Stagecoach

Photographs from `The Other Child` Film

trudy — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:07:16 +0000

To steal a copy of these photos, right click over them and `save` to your computer

Protected: National Auditions for `Peter Pan` style Boys

trudy — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:21:51 +0000

Protected: West End `Oliver` coming to Newcastle - audition details

trudy — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:14:57 +0000

2 Boy Students, a Teacher and an Early Stages Helper in `Titanic`

trudy — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:18:34 +0000

Oliver Serginson and Charlie Skelton appeared recently in Darlington Operatic Society`s production of `Titanic` at The Darlington Civic Theatre. The musical was chosen to celebrate the centenary of the sinking of the liner `Titanic` and its tremendous loss of life. The boys played crew on board the ship

Charlie is on the left (Darlington Saturday PM school) and Oliver on the right (Darlington Thursday school). The boys went along to the auditions after reading about them on this website.

The boys were joined in the production by Claire Willmer, one of our Singing teachers and Victoria Mc Intyre, the Early Stages helper for Yarm Early Stages and Ex member of Further Stages.

Victoria was playing the pregnant young wife of an American millionaire, whilst Claire was playing an aspiring second class passenger who was desperate to belong in the first class section. Both characters survived but their husbands perished. On the night that I went, Oliver was performing, so I didn`t see Charlie, who was playing on other nights but I`m sure he was equally as good as Oliver and Vicky.

CLAIRE WILLMER

Claire had a very tricky featured role to play, with lots of very difficult fast diction but she executed it brilliantly and with outstanding stage presence.

Darlington Operatic have already started working on their next production for the Autumn. I`m sure Claire will tell us if any child auditions come up. SO WATCH THIS WEBSITE

`The Other Child`- news at last of the release of the film

trudy — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:18:53 +0000

This time last year, a film was made on location in Stockton based on a novel set in the second world war called `The Other Child`. The film was made as a German TV film and it had one of our Yarm PM Stagecoach girls in a lead role called Chloe-Jayne Wilkinson. We also supplied a lot of child extras AND their parents for background work on the film.

The film came out in Germany and apparently won lots of awards. It has not been released in England yet but Jack Cole`s mum has a relative in Germany who has sent her a link to a website where you can pay to download a copy of the film. She says that the cover of the DVd has some of our students and parents on it - so fame at last eh?

This is what the website says about the film:-

The mini-series The Other Child (2 x 90′), starring Marie Bäumer (”Counterfeiters”), Bronagh Gallagher (”Pulp Fiction”, “Star Wars”) and Carolyn Pickles (”Harry Potter”), tells of a family that shatters against a secret held for three generations. The director of the teamWorx-production is Urs Egger (”Umbra Mortis”), who shot on spectacular locations in Northern England.

Three generations of a family haunted by a shameful decision

Many years ago, when WWII was still raging in England, Fiona Barnes’ family was bombed out and Fiona sent away to the countryside to be cared for by the Beckett family. As Fiona said goodbye, a little neighbor boy, Brian, attached himself to her and, from then on, became part of her life, like a brother. Today, Fiona has become a bitter old woman who spews unpleasant truths and cutting remarks to all who wish to hear her out - or not. Her current target is Dave Tanner, a seductive slacker who is getting engaged to Gwen, the Becketts’ plain, gushingly romantic only daughter - and future heiress of the Beckett estate. At the engagement dinner, for which Fiona’s granddaughter Leslie, a child psychologist, has come from afar to attend, Fiona attacks Dave with unprecedented violence, accusing him of only wanting to marry Gwen for her money, and of much more as well. Furious, Dave departs, leaving Gwen heartbroken and desperate. The next morning, Fiona’s body is found at the foot of a cliff; her death was not an accident.

