Episode 10 School for Stars

Many people dream of fame, success and life in the spotlight,

but few realise it takes years of hard work.

We're going behind the scenes of one of the most famous

-stage schools in Britain...

-Motivation, commitment. Let's do it.

It's got to be sharp, guys.

..where pupils learn to cope with rivalry,

sacrifice and rejection every day.

Russell Brand, Pixie Lott and Leona Lewis all studied here,

but this series is about the talent of tomorrow.

This is the School For Stars.

Coming up, Callum decides it's time to show his classmates

a side to him they have never seen before.

They've got their eyes on you. It's a bit nerve-racking, really.

Amber and Jade get another chance to follow their dream

of being part of the Michael Jackson medley.

Three and four.

And Alex gets a lead role, but has to learn the guitar from scratch

just to keep it.

I don't want to be out of time

and have everyone laugh at me. So no pressure.

The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in Central London

teaches young people to sing, dance and act to a professional standard.

But it's not all about becoming famous.

Some pupils here dream of being stars behind the scenes,

like Amber, who wants to be a choreographer.

I think it's like a point. Yeah.

'I love making up dances'

because I have quite a lot of ideas and I would like to teach dancing.

But it's not been a good term for Amber.

She dreamed of working with West End choreographer Sean Parkins...

Three and four...

..by dancing in the centenary shows in his Michael Jackson number.

But after a short rehearsal...

I might have to get rid of a few of you.

Sean cut her and Jade from the routine.

Today at school, Sean is back...

Three, four.

..working on his Michael Jackson routine.

And Amber has got some good news.

Wind down to downstage right.

Sean has given her and Jade one more chance

dancing in another of his routines.

I feel excited. I'm learning a whole new dance, so it will be really fun.

So can Amber and Jade avoid being cut this time?

MUSIC: "Bad" by Michael Jackson"

If she can hang onto the part, working with Sean

will be a dream come true for Amber.

I'm going to be picking up tips from Sean,

like how he direct the moves.

'If he tells you to be quiet, shouts'

or if he says it quietly, I'll be taking notes from him.

Close!

It's the end of the rehearsal and again Sean has concerns.

It looks good, it's a good start. It could be ten times better.

But despite this, Sean is keeping the cast as is,

which means Amber and Jade

will be performing in the Michael Jackson routine

in the centenary shows.

Last time when we didn't get picked,

you feel kind of like, "Oh, am I not good enough?"

But when you get picked for something else, you're like,

"Yay! I'm good, I'm good! Yay!"

Today, there's a huge rehearsal for gospel number Memphis.

It promises to be one of the highlights of the gala.

But with the big night only weeks away,

the directors still haven't chosen their leading male.

Last week, three of the school's strongest male singers

battled it out in a tense audition.

Each man for himself.

When you come out the studio, you're friends.

When you're in there, do or die.

# It broke down all my senses... #

To even have the opportunity to go up for it is so good.

# See I was lost, until I'm found... #

I'm pleased to be put up for it, but I'm absolutely terrified!

# I'll make this world come around to the music... #

It's a huge event. There's people coming from outside, celebrities.

'It's really exciting.'

Thank you very much guys. OK.

Eloise is at today's rehearsal, and whoever is chosen

will be singing a duet with her on the biggest night of the year.

It's weird not knowing who it's going to be.

But at least I know it's one of the three boys

I've been rehearsing with.

I feel sorry for them. They're playing the waiting game now.

Of the three boys who auditioned,

only Will has been invited to today's rehearsal.

In this gap here, because Eloise is in that gap there.

..and he can't work out if he's got the part or not.

-Keep checking in with me and tell me what you do so I can tell Will.

-OK.

OK, so we go one, two...

'Richard's told me to stand in,'

so don't know what that means. Who knows?

One thing Will does know is how much this role will mean to him.

Doing Huey in the gala is just massive. It's a major thing for me.

It's such a huge show this year and Huey's such a great part as well.

I mean, if I got to do that, it would just be phenomenal.

The rehearsal is being led by choreographers Richard and Rachel.

One, two, three!

And their classes are famous

for being some of the toughest in the school.

-I'm ready for an intense day.

-Intense!

-This routine is very physical.

-It's going to be a very long day.

This routine has got to be slick, precise and clean,

on the money. We need to deliver, basically.

Go, go, go, go!

One, two three...

Richard and Rachel want this routine to be

the highlight of the gala, so while Will's part is still

to be decided, the dancers in the number are pushed to the limit.

At this level, competition for dancing roles is fierce.

The choreographers are looking for something extra special

and Jack thinks he's the one to deliver.

'I just want to perform.'

Being on stage, I love it.

Jack is one of the school's best street dancers,

and would love to feature in this routine at the gala.

