New stage school in Banbury will use principal's West End experience in teaching

The new stage school, based out of the Mill Arts Centre in Banbury, will make use of the teacher’s professional experience when coaching pupils.
By Jack Ingham
Published 16th Jun 2023, 16:03 GMT
Updated 20th Jun 2023, 09:02 GMT
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The recently-opened Star Performers Musical Theatre School also hopes to be able to use the Mill Arts Centre to stage school performances in the future.

Opened by West End professionals and experienced teachers James Gant, Sophie-May Feek and Jemma Hibberd on Saturday June 3, the school hosts a three-hour session every Saturday.

The classes for ages five to 18 will run from 9am until 12pm, and are split into three sections, with an hour dedicated to acting, dancing, and singing.

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The three teachers at the school bring a wealth of teaching and professional experience to the school.The three teachers at the school bring a wealth of teaching and professional experience to the school.
The three teachers at the school bring a wealth of teaching and professional experience to the school.

One of the school’s teachers, Jemma Hibberd, said: "The classes cover everything that you need to work in musical theatre. We have the Mill as our base, so it's fantastic because, obviously, they have all the facilities there that we would need to be able to put on local shows."

What sets this school apart from its competitors is the experience of the school’s principals. Sophie is currently performing in the West End with Les Miserable, and James is doing the rounds with the Phantom of the Opera, where he frequently takes on the role of the Phantom.

Jemma added: "I would say the experience we have as teachers is really quite phenomenal, we have two teachers successfully working on West End stages presently, so the knowledge they have is invaluable.

"Pupils can expect lots of singing, dancing, and acting in an incredibly friendly atmosphere. There are lots of games, we do a lot of dance routines, we work on audition practises, and everything you can think of in that field we deliver.

The school is based out of the Mill Arts Centre in Banbury.The school is based out of the Mill Arts Centre in Banbury.
The school is based out of the Mill Arts Centre in Banbury.

"The classes are for children of all abilities, so it's a great environment for students who are a little shy to build their confidence. With the more experienced children, we have the right teachers to give them the right training to move on to performing arts careers."

For more information on the Star Performers Musical Theatre School, including classes and upcoming performances, visit the school’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091952011351 or its Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/starperformers_mts/?hl=en

Related topics:West EndBanbury