Sing! Dance! Act! Performance Academy showcase
What are the Sing! Dance! Act! showcases?
Our Performance Academy showcases take place in
- February for Pontefract Performance Academy and Chime
- June for Wakefield Performance Academy and PA Kids
These showcases take place onstage at Theatre Royal Wakefield and involve additional Sunday rehearsals leading up to the show and evening rehearsals and performances during production week. These extra calls are also at the Theatre.
Showcases are a variety show which includes dance, drama, and musical theatre sections by each age group. These sections are created during normal Saturday sessions and involve everyone in the group.
There are also limited ‘speciality’ spots in the programme. These are auditioned for and cast in advance of showcase rehearsals.
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Do I need to attend the extra rehearsals?
Our rehearsals are a very important part of making sure everyone knows what they are doing, and are doing it safely.
For rehearsals, you will be given a call time. This is for performers and is the latest time that performers should arrive at the venue as this is when rehearsal is due to start; performers arriving after call time will either miss the start of rehearsal, or delay the start of rehearsal for everyone else. Chaperones are normally onsite 15-20 minute before call time.
These are long, busy sessions. Food, snacks and a refillable water bottle are essential.
Sunday calls are at the front of the building on Westgate. Production week calls (evenings) are at the stage door on Drury Lane.
Sunday Rehearsal One | Normally a split call with each group attending in turn with the Principal, and Participation Training Manager (PTM) to set musical theatre | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
Sunday Rehearsal Two | Normally a full day call where the Principal, Musical Director (MD)and acting tutor are all in attendance along with the PTM. All groups will have a chance to work on stage, and the MD will record click tracks for the show | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
Sunday Rehearsal Three | Normally a full day where dance is spaced on stage in the morning, and the afternoon is used as a 'stumble through' run for our technical team. This is the first time the Production Manager and Deputy Stage Manager see the show in any form. This is in costume but not with microphones, and partial props / furniture. It is essential performers bring all costume with them | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
Wednesday – Technical Rehearsal | An important rehearsal for our technical team where lighting, sound, fly and projection cues are added, props and furniture are marked and technical plots are created to ensure the smooth running of the dress rehearsal | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
Thursday -Dress Rehearsal | This rehearsal is run as a show, but without an audience. Full costume, props, furniture and microphones and used and we run at show speed without stopping (except for emergencies / safety reasons). This is the run that is captured by our photographer | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
Friday - Show One | You will normally be given two times. Call Time - this is for performers and is the latest time that performers should arrive at the venue as this is when rehearsal is due to start; performers arriving after call time will either miss the start of rehearsal, or delay the start of rehearsal for everyone else. Chaperones are normally onsite 15-20 minute beforecall time The show time / curtain up, is the time that the show will start. E.g 5pm call for a 7pm show - Performers must be at the Theatre no later than 5pm. The show will start at 7pm and any audience members not seated will miss the start of the show. | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
Saturday - Show Two | This is a late afternoon show, and will be preceded by notes from the night before to address any performance or technical issues from the previous show. 3pm call for a 5pm show | Theatre Royal Wakefield |
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Do I need costumes?
We will normally send a costume list at the start of the half term that your child’s showcase is in. It is assumed that your child has uniform. We may ask you to provide some everyday clothes as costume that your child will / is likely to have at home. If you don’t have these items, we can source them for our store. Other costume items will be sourced from our store or hired. These costumes will be sent home with your child closer to the show and we ask that you take good care of them and bring them to relevant rehearsals.
ALL | Performance Academy uniform: Black PA t-shirt, black bottoms (leggings / tights / jogging bottoms) and tan or black jazz shoes |
ALL | We ask that a base layer (either a leotard or vest / shorts) is worn under costumes to allow for quick changes |
We may ask you to provide some costume items that you are likely to have at home (black trousers / jeans / plain or checked shirts) and will provide character pieces (hats / waistcoats / day dresses / matching dancewear / era-specific clothes etc.) from our store | |
Dance:Group dances created in class are presented as stand-alone numbers throughout the showcase. Normally costumed from our store where appropriate | |
Musical Theatre: The work created during singing lessons is added to movement and dialogue set by our Principal, normally during the Sunday rehearsals. Depending on the nature of the show, costume will either be provided from our store, or we will ask you to provide items your child is likely to have at home | |
Acting: Group drama sections are created in class and presented as stand-alone numbers throughout the showcase. This is normally costumed in their rehearsal blacks (see uniform) with some character pieces provided from our store | |
Solos and Specialities: These are often auditioned and cast early in the process, but rehearsed much closer to showcase time, as it is expected that those who audition for specialities have done significant preparation work. Often the last thing to be costumed |
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Will I have a microphone?
At the Theatre we have a limited number of radio microphones and these will be worn by featured vocalists. If your child has not worn a radio microphone before they will be shown how, and helped if necessary, by the team at the Theatre.
Not everyone in the cast will have a radio microphone. There are ambient microphones above and at the front of the stage which are used to amplify dialogue and singing so everyone is amplified in some manner.
What about dressing rooms and chaperones?
Licensed performers are children aged under 16 (or aged 16 and yet to complete their GCSE exams). They will be under the care of a licensed chaperone while backstage at the Theatre. Chaperones are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of your child while they are at the Theatre.
Dressing rooms are single gender, and your child will normally be in a dressing room with the other children of the same gender from their class.
Non-licensed performers (those who have passed the age of 16 or are 16 and have left school / completed their GCSEs) will be in a separate dressing room from licensed performers.
All licensed performers will be included in our Body of Persons (BoP) application to the local authority. You will be sent a medical form to complete for you child closer to the show. We cannot include your child on our application without this form being completed. Any child not included on our application will not be able to perform in the showcase.
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How do we watch the show?
Tickets for your child’s showcase will go on public sale in either the Spring (Pontefract / Chime) or Summer (Wakefield / PA Kids) season. You will be notified when these are on sale, and sent a link to purchase tickets.
Can I film the show and take photos on my phone?
Sorry, but no. Not all of the children we work with have photo permission. Audience filming is not permitted at the Theatre.
For copyright reasons, we do not film our Performance Academy showcases.
We have a professional photographer at the dress rehearsal and the select images that they send us will be shared with parents and guardians.
Our Principal, Louise, or Participation Training Manger, Gavin, may occasionally film rehearsals on a Theatre Royal Wakefield device for the purpose of having a record of choreography and dialogue. These recordings are for the sole purpose of directing the show.