History
Juliette and Peter formed Direct Theatre School in 2001. We began with just one class for young people who wanted to develop their acting skills. The class grew in numbers and two years later we began working towards our first full scale production ‘The BFG’ which was staged at The Regent Centre Christchurch with a cast of 40 children aged 6- 17. The company really grew form this point and we included more weekly classes and expanded our regular production groups.
As we grew we realised the need for different types of classes. We separated our production based classes from our Acting classes. This allows us to focus our teaching more specifically for the needs of the groups. The production groups give every child the chance to perform in regular productions. We stage at least two shows a year staged productions at The Lighthouse, Poole, The Regent Centre, Christchurch and The Pier Theatre Bournemouth…… Whereas, Acting classes are smaller allowing pupils to develop individual performance skills with the opportunity to take regular LAMDA exams and enter local festival competitions….. We often have students who come to two classes a week, one production and one Acting class
We now have 3 “Production Groups”, The Spring Street Company (ages 6 - 12), The Minack Company (ages 13 - 15), and The Loose Moose Company (ages 15+) who meet weekly during term time and stage at least two shows each year.
In 2010, we added an Introductory Drama class for those just starting out. For children aged 4 – 7 years we focus on developing confidence, creativity and storytelling in a small, relaxed class setting.
As our Theatre School has matured, so have our pupils. Direct Theatre students have gained places at some of the top drama schools and universities. To cater for our older students who are preparing for Drama school, and heading for a professional acting career, we’ve created Audition Preparation class. Advice and direction is available at every stage, from choosing the right courses and audition pieces to preparing for interview and re call auditions.
We have been running holiday projects since we first started Direct Theatre and looking to the future we are planning to expand our Holiday School program and provide more holiday schools at more locations.