At Characters Stage School we believe that each individual child has a talent, and we’re here to find it and bring it out. From playing all sorts of characters from stage and screen, to learning songs from the charts, favourite musicals and around the world, to moving to the beat of our expressive movement, street dance, and traditional dance sessions. And we keep our class numbers at levels which
allow your child to shine and really let their personality come out. CHARACTERS was set up in November 2010 by Moira Townsend Williams who is an ex-West End casting director and actors agent, and producer of all Characters productions. In 2016 she was vice chairman of JUNO theatre for women, based in Salisbury, which she helped to create.Prior to this she was an actor, and producer, creating the networking event THE CASTING COUCH in 1992 in London's West End which was the UK's first casting showcase., and produced nearly 30 live shows and aT V pilot for CHANNEL 4. With CHARACTERS, she wanted to create a Stage School that offered children and young people from 4-19 an opportunity to experiment with their creativity in a fun environment, with fees at an affordable level to make CHARACTERS accessible to all. Classes are run by Industry Professionals and the focus is on bringing out individual talents, teaching new skills and improving confidence in a safe environment. CHARACTERS will help your child with life-long skills such as team-building, problem solving and understanding others as we work on how to portray all the different characters we meet in real life and in plays and films. We already run Acting, Singing and Dance Classes after school in Bradford on Avon, Bath, Trowbridge and in September 2014 we launched our new Saturday School at The Arc Theatre, Trowbridge. In 2014 we launched in Bristol and introduced new classes in Hilperton. In 2012 we created a new Youth group, The Characters Stage Company where there is an emphasis on creating and devising new work, with an aim to develop new writing. Characters stage Play produce the original plays 'FACELESS', 'DREAMCATCHER" and 'MIND THE GAP' among others. In 2016, we have took part in The National Theatre Connections festival, with James Graham’s play ‘Bassett’ (See reviews on blog page), and produced “Over 18” anew play created as a response to “Bassett’ .In 2016, St Margaret’s Hall Bradford on Avon invited us to stage their Christmas Pantomime ‘Cinderella & Rockafella’. In February 2022 we staged ' Peter Pan' at St Margaret's Hall, our first live production. for 2 years because of the Covid19 pandemic. Plans for 2022 include expansion in Trowbridge and Bath and adding more venuse for our popular Holiday Clubs , as ell as a possible Theatrical Agency for Characters. In our Acting classes we use theatre games, improvisation, character and script work to develop acting techniques used by professional actors on stage and screen. Our Singing classes focus on correct breathing articulation. tone and style and bringing this work into chart songs, pop favourites, songs from musicals and around the world. Our Movement/dance classes give children the freedom to express themselves thorough all sorts of dance genres . We also run workshops and offer one to one tuition.
