Highlights of PerformerZone Summer Schools

FEEDBACK from the students…

"Working with experienced directors and performers to a high standard was an exciting test for me, but I enjoyed the pressure. It was great fun and the tutors were all brilliant, keeping a good pace. Even though students were inexperienced in some areas, they were fully supported and encouraged. I felt my performance skills really improved during the Summer School and I enjoyed every minute of it. My biggest achievement was learning about choral singing, harmonies, and how my voice fits in, and gaining an 'ear' for the style of performance required for the genre of musicals. I found the performances so inspiring to be a part of. Thank you so much for a brilliant 10 days of training and fun!" (Mark Martin, 19 year old student from Arts Educational Acting School, London)

I felt really challenged to work hard! That is how hard I want to work from now on. The Summer School set a ‘workload standard’ for my future time at college and the future…I really didn’t think I/ we could do it! But I was so amazed by what we [human beings] can do! Thank you so much.” [Hannah Garrad - aged 16] 

“It was so refreshing to be pushed to our limits, and so encouraging to have so much faith put in our ability from the start. It was definitely well worth the challenge and left me with a great sense of achievement. The Summer School was fantastic!! Thank you for a really enjoyable experience. It was hard work, but really, really enjoyable! [Kesia Tucknott - aged 15]

 

"I really enjoyed working with the group and I thought everybody pulled with all their weight. I relished the challenge of working towards the performances when the comraderie we had developed reached its high point. I learned that I can learn material to performance level much quicker than I thought I could!! It definitely felt like a professional experience for me - very different from the experience I have had in amateur opera and musicals - it took me a lot further, and was well worth the effort!! I absolutely gained in confidence, am very pleased I did it, and would love to do another!!" (Malcolm Clark, 50 year old osteopath -training to be an actor at ACT in Brighton.)

 

"I didn't expect the course to be so intense, but I really enjoyed it and found it very useful to see how it is to work in a more professional dimension than the one I am used to. I learned alot about the rhythm of work in musical theatre, about how nothing is as impossible as it seems, and also about how English people approach something like this. It was a great achievement to see that I could cope well with the work and never feel to be less than anybody else there. This has been very important to me, since I would really like to come to England once I finish school in Italy. This was a really 'professional environment' experience and I felt fully supported and encouraged throughout my time in England with Brighton Stagers" (Alma Fournier Carballo, Italian drama/music student, aged 18)

"All the tutors brought a wealth of talent and professional expertise, accumulated from many professional projects in musical theatre in the West End and beyond. The reward at the end was more than worth the considerable amount of rehearsals and classes with the public performances of  'TOWN AND COUNTRY- A MUSICAL JOURNEY' demonstrating the results of all their sweat and tears!! It was evident that everybody worked excellently together,creating a vibrant group dynamic. The audience reaction was ecstatic!! Jenna Russell'sjenna_russell.html masterclass, with her genuine and frank reflection on showbusiness, and her very amusing anecdotes gave the students and public a brilliant and hilarious insight into the life of a successful professional actress. None of us are too old or accomplished to be beyond perfecting and learning new skills, and the multi-skilled nature of musical theatre offers a wonderful opportunity to do just that! The highlight for me was the performances...It was great to get that company feeling after all the hard work, making it so worthwhile to see people enjoy themselves on stage as well as in the audience." (Nik Hedges, experienced actor aged 36)

"The work load seemed challenging - yes! - but I knew I really enjoyed it by the sinking feeling I had when it ended. I wouldn't have wanted it any easier! I felt thoroughly supported throughout. I enjoyed developing my singing dancing and acting skills throughout the process. When we got to the last day of rehearsals on the Friday it got scary, but look at how well the show DID go! We did it in the time we had...I definitely gained in confidence and through the experience I now want to pursue a life in the theatre. Thank you so much! (Stella Horwich aged 29, general local performer, singing in bands, jazz etc etc and now learning to sing operatically!)

"I think it was a great taster course giving you a good essence of musical theatre and the pressure of putting together a show in just over a week. The tutors provided a very professional experience for everybody, managing to culminate all the different levels of experience people brought to achieve a great end result and made the whole process great fun in the making. I have not done alot of solo singing, but through the inspiration of the masterclass with Jenna Russell, my confidence was really boosted, and I feel keen to do more. (Yvonne Abel, 28 year old acting student from Brighton)