Stagecoach

After a consultation with all families concerned, a decision has been taken to move the Darlington Further Stages group to Yarm on Sundays from 11am until 2pm, running parralel to the existing group there. Students can move into Further Stages as soon after their 15th birthday as a vacancy occurs for them.

Now that the two groups are together, we hope that it will herald a new era of ever- greater success for the students there, with increased membership of STARE and a united leadership and role modelling for all our younger students.

The Forum is having an auction of promises soon (end of the month I think). I have donated a year`s membership of an Early stages class to help them out in the fundraising stakes. If you have an Early stages aged child then you should enquire of the Forum about how to take part because you could bag yourself a real bargain price and help a good cause into the bargain. The Forum`s number is 01325 363135

I spotted Sally Messham and Nick Brown in this clip from the Northern Echo recently trying to drum up more support for the Forum Music Centre which has prompted me to update their “Stop the Clock Productions” success. Jodie tells me that the 3 night run of `Chatroom` has raised over £1100 for the fund to help the Forum to stay open . I think that is excellent, as was the performance, that I know many of you went to see.

All the actors,  Matthew Lewis, Sally Messham, Nick Brown, Charlotte Pybus and Jodie Taibi gave equally strong performances and kept their audience riveted throughout. The story was based upon online bullying and manipulation and Jodie had directed it with flair. It was lovely to come to an event, which was full of Stagecoach staff and students but which I had had no hand in, apart from tickets help on the door. It gave it a whole new perspective.

You made me very proud. Very well done indeed and I`m sure the Forum is very grateful.

The Forum is having an auction of promises soon (end of the month I think). I have donated a year`s membership of an Early stages class to help them out in the fundraising stakes. If you have an Early stages aged child then you should enquire of the Forum about how to take part because you could bag yourself a real bargain price and help a good cause into the bargain. The Forum`s number is 01325 363135

This weekend will take place at Teesside High School, The Avenue, Eaglescliffe, Stockton, TS16 9AT  from 10.00pm until 4pm on Saturday 4^th and 10.00am until the show finishes on Sunday 5^th June. The shows will start at 6.30pm. The examinations taken are Trinity College London exams in “Group Musical Theatre in Performance” and will be worth UCAS points equivalent to an AS level or a lower grade A level. Darlington Further Stages will be performing extracts from “Blood Brothers” and Yarm Further Stages will be performing a devised piece called “Who Killed Mary Poppins?”

All students need to bring packed food and drinks because I cannot be responsible for them going off the premises. There are some vending machines there but they are not reliable and regularly “eat” money. Students must bring all costume items with them. Any prop that they handle is their responsibility to bring. If there are any costume and prop problems please ring me on 01325 337667. It goes without saying that students will need to know all their lines and lyrics before they arrive for the weekend.

There will also be a theory or extra element to the exam requirements which I will be discussing with the students this weekend.

Anyone can come to see the show for free but we will be holding a collection after the show in aid of our “Arms for Angels” fund to buy a decent prosthetic arm for Shannon Hart.

It is important to how well the students do for there to be an appreciable and supportive and responsive audience so please encourage lots of friends and relatives to come.

The Main School Summer Workshop this year was called “Cinderella and Her Fella” and was based upon the real Cinderella story, running alongside a modern day parallel Cinderella tale. We had a record attendance this year, which was very pleasing and we had a tremendous audience who lifted the performance no end.

Very many of the students were brand new to us and they had to go with us on a very steep learning curve across the five days but I know that they enjoyed it, and that their parents were pleased with what they achieved, because of the many conversations that I had after the show. I was very proud of our existing Stagecoach students on the workshop for absorbing new people and supporting their performances so well. It is just what makes Stagecoach so much like a family.

Thank you to Teesside High School,  the Forum Music Centre and Craig for providing the excellent venue and caretaking staff, the sound system and extra lighting that also made the event a success. It was great to have Rob Hancock and Nick Brown back to help us out with classes during the week and also to have a few cameo roles in the show to play themselves. I didn`t manage to get a photo of them to add to this collection which I regret. Nick can be seen in a photo going up on the site next about his role in some performances to save the Forum Music Centre but what ancient photos of Rob that I still have in my possession, he would pay good money for me not to show.

