Take the Stage
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
Sunday 2nd July at 7.30pm
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
Sunday 2nd July at 7.30pm
"Extravaganza performance will bring incredible opportunities for local young talent"
We chat to local actress, tv presenter and now producer, Amy Burrows, founder of Take the Stage production company
We chat to local actress, tv presenter and now producer, Amy Burrows, founder of Take the Stage production company
I manage to catch up with Take the Stage producer, Amy Burrows, at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion to find out more about one of the biggest children’s showcase spectaculars about to grace the theatre’s stage, taking place on the 2nd of July. She has only just returned from filming in Cannes, has recently filmed, amongst many others, a commercial for the Chicco baby range and can regularly be seen presenting on Freeview Channel 78’s Sewing Quarter.
Take the Stage is Amy’s brainchild and she is clearly proud of what she has achieved as she tells me about the reasons for setting up her own production company, singlehandedly. Brimming with enthusiasm and with just a few weeks to go before curtain up, Amy is busy finalising the finishing touches for the show in which 280 children from local performing arts schools will be showcasing their talents.
No stranger to performing herself, growing up, Amy, 26 from Thorpe Bay, went to local theatre school, MAPA, and performed many times at the Cliffs Pavilion and the Palace Theatre in pantomimes. She then won a place at the prestigious Performers College in Corringham. However, since graduating from Performers, Amy realised that a career in tv, acting and presenting was the path she really wanted to go down, although, she tells me that she still adores performing in panto and was thrilled to receive some wonderful reviews last Christmas for her role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast at The Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis. She will be playing Cinderella in panto this year too in Epsom.
Take the Stage is Amy’s brainchild and she is clearly proud of what she has achieved as she tells me about the reasons for setting up her own production company, singlehandedly. Brimming with enthusiasm and with just a few weeks to go before curtain up, Amy is busy finalising the finishing touches for the show in which 280 children from local performing arts schools will be showcasing their talents.
No stranger to performing herself, growing up, Amy, 26 from Thorpe Bay, went to local theatre school, MAPA, and performed many times at the Cliffs Pavilion and the Palace Theatre in pantomimes. She then won a place at the prestigious Performers College in Corringham. However, since graduating from Performers, Amy realised that a career in tv, acting and presenting was the path she really wanted to go down, although, she tells me that she still adores performing in panto and was thrilled to receive some wonderful reviews last Christmas for her role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast at The Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis. She will be playing Cinderella in panto this year too in Epsom.
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She speaks fondly of her time at MAPA and will be forever grateful for the friendships that were forged during her time there. “The great thing about being involved in a theatre school is that you learn so many different life skills; team work, discipline and confidence really do stay with you all your life!” Amy enthuses. “I’m still friends with the people I met and performed with there and also at my time with the Palace Theatre Youth Project shows. Some of them are now performing in the West End in Matilda and Half a Sixpence and another couple of friends are in Starlight Express now too.”
The idea for the show came about when Amy was working as an usher at Cliffs Pavilion. She says, “One day I was just stood looking at the stage and I thought, it’s such a shame that children don’t really get to perform here any more.”
The reasons being that, essentially, costs are far too high for one drama group to be able to perform there. Amy wondered if there was a way of making it accessible and came up with the idea of pooling together drama schools in the area.
The idea for the show came about when Amy was working as an usher at Cliffs Pavilion. She says, “One day I was just stood looking at the stage and I thought, it’s such a shame that children don’t really get to perform here any more.”
The reasons being that, essentially, costs are far too high for one drama group to be able to perform there. Amy wondered if there was a way of making it accessible and came up with the idea of pooling together drama schools in the area.
Writing the cheque to book the Cliffs Pavilion venue for the show was a huge gamble but Amy assures me that it has paid off. After speaking to 125 schools in the area the first nine that signed up were:-
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Junior Performers
Roydon Academy Leonard Dance Academy Morgan Academy of Performing Arts Junior Masters Bailar Dance Fusion Performers Dance Company Fusion Performers Musical Theatre Company Razzamatazz Theatre School Rayleigh West |
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Each school will have the opportunity to showcase two routines which will include musical theatre, street dance and even Irish tap dance - so quite an eclectic mix and something for everyone.
The likes of Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Bruce Forsyth and Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr will be introducing each act, thanks to Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Andrew Fleming, a celebrity voice impressionist. Amy laughs as she tells me, “It’s so funny because I talk to him on the phone and he does all these different voices and I’ve no idea who I’m talking to!”
There is a big finale planned with all the children taking the stage which will be choreographed by local director/choreographer, Sallie Warrington. The number they will be performing is the aptly named, One Night Only from The Dream Girls musical and Amy has managed to secure another fabulous local performer, Sharon Rose, who has performed as Little Eva in the West End musical Beautiful, the Carole King Musical and is now currently performing in the Motown musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
The likes of Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Bruce Forsyth and Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr will be introducing each act, thanks to Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Andrew Fleming, a celebrity voice impressionist. Amy laughs as she tells me, “It’s so funny because I talk to him on the phone and he does all these different voices and I’ve no idea who I’m talking to!”
There is a big finale planned with all the children taking the stage which will be choreographed by local director/choreographer, Sallie Warrington. The number they will be performing is the aptly named, One Night Only from The Dream Girls musical and Amy has managed to secure another fabulous local performer, Sharon Rose, who has performed as Little Eva in the West End musical Beautiful, the Carole King Musical and is now currently performing in the Motown musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
Amy has been keeping up with the progress of each of the schools as they get closer to the actual performance date and tells me that she is really impressed with what she’s been seeing. “The standard is so high for so many of these schools, it’s going to be such a great night!”
If you have a budding actor, actress, singer or dancer who is interested in joining a local dance school, Take the Stage on 2nd July will be a fabulous opportunity to check out what some of the local schools can achieve.
Also, if your school would like to be involved next year, Take the Stage has already secured a date on Sunday 8th July and places are now available!
To find out more about Take the Stage and its first ever performance at 7:30pm,
Sunday 2nd July, visit the company’s Facebook page
Alternatively, tickets can be booked from the Cliffs Pavilion Box
Office (01702 351135 or www.southendtheatres.org.uk) and are priced £21-£23.50.
Click here for more information about the show
If you have a budding actor, actress, singer or dancer who is interested in joining a local dance school, Take the Stage on 2nd July will be a fabulous opportunity to check out what some of the local schools can achieve.
Also, if your school would like to be involved next year, Take the Stage has already secured a date on Sunday 8th July and places are now available!
To find out more about Take the Stage and its first ever performance at 7:30pm,
Sunday 2nd July, visit the company’s Facebook page
Alternatively, tickets can be booked from the Cliffs Pavilion Box
Office (01702 351135 or www.southendtheatres.org.uk) and are priced £21-£23.50.
Click here for more information about the show