Stagecoach

Hi Trudy & Everyone

I have been at Stagecoach for 5 years now and have loved every bit of it.  I started Early Stages just before my fourth birthday and I was very quiet and shy then!!!!

Trudy put me forward for an audition when I was five for the part of Emy in Ibsens ‘A Dolls House’ at the Civic Theatre and I got the part along with Jonathon Harrison & Callum Batkin.  I had a famous parents in the show Tara Fitzgerald (Brassed off) and Tom Goodman Hill (The Office).

Since that first part, I got the acting bug and wanted to do more & more & more and decided that an hour and a half of Early Stages was not long enough.  My big brother had just moved up to main school and was having a great time.  I decided to pester Trudy to let me move up ( I was nearly 6)  in the end she gave in and let me have a 2 week trial in Main School.  I never went back to Early Stages!

I played the youngest child in the Stockton Stage Society Production of The King & I.  Callum Batkin & Sarah Bell were in the same team as me.

Last year I was in ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ at the Civic Theatre with Ryan Stainsby, Emily Collins & Emma White.  We all had a fab time doing the show.

All the mums took it in turns to Stage Left for Act 1 because Ben Hull ( Lewis from Hollyoaks) only wore a towel they got 2 turns each.

At the moment I am the voice of Emily Elephant in the Cartoon ‘Peppa Pig’ which is shown on Channel 5 Milkshake every week day morning and on Nick Jnr.  I went to the end of series party a couple of weeks ago and I met all the other charters and I also met Nioami the presenter of Milkshake.

Thank you for all the fun I have had a Stagecoach.

Lots of love

Lucy xxxxxx

Thomas Hunter (photo) started the Thursday Darlington Stagecoach when we used to be in the old Haughton School premises. He soon showed what tremendous potential he had, particularly in Drama. Tom always worked very hard, loved everything he did and supported all the other members of his group at all times. We were thrilled for him when he won the lead part of Jeremy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as the West End show toured to Sunderland for a lengthy stay.

Not long after that show finished, he auditioned for the lead part of Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins” in the West End and won it. He became my first student to appear in the West End, so I had to go and see him last Christmas.

Thomas was asked to renew his contract for a further six months of “Mary Poppins” after the original contract finished. He is now about to audition for a second chance as Jeremy, when “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” tours to Singapore. If that does not come off then his loss will be our gain when he returns to the Thursday school.

Your last chance to see Thomas in “Mary Poppins” occurs across the next 2 weeks. His final days are Wednesday 4^th (evening) and Thursday 5^th July (matinee) and Monday 9^th and Tuesday 10^th July (evenings). Catch him if you can.

(Click to see a Slideshow of Thomas Hunter Photos)

The details of the following new sessions appreared in the Northern Echo this week.

Below are 2 photos sent to me by the mum of Emma (Yarm Early Stages) and Francis Walton (Yarm PM school)

Emma looks full of it, but as Francis` mum said, Francis looks a bit tired after a long training session for swimming.