I had minimum sleep across the week, as I was writing the script to suit the numbers and skills of our students but I do enjoy the process, in retrospect, once I have caught up on my sleep and sense of humour.

We hope that we will meet our new friends from the workshop next Summer, if not before at regular Stagecoach. If any family is considering enrolling for regular classes, then can they ring me on 01325 337667 as soon as possible because all the vacancies will be consolidated next week in readiness for the start of term on the week commencing Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th, Friday 10th, Saturday 11th, Sunday 12th September.

I have posted the photographs that I took at the end of the show. Unfortunately some were not good enough to bother with but I have managed to get all the cast in somewhere I believe. You can save them to your computer by right clicking over them. Any distortion on this web site should not transfer to your image on your computer.

LATE POSTSCRIPT - A PARENT HAS RUNG TO TELL ME THAT SHE HAS FOUND HEAD LICE IN HER CHILD`S HAIR. IT WOULD BE WISE FOR EVERYONE TO CHECK THEIR CHILD FOR ANY OTHER OUTBREAKS

And finally………Let us know, as a parent or student, what you thought about the workshop in the comment boxes below. Thanks for all the fun and -  See you Next Year!!

Michael (above) was a student with us during the week but he was also very useful to us with backstage help. Thank you Michael

I`m sorry that I will not be able to get the missing scenes up onto the web site in any reasonable time for students to be able to learn them for tomorrow morning. I have an unexpected task that I have to do this evening so will not get it written until the early hours again. If you can make sure that all other song lyrics and lines are already learned thoroughly then there will be no problem with learning these extra few tomorrow evening instead.

This is some guidance for parents of children on the main summer workshop this year as to what costuming is needed. I would wait until Tuesday evening to be certain what exact part your child will be playing, unless they have been told already.

YELLOW GROUP

All these students need to be dressed as mice so they need a top and trousers in either beige, grey or white. They need a tail sewn to their trousers and some ears.  I think it will give the mice character if their costumes are all different.

GREEN GROUP

The basis of this group is that they are townsfolk in Cinderella`s time therefore they need to look 18th century in style - boys - waistcoats, trousers tucked in long socks, tin foil buckles on shoes, maybe even powdered hair, cloaks, shirts - dare I suggest tricorn hats (just in case you have any lying around of course - not essential) You could get away with top hats too. You could be a poor citizen and then rags would suffice - “Oliver” style caps could get a look in too. Girls - long skirts/dresses with aprons, shawls, mob caps. For richer citizens Little Miss Muffet type outfits and poke bonnets.

SOME OF THIS GROUP MAY HAVE A NAMED ROLE ALREADY TO ADJUST THEIR COSTUME TO.

BLUE GROUP

This group are paparrazzi and PR and management people for pop stars so need to look trendy and either be “power dressed” or eccentrically fashion conscious. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO COSTUME THIS GROUP UNTIL AFTER TOMORROW WHEN THEY WILL HAVE BEEN EXACTLY CAST.

SOME OF THIS GROUP DO KNOW ALREADY WHAT THEY ARE PLAYING

RED GROUP

These students are living in care in a residential home in modern times. Their dress is what teenagers would wear casually today. Many of these students have been given named roles already and we have discussed what they may need to wear with them.

PLEASE NOTE:-

There are 2 aspects to this production. There is aa authentic Cinderella story going on alongside a modern day Cinderella (Cindy) story). Where children - green and yellow group students - are cast into the `real` Cinderella then costuming needs to be traditional like you would see in the panto version. Where they are cast into the modern day version they only need to dress in modern every day styles eg Cindy`s dress for going to the radio station in will be of now. She needs a high heeled pair of shoes though.

Please ask if you need any further help. Calling in after a workshop day is best.