Alderley Edge resident Karen Mackay has been running a theatre school in the village for five years but this term in the hope of boosting numbers she has decided to have a reorganisation and split the groups according to age.
Karen, 31, whose father was headmaster at The Ryleys, grew up in the village and spent nearly ten years in Scamps and danced locally with Sue Morris and Amanda Cooper.
Karen told me "I left to go to The London Studio Centre at 18 and studied musical theatre. I then worked across London and toured Mallorca and various venues across the UK in shows such as Chicago and Evita.
"I moved back about six years ago and currently I am Head of Vocal Studies at The Hammond in Chester. I started the Saturday Musical Theatre School five years ago and numbers have just dipped recently, so I am keen to give it a boost and feel splitting the class will enable the older students to work at a stronger level. I find I tend to lose the numbers at 13 plus so it is this age I would like to encourage really."
Karen employs professional dancers and actors and offers various styles of dance from jazz to salsa and rock n roll to musical theatre. As well as singing, microphone technique, drama exercises, games and musical scripts.
She added "We performed alongside the Sue Morris School for Dance at The Plaza in Stockport and at her show last March at The Evans Theatre. I was also delighted to be asked to direct the Scamps production last year, which I loved being involved with and helping others because the society really enabled me to follow my own dream."
The Saturday Morning Theatre School is held at the St Pius Church Hall from 10.30-12pm during term times. New for this term the classes have been split in to two groups, the first is for 6 to 11 year olds and the second for those aged 12 to 15 years.
For further information email Karen or call her on 07736299239.
