An update from our illustrious leader!

With less than four weeks to go, Monday 11th July was a busy day in the life of the Stage Experience 2011.

Since the auditions I have been pondering ideas for the show, talking with assistant director Ashley Harvey about the themes and structure of the piece and what we can do to put our stamp on what is an absolute classic. I'm really enjoying working with Ashley who is one of the cleverest and most creative directors in Oxfordshire - his addition to the team is exciting for all involved!

Yesterday I had a meeting with the ever-busy and productive Kerry Arnold and Gill Baines. We discussed groups, who can be best used for which sections and how we can make sure that the cast get the most they can out of the production, how best to work on Monday 15th August when we can't get into the auditorium because our set is being built, how to costume a period show and all manner of other things...

Then in the evening I had a great chat with our MD John Beswick about the music and he is working incredibly hard to get us the show we want, with the material we need to keep all 129 of you as busy as possible! We have some very exciting opportunities for dance, as well as some great acting opportunities and some additional singing that you might not expect, so there is something for everyone over the 10 days of rehearsals.

The aim with NTSE 2011 is to look back at Fame 2010, enhance all the positives and try to improve on areas we feel we can: its our mission to give the cast and tech team the best two weeks of their summer holidays!

I'm excited! Are you?

The theatre seems very, very quiet this morning...

Stage Experience is over for another year - none of us can quite believe it! We'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came to see the show: your support meant a lot and it was great to see packed houses at every performance. And a special thank you and congratulations to all the youngsters who took part - you produced a blinder of a show that is still being talked about all over the county this morning (my phone hasn't stopped ringing with members of the press passing on their compliments!).

So I hope you all enjoyed it too, and here's one last picture of our brilliant producer Kerry and our wonderful director Ed - the unsung heroes of the whole piece!

Day one: introductions!

It's lunchtime on the first day of Stage Experience 2010! And so far, everything seems to be running very smoothly indeed (touch wood...). We started the day with some words of welcome from Kerry and Ed, and Jamie (the General Manager of the New Theatre) also popped in to have a quick word about health and safety. Much screaming later (you had to be there...) and everyone was given a tour of the building in their colour groups.

Mark, our photographer, and his assistant Lawrence have been taking group and individual shots all morning for the programme. We've just got the big group shot on the main stage and 6 more group photos to do this afternoon before we're finished, so they'll be done whilst Ed and his creative team run some workshops to help everyone get to know each other and shake off those first-day nerves.

The really hard work starts tomorrow...

More munchies!

Kerry has just returned from a shopping trip - the tuck shop is now fully stocked!

Cast read-through this afternoon, as Ed mentioned - wishing you all the best guys.

Dressing up!

Kerry went on an exciting costume-procuring trip today, and brought the results back to the office to show us. Naturally, this turned into a bit of a dressing-up session:

I know that this doesn't look much like what the kids were wearing in the 1980s but that's because these costumes are for the parts in the show where the students are themselves putting on a production of 'Romeo and Juliet'. So fear not, there will still be leg warmers a-plenty!

12 days to go...

So many colours...

Kerry and Ed have spent two hours this afternoon dividing up the 150-something Stage Experience participants into colour-coded groups. This makes it much easier for us to organise the 10 days of rehearsal and to move everyone around the building, from stage to dressing rooms to rehearsal spaces, without risking losing anyone along the way!

The colours used this year are cerise, aqua, yellow, pink, blue, red, lavender, amber, green, orange, violet, grey, lime, silver and purple - almost enough to rival Joseph and his dreamcoat...

Munchies...

Kerry had a meeting with our FOH manager yesterday afternoon to sort out all things food and drink to keep everyone full of showbiz energy during the two weeks of rehearsals - sugar rushes for everyone! Think there might be trips down to the Stage Experience tuck shop from the Marketing department - just to keep an eye on the stock levels you understand.

17 days to go...

The lady with all the power...

Name: Kerry Arnold (She's the one on the right of the picture...)

Role: Producer

About: Kerry was born and raised in Wootton, and has been working at the New Theatre in Oxford since 2002. This is the third Stage Experience she has worked on, having been co-ordinator on High School Musical (2007) and Bugsy Malone (2008). This year she has taken on the weighty mantle of producer, a role she balances with her ‘day job’ of being the theatre’s Deputy Marketing Manager.

Kerry enjoys nothing more than a good gig, and is often to be found at festivals and concerts with her friends. However, If there are none on, you can probably also find her shopping...

Which is the best musical you’ve ever seen? Wicked – it takes my breath away every time I see it!

What is your favourite song from a musical? ‘Defying Gravity’ (Wicked)