Pupils get a glimpse of life behind the West End curtain

Pupils from @thehartschool got an insight into life as a West End performer when they took part in a musical workshop led by some of its stars.

Led by Birmingham-born, West End performer Sinead Long, Year 9 and Year 10 pupils at The Hart School in Rugeley enjoyed a three-hour virtual workshop based on the multiple Tony award-winning musical which follows the story of America.

Sinead, who starred in Hamilton at London’s Victoria Palace theatre, coached the pupils in singing and dancing, alongside other West End performers, and gave them a rare glimpse into what life is really like behind the West End curtain during a Q&A session.

Energetic workshop on the art of performance

Principal Rachael Sandham said: “The children thoroughly enjoyed what was an energetic Hamilton workshop which saw them coached in many different dance styles, including hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway.

“It also gave them a real insight into life as a West End performer too as Sinead also took the time to share her professional knowledge and experiences.

“We hope that the workshop helped inspire the next generation of musical and theatre enthusiasts as well as encourage those with a love of performing to follow their dreams and pursue a career in the arts.”

Workshop part of annual creative arts programme

The musical workshop is just one of many creative workshops offered to pupils at The Hart School, which is part of Creative Education Trust, as part of an annual programme.

Another recent workshop saw Sixth Formers take part in a fosse workshop with Genevieve Nicole, who has performed in shows on NBC, Sky One and Amazon Prime, as well as the musical Chicago.

The workshop was staged by performance workshop company West Enducate, which was founded by Sinead to help demystify budding performers on life working in London’s West End.