The police interrogate all who were present at the dinner and obviously suspect Dave, who has no alibi. It also emerges that Dave, who once spent time in jail, has incurred heavy debts and is practically penniless… Gwen, however, doesn’t care: she’ll give him all the money he wants, as long as he’ll marry her. The events then hurtle onward like a derailed train, with the police prematurely announcing the capture of Fiona’s killer, Gwen discovering that her best friend Leslie slept with Dave, and Dave being nearly fatally shot on the cliffs… While trying to solve the mystery on her own, Leslie discovers what weighed upon Fiona for so many years and made her so bitter: the horrifying fate of the “other” child, which she silently accepted and did not try to prevent. To this day, Brian’s fate continues to cast its shadow on a tormented family…

I have not tried to download from the site myself yet as you have to contact someone to get access to the screening room and I haven`t heard back yet, so take any precautions that you see fit if you are going forwards yourself. I will leave a comment in the box underneath the post once I have found out how the website works so feel free to call back. Here is the website link at the end of this posting. It takes you through to a web page with stills from the film on it like these:-

This is Chloe-Jayne Wilkinson with the male child lead in the film

And here it is the cover of the DVD. I can spot Matthew Bainbridge and Ethan Hurworth (both of Yarm AM school but Im sure that some of our parents other than Jack`s dad are also in the frame.

At the time of the flming, I had just come out of hospital , and was unwell and rushed off my feet so I have realised that I never posted to this website the photos that I took of our kids - and some parents - in costume, off set, nor some on set. I will post them to the website as a separate post because they take a long time to upload.

Link to film website:-

http://www.betafilm.com/en/produkt/do/detail.html?pId=3226&tab=trailer

Sad News for Annie - but great comments

trudy — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:30:36 +0000

Sad news for Annie in her latest round in the talent competition `Live and Unsigned` which has 50,000+ applicants each year and ends up in its final stage at the O2 in London. Annie had sung twice and gone through in earlier rounds and had reached the regional heats to sing for the third time with her own composition and accompanying herself on the guitar - next step the final - but unfortunately it was not to be. Only one solo singer was to be sent through and we are all sorry to say, it was not Annie.

However the judges have given feedback in all the rounds and Annie has earned some very positive ones. Here they are below:-

Annie Hunter - Pretty girl. Nice Amy McDonald sound! (previous round comments)
Annie Hunter - I like her. Good tempo and feel to the act. Like the guitar playing - this is not just another female acoustic guitar player. She stands out from many of the same ilk in this show. (this last round)

Keep going Annie - we`re all behind you. It`s all experience AND there`s always next year……..

Protected: Newsletter- Handout to Early Stages Parents on weekend of 19th/20th May

trudy — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:13:25 +0000

Protected: Newsletter - Oscer Film DVD`s for sale

trudy — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000

Protected: Newsletter -Head Office 25th Anniversary Project - CATS at National Arena - Stage 3`s audition NOW to be a part of it

trudy — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:33:48 +0000

Cameron Carnegie-Brown Wins Place at Arts Educational Drama School at Tring

trudy — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:55:58 +0000

Cameron Carnegie-Brown from Darlington Saturday AM School will be leaving us at the end of this term to join Arts Educational Drama School`s junior wing at Tring. This is a residential school, training young people full-time in the Performing Arts, alongside the mainstream school curriculum. Arts Educational is one of the top London Drama schools with an excellent reputation for Musical Theatre. Many of the students who attend Tring go on to attend the senior drama school, when the time comes.

Cameron had to audition for his place at Tring. Cameron is nearly 13 years old and has been with us since April 2008. In actual fact, that was when he rejoined us because he had been a student in his Early Stages years, when he was 4 years old. He wasn`t as confident then and performing worried him, so it just shows how persistence can pay off, in the end. Well done Cameron!! Let`s hope that the Oscer photo that I have used as an illustration is in fact a prophecy!!

You can access a series of videos on the link below which show better than words what life at the school is like. It looks wonderful - I think you are going to be very happy there Cameron.

http://vimeo.com/37910674

Cameron`s dad sent me this explanation of what is involved:-

Cameron is joining their Junior school for one year i.e. year 9 and then moves to Senior school for GCSEs. In both Junior and Senior school they have general courses initially a Theatre Arts Course (http://www.tringpark.com/curriculum/junior-school/theatre-arts-course) and then a Performance Foundation Course. He will probably then, in his sixth form, follow the drama course where he continues the performing arts alongside A Levels that may or may not be performing arts related. When he starts he’ll spend about half the day doing performing arts work and half the day on academic studies. The days are long though! In senior school they start at 8.00 and finish at 6.00pm! So its school but not as we know it!! Each year they work on two main productions and get the opportunity to take extra exams such as LAMDA.