But he's struggling with one of the moves.

LAUGHTER

With all his classmates watching, Jack is feeling the pressure.

If he can't get this move right, he'll be cut from the performance.

-I'm having big doubts with you.

-Yeah, it's not happening.

You need to nail it, the whole bit. There's no tumbling around.

It's great when we nail it, but we can't have one move you do

and one move you don't.

I know.

So not confident with his backflip,

Jack decides to try one of his other moves.

Five, six, seven...

But he can't even get that right.

You've got one chance now.

First warning.

There's no excuse, no excuse.

It's the last chance before the cut.

Poor Jack's got one more chance or he's out.

Five, six, seven and...

-Perfect.

-He's done it.

'Well, the pressure's on.'

We either go at it hard, or you go home.

Simple as that. You don't think about it, you just do it. You just do it.

But the rehearsal still has hours to go. It's going to be a long day.

In South London,

some of the seniors are rehearsing for the centenary shows.

I would just like to remind everybody that the atmosphere...

And this includes Alex, who is about to get some exciting news.

But there's a catch.

Earlier this term, Alex missed out on a dancing part

in rock and roll number, American Idiot.

I'm not losing sleep over it.

But today, Alex has been handed a lifeline.

A lead SINGING role in the same number.

Halt!

Today, I got a guarantee that I'm going to be performing

on the night, so my mum will be pleased anyway.

# Welcome to a new kind of tension

# All across the alien nation... #

'I'm well happy.'

I'll get more attention, know what I mean?

Everybody's going to be looking at me.

# Television dreams of tomorrow... #

You know, it's always nice to have people clapping and maybe

shouting your name if they know you, so it's going to be all right.

APPLAUSE

Can't do it.

But nothing is ever easy in this game, and to hang onto his role,

Alex has to prove he can play the guitar.

Ow!

There's just one problem - he doesn't know how to play.

And Hayley, the show director, is worried.

So Alex, why don't we go first with you?

# Only one that I had ever known

# Don't know where it goes

# But it's home to me and I walk alone. #

OK. That's OK.

-It was slightly there.

-I've just cut my nails.

-Your rhythm wants to be down. Down, down and down.

-Yeah.

No, I can't strum it up. I'll get it.

It hurts, do you know what I mean?

See, it goes ugly because I slip and it hurts.

If I slip out, then I'll look silly,

people may get out of time on the dancing

they won't know where to go next and look silly,

and then the number will just have a bad name to it

and I'll get told off badly and it will be all my fault.

I'll be public enemy number one, so that's what I'm thinking.

Time has run out for Alex and he now has to show

the musical director Nathan

that he is the right person for the role.

# I walk a lonely road... #

'Alex has the extra challenge of having to play

'live guitar at the beginning of his solo.'

Now the difficulty with that is he starts to play the guitar,

but a little bit later, the backing track kicks in.

Now to make that work, we're using what we call a click track.

So Alex has an invisible monitor in his ear

which will play some clicks,

which he plays along to.

It's important he stays in time with the clicks.

If he doesn't, then when the backing track comes in, he won't be in time.

# I walk alone... #

'It is a really hard thing to do.

'Even some musicians would find it hard to stay to a very strict click.'

Alex has those to do. Learning the guitar,

which he is coming to terms with.

He now has to practise staying strictly in time with the click

and think about his performance and give us 100% every single time.

Not much to do, then. Alex has only got a few weeks until gala night.

'I don't really want to go on stage'

and be out of time and have everyone laughing at me, so no pressure.

Can he learn the guitar in time?

Not everyone is busy rehearsing.

For the Year 9s, it's lessons as normal.

They've just completed their jazz dance assessments,

and Callum did particularly well.

Callum was recently crowned national champion

in a freestyle dance competition.

444!

CHEERING

But pretty much no-one at school even knows about this.

Mr Vote the headmaster wants him to show the rest of the school

just how good he is.

I've been asked to perform in front of all the juniors.

Freestyle dancing is all about expressing feelings

and emotion through movement and really losing yourself in the music.

'I enjoy contemporary so much.'

It's coming from who you are

and not from what they want you to be.

Callum has no idea how his classmates will react

to the way he dances.

No-one at this school does freestyle.

So I think it will be a shocker for them

to see that I am a contemporary dancer.

It'll be weird to see their faces.

His friends may love it or they may not understand it at all.

Whatever happens, Callum will be finding out very soon.

Callum's not the only one feeling the pressure.

Rachel and Richard have their male break-dancer

for the Memphis number. Now they're looking

for a lead female backing dancer to perform centre stage.

-Seven, eight, one, two...

-Get it right and you have a break.

Get it wrong, you keep going.

Billy is a key contender for the role.

She realises that dancing centre stage means that all eyes will be

on her, so this is her chance to prove she has what it takes.

