Episode 9 School for Stars

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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.

# Number one. #

Coming up on School for Stars...

One of Jade's lead roles is in jeopardy.

Can you swap over with Rhianna, darling?

Singer Eloise fights to duet with a chart-topping pop star.

It would be amazing.

And young actor Ross rubs shoulders with Dick and Dom

and Girls Aloud at a film premiere.

That boy, he's so confident.

This year, the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in Central London is 100 years old

and with the centenary gala just two weeks away

the students have moved to a huge rehearsal space for final preparations.

# So come on, spin me around now

# I don't want to go home

# Cos when you hold me like this

# You know my heart skip skips a beat... #

It's been a busy time for everyone involved, particularly for Reece, Rhianna, and Jade.

Jade already has enough to do with one lead role in the gala,

singing a love song alongside boyfriend Max.

But when her best friend Rhianna missed an important rehearsal

for a Latin number called In The Heights, Jade was asked to step in...

leaving Rhianna devastated.

And when Jade struggled to catch up with the new moves...

That was absolutely awful.

-It could have gone better.

-The worst thing I've ever done.

..it was Rhianna who helped her through.

I've just got to be strong now, I've got to look ahead.

The pressure of juggling lead roles and friendships is starting to take its toll on Jade.

I'm having real bad mood swings. I don't even know why.

I was crying for no reason and everyone's like, "What's wrong?" I was like, "I don't even know.

"I can't tell you." And they were like, "Tell me." I actually don't know.

But the show must go on and it's time to see if all the practice has paid off.

If you are in The Heights, you should be ready to go.

While her best friend impresses in the lead that used to be hers,

Rhianna has to make do with a background dancing role.

Just as it looks like Jade and Reece have finally perfected the routine,

Reece has a new challenge.

In The Heights fight boys, right now.

He's got to master a fight sequence with classmate Callum.

The fight's going to be the hardest because we haven't really done that so hopefully it goes well.

Boom. Pow.

Assistant director Carl Deschamps is a trained stuntman

and without his supervision, Reece and his friends would not be able to perform this routine.

This looks like a hit, when you go straight across, down stage.

The main thing in this fight scene is actually safety

because if you don't have that then it can all go wrong.

So he goes for the neck, yes? He's going to turn you around.

You're going push Jade up this way to get her out of the way. Boom.

Acting in a fight is challenging because you have to act the pain.

Ah, my ribs... Now I'm ready to fight again.

Let's set this up from the top, go through it again.

Ready?

Making a fight sequence like this look realistic while staying safe

takes as much work as the most complicated dance routine.

Every move has to be perfectly placed.

And some of Reece's punches are getting a little too close to Callum.

The rehearsal that I just did, I caught Callum's nose when I was punching him, by accident.

I'm really sorry.

So I need to really practise and make sure I get it right before the show.

I don't have all day so let's get it right, yeah?

Always hit up stage of the target.

It's quite hard in the fight scene because everyone's coming in.

'It's really hard for me to know when to fall and everything,'

it's just really hard.

It might be hard for Reece but at least he's only got one role to think about.

Jade's still got her second lead to perform with boyfriend Max,

and for her, things are going to get even more complicated.

Eloise is an ambitious singer with a huge voice.

# Baby baby

# I see you like this

Ever since I was seven, I always knew I wanted to be a singer.

Like former pupil Pixie Lott, she started at school

by going to weekend classes at one of the academy's associate schools when she was just eight years old.

# There are moments of love

# And there were clashes... #

And now she's on a three-year diploma course

and determined to make a career in the music business.

'My ambition's to be a pop singer and do arena tours'

and conquer the world.

But before the world, Eloise needs to conquer the school

and she's already getting a reputation as a serious talent.

-She's actually incredible.

-She doesn't look like she has that voice.

You just see her and she's a normal person and then she opens her mouth and it's like, "Whoa."

She's the most amazing singer and she's beautiful. She's got everything, it's not fair!

Eloise has one goal for this term - to land the singing solo

on the closing night of the end of term gala.

It's the centenary gala this year. It's a really, really big one. I think it's our biggest yet.

'And it would be an honour to be a part of it.'

Eloise has been asked to audition for the role of Felecia in the huge gospel number, Memphis.

To be Felecia in it would be amazing

but there's so many talented students here and I've got to remember that I'm only a first year at the minute.

-Let's try it with Paige this time.

-But Eloise is up against two older girls,

with years more experience and they both want the role just as bad.

'Lots of important people'

are coming to watch the gala show

'so everyone wants to be seen in it, really.'

It would be an amazing opportunity, but it's not that easy because there are three of us.

Whoever does get it won't only be singing to a crowd of celebrities and talent agents,

they'll also get to duet with ex-pupil and chart-topping singer, Lee Ryan from boy band Blue.

