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.

I first knew Jamie Bell, as a pupil of the school where I worked for 13 years as a primary school teacher - Prior`s Mill Primary School in Billingham. He was never in my class but he was known, throughout the school, for his talent in dance, and the fact that, at the age of 10, he gained a place with The National Youth Music Theatre.  

Jamie became one of the original Stagecoach Yarm students. He was with us for a year. I rang his mum when I learned of the “Billy Elliot” auditions and he went along.

All the audition process and recalls went on for so long that about six months passed before she rang me one day, to say that he had won the part. Whilst I was very pleased for him at that time, none of us had any idea how big a film it would be.

It spawned a BAFTA for “Best Actor” for Jamie, the year after the film`s release, and later came the very successful West End stage musical of “Billy Elliot” with music written by Sir Elton John. 

Jamie has continued to work as an actor in high profile films such as “Nicholas Nickelby” and “King Kong”.

His latest film, to be released over here, is “The Chumscrubber” with Ralph Fiennes and Glen Close. It was filmed quite a long time ago, because Jamie kindly invited myself and his old primary school Headmaster to his 18^th Birthday party. He arrived at the party, having just flown in from the States, after completing the filming on “The Chumscrubber” . That was three years ago. 

Whilst Jamie was with us, along with other boys, he auditioned on our premises for a remake of “Goodbye Mr Chips”. The project was overtaken with tragedy when the producer was injured in a car accident and was on a life support machine. We never heard anything more about the project. Somehow I don`t think that if that film had been made that it would have had such a launching effect on Jamie`s career as “Billy Elliot” !!

 Additional Video Clips

A Fan Video

Billy Elliot Dance

I have been a member of Stagecoach (Yarm)from the age of 4 and I am 14 now. Within this time i have performed in 3 short films. One was when I was six and it was set in Seaham & Durham. The film was called “Bait”. My next short film was called “The Lambeth Marsh” which was not long after and was set in the South. Then this year “Perfect to Begin” in Redcar. I have performed in Macbeth and Midsummer Night`s Dream” for “Shakespeare 4 Kids”, which was at Sunderland ,Middlesbrough and Bridlington. On Saturdays I go to a group called school of Rock & Pop where I am the Singer, i enjoy this very much.

This year I was lucky to be one of five people from my school that won a place to be an Ambassadar of the Arc. We all meet up throughout this year to watch different shows. We then write reviews about what we have seen, also we get to meet the actors afterwards and ask them questions.

I would love to do something in the future to do with Acting or Singing.

Check out more in Adrian’s Slideshow

Golly! Ten years of Stagecoach! Who’d have thunk it!? Seven years worth of Sunday mornings for me! And what glorious Sunday mornings they were! In hindsight 10am was an early start on a weekend, especially taking into account the thirty minute drive - as a university student ‘lie-ins’ have since become an all too important feature of, well, every day! But, of course, it was absolutely worth missing errrr.. Sunday School!?

So much did I relish the Stagecoach experience, that I immersed myself in it at every opportunity - the fun-filled Derbyshire trips, and of course the spectacularly impromptu Summer workshops, whereat the performance preparation was squeezed into just five days - phew! It was these ‘workshops’ I think, that I enjoyed most of all, though that is not to belittle the impact of the main school. To see a performance grow from Trudy’s (known as Mrs. Hindmarsh for the first few years) spark of inspiration, to an actual performance in so short a time was little short of miraculous. Even now, just the names of the shows conjour a feeling of anticipation, and a certain mourning for the end of such happy times. ‘There’ll be Bluebirds’ I think was the first, in which I was thrilled to play a ‘posh’, somewhat ‘nerdy’ kid with a liking for sociology, if memory serve - alas, the first instance of many in which I was patently type-cast! (By mutual agreement, I hasten to add!). Spattered throughout were innumerable acts with my contemporary Daniel, who I believe, is still embroiled in the throws of Stagecoach, and I daresay, preparation for the much anticipated 10th anniversary performance! Examples include the all time favourite - ‘The Galloping Major’, ‘Don’t bring LuLu’, our infamous ‘March of the Toreador’ and many more to boot!

Arguably somewhat removed from the theatrical world, I currently study History and Classics in Durham. But my acting days are far from behind me, and my RSC ambitions by no means diminished. I’ll be playing Buckingham and Richmond in ‘Richard III’ at Arc in Stockton from the 17th-21st of July and Raleigh in ‘Journey’s End’ in September, with the local Arden Theatre Company (Not that I’m using this contribution as a plug - heaven forbid! - just though somebody might be interested!?)

I must congratulate Trudy on an extraordinary achievement in bringing such pleasure to thousands of people over the past decade, one of whom I am thrilled to be! My thanks and congratulations go also to those who have aided her in this feat - all of the teachers - Rob, Sue, Deborah, Phil, Kate, Miriam - to name but a few (specifically those who at one time or another taught me), and of course Jeff who we all liked a great deal!

