Stagecoach

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.

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.

Zoe Birkett was still a student with us when she entered the live final stages of “Pop Idol” in 2001. This programme was the forerunner of X Factor. Zoe was the last female contestant in the competition and has gone on to have a rich and varied career in the Performance industry. She is now a member of the cast in the Number One best selling musical in the West End - “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”.

I spotted this article in The Evening Gazette this week in which an award winning  fashion designer says that Zoe was her first celebrity customer. We are not surprised because Zoe always had  her own unique sense of style.  We miss you Zoe.

At last we have a photo of Zoe with Tori Mc Dougall of Yarm morning school. Tori sang the winning version of “Get Happy” and Zoe judged the contest. Tori wins the coat that Zoe wore in her video of “treat Me Like a Lady” seen elsewhere on this web site and she also wins the opportunity to go to the recording studios to record “Get Happy”

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.

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

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!!

Zoe came home to Darlington recently to perform at a charity fundraiser for a Darlington children`s charity that helps those with Downs Syndrome.