Episode 29: BRAND NEW Elite Company

Alice and Caroline are chatting on this podcast all about our very exciting, brand new, Elite Company. This company is for students aged 14-21 who are looking to advance their training in Musical Theatre. They discuss auditions, the first Elite Workshop, performance opportunities and so much more. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

So Elite is a I mean a brand new exciting venture. It's an add-on to what we already do, but it's just taking things to a more advanced level.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Hello and welcome to Theatre Workshop Talks. My name is Alice and I'm a teacher here at the Theatre Workshop. We have a theatre school based in Birmingham, Barnt Green, Blackwell and Bromsgrove. Here you will gain an insight to what it's like being a part of the theatre workshop. Along the way, we will be talking to TTW students, parents, teachers, and also some very special guests. Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you know when a brand new episode drops. Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of our podcast. Today I'm joined with Caroline. We're gonna be talking about something really, really exciting. We're absolutely buzzing for this. Um, it's a new company that we have launched for students aged 14 to 21, and it is our elite company. Yay! We're so excited. It's like we were so well, I was so nervous posting the first Instagram post, my heart was racing. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

It felt like quite a big thing. I think because we've talked about this, and I'm not even joking now, for years.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Susie's wanted to do this for years, and it's just never felt like the right time or the right opportunity, and we couldn't quite like pinpoint exactly what we wanted to do, could we? And I know it's the thing we've taught every year, it's like we're gonna look we're gonna launch our older group in September, we're gonna launch it, and then there'd always be a reason why we couldn't, etc. So I think this year has been such a pivotal year for the theatre workshop as a business.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Absolutely, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Yeah, we've worked so hard on refining things, and it's like finally we were at a position where we could actually go, oh, oh, maybe we could do this now. And even making that decision, it still took us months to come up with this final plan. We've been around that many different um like ideas. Oh, we'll do this, oh that's not gonna quite work, we'll try this. And now I feel like we've finally got a plan that is gonna be epic, and it's gonna work, and it's gonna be so good.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

I can't I know.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

I'm just so sad that nothing like this was around when I was like that this age, that age. Could I'm short. Could I pass?

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Could you pass as 22? You could pass. I might just sneak in, like wear a wig or something, you won't know it's me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Tell them tell them the story of the theatre trip when the the woman at the theatre went to the arts awards.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

Goodness. So our arts award students went to watch Mamma Mia. And as we were walking into the theatre, I had the tickets, I think it was on Susie's phone, and there was about I think there was 11 children behind me, and I said, Hi, we've got our tickets, and she said, Okay, yeah, that's great. Um, where's your adult? I was like, uh it's me, and she was like, Oh, because obviously they're all taller than me. So I mean, I can get where she's coming from, and I don't blame her. Where's your adult? I said, Oh, it's me. She said, Okay, you can go inside.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

I mean, you in 10 years, Alice, you'll be buzzing with that. I know. I mean, I would be thrilled if I was uh mistaken for one of the kids.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Well, I have been a kid in the shows. We did Dreamcoat, didn't we? And I was a child.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah, we f we made you go in, didn't we?

SPEAKER_02 3:55

Oh no, got dragged in. Um but yeah, Elite. What is it? Tell us, Caroline. Elite.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

So Elite is uh, I mean, our brand new exciting venture. Um, it's an add-on to what we already do, but it's just taking things to a more advanced level, being able to do um more, I think, intensive work with some of the older students, more mature work, um harder, I would say harder choreography, more um mature drama, more advanced work, yeah, basically. It's gonna be on a Sunday, so it can run alongside your all your other classes, and it's only once a month. So, particularly, we're very aware that particularly with the older students, they've got exams, GTSEs, A levels. It could be that they're at uni or they've got a job at the weekend. So once a month we felt was more manageable. So that once a month is gonna be very intense because there'll be so much to achieve. You will be expected to do some learning prior to the session. It could be that we send some stuff out and say, start looking at this before the session. It's gonna be the third Sunday of the month, pretty much, um, throughout the year, 10 till 2, Lordsford Boys School. And each term will have a focus. So the first term you'll be working towards alongside other things, the first performance, which is at the um St. Philip's Cathedral in Birmingham. So they'll be performing there on the 5th of December. So the workshops that you'll have will be um centered around getting ready for that. Then after Christmas, the focus turns to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. I'm so excited for that one. I can't wait. I cannot wait. I've never been.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

Neither have I've never I don't think I've oh no, I have been to Blackpool once. I think I did a dance competition there.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

But I I know theatre workshop have had a history there, but obviously, you know, it was a very long time ago, right near the beginning. They have years and years and years ago. I think we won, of course we did. I think we won chance to dance, yeah. And I think the final was there. Um, so it's gonna be so exciting to perform there. I can't be incredible.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

All the kids that we've told, they're just their faces. I told someone Tuesday and their faces just lit up when I said Blackpool, they were like, oh, that is amazing. I know, I know, absolutely cannot wait.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

I know. So, yeah, we've got Blackpool, so it'll be that performance is gonna be very heavily dance-based because of course that is what Blackpool Tower Ballroom is famous for, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Of course.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

So very heavily danced. And then after that performance, the focus shifts to drum roll. We're going to the West End. Woo! So we're gonna be performing now. This is the one we don't have the date um in the diary confirmed yet. Things are still negotiating, but we will be performing in a London theatre in the West End at some point over the summer, either like probably June time, um, which is just incredible. Something we haven't done before, and something that is just gonna be such an amazing experience for well, for everyone. Students, parents, us, um, which is really exciting. So you're gonna be working, the students will be working with some incredible people. We're not gonna give you any names yet. No, we are gonna share, aren't we? So the first workshop leader we've got booked in to work with you. We're just I'm just gonna read his CV, shall I?

