Stagecoach

A very strange thing happened today.  as you know my daughter Katie is due to have her baby any day now and we believe that it will be a little girl. I had seen a lovely miniature doll on E Bay, big enough to put into a mini-pram that I planned to make for her for the baby`s arrival. I bid for the doll and won and paid for it and when it arrived, there were two dolls included with a hand-written note which said that because I did such good work with children the lady had sent the doll as a gift. Not only was I touched, as I always am by spontaneous kindness, but I was puzzled as to how she knew  what I did for a living. Of course I e mailed her to find out. She said that my name had sounded familiar to her so she had googled it. Fair enough, mystery solved but then I decided that I`d better google myself and see what was up there and I found a whole host of articles about our students that I did not know were there SO thank you Rosie from Edinburgh on 2 counts!!

It was fascinating. I found that there was another Trudy Hindmarsh, working in Southwark council, who is a fan of Mick Hucknall and I found my son`s comments that I had mentioned to the editor of the Northern Echo, made when my son was in Reception Class. Pete Barron had included them in his column as a “things kids say” item. Here is the clip:-

TRUDY Hindmarsh, of the Stagecoach school for performing arts, emailed with memories of son Jonathan when he was in reception class.

“Mam, did you know that Jesus died on Happy Friday?” he announced.

“But you don`t have to worry because he rose from the deck on Sunday.”

On another occasion, he came out to tell his mam that they’d had a great story in assembly about three leopards - and they had bells and were shouting “Unclean! Unclean!”

I`ll be adding any of these discovered articles and links to the web site when I get a chance to look through them properly and add the links to this post

Below you can follow the links I have discovered so far :-

The first article is the final outcome of a visit I made to Radio Tees, last year, to be interviewed by some school girls who believed in their friend`s talent enough to want to get her some advice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/articles/2008/03/13/school_reports_showbusiness_two_feature.shtml

The second is an article that I have never read about Jamie Bell that appeared in The Sunday Mirror

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20010225/ai_n14523171/

SO WATCH THIS SPACE

I have had the most amazing few days down in London. I have been positively consumed by pride throughout it all. See below for my photo diary:-

Friday 12th June

Left Darlington with my son Jonathan by train for LOndon. Spent some time in Covent Garden before I left him to look up old friends whilst I went to see Robin Mills (X student of Darlington Further Stages) play Angel in London Studios` version of “Rent” in the warmest theatre I have ever been in, in my life. This was the final showcase presentation for Robin at the end of his three year course in Musical Theatre at London Studios. He was absolutely stunning in the role. For those who do not know the show, Angel is a transvestite in New York, who dies of AIDS. Robin had a better pair of legs than I have ever had and seemed to find no difficulty in dancing on table tops in 6″ stacked heels. I am glad to say that whilst I have been known to be slightly biased in my judgement when it comes to appreciating the efforts of my students, I am glad to say that my estimation of Robin`s performance was not exagerrated because it has led to his being approached by four agents who are interested in representing him, which sounds like a good future as a performer to me!!

Below is Robin pictured after the show and again with some cast members and friends who had come to see the show

Saturday 13th June

After meeting Robin, his mum and gran in Soho for cakes and coffee in a well-known patisserie, Jonathan and I dragged ourselves away to see Zoe Birkett play a diva in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”.  It was one of the funniest feel-good shows I have ever seen and one of the very few shows that I have ever seen where I could have turned straight around after seeing the show and gone in to see it again.  Zoe was amazingly strong in the role. Her voice is even better and she leads the anthem song of “I Will Survive” with perfection. She rushed out to see me afterwards still in her wig net.

See pictures below

signing my programme

get a load of those eye lashes!!

On Saturday evening I was back in the theatre again to see Elliot Allinson (Friday Darlington Stagecoach and Boys Only dance) play one of Fagin`s gang with Rowan Atkinson in “Oliver”. Again Elliot did us proud - great stamina and concentration and sense of style - very professional for an 11 year old. Harry Stott who won a place as Oliver in the BBC series “I`d Do Anything” was giving his final performance that evening and we snatched a photo of him with Elliot outside the theatre. We also took a photo of Elliot`s brothers Adam and Oliver, and Stuart Thompson (Darlington Friday School and Boys Dance)who were down to perform with the All Boy Dance Troupe, and, like me were there in the audience to support Elliot.

Elliot is in the guinea team

Sunday 14th June

Lunchtime Sunday saw me outside Her Majesty`s Theatre (week day home of “Phantom of the Opera”) to meet up with Dance teacher Claire (temporarily coming out of maternity leave to see all her hard work with the boys come to fruition) and the boys of the all-boy dance group.  During the afternoon we had a 15 minute session on the stage to block the routine

15 minutes in a rehearsal room to run the routine

and then watching others rehearse

before going into a full dress rehearsal.

The show started at 7.30pm and finished at 10.00pm.

 It had been a full day but we still found time for a group photo at the front of the theatre.

One of the boys, Theo Close,  had a little surprise for us when we got home when we discovered that he had danced in the show with 2 broken bones in his foot - but more of that later.

