Stagecoach

After a consultation with all families concerned, a decision has been taken to move the Darlington Further Stages group to Yarm on Sundays from 11am until 2pm, running parralel to the existing group there. Students can move into Further Stages as soon after their 15th birthday as a vacancy occurs for them.

Now that the two groups are together, we hope that it will herald a new era of ever- greater success for the students there, with increased membership of STARE and a united leadership and role modelling for all our younger students.

This weekend will take place at Teesside High School, The Avenue, Eaglescliffe, Stockton, TS16 9AT  from 10.00pm until 4pm on Saturday 4^th and 10.00am until the show finishes on Sunday 5^th June. The shows will start at 6.30pm. The examinations taken are Trinity College London exams in “Group Musical Theatre in Performance” and will be worth UCAS points equivalent to an AS level or a lower grade A level. Darlington Further Stages will be performing extracts from “Blood Brothers” and Yarm Further Stages will be performing a devised piece called “Who Killed Mary Poppins?”

All students need to bring packed food and drinks because I cannot be responsible for them going off the premises. There are some vending machines there but they are not reliable and regularly “eat” money. Students must bring all costume items with them. Any prop that they handle is their responsibility to bring. If there are any costume and prop problems please ring me on 01325 337667. It goes without saying that students will need to know all their lines and lyrics before they arrive for the weekend.

There will also be a theory or extra element to the exam requirements which I will be discussing with the students this weekend.

Anyone can come to see the show for free but we will be holding a collection after the show in aid of our “Arms for Angels” fund to buy a decent prosthetic arm for Shannon Hart.

It is important to how well the students do for there to be an appreciable and supportive and responsive audience so please encourage lots of friends and relatives to come.

I spotted this lovely photograph of Charlotte Pybus (Yarm Further Stages) in the Northern Echo this week. She got four grade A`s in her `A` Levels. In true newspaper style they were pitting her results against her twin brother`s as if this was somehow a battle and not a joint fantastic excuse for a family celebration. But we know something that the Northern Echo doesn`t know - that Charlotte sat her grade 8 LAMDA Acting exam last term, alongside sitting her `A` Levels and gained a merit grade which means that she has the UCAS equivalent of a fifth `A` level.  All power to you Charlotte!!

Yarm and Darlington Further Stages met at Club B`s in Darlington on Tuesday night for a joint `prom night`. They entertained each other with a full programme of songs and dances that lasted 3.5 hours with only tiny breaks. They welcomed their own friends, some of our eldest stage 3`s and past Further Stages students who came back to support them - or even - in Tom Wells case to join in. See a Youtube clip of Tom singing that he sent this morning, on the link below:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDPmZtPEYrU

Here are some photos of the night. They take a long time to load up so I will put a few postings up about the event. Some seem distorted when they are uploaded but if you want your own copies just rightclick over them and when you save them to your computer the dimensions will right themselves. I had a problem uploading the photos so now they are not in any particular order, which is a shame because I had intended the order to follow the line-up of the acts.

MORE TO FOLLOW IN A SEPARATE POST

The last set of LAMDA Acting exams that were sat were exceptionally pleasing. The majority of the candidates were Further Stages students sitting advanced level grades (bronze, silver and gold medals)  with the UCAS equivalence of  AS and “A” Levels. 

All of our candidates gained Merit or Distinction grades. Myself and their other LAMDA teacher Jodie Taibi, are extremely proud of them and proud that a little bit of Stagecoach might make a difference for them for getting into university or drama school in these harder, more competitive times.

Here are some of the candidates associated with Stagecoach Yarm or living in the Yarm catchment area.

They are from left to right on the photo above Sally Messham, Alice Hughes, Holly Godwin, Jessica Williams, Emma Ainley-Walker, Charlotte Pybus.  Lucy Lavelle and Tiffany Armstrong should also have been there for the photo.

The two photos below are of Darlington Further Stages

From left to right:- Lara Tysseling, Beth Brennan, Vicky Mc Intyre, Charlotte Churchman and Olivia Nicholson.  Alex Walker could not be there for the photograph.

Also included in the across the board gaining of merits and distinctions is Ellen Miller who is not a Stagecoach student but who was included in our scheme because I was sorry for her plight. See the following link:-

http://www.darlingtonandyarm.co.uk/stagecoach/2010/03/31/ellen-triumphs-in-the-end/

Tiffany Armstrong of Yarm Further Stages went to some open auditions at the Pineapple Studios in London recently to audition as a Disney parade member at Disneyland Paris. There were over 700 people there and only 8 characters on offer - and Tiff is to be one of them. The exact one is a secret at the moment. Tiff leaves for Paris in a couple of weeks time.

If you are visiting Disneyland soon then try whispering “Tiff” in  a few of the characters` ears and see if anyone responds. Great news Tiff. You deserve this break!