We are delighted to launch our new Advanced Musical Theatre School in January 2017! Please read all of the information below carefully before attending the audition.
The School
This school is for students aged 11+ who want a greater challenge and see a career in the performing arts. Students will train on a Tuesday evening from 17:30 to 20:30 and a Saturday afternoon from 14:30-17:30 at Queen Anne High School. They will receive tuition in Acting, Singing and Dancing as well as a one hour Performance/Repertoire class each week. On a fortnightly basis students will receive a half hour one to one singing lesson in addition to two one to one acting tutorials each term. Their dance training will include tap and jazz as standard as well as learning show choreography. Each term will involve a performance/presentation with one full show a year and one cabaret evening where students will perform their solos and duets in a repertoire revue evening. Students will be expected to practice in their own time, learning routines and lyrics etc. in order to gain the most out of the school. Students will also prepare and take part in a group LAMDA examination and there are opportunites for individual LAMDA, further singing lessons and/or tutorials which can be booked at an additional cost.
We are only accepting up to eighteen students a term for this fantastic opportunity. The cost of the school is £8 an hour. Using our Auto-Pay payment plan you can spread the cost of payments. For example, spreading the cost over the year would be twelve monthly payments of £148. As per all our other schools and classes, commitment is to one term at a time. The cost of two singing lessons once a month alone would be nearly £40 and one to one acting tuition comes in around £25 an hour as well. With this in mind we feel we have made this school as affordable as possible for students to pursue their passion and develop their performance skills. If you accept a place at the school, the first payment will be due on the 1st of January.
The Audition
Students should choose and prepare one song and one monologue from a set list. All of these materials can be found here. Students can prepare their song by listening to the YouTube links provided and using the rehearsal track which will be uploaded in the afternoon of the 1st of December. Students will audition with a live piano accompaniment. The evening will take the form of a group dance workshop followed by individual auditions where students can present their pieces. We will endeavour to let students know the outcome of the auditions as soon as possible however this will not be on the night. Students should bring a bottle of water and warm up in advance of the audition. They should wear plain comfortable clothing and jazz shoes if they have them. Some students may be finished earlier than 20:00 so if your child can text you for early pickup that would be beneficial, however we can chaperone any students up until 20:00.
Questions
My child is performing in Panto/I absolutely cannot make that date! - If you are unable to make this audition but would still like to submit an application please get in touch at [email protected] and it may be possible to make alternative arrangements in some cases.
I have already paid towards next term for the stage school (and/or Tue evening classes) but won't be continuing with them if my child is successful at audition - You will be able to use the amounts paid on your account towards the new rate for tuition.
I understand the cost as it is double the number of hours, but why is the hourly rate higher? Due to the additional expense in running this course (individual tuition, examination fees, licenced works etc.) we have had to increase the fee per hour, we still believe that £8 an hour for what students will receive is incredibly good value with similar pre further education courses costing £10 an hour or more.
What is a monologue, what should my child be doing to prepare? - A monologue is a speech where one character speaks their thoughts either to the audience or another character. We recommend that when presenting a monologue your child images the person they are speaking to is above the panel's head. They should consider who the character is, where they are, why they are saying what they are and more specifically what has made them say it to this person./the audience now. The answers to all these questions can be created by the student and it's more important to make a strong choice than worry about making the wrong choice.
Can I prepare a different song/monologue or anything else? - We ask that all students stick to the prescribed texts and songs as they have been chosen specifically by the panel.
Who are the teachers on this course?
-Our acting teacher is Rob Doran coming all the way from Queensland Australia where he has taught and directed actors in film, television and theatre. He has worked extensively at the acclaimed training centre, The Actor's Workshop, as well as the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts, Griffith University Film School and Queensland Theatre Company teaching at advanced diploma level.
-Our singing teacher is Ian Duguid, an accomplished accompanist and musical director working in Scotland after graduating with an MA in Musical Directing from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSAMD). He has worked with several theatre companies around Scotland as Musical Director on shows such as Grease, Hairspray, Cabaret, and more. Ian also lectures at Universities in Musical Directing and Composition.
-Our dance teacher is a familiar face, Jennifer Lyall. She has completed extensive dance training as well as gaining a wealth of experience in teaching through preparing students for examination in ballet and modern theatre through ISTD. Jennifer has taught at a variety of prestigous dance schools throughout Scotland including Dance For All and at Dance Scotland with the highly acclaimed Stephanie May.