Monday 15th June

- My birthday - Jonathan had to return home to Newcastle and I had the day to myself to do as I liked with before going off to see Annabelle Crosby play Debbie in “Billy Elliot” in the evening. This is the third time that I have seen the show, as it is a favourite of mine and again I cannot speak too highly of how Annabelle performed. She was feisty and funny and full of fun. My assessment of her was again confirmed when, whilst waiting outside for Annabelle, an audience member, upon catching sight of Annabelle, said “There`s that girl who plays the teacher`s girl. She was fantastic - just like in the film!”. Unfortunately I created something of a security scare when I stepped forward to give Annabelle a hug. The 2 chaperones thought I was trying to abduct her. Photos were not allowed but here is a photo of Annabelle that she sent me a little while ago and the programme that she signed for us

As I was leaving the theatre, I bumped into Janie Lavelle (early Stages teacher and Dance teacher for Darlington Further Stages and Singing teacher for the Darlington Thursday school), her daughter Lucy Lavelle (Yarm Further Stages) and Vicky Bilton (see notes below). They had been to see “Wicked”. We met on a traffic island for a quick chat. 

Tuesday 16th June

Time to be a tourist! I went on an open top bus tour and a trip on the river - ate an ice cream sundae in Hard Rock Cafe and went to laugh at the prices in Harrods and Harvey Nicholls. Despite hating shopping, I bought a toy and a dress for my new grand-daughter, expected in August and then went to meet and treat a whole bunch of X students to a meal out in Covent Garden.

Here is Vicky Bilton( lately of Yarm Further Stages and studying Musical theatre at Italia Conti - about to go into her second year) with Jade Johnson (X student of Yarm Morning School) who gained a degree in Dance at Guildford University and is now employed as an events organiser for the students of Guildford University.  GSA [Guildford School of Acting] has lately been amalgamated into the university. GSA is widely held to be the best drama school in the country for musical theatre.

Here is Robin Mills (mentioned earlier in the diary) with Alicia McKenzie (X student from Saturday PM Darlington school) who gained a masters degree in Drama in the Community and who is now working as an outreach worker and co-ordinator in the Unicorn Children`s Theatre in London.

Unfortunately Rachael Deverell had to leave early to prepare for an exam, before I got round to the photos but she has promised to send me one to add later. Rachael (X student of Darlington Further Stages) is studying drama at RADA and has been chosen by the students in her year to be the student rep which means, amongst other things, that she has to meet and greet the guests that come to RADA, including Joan Collins,  last week.

We should also have been joined by Sanaz Lavasani (X student from Yarm AM school) who is in her final year at Guildhall School of Music in London. Sanaz has a stunning classically trained voice but her flat mate had to be taken to hospital that evening and so Sanaz could not join us but I`ve included a photo here that I have of her

Wednesday 17th June

Home again and back to the Wednesday Darlington School - shattered - but very happy that I had had the chance of a lifetime in seeing so many of our students - past and present - doing so well in the best of professional theatre - all at the same time. Just bursting with pride!!. Thank you to them all.

Zoe e mailed me this week to say that the show that she is in - “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” has taken over the number 1 ticket selling slot - from “Oliver” (Elliot Allinson is in this show)

So that means that Stagecoach Darlington has direct performance links with the top 2 shows in the West End.

Megan Lundberg`s mum sent me this comment about her visit to the show. I can`t wait to see them both myself

  So, just thought I’d drop you a line to say I went to see Priscilla
yesterday and it was great fun.  Zoe was fantastic, she belted out the first verse of I will Survive better than the original!  The show is really over the top, colourful, risquee, outrageous and extremely close to the mark at times, but twice I laughed until I cried.  It’s a feel-good show, a daft storyline but it doesn’t matter. 

Although the reviews weren’t raving about the show it had a full house and a standing ovation at the end so I do hope it has a good run.

Vicky Bilton has a part-time job in an optician`s in Lndon whilst she is training at Italia Conti. She tells me that the other day Lee Mead (winner of the BBC`s “Any Dream Will Do”) together with Denise Van Outen came into the shop and were chatting to her and asking her advice about glasses. (I feel like the editor of “Hello” magazine writing this)

I was looking on i player for the performance that Zoe made with the “Priscilla” cast on the Alan Titchmarsh Show on 8th April but could not find it. Instead, whilst trawling Youtube I found this clip of the same cast on the “Let`s Dance for Comic Relief” programme where Zoe`s is the main voice in the song “I Will Survive”. Click on the link below:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcY-oPhnlrQ

I know that all of Vicky Bilton`s friends in Yarm Further Stages will be delighted to learn that Vicky has won a DADA (Dance and Drama Award) to be able to continue her studies at Italia Conti drama school in London. The award pays for the tuition costs so that Vicky can continue into the rest of the 3 year course. There were few DADAs available and it is a tribute to  Vicky`s hard work and dedication that she won one of them.

Janie and I know how hard she has worked and how much it has meant to her to succeed and we are “over the moon!!”

Vicky Bilton has sent us some more photos from Italia Conti Drama school in London so we can have a sneaky peek into the dance classes

This is a very exotic photo of Zoe! I suspect that she had to send one in for them because they would be unable to take their own because she has gone to London for rehearsals.

Jamie Bell appeared on BBC`s national morning News programme “Breakfast” this morning (Tues 6th Jan) at about 9.00am, talking about his new film with Daniel Craig called “Defiance”. 

Someone than rang to tell me that Zoe Birkett was on the NE ITV news, talking about her impending start for the rehearsals of “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”.  She was on the morning and evening bulletins. I have searched for both of these interviews on the catch-up services of both channels but they do not cover these programmes - shame!!