The ArtsEd Sixth Form Theatre Company are taking Moira Buffini's black comedy, Dinner to the Chelsea Theatre, London. After weeks of rehearsals, the company of Year 12 & 13 students will be taking to the professional stage on 8th and 9th of May.

The Sixth Form Theatre Company provides fantastic opportunities for our students to grow and develop as performers. Paul Tully, Head of Drama and Acting and Director of Dinner says: “This opportunity allows the students to experience something different to performing in school. They need to be able to adapt quickly to the new environment and it really does give them a taste of what it is like to be performing in a professional space.”

In recent years the Sixth Form Theatre Company has won awards at the National Student Drama Festival and the Independent Schools Association’s Drama Competition as well as taking part in the National Theatre Connections project.

The students have worked exceptionally hard on this production and would be delighted if you could come and see this vicious comedy:

On a night thick with fog, Paige organises a dinner party to celebrate her husband's new book. This is no normal dinner party though. Primordial soup and frozen matter are served with aplomb by a 'dumb' waiter, while her guests savage each other as the evening proceeds. A laugh out loud black comedy one moment and then a dark twisted story the next. From party games to terrorising guests, this is a party that has surprising twists at the end. Some would say the dinner date from hell!

Tickets are available via the Chelsea Theatre website chelseatheatre.org.uk

ArtsEd is one of Britain’s leading drama schools. Our 3rd Year BA Acting students participate in a significant amount of film work, making them highly employable in the industry. Launched in 2014, the Original Screenplay Project has gone from strength to strength. Each year a limited number of films from the project are submitted to film festivals. In 2016 we were thrilled to win the Best Comedy award at the Crystal Palace International Film Festival for Paul Houghton’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

We are delighted to invite writers to submit their scripts for the fourth season.

Shortlisted scripts will be read in a workshop situation and once the final eight scripts have been selected, writers may be required to develop or adapt their work. They will subsequently be filmed in March 2018, by a professional director and cameraman, supported by a full student crew. Each film will then be edited to broadcast standard and screened before an industry audience.

Each script should combine a clear, narrative arc with a degree of dramatic action and must also fulfil the following criteria: 

Be of 10-12 minutes duration
Be suitable for filming on a limited budget
Require a maximum of 4 simple locations and not involve difficult technical set ups i.e.: long driving scenes, period settings etc.
Tackle contemporary subject matter, both comedy and drama and be set in the last decade
Be suitable for a cast who are in their twenties, with a minimum of 3 to 4 strong roles
Avoid any extreme violence or explicit sexual content
Require a limited number of older cast or none at all ideally

All writers will be fully credited for their work, retain copyright of the script and receive a professional standard showreel of the film. We are sadly unable to offer remuneration to writers but see this as a great opportunity for a writer to have their work developed and produced in order to showcase their talents.

We will acknowledge receipt of submissions but regrettably, due to the volume of submissions we are unable to provide individual feedback. Decisions regarding shortlisting of scripts will take place after the closing date, and final scripts will be chosen by September 2017.

To submit a script for our consideration, please email a copy in PDF or Word format to scripts.artsed@gmail.com and remember to include your name, contact details, and script title on the front page, together with a brief synopsis and character breakdown.

Deadline for submissions is Wednesday 24 May 2017

The ArtsEd Extra Youth Theatre is looking forward to making their West End debut this week, performing in the National Theatre’s Connections Festival – a celebration of young people, theatre-making and the importance of access to the arts. The company of young actors has come together from across West London and will perform Tim Etchells’ Status Update at Soho Theatre on 31 March at 7pm.

{image2}Status Update is an unflinching and amusing catalogue of the things teenagers learn, believe and appear to have sussed out about the world. It’s a challenging piece for ArtsEd Extra Youth Theatre’s first project as the entire cast remains on stage throughout the performance, relying on their ability to work together as an ensemble.

Director and Head of Part-Time Leaning, Jonathan Goodwin has watched the group step up successfully to the challenge: “I’ve seen a huge development in the skills level and confidence of the entire cast throughout this project. Each performer has shown a great commitment during rehearsals and as a result we’ve received amazing feedback from friends, family and representatives of the Soho Theatre and the National Theatre.”

Tickets for the performance at Soho Theatre are available here.

If you would like to be involved in similar projects please register your interest with Jonathan Goodwin jgoodwin@artsed.co.uk / 020 8987 6692

{image1}

Image credit: Joe Thomas, Lighting Designer and Operator www.joethomasdesign.co.uk

The summer season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is going to start with great style and verve this year with four ArtsEd faces leading the cast of On The Town.

Class of 2017 graduates, Siena Kelly and Miriam-Teak Lee, will make their professional stage debuts as Ivy and Hildy, joined by ArtsEd alumna, Lizzy Connolly as Claire, three roles played in the original film version by Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett and Ann Miller. Siena and Miriam-Teak are well prepared for their stage debut having performed lead roles in Lady Be Good and The Life during their final year of training.

The male lead, Gabey, will be played by ArtsEd alumnus, Danny Mac, recently seen in the finals and live arena tour of Strictly Come Dancing. The role of Gabey is well known to Chris Hocking, ArtsEd’s Deputy Director, who played the character on the last UK tour of On The Town in 1989.

Chris Hocking says: “It’s an incredible achievement for Miriam-Teak and Siena to launch their professional careers in such an iconic musical. We are ecstatic to see ArtsEd students and alumni in four of the six lead roles!” 

