeds_theatre/
Or at Leeds Living
https://leedsliving.co.uk/
Mentioned in the interview:
https://www.facebook.com/oscars.morley/
https://www.thewardrobe.co.uk
https://whiteswanleeds.co.uk/
https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/yorkshireandthehumber/thescarbroughhotelbishopsgatestreetleeds#/
https://leedsheritagetheatres.com
https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/people/Morley-March-Hymn-Tune-Contest/61553483114559/#
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLua32GVbRI_FcUnKVCCH8JcfEK2hgeHkh
Let me know if I've missed any links you might want.
Check out Underwood Training's episode: https://the-working-hours-podca.captivate.fm/episode/helen-underwood
