Training:
TV & Film Acting - London Voice and Motion School, 2016
Theatre Acting - London Voice and Motion School, 2014
BA HONS Commercial Music - Westminster University, 2011
BTEC National Diploma Popular Music - Hammersmith & West London College, 2001
Recent credits:
Cover Richard/ Raymond & Dance Captain - TINA THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, Phyllida Lloyd, 2018
Ensemble/ Cover Mr. Maddens - NATIVITY THE MUSICAL, Debbie Isit, 2017
Ensemble/ Drifters - BEAUTIFUL THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. Marc Bruni, 2016
Tom Collins – RENT. Rachel Blaney, 2016
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Biography:
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ played heavily on the radio the year Derek Aidoo was born.
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Derek and his three older siblings lived together with their mother in a small humble flat in the south London suburb of Brixton. Derek showed early potential at school, and would nominate himself for anything to do with singing, dancing and acting.
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At college Derek studied a BTEC National Diploma in Popular Music at Hammersmith and West London College. Here Derek joined friends in local dance 'crews', entering national competitions such as the GWI Street Dance Weekender in London.
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At 19, Derek auditioned and was signed to an independent record label ‘Street Dreams’ for a one album deal. Yet after little support from the label, Derek parted ways from the label.
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Feeling discouraged, Derek finished his run in two plays directed by Belinda Earle (Slave Teacher & De-Ja Vu at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith) - and then embarked on a hiatus from performing. He turned to working for the local government in Housing and later Social Services.
Re-inspired, Derek returned to music and in 2007 secured a licence agreement with myspace.com for his original songwriting. His music was used in online teen-drama ‘Freak’.
Derek was later nominated by the BT Digital Music Awards under the Best Unsigned Act Category in the same year.
Derek returned to studying and graduated from Westminster University in 2011 with a BA Hons Degree in Commercial Music. Yet after making little gains within the commercial music industry; took a chance and changed direction.
In 2013 Derek was offered his first Cruise ship contract as Lead Vocalist onboard the MVV Voyager by Andrea Lowde (Entertainment Connect). Derek worked within ‘Musical Theatre’ for the first time. For 7 months Derek sang, danced and acted whilst travelling around Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East, India and Asia.
In 2014 Derek trained in Acting with David Page at the London Voice and Motion School. Derek has also been taught by Dominic Grant and Cara Jennings, as well as workshops with Tony Cealy at ‘Active Inquiry’ forum theatre group, based in Brixton, London.
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