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Um, just so that you can kind of see the caliber. So this is just the first workshop lead up. So things he's been in, giving you a clue there, it was a bloke. So Laymears, Wicked, Book of Mormon, The World Ray, Railway Children, South Pacific, Rent, Closer to Heaven, Um, Scrooge, Joseph, Titanic, Cinderella, Chess, Shrek. I mean, what hasn't he done? So, this is the calibre of people that you're going to be working with. Um it's gonna be immense. So I just think we need to strap in and get ourselves excited. I can't wait. How can they join Alice? What do they need to do? So you What do I need to do speaking?

SPEAKER_02 8:52

So, to be a part of the elite programme, you can contact us on our email, Birmingham at the theatreworkshop.com, or you can drop us a WhatsApp message on 07 495 042428, and we will be able to answer any questions that you have and talk to you a little bit more about the company. We are holding auditions, so they will be in August on August the 16th, Sunday the 16th, yeah, and that will be from 10am until 12pm at Lordswood Boys School. Now, what do you need to prepare? You need to prepare um a song, a musical theatre song, between a minute and a half to about three minutes, and you'll then perform them for us, bring a track, and then dance-wise, it'll be a workshop style, so you'll get taught a dance, um, and then you maybe do it in groups. There's no pressure at all. We just want you to have fun and to see how much you enjoy performing and being on stage and seeing you shine, basically.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

I think the audition process is more for you as students to be able to see, oh, this is the level of dance.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Is this something that I I want to do? That um and I think if you come in and you find it hard, that's really good. Take that as a good sign because actually, okay, by the end of this year, it's not gonna be as hard anymore.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Exactly, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Um things shouldn't be easy. We should be pushing ourselves, we should be trying to, you know, always constantly improve.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Um I think it's gonna be, I think, yeah, it will be a step up, but I think that's what we need to do.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Yeah, because we wanted to bring that next level of training, and that's why we've why we've you know created this elite for you to step into the next level of training. And then especially if you want to go on to drama schools or drama colleges, it's a good step in between coming to the theatre workshop, and then you get to see how people work in the industry, you'll be meeting industry industry professionals, so it's a great step in between.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

And I think what's really good to think about as well, particularly those people who want to go into this as a career, the person in your workshop might be casting on a job that you go up for later, and you're like, Oh, I know you, we did this. You know, it's all networking, it's actually quite a small business, and the more people you can meet and network with, the better.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

So jump on this opportunity. I know we're crazy excited. I know Susie's like beside herself because it's been her dream to have this forever, yeah, and the fact we can now make it reality is really, really, really well, just incredible.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

Yeah, really special.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Um, and hopefully it will just grow year on year.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

And we can provide more opportunities, do extra things. I mean, there's there's other things we've kind of we're thinking about, we're talking about. So yeah, be prepared to have lots of fun, work hard, yeah. And there may be other performances that come up throughout the year as well.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

But these are the big three, the top three. So get yourself to the auditions, yeah. Come ready to dance, so come ready to move, have fun. Um don't worry if you don't know anyone else who's doing it.

SPEAKER_02 12:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Because you are gonna be in a room with lots of other like-minded people who will want to do the same thing. You're gonna make friends. You are?

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Definitely. And we're friendly, I think, Caroline.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

I hope so. I hope so. Yes, called me um the mama on earth. Oh yes, you do. You just like the TTW mama. I was like, okay, I'll take that. Yeah. So if you need a cuddle, I'm there. Should we remind them of the audition date again? Was it 16th?

SPEAKER_02 13:09

August the 16th, Sunday the 16th, um, 10am until 12pm. I will be doing an Instagram post with all of the details on if you want to have a look at that.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

You don't have to be a theatre workshop's current student to join this. So if you've got friends at college or wherever and you think, oh, they love this, tell them about it. Um, yeah, the more the merrier.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Yeah, and we're now we are accepting submissions for the audition. So if you do want to get involved, then you can contact us and we'll put you down for an audition.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Thanks, Alice! Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

It all feels really real now, doesn't it? I know, I'm so excited, and that audition is gonna come round really fast.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Do you know what else I'm excited about? The new t-shirts.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

The uniform. I can't wear it.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Of course, we're having new, new branded t-shirts. Oh, yes, so you're having a reason to join in itself, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 14:05

T-shirt, yeah, absolutely. Thanks, Alice! Thanks, Caroline.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

See you on the 16th of August.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

See you there. Thank you for listening to TTW Talks. We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode and look forward to hearing the next one. Make sure to follow us on Instagram at the Theatre Workshop Birmingham and TikTok at the dotheatre.worksbam to see all of our class and show content and all of the exciting things we get up to. Once again, thank you for listening. This has been TTW Talks.