With love, thanks and all the best for another ten years,

Josh Mason

p.s. I enclose a picture of yours truly, on the unlikely off-chance that you may have forgotten who I am, and for those who never had the pleasure of meeting me! (Yes, I’m still the same modest chap I always was!)

Zoe was a student at Stagecoach Darlington for 5 years, mainly in Darlington Saturday Afternoon school but latterly in the Friday Darlington school. She danced and sang with STARE all around the region.

Zoe was still with us the week before she left, to go into the finals of the first series of “Pop Idol”. It is hard to imagine now how that first series dominated the whole country. It was the first really big reality talent contest and it captured the nation`s imagination. I needed a mortgage to pay my phone bill, after all the voting, week by week. Zoe was fantastic and was the last female singer left in the competition.

Since then, she has released a pop single “Treat Me Like a Lady” - see the Youtube clip below and can count as highlights - singing in Canterbury Cathedral, The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, at The Royal Albert Hall, London Palladium, Buckingham Palace and Houses of Parliament and even for Tony Blair`s son`s christening. See the links below for other news about her.

Nothing has changed Zoe. She is still the lovely girl she always was. She was always a team player and supportive of others but when she was performing in any kind of group, you could not help your eye being drawn to her. She was a born natural.

My abiding last memory of her, is of her sitting on the floor on her last Friday with us, encouraging and supporting all the Stage One students. Zoe returns to pantomime at the Civic this Christmas when she appears in “Snow White”. Pay her a visit. She`ll be great!

Zoe has recorded a film clip for our big anniversary show and sent us a message below.

Hi Trudy,

Wow ten years how time fly’s, well of the 4 years i spent there i had a lot of fun times learning about myself, the art of acting, singing dancing etc theatrics and what takes really to get into showbiz. Well since i left i continued to do Drama at GCSE but i have since given up acting in favour for working behind the scenes into directing and film editing etc. I have recently completed a BTEC national diploma in Media at Cleveland College Of Art And Design. Here i learned the art of film directing, camerawork, editing writing scripts etc. I produced and number of short films. One being a feature length horror film, a doumentary on the recent London Bombings on July the 7th, a promotional go karting video  for teesside karting in middlesbrough and a live television show as part of a group in which formed part of my Final major project which i was part of a team of 15. I was a studio camera man and the second unit director filming and directing all of the VTs for the show.

Also at college i took part in the studio’s radio station and featured as a DJ for the 2 years  on the college radio station Radio CCAD. I webcasted my shows on my own website http://www.djash.tk/Radio is currently one of my biggest interests as i have become a huge music lover listening to new bands, going to see gigs and music festivals etc. I am aiming to get a career in either TV, Film or Radio. Radio in particular.

Currently i have left home and now live in Newcastle and am a student at Northumbria University studying a media production degree.

Also on the side i have continued to sing, I sing in a rock band called Behind Your Smile www.myspace.com/behindyoursmile We are performing a gig at the Arc in stockton on the 7th of July at a young bands night for charity. On our site we have posted a number of cover songs you can listen to but we are also working on our own material.

This year i have been involved with a number of things two including i was an extra in a reality tv show called Gene Simmons Family Jewels featuring Gene Simmons the bass player from the Rock band KISS (http://www.aetv.com/genesimmonsfamilyjewels/) America the band that where all that crazy makeup and outfits. He was filming at Abbey Road Studios and my friends and i travelled down to be extras in the show. We have posted a video that we took whilst the program was being filmed on you tube at:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1w0W7APsSU (opens in new window)

The actual full episode has been aired recently but only in the states. I was also on television recently auditioning for Big Brother ha ha. My friend posted a clip on YouTube.

Well thats me!

I hope everyone is ok, i would love to come along to a reunion or party if you are having one at all or a show. I would gladly take part if i have the time.

Hope you are well Trudy.

Tlk to u soon.

Ash (ex yarm morning student)

Hello all

It seems a long time since I was at Stagecoach, but time I will never forget.  I spent six years at stagecoach and those six years have given me the opportunities I never thought possible.

I remember the very first audition I ever went to with Stagecoach, it was my first week ever at stagecoach.  I auditioned for the Demon Headmaster with Terrance Hardiman and Dave Benson Philips.  Zoe Birkett sang at the end of the show to them both and Dave Benson Philips had tears in his eyes.  I loved being in that show, it has always stayed with me and more importantly what Dave Benson philips said to me.  You look so small and quiet then this character appears from no where, its like magic. I told him I wanted to be an actor for real, he said it is one hellish journey, hard work, but if you want it you will find out.  I did want just that and more than anytying else I still do.

Whilst at Stagecoach I auditioned for Redroofs Theatre School in London.  My audition was very short notice, in fact I was only told the day before.  My mum rang Trudy and she spent six hours with me until 11pm at night going over my shakespeare piece and listening to my song choice.  The audition came at a bad time as my grandmother was dying in hospital and hours to live so only my mum could take me on the train.  We arrived at Redroofs to a line of very posh cars. It was bouncing down with rain, we were soaked through by the time we arrived.  My audtion was in stages, my mum felt as if we were wasting our time due to the people at the audition.  She told me at one point ‘ Look son even if you swim you will still sink so go in and sing your socks off.  I sang that loud that my mum was so embarrassed she hid in the toilets until I had finished.  It was an all day audition, a lot of waiting round.

