Willy Russell - Stage-ed Patron

My son thoroughly enjoyed the week long workshop, came home every night excited to tell us what he had learned, performed a very slick looking show on the Saturday followed by a pizza party. Already waiting to sign up for next time along with his little sister and cousin who were very impressed with the show and really wanted to be a part of it. Fully inclusive and made our son feel very confident, learned a massive amount in a week. Highly recommended.

Nearly 50 Y11 students from St. Joseph’s College, Reading travelled up to see one of the final performances of Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End before it closed. The students were thrilled and amazed at the quality of acting; also reduced to tears before the final curtain came down. The following Monday we were very excited to welcome Lou and Mike, members of the cast we had seen to our College to conduct a workshop. The pupils were treated to a professional insight into what it is like to be a performer at the very highest level. The students were very active and completed a range of exercises ranging from theatre games to scripted scenes. To say the students were inspired is an understatement and we would definitely recommend this experience to any Drama Department in the country. The workshop leaders were happy to tailor the experience on the day as a Y11 GCSE Group benefitted from help in developing a devised piece they were working on. The students were buzzing from the visit and it was refreshing for them to ask questions about the profession that were answered fully by working professionals. More than a workshop, more like a real experience of ‘Theatre’ in every sense of the word.

Y11 working with Stage-Ed on live literature in the hall. Total mastery of content and creative quality delivery in action. Students hooked and making great progress from their start point this morning.

Since Stage-Ed have delivered their workshop, our students have taken themselves to a new a level of focus and engagement I never thought possible. They thoroughly enjoyed the day and have left feeling confident in their ability to perform and understand Blood Brothers. The day was ran with energy and enthusiasm which clearly showed their passion for theatre and this certainly rubbed off on our students. The workshop consisted of whole group, small group and individual activities which in particular we felt helped inspire our students who were previously struggling with the text. We would highly recommend Stage-Ed for any school workshops and we will certainly be using them again in the future.

What a fantastic day we had! Our west-end star, Jono from Matilda was absolutely brilliant and a very good teacher. The girls were inspired by the routines they learnt and left on such a high! We will definitely be working with stage-ed again. – Katy Johnston, Carshalton school for girls.

WOW! We were utterly blown away last week – thank you for our wonderful workshop! The children had a ball and learnt so much, the teachers learnt a great deal too. I will definitely be calling Stage-ed again. Thank you for inspiring our children! You are amazing.

The workshop was perfect for the students and they all felt like they benefited from it.

Working with Mike was a pleasure from start to finish. He succeeded in engaging our pupils in a high-energy, professionally delivered workshop. The warm-ups were innovative and ensured that all pupils were with him from the outset; the accent coaching was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable; his knowledge of Blood Brothers and its stagecraft was superb. Mike brought an extra-dimension to the play for our pupils who had all seen the show. A truly valuable experience. We can’t wait to work with him again.

As a Drama teacher, I would thoroughly recommend a workshop led by Mike. We have been lucky enough to have Mike in twice, once to lead a workshop with our Year 9s (who had opted for GCSE Drama) and more recently, to work specifically with our More Able GCSE pupils. Both times, pupils have filled out a questionnaire, with 100% agreeing that it was ‘Excellent’, ‘Thoroughly Enjoyable’ and that they would be able to apply the skills learnt to their practical assessments. Mike has an ability to get the best out of the pupils with his high energy approach whilst also maintaining an inclusive atmosphere, so pupils feel confident working together. It’s also a great way to learn new improvisation techniques which can be built into units of work. A great way to enthuse pupils about the possibilities of Drama.

Thanks so much for the energetic, stimulating and inspiring workshop yesterday. For many students that was their bravest experience of drama yet (performing in front of people not in their teaching group)! The ensemble pieces and scripts extracts were super – I absolutely loved the way you set the workshop up so that it had breadth and depth, energy and focus and great balance between fun and serious engagement. The students had a really fantastic time and have had a superb introduction to the world of music theatre, from a professional viewpoint and with your years of experience backing up every nugget of info you gave them. The visit from the cast members was really inspiring too, and gave so much food for thought beyond the day. Please pass on my thanks once more to Maureen and Danielle, and for their great connection with children they had never met – up for answering a huge range of questions with great ease! I will totally be recommending you to every drama teacher I meet.

The 39 Steps workshop was really great. Stage-ed covered everything that I asked for and the students had a fab time.

What a fabulous day. Mike infused energy and enthusiasm into the students that brought the script to life and enhanced performance. Year 11 have managed to incorporate some of the skills they picked up into the extract they will be performing for their GCSE moderation in a couple of weeks. I would love to make this a regular feature on our calendar

I cannot even begin to say how much the pupils enjoyed today. A couple found me after you had gone and asked did I know exactly when you were coming back! Bless them! I also think that you have inspired Joe even more to become a professional actor!
It was lovely to see students like Oli, Henry and especially Ralph focus (mostly) for the workshop. Just brilliant.
I love your energy!

We had Stage-ed in to work with our GCSE English students on An Inspector Calls and they really brought the texts to life. Mike sharing his experience as a performer really helped to give the pupils a clear perspective on the impact of stagecraft. Stage Ed were really accommodating and the pupils learned a lot from the sessions, it was a great experience.

The best masterclass we have had in..” Pauline Quirke Academy, Bradley Stoke.