To be Felecia in the gala would be amazing, to be around all those past pupils that came here

and it's been selected so it's really like on top of your game. It would be amazing.

Only one of these talented singers can perform on the closing night

and gala director Hayley is yet to decided which of them it will be.

Constantly in rehearsals we're being watched,

so we've just got to give it everything all the time.

Will her everything be enough?

Just like Eloise, Ross dreams of a career as a performer.

Ross is also a Saturday pupil at an associate school near his home outside London

and has just finished playing Perfect Peter in the major feature film, Horrid Henry.

Take one.

I've got all the little posters here from the film.

Jo Brand, Richard E Grant,

Dick and Dom, which are pretty fun guys,

and there's me.

Great looking at all the costumes

and meeting Dick and Dom and Richard E Grant

because they're like so famous and you're just like, "Wow."

With the premiere just around the corner, Ross needs to find something fancy to wear for the red carpet.

Today, I'm looking for a suit to buy for the premiere.

Pretty cool, I like the grey.

This tie... This tie is cool.

These are nice, these sort of colours.

Green's quite vibrant.

This is my first premiere

and I want to look my best.

Bow tie like that.

What I'm going for is I sort of want the adult tradition but in a...

-In a smaller version?

-Yeah.

-I think I like this one.

-You look good in that.

I think I've found the perfect one.

I think it will go really well down the red carpet and everything

because, you know, it looks like my sort of colour.

Now that Ross has got his suit sorted,

he's ready to waltz down the red carpet

just like a true A-list superstar.

Many students leave the school to go on to big things.

Such as Dr Who's Karen Gillan.

Final year student Hannah wants to follow in her footsteps

and land a top acting job when she leaves.

My ambition is to be in musical theatre. My strength's my acting.

Acting classes have helped bring Hannah out of her shell.

I was always quite shy growing up,

but performing means that I can hide and I come out and I'm confident.

I really want to make a career in this industry.

It's the only thing love to do.

I can't do anything else, I don't think, anyway!

Daisy Meredith. Daredevil tomboy.

Hannah's been invited to audition for a new stage show - all about spies.

And it's going to be tough because Hannah has to write and perform a scene all by herself.

I was recruited because of my special skills.

My sunglasses are X-ray vision

and it means that I can see through windows and doors.

I love performing to audiences.

I get this buzz and this glow inside of me and I just light up

and I like to think that I light up a stage.

The audition is taking place at the theatre company's offices in central London.

And the nerves are setting in.

I've got a few techniques to try and combat my nerves.

I try and distract myself and think about other things

rather than what I'm just about to do.

Now its time for Hannah to show theatre director Neil Foster what she's capable of.

-Hello, Hannah. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

But as she gets into the room for her big moment, there's a problem.

I've just forgotten something.

Do you want to go and get it?

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, no problem.

She's forgotten some of her props.

Got your agent kit there. Yes.

Hi, I'm Hannah. Special agent and secret spy.

These sunglasses are X-ray vision

and it means I can look through walls and doors.

And this mobile phone is my direct communications link.

A few minutes later and the audition is over.

-Great, that was very good. Thank you very much.

-That's OK.

'I think it went well. It was good fun.'

It was a really quick audition. I was only in there a few minutes.

Did my monologue and then my story and then I was out again.

Hannah seems happy, but will it be enough to get that all-important call-back?

As final preparations for the gala show continue,

Jade has plenty on her mind.

She's been struggling to juggle two lead roles,

while keeping her friendship with Rhianna.

I'm in the middle right now and I don't know what to do.

Despite worries that she's weeks behind in her routine with Reece,

they've managed to turn things around.

Now Jade has to perform her Frank Sinatra love song with boyfriend Max

which they've been practising for months.

I'm not nervous. I think it'll be all right. I'll try my best.

Just as Jade and Max are about to start,

with best friend Rhianna and the whole school watching on,

Karen makes a last-minute call.

Jade? Can you swap over with Rhianna, darling?

Rhianna, in you come!

She's asked Rhianna to stand in for Jade.

# We might have been meant for each other. #

Rhianna only knows the song from watching on from the side.

# Let's fall in love Why shouldn't we? #

And now she's performing it to all of her classmates,

with her best mate's boyfriend.

What must Jade be thinking?

Rhianna survived being thrown in at the deep end and Jade seems happy.

They were really good.

Rhianna and Max were really good, which was good.

You did really well.

I felt terrible.

Why are you shaking?

-I don't know.

-Why are you shaking?

I thought Jade was doing it.

She was up there and then there's me. I'm up there!

Max has got a theory about the last-minute change.

They're trying to see who they can get the best out of so...

I'm not sure what's going to happen.

But how does Karen explain it all?

When we've been running the show, what's become apparent

is having one girl taking two lead roles

and we've now had a look at the option

of putting Rhianna in the Sinatra section.

