Connie Fisher, winner of the BBC’s How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? contest
Time for budding Marias to shine
PREVIEW: THEATRE SUMMER SCHOOLS
BRACE yourselves – the streets of Camden and Islington could soon be teeming with young alpine Marias and Artful Dodgers. Aspiring performers have the chance to be put through their paces this summer in theatre workshops.
West End Boot Camp promises tuition with professional actors from Mamma Mia!, Hairspray and High School Musical at a series of venues across Camden.
Children aged 7-10 and 11-14 will be schooled in singing, dancing and acting over four rigorous eight-hour days, culminating in a group showcase at the end of the week.
The Boot Camp will be at Primrose Hill’s Pirate Castle from July 27-31, and then Hampstead Town Hall and Lauderdale House in August. Courses are not cheap though – the 20-hour workshops cost £245 per child.
For those on a tighter budget, Bloomsbury’s Drill Hall Theatre gives youngsters the opportunity to tread the boards from £50 for their four-day course for 11-14s, from July 27-31.
The summer youth theatre is specifically targeted at the children of gay and lesbian couples, but all are welcome.
For 16 to 19-year-olds, regardless of orientation, the Drill Hall has a two-week summer course of theatre exercises, improvisation, movement classes and voice skills, with a final showcase, from July 27-August 7.
Around the same competitive price range, the Young Actors Theatre in Barnsbury – formerly the famous Anna Scher Drama School – still has courses available for 11 to 16-year-olds in their senior academy. SIMON WROE