mond2x: Theatre offers two-week course for future performers

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Theatre offers two-week course for future performers

ASPIRING young stage stars can take part in their own theatre production after a two week crash course from professional directors.

The Regent theatre is hosting a new 'Stage Experience' project where 120 young people aged between nine and 25 years old will get expert tuition and become the cast of Fame the Musical.

Auditions to find performers for the three night show in August will take place next month.

The project, which costs �165 per person, will run from August 8 to 20 and tuition will be provided by Robert Marsden, Caroline Sherratt, and Peter Golding, a musical director who has worked with Liza Minnelli and Elton John.

Remade in 2009, Fame was a 1980 film, which spawned a TV series following a group of students at a New York arts academy.

Zoe Scott, project co-ordinator, said: "This is a first for Stoke-on-Trent but theatres across the country are already doing this, it's a great opportunity for people who want to be the stars of the future.

"We chose Fame because it reflects the journey the young people will go through and it's a great story which audiences will really enjoy. We want to encourage anyone to come along whether they have experience or not.

"The tutors have amazing backgrounds and participants will be able to absorb their advice, develop their own skills and have an amazing experience.

"Young people who want to be stars can get this experience and tuition.

"They will have ownership over the performance and everyone in Stoke-on-Trent will be talking about it."

Auditions for the project take place at the Victoria Hall on May 8 for performers aged 16 to 25, and May 15 for those aged nine to 15. Registration for both sessions starts at 9.30am and the auditions run from 11am to 5pm.

They are open to everyone regardless of experience and the closing date for applications to audition is April 29.

Recalls will then take place in June. Hopeful stars do not need to prepare anything for the first audition as they will take part in group workshop in dance, drama and singing.

The Stage Experience project is replacing Stoke's Top Talent for one year only. Theatre managers will bring back the traditional talent search in 2012 with a few changes.

Dawn Atley, of Steelworks Academy in Fenton, said: "In the past we've put young people forward for Stoke's Top Talent but I think this project will actually be better for them, because they can take part in a big stage production at the end of it.

"I'm sure a lot of students will be interested in auditioning for this."

Mike Keane, general manager at Stoke-on-Trent Theatres, which runs The Regent and Victoria Hall, said: "Following three hugely successful years of Stoke's Top Talent, we collectively recognised a need to review the format and so we decided to rest the show for a year.

"We're already discussing exciting changes and looking forward to relaunching Stoke's Top Talent in 2012."