Summer School Courses
Perse Academy of Performing Arts: Musical in a Week - The Wizard of Oz
Course Notes
This is a FULL WEEK course - mornings and afternoons all week. You will be tutored by leading theatre industry professionals (check their biographies!) for the production of this musical.
We will accept children from age 8 to 14 on this course - so please also note the different age range.
We want children to feel comfortable, confident and ready to move. Please bring a named water bottle, wear clothing that is easy to move in and trainers.
Friends and family can come in to watch the final production on Friday afternoon if they wish and will be contacted near the time with details.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Your Tutors
David Barrett
David has enjoyed an illustrious 22-year professional career, working as a performer, director, choreographer, Agent and casting director. His career has spanned theatres around the world, from London's West End to the Genting Resort in Malaysia and the iconic Starlight Express Halle in Bochum, Germany. He has been a vocalist for numerous cruise lines, alongside appearing in and creating pantomimes across the UK, and is a featured vocalist for the US-based podcast musical theatre company Pipe Dream Theatre.
Notable professional musical
theatre credits include: Starlight Express – Bochum, Germany
(Turnov), Legally Blonde – UK Tour (Associate Director / Emmett
Forrest), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – UK Tour (Resident
Director / Caleb), Chicago – AAC (Amos Hart), South Pacific –
UK Tour (Resident Director), Annie – UK Tour (Ensemble), Summer
Holiday – UK Tour (Steve), and Godspell – UK Tour (U/S
Jesus and Judas).
David is currently Director of
Theatre at The Perse School, where he leads all extra-curricular drama. Recent
productions include the sell-out Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Frozen
JR and Legally Blonde JR.
Over the last three years, he has
also worked as co-director on productions at The Arts Theatre, Cambridge,
including Guys and Dolls, 9 to 5: The Musical and Legally
Blonde.
In addition, David is Creative Director of the Perse Academy of Performing Arts (PAPA) - a performing arts academy for young people aged 4–18. PAPA offers training in acting, singing and dance, creating a supportive and encouraging environment where young performers can build confidence, develop their skills and enjoy being part of a creative community.
David is very much looking forward to this year's Summer School production following last year's hugely successful The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Helen Duckhouse
Helen studied at The Collaborative Arts Project (CAP21) in New York City, specialising in Audition Technique, Mix-Belt Technique, Repertoire and Musical Theatre as a Business.
Credits include Graziella in West Side Story, West End Rocks, An Evening on the Westside, Les Misérables in Concert, Jemima in Cats, Miss Pennywise in Urinetown The Musical, Katherine in Wine Lovers The Musical, all female roles in Starlight Express - including the lead role of ‘Pearl’, Tinkerbell in Peter Pan and Brooke Wyndham (u/s Elle & Vivienne, dance captain and jump rope coach) on the most recent National Tour of Legally Blonde The Musical.
She can be seen in the ICF feature film Chalet Girl and has previously worked for the BBC, ITV and Nickelodeon with performances on Murder in Suburbia, Genie and The Royal Variety Show. She is also a featured vocalist for the podcast musical theatre company Pipe Dream Theatre based in the US.
Moving away from performing, she now directs, choreographs and hosts professional workshops. She is also the visiting drama teacher at The Perse and works with students to help prepare content for auditions, exams and potential drama school applications.
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