It was a test today to see if she was on the ball.

Now Karen needs to decide who will keep the role at the gala.

Will it be Jade or Rhianna?

Eloise is up against two older students for the chance

to perform on the closing night of the gala with singer Lee Ryan.

To be Felecia in the gala would be amazing.

Now Karen is putting up her final list on the school notice board,

saying who will be performing which roles in Memphis.

So, will Eloise be taking centre stage

on the biggest night of the year?

She did it. She's got the part.

I'm playing Felecia with Lee Ryan,

who I used to fancy when I was younger, which is a bit embarrassing.

I'm really happy though, I'm really happy!

See you guys!

Its great news for Eloise.

I'm so happy!

But now the hard work really begins.

For young actor Ross, it's a day that any young star would dream of.

He's attending the premiere of his very own film.

I'm at the Horrid Henry premiere.

Everybody's busy with interviews and cameras and signatures

and it's just hectic, really.

As stars like Girls Aloud and Dick and Dom work the red carpet,

Ross is getting his first taste of life in the limelight.

It feels absolutely awesome.

I really want to be a movie actor when I grow up because, all this -

I just want to do it every day.

And it looks like his co-stars have got nothing by praise for Ross.

That boy!

He's so confident!

It's actually shocking how confident he is, you know, for his age.

He's a really strong performer. He's kind of got it in him.

He's a sort of natural.

-All the kids showed us up like that.

-It was a great bit of casting for the film.

Ross, who plays Perfect Peter,

he was in real life quite well-spoken and well-behaved.

The big question is, what do people think of the outfit?

His hat looks like the one that the director wore

and he used to steal the director's hat.

Nick, the director, used to wear a hat just like what Ross is wearing.

If things carry on going this well, Ross better look after that suit

because this might not be the last time he walks the red carpet.

At the school casting agency, Steve has been waiting for news

on whether Hannah has a recall for her spy-themed stage show.

As a final year student, Hannah's desperate to land a job

for when she leaves school and thinks this could be perfect.

It's so me and I'm really, really suited to it,

so I would love to get it and it would start me off really well.

Steve calls Hannah with the news.

PHONE RINGS

Hello?

Hello!

Right, first things first - very, very well done.

Recall.

Ah, I'm so pleased!

-Well done, it's brilliant news.

-Thank you so much. I'm so pleased.

No, I'm really pleased for you. You deserve it.

-Thank you.

-No worries, darling, take care.

-OK, bye!

-See you later, bye!

A few days later, Hannah's back off to the theatre's office

to audition again.

And she wants the part so much, she's pulled out all the stops.

Today I've got a few more props in my bag.

My sunglasses, which are X-ray vision.

Plasticine, that is an explosive device,

a stapler, which is a life sign sensor

so I'm going to clip it across the casting director

and say, "You're alive". Hopefully he'll find that funny.

I'm here and I'd like to get the job

so that's what I'm going to focus on.

So can Hannah up her spy factor for the second time?

So, have you brought some stuff to do again?

I have.

I was recruited by a unit and we're based undercover

in a youth club in Bond Street, London.

I'm a black belt in karate.

And I also have experts in electronics and gadgetry.

My mother was a Russian gymnast.

My dad, well, he's a double 0 agent. He's agent double 003 and a half.

Apparently he's only half as good as James Bond.

She's added more moves.

Everybody back, it's going to blow!

And the director seems to like the props.

And this stapler is a life sign senser.

You'll be pleased to know that you're alive.

Very good.

CHUCKLES

Very, very good.

-Great.

-Thanks ever so much. Bye-bye.

Thanks so much, Hannah.

Audition over and Hannah phones Steve to tell him how it went.

Hi, Steve, it's Hannah.

How did it go?

It went really well. I'm really pleased.

He seemed to enjoy it again. He laughed all the way through it

and, yeah, he seemed really sort of buzzy and as though he enjoyed it.

-Well done, that's really cool.

-Thank you.

I will know by the end of this week what the next stage is.

Whether it's... that's it, I don't need to think about it any more

or whether there's more to come.

Senior student Eloise is one of the best singers in school.

She's been given a lead role opposite guest celebrity Lee Ryan from Blue.

I'm playing Felecia with Lee Ryan,

who I used to really fancy when I was young!

But today, head of musical theatre Karen has received some bad news.

Unfortunately Lee Ryan is not going to be performing in the gala.

Lee Ryan's touring commitments means his lead role is up for grabs.

So Karen has hand-picked three boys to audition for the part.

Obviously I was excited about working with Lee,

but this way I get to do it with my friends.

They're in my year, all of them.

You are now in competition with each other

because one of you will be playing the gala.

Karen wants the three boys to go head to head.

Each man for himself.

When you come out of the studio, you're back as friends.