'This is a really big deal.'

They're choosing the best students to do this particular number.

'Obviously it's an honour to be chosen.'

Out of all the people at the college, you've been chosen.

So that makes you obviously feel really lucky.

But being in the middle means any mistakes are spotted easily.

-Billie. Are you looking at Billie?

-Yeah.

Yeah, your arm again.

The prestige of being on centre...

-It's got to be shoulder height.

-Drop it.

-Here.

Shoulder height, shoulder height.

No.

Stop, Billie. Do it again.

OK. There we go, seven, eight, one.

Eight. One. That's it.

'No room for error. No room for error at all.'

Obviously, I'm meant to take the correction on.

So if I didn't take the correction on, then, um, that wouldn't be good!

Billie's struggling to get the moves right

and it's stressing her out.

We're supposed to be the best cast they can get,

so, therefore, you've got to show and prove that they chose you

for the right reasons.

ALL: Go, one!

ALL: Two!

As the rehearsal comes to an end, everyone, including Billie,

is shattered.

That's been an incredibly hard day and you've done fantastically well.

Your focus and commitment has been exemplary. I'm thrilled.

Thank you very much.

I am exhausted from today, but I've got to keep going.

I've got to keep going more, till it's perfect.

Richard and Rachel are giving nothing away.

Billie doesn't know if she'll get the lead dancing role

she so desperately wants.

So, for now, she'll just have to wait.

Over the past few weeks, Layton, Lyndsey

and the rest of the Year 11s have been working flat out

rehearsing for the gala and their all-important GCSEs.

So a tradition has started to make sure

that the end of term is also about fun.

The head girl has to arrange a prom for the year group,

away from the school and the teachers.

And for head girl Tate, it's all about the dressing up.

'Being head girl, being the arranger of the prom,'

I've sorted out everything but sort of myself.

So now it's trying to find something to wear to an event I organise.

Tate and fellow Year 11 Yasmin

are determined to find that perfect dress.

Oh, I like that.

No!

It could turn out to be a longer day than we anticipated.

They haven't had much luck.

But then, in one of the shops they've already visited,

they discover a secret store room.

Let's put some lights on first.

Wow, there's everything in here.

There are thousands and thousands of dresses here.

Look. Oh.

And now the shopping can really begin.

I want to try that one on!

We look like twins!

-I think I like this one.

-Turn around.

Thank you.

Yasmin's found her perfect gown,

but Tate is starting to lose the faith.

Just really disappointing

when you've spent all day looking at so many dresses.

I've tried on about 800.

I feel a little bit gutted, though, now.

And, obviously, if I don't get the dress,

I don't go and it'll be such a shame not to be able to go

to something I've put so much time and effort into, so...

It's been a frustrating day for Tate, but, with time running out,

can she find that perfect dress before prom night?

Tate may be stressing about what to wear,

but the only thing on Callum's mind

is what his friends will think

when he performs his solo dance in assembly.

No-one at school knows he's a national champion

and just how good he really is.

It'll be weird to see the expressions on their face.

I'm quite weird in my contemporaries sometimes.

And I come out with these weird ideas.

I feel that you can show who you are by what you do.

Reece is also performing today, in a group dance,

and he and Callum seem to disagree on who's got the harder task.

It's easier doing a solo dance

because, if you mess up, you can improvise.

But, with the group,

if one of us messes up, then all of us will mess up.

On your own, you haven't got anything

and they've all got their eyes on you.

So it's a bit nerve-racking, really.

It's show time and Reece and his group are going first.

I hope it's a good reaction. I hope everyone likes it.

The audience may be in a bad mood,

or good mood. You don't know how it will go.

As Callum watches on, Reece and his group take to the floor.

Reece slips on his costume at the start of his routine.

But he and his group recover well

and it ends with a warm response from the crowd.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

I'm not sure how the audience was.

I think they found it funny when I fell over.

Now it's Callum's turn.

Callum has chosen this track himself and now is his chance to show

the juniors and Reece exactly what contemporary freestyle

is all about.

# Well, angels heard

# The news today

# Seems my life

# Is gonna change

# I close my eyes

# Begin to pray

# Then tears of joy

# Stream down my face

# With my arms wide open

# Under the sunlight

# Welcome to this place

# I'll show you everything

# With arms wide open... #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

'I was just really nervous, like, shaking all the time.'

I don't know how they reacted, all of them.

So I don't know. I'm a bit nervous now.

But what did the juniors and Reece think?

I've got respect for Callum because he went up all by himself

and he did really good and he was nervous.

He was shaking when he first went on and he did really good.

I didn't even know he could do that. It was, yeah, it was really intense.

And just amazing.

It was really good. He's a really good dancer.