At the end of it all, names were called out and asked to go to the right, then my name came out and I was told to go the the left near the exit and toilet. We were then taken into this very old large dark mysterious room, the decor was ancient.  It turned out to be Ivor Novellos front room where I was told that I had won a full scholarhsip worth £27,000.  On the way back home my mum was larking about singing shakespeare  To be or not to be, everyone kept looking at her.  By the time we arrived home my grandmother had died that day. 

I started Redroofs at 16, and spent my time in college and also working in Theatres in many lead roles at the Novello Theatre, Doody in Grease,  Geek In the Spotlight,  James in james and the Giant Peach and lots of auditions for film, television, commercials and corporate work.  It was a very hard time, I was young and London is a frightening experience at 16 to be totally on your own.  I was having to wake myself up at 5am to set off for auditions, walking about 11/4 miles to the train station on my own, through the underground, It made me grow up.  I was attacked during broad daylight on my way to an audition, and could have easily given up at times.  It went from desperate to okay to brilliant.  I am glad I stuck it out.

Now I have graduated from Redroofs, with their Agency, travelling too and from London at a seconds notice.  One tip,  once you have an Agency, never ever say no for an audition especially if a casting director has selected you, you have to go to build up a rapore not only with the Agency but with the casting director who asked for you.  There have been many times when I have just come home from London, my phone has rang it was the Agency with another audition.  Three hours there and three hours back for a five minute audition, then if recalled the same the next day.  Buts that what I do,   I am 100% reliable, can be called on at any time of day or night and never ever let them down.  I am starting to be called for auditions with some very famous people.  I was recalled down to the last two last week, when I went back I was a bit star stuck as the the other person was from Hollyoaks, its a wierd feeling to think that you are considered as good as them and to have been selected from loads of other people.

What am I doing now.  Still acting of course,  Some paid, some unpaid, thats what you have to do, it is no easy life,  I work also in a gym as a gym instructor in between.  One of the most beneficial things to come out of Redroofs withe being selected by Lizzie Webb (mad Lizzie from GMTV) to be a character she created called Joggy the Bear.  I spent two years with Lizzie promoting the Olympic Games for 2012, also making DVDs for children, travelling the country.  I even stayed at her house. She is a really kind person, and we have built a good friendship.  She is now my referee for acting referals should it be need.  I have worked on the Sugarbabes and Girlsaloud Music Video for Comic Relief, a lead role in a music video waiting release by Demolition records, all sorts of things, including voice over work for radio pilots and corporate videos. Offered scholarhships to further my acting career but turned them down on Redroofs advice who told me to make the most of my youth, and for now they are right because one at Degree level you are not allowed to audition for three years, that would be a prison sentence to me.

Currently, unpaid I am supporting the Arc and Riverside College with their producition of Westide Story.  I play Jino I am on Tuesday 10th July  Thursday 11th and Friday 12th evenings also Saturday Matinee. Then come September I have 6 months work with the new Harry Potter film.

Did Stagecoach prove worthwhile and beneficial to me ……….. you decide, to me it has been the best time of my life that has set me off on this journey - my life is hectic and often drained.  I am not rich (YET) but I do not believe that people become actors for the money, I know for me there is something inside me that comes to life on stage and for now thats all I want to do even if it takes time,  all of my wages go to GNER on train fares.  PS If anyone a private train or jet  …… or your best friend is Richard Branson get in touch.

Elliott Francis  Stagecoach 1998-2004

Clips from Grease Novello Theatre Elliott singing changes and Rocknroll Party Queen…

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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

Elliott Francis, was a long-time student of Stagecoach Yarm, until he won a scholarship to Redroofs Drama School in London. He sent us a lovely e mail for our tenth anniversary - see

 http://www.darlingtonandyarm.co.uk/stagecoach/2007/06/30/hello-from-elliott-francis/

Elliott periodically gets in touch to let us know how he is going on and I have posted these updates to the web site. Today in the Northern Echo I found this latest success story for Elliott and his sister Grace.

Whilst I was down in London for the `Billy Elliot` West End appearance, I went to see Zoe Birkett (ex Stagecoach Darlington student) at her West End theatre, where she is headlining in “Thriller” - a tribute to Michael Jackson. She let me go backstage with her to see her dressing room. Here are some photos of her in her dressing room preparing for the evening`s show. I took a photo of the name on the door because it is the first time that one of my students has had pride of place in dressing room 1 in a West End theatre. Let`s hope it is not the last.

Zoe was terrific of course - so powerful and polished. Every bit the star of the show. No wonder ticket sales have risen since she took over the role in the show once again, after she had toured Britain and Europe with it, before she was in “Priscilla”.  Michael Jackson`s death has given the show increased interest of course and there is a photo in Zoe`s dressing room of her together with one of Michael Jackson`s brothers. Try and catch the show if you are down in London.