Come & join me in general chat all you patents of performers - be it dancers, actors, singers or musicians

[Picturesinthefirelight]

There are quite a few if us onhere though I know done if you from NAPM & Balletcoforum too

Here we can have a general chit chat about what our children are up to so we don't clog up the threads on specific topics

So Sparkly, Katy, Cory & loads more. Come chat!

Wrt panto: I have four children. Dd1 has done panto since she was 7 (semi pro for two years, pro last year and this year). Ds1, at 7, is doin his first semi pro one this year. Meaning our Christmas is going to consist of ferrying children to different pantos!

I MUST be mad!

We're all mad & contributing to global warming considerable with all these emissions!

Just to update - time off school for filming was granted without any problem at all.

Do you have to parent chaperone semi-pro panto? If so I'm even more impressed by YOUR dedication (never mind the kids)

Oh good Jimjams

Given the age of your son I was wondering whether our boys were in the same production, but the rehearsal schedule is different. Might have to PM you :) :nosey:

How many days on days off is it this xmas (am guessing it's panto?) I think the key is to be really strict on the days off about going to bed at a sensible time. I find ds2 is fine when he's performing in school holidays as he just gets up late the next day, but juggling school & early mornings as well is when it gets tiring.

Welcome eightytwenty

Our local theatre in the round dies a Christmas non panto production each year that uses children. The schedule sounds similar to that.

Dd has never auditioned as it always clashed with other shows she was in but some if her friends have been.

Dd is busy preparing for her assessments at the end if the month. Fingers crossed !!!!!

Joining dubiously because I am still keeping things very low key with dd.
ds did lots of dancing and quite ages professional performances along with the usual festival stuff.
He was very good but gave up around 19 to be a chef.
So after all those years of no lie ins at the weekends, big dance bills and Xmas spent driving to a theatre, I as reluctant to do it all again.
Dd is doing classes and festival work but that's it for now but she's in the local pro panto this year despite my plans.
Oh yes and dd2 started baby ballet 5 weeks ago and can skip perfectly and do precise spring points.
She is 2.8
I danced but wasn't that brilliant so I don't know where they get it from.

Welcome eightytwenty

Our local theatre in the round dies a Christmas non panto production each year that uses children. The schedule sounds similar to that.

Dd has never auditioned as it always clashed with other shows she was in but some if her friends have been.

Dd is busy preparing for her assessments at the end if the month. Fingers crossed !!!!!

We are starting the concert series for the winter.... DH Saturday and the 1st of DS concerts Sunday ( then I believe DD2 has a THursday concert on the 20 somethingth then it'll be Dec!)

Yeah I know what you mean. Ds2 has been in west end tours (locally) so has a intense week or two where everything revolves around the theatre. A 6 month stint must be really tough. Especially if parents work & there are siblings. I have no idea how families manage it. I suppose a tour is probably easier to manage as it's set up for the children being away.

Although I have no direct experience I actually think West End is easier (from talking to those whose children have been in shows)

Because of the M25 rule a lot of West end kids go to school in the area and a lot cine from Sylvia Young (or transfer there in the case of one boy I know who got Bruce in Matilda.

The school ferries them to & fro.

The few shows that allow outside M25 (Billy, Debbie, Matilda & Bruce) they live away from home with a chaperone.

Oliver & Wizard of Oz involved a lot for the parents I believe but even then for Oliver they would have a group if kids from a certain area and coach them in

Also with a long WE run there are usually three teams so less shows per week whereas for panto and tours lasting between 1-3 weeks there are often only 2 teams.

Yes that's true Pictures. I did think for a tour (eg Oliver) the touring kids would have had education organised for them.

We're used to joining the tours as they arrive in town so not much rehearsal time (pros and cons of that) but obviously regular life is expected to continue alongside. I love it when the shows coincide with school holidays because we can just enjoy it then.

Also depends on which theatre - our local large regional one is within walking distance of our house, so that's pretty easy for us to and from. But one w/e tour stop ds1 did was a 45 min drive away (more in traffic) & that tacked onto late nights and school was quite physically tough for him (not helped by him having a LAMDA exam the same week and SATS the week after!!).

I know some performing kids home ed as well.

I know a few kids who were in the Oliver tour. Only Oliver, dodger & possibly Nipper toured with the show, the rest were auditioned in each town.

Nipper toured and so did a chunk of Fagin's gang I think?? I thought that's what they said at the audition although I didn't go. I know Nipper toured because one of the local kids here was picked up after his performances and taken on as Nipper for a bit. The local kids only did a few scenes. DS2 reached the final round of that audition - but was small compared to the other boys so when they were sorting into the two teams was out. At least that's what he was told.

That was his first musical audition and we completely messed up. I thought it would be ten minutes, so dh rushed out the door with him with no food, no water(!!), no phone. Once there not allowed to leave. 7 hours later..... Had I known it was one round of singing and round after round of dance I wouldn't have bothered putting him in for it (dance definitely not his strong point, although it has improved massively recently - and clearly he was better than I thought then to have got through the rounds )

Have to say I much prefer the turn up, do your stuff, go home, auditions than the round after round ones. I suppose they need to see everyone together for something like an Oliver ensemble though as height etc is important.

DS2's chaperone for his first professional show had been chaperone for ??? Annie ??? something with lots of touring kids in and she said it was mad trying to get them all to bed at night. So I can see why you would want to tour with as few of them as possible

Ah now that's a good point! Ds2 has been very very lucky - gone for 5 professional auditions, got 4 (Oliver being the one he didn't get). He also managed to get one I didn't audition for (he didn't do it / we didn't apply for a reason).

After every audition I do my best to ensure that he (and we!) are expecting a no, or more likely to never hear from the casting director again. There's so much about being cast that's luck (looks, height, fellow cast members, address, LEA) & I think you'd drive yourself mad if you expected them.

He's going for YMT this year & he's already not expecting to get it. I told him to treat it as a workshop & practice for future years as he's very unlikely to get a place at his age. I think he's good at assuming he won't get a part - especially as the one time he allowed himself to think he might be in with a chance (albeit he waited until the final round to think it) - he didn't get it. Think he sees it as tempting fate.

I'm always completely stunned when he gets anything so I can't imagine ever expecting it.

I don't fancy 7 hours either

DD has 7 auditions (for college) coming up - they all seem to be 8-9 hours but will be a very different format for a much older child

I think DH found 7 hours a bit long without food or water - never mind ds2 :) It was originally meant to take place over 2 days with final recalls the next day - but they pushed on & did the whole thing in 1 day. Obviously with us completely messing up with the food & drink - recalls would have worked better!

His second musical audition we turned up complete with packed lunch & loads of water.,But that was a 'do your scene, show you can take direction, sing a song go home & wait' audition so the packed lunch came back home with us

So Katy my advice is food & drink! but I doubt most people are as naive as we were!

Dd eats 5 or 6 times a day - it won't be forgotten!

Having chaperoned for an all day two stage audition it was amazing how many children didn't have food or drink even though it was made clear on all the info!

I think had I taken ds2 we might have been better prepared DH rushed out the door - and well - is dh so doesn't plan. Mind you we did expect him to go straight out first round (see my above 'I'm always stunned') so hadn't given much thought to an extended stay. Otherwise I would have left instructions.

Now we take a packed lunch then stress about whether we look presumptious bringing it (so hide it)