Playing 19 May to 1 July 2017, On The Town is based on a concept by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, including the hit song “New York, New York (it’s a helluva town)”.  The production will be directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. Drew won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for In the Heights before scoring a hit with his choreography for Jesus Christ Superstar in 2016, for which he is nominated in The Olivier Awards 2017.

Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning

ArtsEd Youth Dance Company (AEYDC) performed as part of RichDance 17 at Hampton School on Saturday 4 March – a performance platform for youth companies and professionals. The company of dancers from Years 10-13 took to the stage to premiere their new dance piece 'RED'.

Company Director Christopher Reynolds commended the performers saying: “The students’ performance was extremely professional and their support of the other participants was fantastic. RichDance was a great day for AEYDC to bond as a company as well as being ambassadors for the Day School and Sixth Form. I am extremely proud of them all, well done!” 

RichDance, now in its 15th year, forms a part of the Richmond upon Thames Music and Drama Festival. The weekend is a fantastic showcase for dance companies and choreographers, professional and emerging dance artists, local schools, and youth and community groups from across London.

ArtsEd Youth Dance Company will next be performing here at ArtsEd in The Dance Show from 27-31 March in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre. Tickets are available from 2pm Thursday 9th March via the Box Office.

It has been announced that third year musical theatre student Tarinn Callender will be joining the original cast for the highly anticipated West End debut of Hamilton. Tarinn will make his professional debut playing the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison.

Performances will begin in November at the Victoria Palace Theatre, which will re-open its doors following major refurbishment work. Only a handful of castings have been announced so far, with the lead roles of Hamilton and King George III still firmly under wraps. We can't wait to find out who will be joining Tarinn over the coming months.

ArtsEd is delighted that Gareth Farr is taking up the post of Director of The School of Acting in April 2017. Gareth joined the School as a freelance director in September 2009 and immediately inspired the students with his passion and enthusiasm for actor training.

Before coming to ArtsEd Gareth worked as an actor and he continues to work as a writer bringing many Industry contacts to the School. His debut full-length play, Britannia Waves the Rules, won the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2011. His latest play, The Quiet House, which explores infertility and the taboo surrounding it, opened at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in May 2016 and transferred to Park Theatre in London in June 2016.  

As an actor Gareth has worked for the RSC, Royal Court, Young Vic, in the West End and at many regional theatres. His TV credits include Skins, Misfits, Vera, Doctors, Heartbeat and Holby City.

Principal Jane Harrison says: “This is a great addition to the ArtsEd team and we wish him every success in his new role.”

While Gareth is equally delighted: “I feel thrilled and extremely privileged to be taking on the role of Director of The School of Acting.  ArtsEd is about to embark on a new and exciting chapter and I am delighted to be part of this.”

Sixth Form student Daniel Ellis has won the British Dyslexia Association Young Person’s Award 2016. The award was made in recognition of Daniel’s commitment to creating positive attitudes towards dyslexia which he achieved through his stand-up comedy performances. The award also acknowledges how far Daniel has come from being diagnosed to achieving a place at ArtsEd.

In his acceptance speech Daniel spoke of his dyslexia as a gift: “I would not be in the position I am today if I did not have dyslexia. I would not be as creative or free thinking as I am. This gift has enabled me to become an actor and comedian and gain a place at the greatest performing arts Sixth Form in the UK.”

When Daniel finishes his Sixth Form study at ArtsEd next year he hopes to study for a degree in Acting. We are very proud of Daniel’s achievements and look forward to seeing how his bright future unfolds.

ArtsEd Principal Jane Harrison will be stepping down in July 2017 following eight successful years in post.

The Board of Trustees conducted a thorough search for a new Principal and we are delighted to announce that Chris Hocking, Deputy Principal, has been appointed and will take up his new role in September 2017.

Chris Hocking is equally delighted: “I am so honoured to take over as Principal from Jane in the new academic year. I am absolutely passionate about the training that we offer at ArtsEd, from the little ones on a Saturday, to Year 7 and right the way through to MA level and beyond. I have very big shoes to fill but relish the challenges that lay ahead. ArtsEd is without doubt the best place to train, the best place to work and the best place to be.”

Jane Harrison added: “Having worked closely with Chris for many years now I know that he has the passion, commitment and vision to take the School forwards to an ever brighter future.”

Everyone at the school would like to congratulate Chris on his appointment as Principal. We look forward to working together to maintain and develop ArtsEd’s position as one of the UK’s leading drama schools.

The Crystal Palace International Film Festival presents a diverse range of independent films from around the world. The winning films are selected by a celebrity and industry judging panel, and presented at screenings across London.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, written by Paul Houghton, produced by Caroline Jeffries and performed by the 2016 ArtsEd acting students, portrays army officers struggling to keep their domestic relationships from interfering with their job. The film was produced as part of ArtsEd’s second annual New Writing Project, which gives students valuable experience of taking a new script from page to screen and offers emerging writers the chance to have their work professionally produced.

ArtsEd is immensely proud that the film won the Best Comedy award, especially as it was the only drama school at the festival and was up against a range of big budget films from as far afield as Australia and Japan.

Accepting the award, Caroline Jeffries, Producer and Head of TV and Film, told the audience:
“ArtsEd is committed to connecting young acting talent with new writing. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang showcases this brilliantly.”

Attending the Gala Finale with Caroline, on behalf of ArtsEd, was Deputy Principal Chris Hocking, Director of Photography Ossi Jalkanen, Editor Robbert Hamilton and the cast Charlotte Price, Gareth Morgan, Richard Lessen and Christian Lee Smith.