Stagecoach

Since Vix has been the admin assistant since September we decided it was about time she got her own page in the staff section! Here she is wearing her new “Head Girl” badge with pride.

Would you like to find out what happened to an old Stagecoach friend that you have lost touch with? Or would you like to post your details in this section and see who makes contact and remembers you? Follow the link below and either start your message with “Trying to find……” and then tell us as much as you can remember about the person you are looking for. Or start your message with “Remember me…?” and give us a little potted history of yourself and the Stagecoach schools that you have attended and when. Photographs and other media can be uploaded to enhance your entry. Good luck!!

PublishStuff@Gmail.com

Across these ten years, we have had several Easter Weekend Workshops for adults. Lots of Stagecoach parents have been a part of one of these or have joined us as participants in their children`s classes, either in Early Stages Demonstration terms or in main school “Bring a Parent to Stagecoach” days. In Summer 2006 I started some regular Adult classes at The Forum Music Centre in Darlington on Wednesday evenings. They have run for a year but the very last 6 week course will conclude this term with a Singing course. We may revive the Easter Weekend Workshops at a future date but for now the adult link is over.

If as an adult you have taken part in Stagecoach activities, perhaps you would like to share your impressions with us.

Do you have particular memories
Photographs
Video clips
Suggestions
COMPLAINTS!!
Would you like to be put on a database of potentially interested people should we have adult activities in the future.

LET US KNOW publishstuff@gmail.com

My American online friend who keeps me abreast of what Jamie Bell is doing, sent me an e mail a couple of weeks ago to say that Jamie had mentioned me on Facebook. As I don`t have a Facebook account, I couldn`t check it out so Ted gave me the wording. It was “I wouldn`t have a career without Trudy Hindmarsh. Love and support to her and all who attend Stagecoach!”  How lovely is that. Thank you very much Jamie.

My American internet friend has sent me links to the trailers for Jamie Bell`s latest films.

Here is `Tin Tin` - due out at Christmas, in which Jamie`s voice is Tin Tin`s. The film is directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson (of `Lord of the Rings` fame). It should be big!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=op3w_ICK4us

Here is the trailer to `Jane Eyre`-  out now. There are a few glimpses of Jamie on there but you have not to blink!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpoKvgiCahA&feature=related

This is an extract that features him:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5VlXXw9N4E

And here is a scene cut from the `King Kong` film showing Jamie dancing again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2cEPvyNHaA

 Vicky Bilton was a former member of Yarm AM school, Yarm Further Stages and STARE. She was also my admin help for a year when I lost Gill and she was a very good one too. Vicky is finishing her three year Musical Theatre course at Italia Conti this summer. Vicky has sent us these photos and this update to help others thinking of applying to drama school.

Hi everyone,

Click on the link below to see what a Spotlight page looks like. 

Spotlight Pin: http://www.spotlight.com/0618-8973-9627 This year has been crazy busy for Me. I had 4 weeks of a summer holiday instead of 7 and had my Shakespeare show in the first week of “official” term time. Then the carol concert at christmas, during all of these we were learning songs and routines for the Centenary Ball in February, AT THE SAME TIME as learning lines, harmonies and routines for our showcase performance of Sondheim’s “Company”. In two weeks time I have to do a 10 minute devised performance in front of the heads of department as part of my diploma and then in July is our show at The New Wimbledon Theatre, which this year is a week long instead of 3 days due to the 100th year. So yeah, things have been pretty crazy.
 
On top of all this, the main stress for everyone in my year at the moment is getting an agent for when we leave. Italia Conti is lucky enough to have it’s own agency within college to put you forward for things in your second and third year and so far has gotten people cruise jobs, Grease on tour and fringe acting shows. The agency in contis also were very helpful in assisting our year getting agents to come and see our showcases as it was a very stressful and busy time for us all to research all the agents in the contacts book, make a list of those your thought would be beneficial for you and then getting the agency’s feedback about your list then sending your cv and headshot to them all in the hope they would come and see your show.
 
Theres 72 people in my year (we are a particularly big year) so far 77% have had at least a meeting with an agent from the showcases/auditions within college and 26(I think) have been offered representation for July.
 
After the showcases I emailed several agents as I hadn’t heard anything back from Company and was offered a meeting with SCA management, an agency which hadn’t actually seen my cast of company and so I was expecting to be put on the spot. I was in the room for an hour and a half and as expected, was made to sing 2 songs a capella and do 2 contrasting modern monologues. As well as be asked a million questions, to be honest it probably sounds worse than it was. You’ve got to work out if the agent is right for you, it’s no good going with someone just for the sake of being represented only to find they see you doing different things to what you want to do. Anyway, so that evening I was offered representation for July by SCA.
 