I have learnt that it is a great job to have being an actor. It boosted my self esteem by a lot it also gave me more knowldege about the play Blood Brothers’ Thank you” (Bradley English Yr 9) “I found it really fun and different, it really benefitted me and my Drama group, we learnt so much about one particular scene in the show….it was fun” (Edward Clews Yr 9) “I thought the workshop was amazing. It has really helped me with my assessment and I have been able to reflect upon my style of performing and alter areas to suit my characters purpose and intention. I now can do a Liverpool accent.” (Kathryn Anne Barry Yr9) “Mike and Louise were fab! they both had a lovely rapport with the students which was a joy to watch.

“Stage-ed” came to Folkestone School for Girls to work with my Year 13 cohort on an auditions unit for BTEC Level 3. As a teacher it is sometimes difficult to inspire your pupils, you can find yourself stuck for ideas and inspiration. ‘Stage-ed’ worked with my pupils for one day and within that time re energised and motivated my pupils to succeed. It was great for my girls to work with a professional actor, someone who knows and has experienced the job and who has first-hand knowledge of the industry. The whole day was filled with useful workshop activities which were exciting, inspiring and innovative and really pushed my pupils to their limits. ‘Stage-ed’ tailor made the day to suite my exam board and specification so everything the pupils were experiencing directly linked back to the assessment criteria in which they were being judged. I also learnt some new practical activities which I have used again in my teaching. I would recommend ‘Stage-ed’ to any school or college who are looking for a professional company to create interesting and practical workshops to inspire and motivate their pupils.”

A fantastic workshop today at Kenilworth School and Sixth Form. Thank you Mike. The students were inspired by you and the workshop! You brought Blood Brothers to life in a new way for them….

Stage-Ed delivered a fantastic Blood Brothers workshop on stage at the New Wimbledon Theatre for Kids Week. Their in depth knowledge of the show and professional experience of it in production provided an invaluable insight for the young people. The workshop delivery was fast paced, fun and engaging and also provided varied performance skills development appropriate to all levels of experience. Some feedback from participants: “The leaders knew a lot of techniques & exactly how to be each character. I learnt a lot of new ways to perform the pieces and I enjoyed the ensemble scenes the most.” “I learnt so much but also had fun.” “The leaders knew what they were talking about – great advice. I learnt tips for auditions and life!” “I have learnt to be more confident! I enjoyed when we go to direct the different pieces then perform them.”

We found Mike to be very energetic and entertaining. He had a good rapport with the students early on and offered a range of fun and challenging activities. The students were inspired by his enthusiasm and direction to produce some excellent work. They all really enjoyed it and were buzzing about it afterward.

Wow. I just wanted to say thank you to all involved today, unfortunately I didn’t get chance to say goodbye. It was fantastic and the students, and staff, loved every minute. It really was a ‘wow’ moment seeing some of our most challenging students working in that way. Wonderful. I can’t wait for Macbeth now!
Thanks again.

A really good day with some great positive feedback from our pupils and staff. Larner and Tom (cast members from An Inspector Calls) were fab and really brought things to life for classes. A really enjoyable day. Thank you.

The workshop was very interesting for all of the students. The warm up put all the students at ease and the manner of the leaders was excellent. The Q&A; was very useful especially to students wishing to take drama further

Having worked twice with the STAGE-ED’ team in just one year, I can highly recommend them to other secondary schools and education providers. The workshops have really engaged our key stage 4 students and have been tailored to meet the needs of our GCSE course. Also, the access they have provided our students to the professional world of theatre has been second-to-none. Getting to meet and work with West End stars has been a real ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience! We will definately be working with STAGE-ED again in the future!

Stage Ed have delivered 2 outstanding workshops for our pupils. Both creative, engaging and packed with the transferable Drama skills we aim to provide for our pupils. The workshop gives the pupils a special professional experience and an insight into the industry. Our pupils absolutely loved it. We highly recommend this company.

What a fantastic day we had! Our west-end star from Matilda, Jono, was absolutely brilliant and a very good teacher. The girls were inspired by the routines they learnt and left on such a high! We will definitely be working with stage-ed again.

It was fabulous last time and you should know that a group of year 11 students used the work they did with you for one of the scenes in their final moderation. I had 9 students- 7 gained a maximum 45/45 for their performance, one got 44 and another got 42! Not bad, eh? Must have been one of the highest scoring moderations in the country. They were an exceptional bunch and I won’t get another cohort like them but thank you for your contribution as I’m sure it gave them the edge.

Stage-ed provided a series of excellent workshops which built very successfully on our pupils’ study of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

The workshop on the 29th was above and beyond what I had expected or hoped for. From the outset Mike you were accommodating about the numbers of students fluctuating and what years they were from. Then heading into the main body of the workshop, the group were utterly mesmerized by your delivery of everything expected. You took them on a journey which just wouldn´t have been the same if anyone else had tried. As the workshop progressed it was obvious to see how much more of an understanding of the play they were developing. You treated them as young adults, spoke to them with respect which was very quickly reciprocated. They were focused throughout the 4-5 hours you worked with them and that´s not an easy feat for anyone. The 6 hour practical assessment lessons which have followed, would not have been as successful without the workshop. I could not have asked for anything more and would give 6 stars if I could. There is no doubt in my mind that I will contacting you again you to do more workshops.Simply amazing. Thank you so much. Fran Gower – El Limonar Internation School (Alicante, Spain).

We had two of the team in to do two workshops with our KS3 pupils on MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the sessions! We will definitely ask them to return next year. Thanks boys!