Willy Russell - Stage-ed Patron

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!

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.

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.

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.

Stage-ed are brilliant. No hesitation in recommending them at all. We have booked them more than once because of the highly energetic pace and superb levels of engagement that they create with students. They are always professional and really give students a deeper insight into a play. As a teacher, they leave me feeling inspired (and with plenty of ideas that I can pinch for warm ups etc) plus, our students genuinely like them and always ask if we can book them again. So if anyone’s thinking about booking, I’d say their workshops are some of the best I’ve seen and you won’t regret it!

Gareth was amazing with the students and we had a wonderful session with him. I particularly thought the way he put them at ease and made them feel it was ok to be themselves thoroughly helped. I would recommend him to anyone. We are booking you again next year for The Crucible.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Thank you Stage-ed / Mike Southern for a highly engaging and professional workshop with our Year 10 GCSE students. The skills and techniques you taught them have given both groups a much greater confidence with Blood Brothers in terms of staging, direction and characterisation, particularly in vocalisation of roles. A good pace and quick establishment of rapport with the students and your infectious enthusiasm for Willy Russell’s script and songs made it an unforgettable experience for our students. Nick Perry, Head of Drama, St Ivo School.

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

Thank you so much for coming to school today and for being so wonderful with all the girls and our staff. It was such a privilege to have you with us and I have had so many people telling me how much they enjoyed the assembly and the workshop with a cast member from 42nd street.
Michael thank you to you as well for all your help in booking Clare and putting us in touch. I am sure you are not surprised to hear what a star she was!

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Mike @Stage-ed for spending the day with us on Saturday and the super Blood Brothers workshop. The young people were simultaneously hanging on every word and yet given scope to be really creative. They played loads of group games and energisers, got some spot of careers and audition advice, chance to really get to grips with sections of the play as whole groups and pairs. Crucially they were taught so much useful vocab and theatrical terms. Mike delivered this with fantastic energy and maintained the mixed age and gender kids focus throughout. Absolute magic….and looking already at when we can do it again! Eva Pearson, Head of drama, Tavistock College.

The workshops were great. Peter and Ffion were very engaging, they included a lovely mix of acting/teaching/activities. They were also brilliant at adapting their materials on the spot depending on time constraints (on the school’s part)/reading the room (with regards to some of our more challenging students). They also stretched our top ability with logos, ethos and pathos, which was wonderful. I’ve heard both staff and students speaking positively about it.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Mike from stage-ed tailored an incredible workshop for our Year 5s. All of the children, no matter what past experiences, were made to feel confident and enthusiastic by Mike’s incredible delivery and engagement with the children. In each 60 minute session, they took part in a variety of activities which allowed them to express themselves both individually and as part of a group. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by children and staff alike. Thank you to all at Stage-ed, we will be recommending to other schools in our area!

I thought the workshop was brilliant and the students where eagerly taking part. It was obvious that they were enjoying themselves and they were proud of what they had achieved by the end (a scene from blood brothers).
Mike, who led, cast the scene very expertly and accurately (I thought) It seemed like he had chosen the perfect people in the roles even though he had only just met the group. There was time at the end for the students to ask him about the industry.

Your Blood Brother’s workshop was seriously amazing, enriching the students’ understanding of text, ensemble work, and stagecraft. Thank you! Have you back again soon

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.

Gareth was amazing with the students and we had a wonderful session with him. I particularly thought the way he put them at ease and made them feel it was ok to be themselves thoroughly helped. I would recommend him to anyone. We are coming back next year for The Crucible.