He puts so much emotion into it and he's an amazing dancer.

Callum has gone down a storm.

# With arms wide open. #

I hope the rest of my class

go away learning they can do any routine they want

and it'll still look good, if you have the good moves.

It's a beautiful evening in Essex

and, after months of organising every last detail,

it's time for the perfect prom.

Tate has finally found a dress and now she's ready to party.

-Oh!

-Oh, wow.

Unfortunately, only two classmates are here to party with her.

It's a slow start.

I can't believe everyone is late.

But, finally, everyone starts to roll up,

including Yasmin

and best friend Lyndsey.

SHE SCREAMS

So beautiful.

We are all grateful, because she put so much effort into it.

She's been stressing so much and it's really come off.

And it's not long before Year 11 go back to what they do best,

and that's putting on a show.

It's been a great night and the hard work has paid off.

I've had a really good time. So I'm really pleased with it.

Celebrations may be over for Tate,

but, for Billie, they're only just beginning.

And one, two, three. four, five, six and seven.

She's been told she'll take the lead backing dancer role

in Memphis at the gala.

I'm right in the centre for some of it, so, yes, it's exciting.

But for Will, things aren't looking so good.

He's still waiting to find out if he's got

the lead role in the number

and, today, he's joined at the rehearsal by Ben and Nathan,

the classmates who auditioned against him.

We're still the three Hueys from Memphis waiting to find out

who's doing the big gala night.

We're a bit apprehensive, because we assume we're going to find out.

After the three boys went head to head for the lead role

of Huey in Memphis,

Will has been attending rehearsals on his own.

Richard has told me to stand in for the Huey part,

so I don't what that means. Who knows?

But now it looks like the other two boys are back in the game.

But, then, head of musical theatre, Karen, takes Will outside

and he's about to get a big surprise.

Um, I just wanted to grab you for a couple of minutes.

What we're going to do is go with you as Huey on the Sunday.

-That's great, thanks so much.

-That's all right. You deserve it.

He's done it. They've given him the lead.

I'm really surprised, actually.

I'm just amazed. But, yeah, my whole family are coming down

to see the gala

so I'm going to be doing Huey

on the gala night. I can't believe it.

And there's one person he has to tell first.

PHONE RINGS

-'Hello.'

-Hi, Mum, it's me.

-You know Huey in Memphis?

-'Yeah.'

-I'm going to be doing on the gala night.

-'Oh, that's brilliant!'

I can't believe it. I'm really happy.

Yeah, she just told me.

It couldn't be better news for Will.

But now the hard work really begins.

The New Wimbledon Theatre in South London.

This is where the school centenary gala will be taking place.

But before opening night, there's another show that must come first.

Right, good afternoon, students and pupils.

Good afternoon, mums and dads.

Headmaster Mr Vote is hosting a special ceremony

in front of family and friends,

handing out awards to students who have shone throughout the year.

And our first prizes go for singing.

And the first award goes to Jordan.

That, along with his role in the Wizard Of Oz,

means Jordan's had a great term.

But he's not the only one picking up prizes.

Lots of the school star pupils

are recognised for excellence in singing, dancing and acting.

-Rihanna.

-Rihanna picks up an award for her singing.

It's not been the easiest term for Rihanna, but now

she's got a prize to go along with her role in the centenary shows.

-Reece.

-After impressing all term, Reece picks up a dancing award.

Every year, I've worked so hard and it's feels like now it's paying off.

Layton picks up one of the final awards of the night.

And the Upper School prize to Layton.

A dancing award. Layton's had a jam-packed term

and this is the icing on the cake.

This is the end of my junior years

and it was nice to get a prize to say I've done something.

But the student who gets the biggest shock is Natasha.

At the start of term, she found it hard being in the background.

I'm trying as hard as I can, but I never get noticed.

But, today, she's definitely getting noticed.

Acting prize in the Lower School to Natasha.

'When they read out my name,'

I was so surprised. I didn't think I was going to get an award.

CHEERING

This has proved to me it's worth it in the end

and that you do get recognition if you've done something well.

I'm kind of happy that's happened.

It's a fitting end to a great term.

But this is just a reminder that

the centenary gala is now very close indeed.

Three, four.

Sometimes, it can feel like everything is going wrong.

But life has a funny way of handing out second chances.

All you've to do...

..is take them.

# I can hold my head high I'm strong again

# I'm strong again. #

Good luck.

Next time on School For Stars...

..Jade and her friends are forced to say goodbye to one of their own.

This is going to change the whole school.

Paris and Georgia make big plans.

When we move to LA, George wants to be an actress,

and so I'll be a singer.

And final rehearsals for the gala don't go well.

We've done the most awful rehearsal we possibly ever could have done.

This is life at the School For Stars.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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