Home Page Haverhill News

Budding child stars will be able to learn drama, dance and singing when a new Performing Arts Stage School is launched in Haverhill.

The school, to be known as TPs for short, will cater from September for youngsters aged seven upwards, meeting at Samuel Ward Upper School on Monday evenings.

The school has been formed following the huge response from children to auditions held by Centre Stage Theatre Company based at Haverhill Arts Centre. Last year more than 100 youngsters turned up to try for just 22 roles in the production of Me and My Girl.

Alan Smith. one of a group who have formed a limited company to run the school, said they had been working for several months to set it up and taken advice from NODA, the national association for drama groups.

He said: “I got involved through Centre Stage because I could see there was a definite need for a drama school to give them their stage skills. There is so much discipline in learning drama it gives them an interest and must make them better citizens with a better quality of life.”

Frances MacGechan will be the principle at the school, which will teach drama, dance and singing. She has been involved in local productions for many years and taught in other stage schools, before recently completing a degree in English and Drama.

“We hope to provide a happy, stimulating environment where children can learn the art of theatre,” Mrs MacGechan said.

Other members of the group are all qualified in their own field and include Derek Snell, Jennifer Mizen, Marika Newman and Dawn Gower. They stress that the group is not just for Centre Stage youngsters, but for all youngsters, with the school staging its own productions.

Ms Gower said: “People are always saying there is nothing for kids to do, but if you get 150 kids turning up for 22 places you have got to capture that and motivate it.”

Initially the school will be limited to 45 children, with 15 in each class. Anyone interested in a place should contact Ms MacGechan on (01440) 708393 or Dawn on 704686.