It was kind of hard not to get disheartened about the whole agents thing, plenty had seen the show and a fair proportion of us had heard NOTHING back. Then our own agency organised some in house auditions which is very unusual for agents to do and we did recieve feedback but even then it’s not always that helpful, comments ranged from “Nice voice” with little else to “Amazing but needs to update look” One girl even got “You look exactly like someone I already represent” so sometimes it’s not anything to do with YOU or your talent it’s just how it is.
 
I’ve been very fortunate within Italia Conti to have been showcased quite a lot, In my first year I had singing solos in each of my performances, In my second year I had singing solos in 2 out of 3 of my performances and in third year I got to play lead in Shakespeare, be featured in Company and I’ve been given a featured trio section for July’s Wimbeldon show. So I guess the thought of becoming a small fish in a big pond AGAIN is a little daunting to say the least. They alwasy say in college, you’ll never learn as much as you do when your out there so I guess as long as I keep grafting and keep my head up I’ll do alright.
 
For those of you who knew me in STARE you’ll know I went to Contis as a “dancer” but I quickly learned I’m far more of an actor/singer than a dancer. I think going to these schools and living away from home makes you grow and develop as a person and you learn so much about yourself and your strengths.
 
If anyone has any questions about anything I am more than happy to help. PLEASE TYPE YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENT BOXES BELOW AND I`LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM

s I have just heard this moment from Robin Mills, who has just been mentioned in Susie Potter`s piece, written within the last hour. Spooky!!! Robin was one of our `life and soul` members of Stagecoach. He was an original member of Darlington Saturday PM school and also a founder member of Darlington Further Stages. He had many friends amongst the younger Stagecoach members too - Lucy Moss - you know who you are!

Robin won a place at London Studios drama school. I went to see him play Angel in `Rent` for his showcase performance - absolutely wonderful!

He texted me today to tell me that he is off to sea. He has a nine month contract as a singer on board a cruise ship - `Azura`. He also told me that a week after he signed that contract he was offered a contract for the UK tour of  the musical `Top Hat` - a tribute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. Isn`t that irritating? Two great opportunities but not possible to do both. 

Well send us a postcard Robin. We`ll be thinking of you. We`re not jealous at all!!??!!

I have googled the ship and it one of the two biggest liners  with P+O Lines

Here is the theatre where Robin will be working - I think!!

Rachael, was in the same group of friends in Darlington Saturday PM school, as described in Suzy Potter`s posting. Both of them were also in the very first Darlington Further Stages group that was set up, together with Robin Mills.

Rachael won a place at RADA which was brilliant but was also offered a place at Mountview - a testiment to her talent.

I am waiting to hear about the showcase dates from Rachael. I visited her profile on the RADA website and `borrowed` this photo.

Again I will add any contact I make with Rachael to our web site as a comment so that you can keep an eye open under `recent comments`. Here is a link to the RADA website:-

http://www.rada.ac.uk/

If you  want to ask Rachael a question then type it into the comment box below

Susie was another of our original (or nearly original) students from our first days as Stagecoach in Darlington. She went to Darlington Saturday PM school with a very talented bunch of friends that included Jodie Taibi, Zoe Birkett, Rachael Dalton-Deverell, Robin Mills, Jenny Wiper and Alicia McKenzie - all of whom either went on to drama school or ended up working in the theatre business. Susie was also a founder member of Darlington Further Stages.

Susie has studied drama at Manchester Met (where Julie Walters trained). Susie has her showcases coming up in May and June where she will play the female lead - Fanny Hawthorn in `Hindle Wakes`by Stanley Houghton  and Maureen in `Stags and Hens` by Willy Russell.  I `borrowed` these photos of Suzy from the web site of a previous production that she was in called `Time and the Conways` by JB Priestley. Suzy played Carol in this play which touches on the changes forced upon a family by the First World War

When I hear from Suzy I will add to this post as a comment so that you will see it appear in `Recent Comments`.  If you want to ask her a question, type it into the comment box below. Here is a link to the Manchester Met website:-

http://www.theatre.mmu.ac.uk/

Our ex-student, Zoe Birkett was a team leader in a new primetime Saturday night ITV show called “Sing If You Can”.  She had plenty to contend with, as two teams of well-known faces, competed to see who could keep singing, when a variety of distractions were pitted against them. She came up smiling as usual. If you click on this link it will take you straight through to watch the episode on i player.

http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=232059