About us

Mike Raggett is an experienced writer with extensive film and TV production experience. He has written, produced and directed drama and documentaries, magazine programmes, interactive multimedia and web clips. He has developed series, treatments and scripts from briefs of all kinds – from accountancy, banking and finance through language teaching, nuclear engineering and pharmaceuticals to removals, sport and zoology.

In the last few years writing has taken precedence over producing and directing. Mike is able to find, in a variety of source material, stories that will entertain and inform. Whether it’s marketing, training, explainers or brochures, finding a creative twist to ensure the message is received is a speciality.

Denise Lesley trained and worked as a teacher before becoming a film and television production manager. She worked on programmes for the BBC, Sky, Discovery, Five and Channel Four and on a wide range of corporate productions. Her last broadcast engagement was to the first three series of The South Bank Show for Sky Arts working closely with Melvyn Bragg and his team. Excellent organisational skills and precise attention to detail epitomise Denise’s approach to work.

She is also creative with an ability to find innovative solutions to communications strategy and logistics. During her career Denise has worked with film, video - HD and tapeless, multimedia and print materials.

A formidable team

Denise and Mike have collaborated on many projects and productions over the last twenty years. An important aspect of this has been the development of learner assignments and trainers' guides both in print and on screen.  We have delivered imaginative and successful solutions for corporations and charities, government departments, educational institutions and publishers.

Verbalists can also call on an experienced team of writers, editors and designers when the scale of projects demands additional personnel.

Sadly in December 2016 Denise died from genetic ovarian cancer but her influence on Verbalists will continue to be felt.