When you're in there, do or die.

The boys now have just five minutes to prepare.

It's a massive opportunity and I'm really looking forward to it.

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

It would be amazing to get it.

To only be in my first year and have the opportunity to go up for it is so good.

It's a huge event.

There's people coming from outside, celebrities are coming.

It's a really exciting thing to do.

The waiting is over.

These three friends are about to sing against each other

for one of the biggest roles of the year.

To be told, like, five minutes before your going to be going on,

"This is the audition for the gala" - I would be so nervous right now.

They each have just one chance to show Hayley and Karen what they can do.

OK.

# I went out with a young boy

# My daddy sent me down

# He said, son

# Don't you never go to the dark side of town

# I'm talking downtown Memphis

# That's where the poor folk live

# And I just saw Daddy

# And then I snuck down anyway

# It broke down all my senses

# It made me feel so cold

# See I was lost until I found

# I was deaf until I heard

# And in this world I found you

# The music of my soul

# The music of my...

# ..soul #.

# Soul. #

Thank you, boys. Thank you, Eloise.

The audition is over.

I think the boys did really well.

You could tell that they really let loose and forgot everything

and just gave their best and they've done really well.

But how do the boys think they performed?

Yeah, I think it went all right.

I was pleased with the song. I know it really well.

I think it could've gone better but hey ho, it's over.

I think I did OK, it's difficult to tell.

I hear little faults you'd change afterwards,

maybe more than other people would notice but it was all right. I was happy with it.

It's now up to Hayley to decide which of the three friends

will get the part and sing with Eloise on the big night.

They've each got such brilliant qualities that they bring to the character,

so Hayley's got a really hard decision to make.

Another student waiting for news is aspiring actress Hannah.

Hannah's had two auditions for a spy-themed stage show...

Everybody back!

...and knows the job would be the ideal start for her.

It's so me and I'm really, really suited to it.

The theatre company have phoned the school's agent Steve

to let him know whether Hannah's got through.

Have you got some news?

-They really liked your audition.

-Right.

-Loved your audition.

-Yeah.

Absolutely down to the final mix,

but in terms of matching up the three people

to play the young person's roles, the match was better elsewhere.

Yeah.

-I'm just gutted for you.

-Yeah.

You know, it's scant consolation now

but, you know, I thought you were going get it.

Come here.

For Hannah, it's devastating news.

Rejection is part of life for young performers.

It's how you react that counts.

So Hannah goes straight back into her next rehearsal.

-Hannah?

-Yes!

Jade and Rhianna have been on an emotional rollercoaster

over the last few weeks.

And in their last rehearsal, Rhianna took over from Jade at the last minute...

Can you swap over with Rhianna, darling?

..to sing alongside Jade's boyfriend, Max.

The two best friends are now waiting to find out who'll be playing what part

and Karen pulls them both out of rehearsals to reveal her final decision.

So I know you ran through the other day when we were at Hammerton Hall

and there was a very quick change-over.

I'd like to say well done here, Rhianna.

You really stepped up to the mark and obviously poor Jade,

it was suddenly, "Jade out, Rhianna in".

But it was the only way I could make sure that we could see if you knew the choreography.

And I just want to confirm that we are now going with Rhianna,

you are going to be singing the Sinatra junior show

and you are obviously continuing with what you have been doing.

Excellent. Well done, my darlings.

We just wanted to say, there was never ever really any rivalry between us.

Rhianna, leave it cos I know there is rivalry.

If there wasn't, it wouldn't be healthy.

OK.

You must always understand and appreciate you can be friends

but you're going to be in competition with each other.

It doesn't mean you're enemies.

It's going to happen all the way through your careers,

but don't be afraid of it and don't deny it.

So the girls have had their original parts swapped

and now they'll both have lead roles in the gala.

I'm so proud of you!

Jade's definitely happy for me cos she didn't like seeing me upset.

-At least it's fair now though.

-Yeah.

So you get to do loads of love with Maxy!

It's going to be so awkward!

I'm really happy that we've both got something,

that we're both happy for each other.

It has been an emotional rollercoaster

but now I can show my mum and dad how hard I've been working,

how stressful it's all been and just for it to all end on a good ending.

When you're reaching for the top, you have to be prepared for the highs...

CHEERING

..and the lows.

We all fall down sometimes.

The real stars are the ones that get straight up again.

# Makes me that much stronger

# Makes me work a little bit harder

# Makes me that much wiser

# Thanks for making me a fighter. #

Next time on School For Stars -

It's showtime for contemporary dance champion Callum.

I'm really nervous, like, shaking all the time.

And Reece.

It went really well other than I slipped.

And Nathan, Ben and Will find out which one of them

will be singing alongside Eloise on gala night.

We're going to go with you.

This is life at the School For Stars.

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