recent
workshop
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Pictured with the entire
cast of Les Miserables
James Baker playing Javert wrote to
say, "I just wanted to thank you for what was a
fantastic experience for me personally, and I believe
I can say for the company as a whole. I believe the
day you had with us had a massive impact on our production
and it was overall even better because of everything
we did with you that day."

Pictured with Jason
Curtis and choreographer Nina Bradley.
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Jason
Curtis the artistic director of STC wrote to say -
"Just
wanted to say a huge thank you for all you did at
the workshop with us. We could really see the
transformation in the cast's performance and saw how
very much each and every one of them enjoyed the day.
We had our first rehearsal
since the workshop this
Sunday just gone and were pleased to see that the
elements you encouraged them to add to their
performances were visible and we are confident that
the standard of performance will be far higher as a
consequence."
July 2008
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The
Essex Group Stage
Schools |

Picturedd with
a coupldof the cast
Gary Sullivan
Artistic Director of Stageability wrote to say
“A day with Peter Polycarpou
is a great bonus when you’re on your way
to staging Les Miserables. An up close , in
depth character study of all the characters
bring so much to the end product I reckon anyone
staging this fantastic show needs to book a
day with Peter just for his insight. Our cast
is already a bunch of high profile local young
actors but I tell you, a few hours being directed
and motivated by Peter squeezes the last drip
from the grapefruit!”
July 2008
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Pictured is Peter (centre, 7th from
left) with the Tread the Boards Company, production
team and NODA region 2 representative Roger Buist (far
right).

Pictured are Agnes Boardman (choreographer),
Brian Boardman (director), Peter Polycarpou (workshop
teacher) and Ian Strachan (musical director).
“Peter is a great
motivator and is so passionate and committed to his
craft. It is an absolute joy to watch him working and
teaching. His musical theatre workshop was a ‘Masterclass’
on stagecraft. I'm sure our youngsters will be much
better prepared, emotionally ‘in character’,
and better all-round performers as a result of this
intensive two-day workshop. His teaching methods certainly
proved very popular with our young performers and I
know he'll have added to his growing fan base in Tayside.
A presentation showcase ‘at the end of the day’
was extremely well received by an enthusiastic audience
of parents, relatives, friends and invited guests. We
can’t wait to have him back again next year!”
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Tread the Boards’ director Brian Boardman
says “Peter teaches performers to look at a script
or a song from an actor’s perspective, analysing
it in strict detail and finding the inner emotion required
for a particular character in any given scene or song.
He emphasises the need to prepare and research every
role you play and song you sing to make your character
more believable, encouraging you to think how your character
reacts and interacts with other characters. It’s
a tough business, so he works the students hard, urging
them to perform at the top of their game at all times,
often exuding levels of performance they didn't’t
think was possible themselves. His ‘in-your-face’
method challenges the students while focusing on the
three central tenets of theatre: creativity, confidence
and collaboration.
June 2008
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Emma Tarrant (Head Of Drama) wrote to
say "The cast and myself are so grateful for everything
that you have done for us. It has lifted the show to
an incredible level and given it the magic touch it
needed. It was great for all of them to experience such
a fantastic opportunity of working so thoroughly on
a school show with yourself - something that we don't
have the luxury of time to do often enough and it was
equally great for me to see them working and producing
the standard of performance they did."
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Feb
2008
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Nov
2007
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Johanna
Egar head of Theatre Studies wrote to say, " Thank
you again for your fantastic support. I am in absolutely
no doubt that the way in which you inspired the cast
and demanded such standards of them on the day made
the show what it was; a huge success!"
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Jeannie
Woods Artistic Director (left)

Oct
2007
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"Thank
you so much for the workshop on Sunday, it was so helpful
to both me and the children, and I know they all enjoyed
it Immensely, as did the adults attending too. I hope
I can now do this wonderful production justice, as I
am only an amateur and have not directed that many musicals,
but I promise I will give it my best, and I have the
video footage to help...for me this was a wonderful
experience, and I cannot thank you enough. You made
me want to improve on my performance in the shows that
I appear in too!
Lots of luck with all your future productions, please
keep in touch."

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The
Essex Group Stage
Schools |

Gary
Sullivan left - Director StageAbility and his wife Ann
Jan
2007
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A
day in the company of Peter Polycarpou took our cast of
seventy young performers on an emotional journey that
made our production of Les Miserables take on
a whole new dimension and I am sure, contributed to eight
full-house standing ovations!
From
the youngest cast member aged eight through to our Jean
Valjean aged seventeen the entire cast found something
extra that made their performance come to life even more.
Peter’s unique and dynamic enthusiasm squeezed every
drip of emotion, pathos, humour, sadness and tears from
them.
Whilst
Peter claims his objective is to offer suggestions that
may enhance the show, I know that without Peter our show
would not have reached the heights it did!
Thank
you Peter for making the difference!
Gary
Sullivan - Director StageAbility Stage Schools |
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"Thanks
so much for coming to Solihull last week to run the
workshop. We were all impressed with your enthusiasm
and the way you were able to inspire the kids to dig
deep into their emotions." Lucilla Lang Joint Artistic
Director
Jan
2007
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| Act
Too Youth Theatre

On
Sunday 2nd April 2006 I did one of the most enjoyable
workshops it has been my privilege to teach. There were
over a 100 performers attending! It was at Act
Too and I had this email (right) from the principal
director..
I
have been giving classes to students at Act Too theatre
schools throughout this and last year. I have also undertaken
to direct a production of Les Miserables for Act Too.

