Stage School

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Shabby
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Re: Stage School

Post by Shabby »

jasmine2 wrote:
2girlsmum wrote:I didn't watch it myself but like others have seen the very unfavourable coverage it's received from other who did. My DD is auditioning for Sept 17 entry this year and it was on her list to view/audition but she won't be viewing/auditioning now - what a shame, if they had made a real programme/documentary about what goes on in life for the real students I think it could have been a really great show.
My dd auditioned there a couple of years ago...it really is NOT like that in real life...
She found the staff to be very nice, helpful and professional, and the facilities are lovely.
She was offered a scholarship there too.
Please do go along and make your own mind up. What you see on the TV show is purely fabricated.
I don't know why they have made the show as it does them no favours at all.

My dd did not go there in the end, she got funding elsewhere, but I would say don't write it off. It cant be all bad if The Stage paper offers a scholarship there every year!

My DS auditioned there this year and loved it, he was really torn between a few colleges and this was one.
The principles were really approachable, he found the teachers fantastic, great studios, he felt really at home there.
The show I feel is a total fabrication and just drama so please don't right them off as a school, such a shame.
It's Just TV.
2dancersmum
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Re: Stage School

Post by 2dancersmum »

A truly awful program and possibly not the best move for D&B - though it is presumably giving them an income! As I understand it , the 'students' in the program are actors though and not students at the college itself. DD has a friend who went there with the Stage scholarship and loved it.

I think any prospective future performing arts student would do well to just remember that not all people from Essex are like those on TOWIE, not all housewives are like "The Real Housewives", not all Geordies are like those portrayed on "Geordie Shore". Scripted reality for heightened drama and excitement - not the reality of everyday life.
jaybeeyellow
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Re: Stage School

Post by jaybeeyellow »

What on earth possessed the people who run the Academy to allow this? It's like the very worst extremes of Am dram!!
Also, I presume that some of these kids will be applying for drama Schools etc in the future. Can you imagine turning up for an audition at Arts Ed, GSA, Central etc, and behaving like that? They would be shown the door pretty quickly.
paulears
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Re: Stage School

Post by paulears »

The acting profession have got really upset by this, yet, it is really a drama isn't it? It's like the essex type programmes - planned and rehearsed.

I too am a bit surprised they wanted to get involved. My old school featured in the Rockschool programme, series 2. Series one was in a public school, Series 2 was in the contracting bog-standard high school. School management saw the first one and thought it an excellent opportunity to promote the school. The Head of Music selected the very best kids and they were all rejected first day in favour of the kids from the exclusion and low achievers cohort. He realised what was going on and had nothing to do with it. The production people were handing out fivers to the kids with instructions to kick the bins over and stuff like that. However, the school had no power (or knowledge) of the spin in the edit. The finished programme was a shock-horror moment for the senior managers and exactly what the savvy teachers who had run a mile from it had noticed. The Head of Music left soon after as did the Head.

It's good TV, and there is a narrative you can follow with certain cast members. Loads of weird stuff - do colleges have PA systems so they can call students and send them to places? I've never heard one - they're really disturbing. So much shouts to us as staged, but as a piece of TV, it's exactly what the ordinary people think goes on in performing arts schools. They really do think it's full of divas, talentless and nasty people.

The one thing that confused me was that one student wanted to do odd jobs to pay for his headshot? Do schools get their students to do this? really?
lotsolaffs
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Re: Stage School

Post by lotsolaffs »

I wondered if some were real teachers even. I'm going to watch another episode now!
woody
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Re: Stage School

Post by woody »

Having read all your comments, I thought I'd better watch an episode.

Oh dear. I see what you mean.
paulears
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Re: Stage School

Post by paulears »

The absence of any comments about their inclusion on National TV on their website does suggest they are not very happy. Somebody will get the blame for this!
Rose20
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Re: Stage School

Post by Rose20 »

I think this college should ask to do a genuine fly-on-the-wall episode at the end with long term students and showcase what they do best.
There are glimpses of this in the background which I enjoy seeing.
paulears
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Re: Stage School

Post by paulears »

but that would be dull TV to anyone clueless watching. The public love to think their opinions on stage schools are right. Look back to when Fame was on TV. It was so totally false and wrong it made good TV. So many young people go to the dance schools and colleges thinking they will be like this and get a real shock - which is good.

Practically, the TV production company are not there to promote the college. They are their to make good TV and generate comment in the media. The programme does this. Showcasing talent is NOT on the menu. They want the public to see the idiots and get cross. They want people talking about it. They love all the indignant posts on social media. It increases viewing figures - even if we only watch it to get angry. That is good TV decision making. Channel 4 could not have wished for better marketing than stealing the Bake off programme. For two years they can mil it and it doesn't even matter off the programme is rubbish when they tinker with it!
lawn
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Re: Stage School

Post by lawn »

Totally agree with paulears. Starting watching it as a result of comments on here and whilst I sit there going 'OMG, Are they really about to do this' My DD sits laughing her head off and saying 'love it, that's great tv'. If she at 13 'gets' what they are doing, the acting profession certainly should.
Mamadetres
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Re: Stage School

Post by Mamadetres »

We thought it was a spoof!
paulears
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Re: Stage School

Post by paulears »

In all the years I'm a celebrity, get me out of here has been on, have any of the celebs who do panto ever missed the start of their panto because they were doing well in the jungle? Nope. Never. Draw conclusions if you wish.
Katymac
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Re: Stage School

Post by Katymac »

& Anton du Beke normally finishes Strictly in time for his panto as well
(not sure what happened last year)
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riverdancefan
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Re: Stage School

Post by riverdancefan »

paulears wrote:In all the years I'm a celebrity, get me out of here has been on, have any of the celebs who do panto ever missed the start of their panto because they were doing well in the jungle? Nope. Never. Draw conclusions if you wish.

Yes Joe Swash was late starting at Chatham's Central Hall \:D/
"Tall and proud my mother taught me, this is how we dance" - RIVERDANCE
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riverdancefan
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Re: Stage School

Post by riverdancefan »

It may be staged,
But it's not funny
It may be scripted
But it's not in the least entertaining !
It's fallen off the radar which speaks volumes really
It's just no good really!
"Tall and proud my mother taught me, this is how we dance" - RIVERDANCE
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