Valerie
Warnett (Producer), Lance Milton (Producer/Director),
me and Barry Dowden (Director) |
"I
felt utterly compelled to write and say thank you once
again for your brilliant workshop. Your energy, passion
and insight were incredible. As a director myself today
was a true revelation to me and an inspiration for me
to further develop my own techniques. I witnessed some
truly amazing transformations in the attitudes and the
performance standards of some of the cast and a vast improvement
in all, without exception. You have given these youngsters
a great set of tools to use both in this production and
also to use in their continued development in the performing
arts. This is a truly wonderful gift and more than I could
have possibly hoped for from a one day workshop."
Lance
Milton Producer/Director of Act Too
Download
a .pdf slide show of this very special workshop. |
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Lamproom
Youth Theatre

L
to R Karen Harris (the MD), Me, Donna Turner (Dir) and Louise
Weigold is the shy one at the back!!
Donna
emailed to say, "Just wanted to say thank you for the support,
encouragement, and feedback you gave to everyone connected with
the Lamproom Youth Theatre's Les Miserables workshop. We all
had a fantastic day, and it was a real thrill that you were
able to make a return visit to Barnsley to see one of the performances.
Thank you for your generosity and commitment to Les Miserables,
you helped to make a special show extraordinary."
"Thanks
for the wonderful Les Miserables workshop which took place in
Barnsley last month." Jack Land - Noble
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I
did three workshops whilst I was appearing at The
Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and I had a fantastic
time at all of them. They were in Barnsley at The Lytes Theatre
Company, The Centre Stage Theatre School in Derby and at Macclesfields'
Fallibroome
High School.
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Centre
Stage Derby
"I
would just like to say a massive thank you for all the help
you gave to the cast at Centre Stage, Derby. We finished the
show last week and the response has been incredible!" Faye
.A

"I
would just like to say how amazing your workshop was. It was
so inspirational, you have helped all those who attended to
see Les Miserables in a different light.You can use all of the
techniques you have showed us in any character." -Siobhan

L
to R with Andi Rowlands, Director and Principal of Centre Stage
and Nigel Taylor, Musical Supervisor and vocal coach.
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The full
production team (from the left) of Andy Grier (Musical Director),
Agnes Boardman (Chorus Director/Choreographer) and Brian Boardman
(Director) from Tread The Boards Youth Music Theatre. At the End
Of The Day!
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I
did another workshop last November, though
this time it was for their production of "Crazy
For You" by George Gershwin.
David
Tickner, Head of Expressive Arts wrote to say, "Thank
you once again for an inspirational day yesterday. This
has kick-started the production and the cast are raring
to go – they hope you come back again soon."
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Brian
Boardman, director of Tread the Boards’ production of Les Miserables
in Dundee, said “Peter was very tough with them. In fact, he
told me that with ours being a youth theatre production he pushed
them further than he would have done had it been a school group.
However, once he broke down the barriers, they really rose to the
challenge. The performers have gained enormously from this 'masterclass'
from an actor who cares passionately about his craft. Peter is a
great motivator and his work has been invaluable to everyone involved
with this production and we can’t thank him enough. I know
those who took part will go on to give even better performances in
the future, taking on board his comments and training technique.
Peter's over-all knowledge and passion for Les Miserables was clear
for all to see and he has helped in taking our young cast to another
level. They are now more emotionally aware and committed to this
epic piece of musical theatre and they have a better understanding
of their roles. I recommend this outstanding workshop to any school
or youth theatre who intend performing the musical. Your society
will reap the rewards with their production and you can thank Peter
afterwards. We definitely intend having him back in Dundee sometime
in the not too distant future.”
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Mary
Considine Head of Drama (below left) and Elizabeth Sleightholme
Head Of Music at Polam Hall School For Girls. Mary wrote to say, "The
workshop was excellent, and all the girls are really fired up
about it; it's made a huge difference to how they're approaching
their performances." |
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| Teachers
Esmé Lewis and Geoff Hinde from Wirral Grammar School where
I have given several workshops. I am going back in the New Year
to do an Oliver workshop which will be the first
time I have looked at the musical since I did it at school myself,
when I played the Artful Dodger! |
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One
of the students wrote to say, "The time you spent working
with me individually has really helped. The chorus numbers have
also improved massively since your visit. I've looked on your
web site, and am so impressed with all the work you have done.
So thank you again, you have been a huge inspiration." |
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