Archive for December, 2019

Frozen 2 Competition

Thursday, December 19th, 2019

Grab your sledge, coats and scarves and get ready for a magical competition with Anna and Elsa.

To celebrate the start of our Frozen 2 musical theatre project in January 2020, we are offering one lucky winner a Frozen 2 goody bag stacked with prizes (value up to £90).

Click here to enter this fantastic competition the more times you share, the more likely you are to win. Good Luck!

We will Rock You Competition!

Thursday, December 19th, 2019

We have an incredible opportunity for your own pop-star aged 7-18 to win a professional recording studio session with ‘Singsational’ in London. This is a wonderful and unforgettable experience for any budding singer.

‘Singsational’ will provide the backing track and lyrics to the chosen song and their professional sound engineer will record the vocals and guide the singers through the entire recording process. At the end of the session, the mastered tracks will be given on a USB wristband, which will also contain photos taken throughout the session by a studio hostess.

Click here to enter this fantastic competition the more times you share, the more likely you are to win. Good Luck!

2019 Rewind- Main School

Wednesday, December 18th, 2019

We can’t believe another year has flown by already! We caught up with some of our teachers who to talk about their favourite moment from this year at Spotlights working with the main school.

Faye, Director of Spotlights

“This autumn term has been so much fun! The showcase presentations in Orpington, Croydon, Beckenham, West Wickham and Bromley were all very successful and enjoyed by our Spotlights student’s families and friends. This autumn, we decided to challenge each Star group, by giving them their own musical number to perform. This was a first for us and we’re so proud of the student’s achievements. The Star 1’s performed ‘Under the Sea’ from the Little Mermaid, Star 2’s worked on ‘Stick it to the Man’ from School of Rock and the Star 3’s presented ‘Omigod You Guys’ from Legally Blonde.

In dance, alongside the choreography that the children learnt for their musical numbers, each Star group worked on a street dance routine. They loved working on and performing their dance pieces. In drama, each Star group presented scenes from a play. The Star 3’s worked on ‘Teechers’ by John Godber, the Star 2’s worked on an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and the Star 1’s worked on scenes from Mary Norton’s ‘The Borrowers.’ Each group developed in confidence and shined brilliantly on stage.

In singing, each Star group worked on pop songs such as ‘Wish You Well’ and ‘Higher Love.’ The harmonies, solos and duets were beautiful. It’s such a pleasure to see the students go from strength to strength”.

Emily, Little Stars and Dance Teacher

“The Main school show is definitely one of my favourite parts of the year. The children never fail to amaze me with their hard work, dedication and energy that they all bring to show term! Working on ‘Annie’ was so much fun and one of the most rewarding parts is watching the children as they grow in confidence into their individual roles and watching as the show starts coming together for the first time. By far the best memory of Annie for me was standing in the wings watching the culmination of all those weeks of hard work and feeling proud of every single child who took part – and of course there is nothing that beats the atmosphere created by the nerves and excitement of everyone backstage!”.

Lauren, Singing Teacher

“I am so proud of the progress the children have made this year. As a new teacher at Spotlights I was so overwhelmed by how welcoming the children were and how quickly they adapted to my methods of teaching. This term in particular the children have tackled very difficult songs including; “Stick it to the Man” (School of Rock), “Wish You Well” (Sigala and Becky Hill), etc. They approached these challenging songs in a very professional manner. In doing so they have learnt many exercises to build the strength of their belt and have found other useful vocal qualities. I look forward to working with the children on another style of singing in the new year as we work towards ‘We will Rock You’.”

If you would like to book a Free Trial for January 2020 click here.

Top 10 Christmas Family Films

Wednesday, December 11th, 2019

Is there anything better than watching a Christmas film?

The fire is on, your wrapped up in your Christmas blanket, you’ve got your favourite hot chocolate piled high with delicious whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and marshmallows. This is what Christmas is all about.

We have put together our Top 10 Christmas films for all the family to enjoy, so there will be no more debating about what to watch. If you haven’t seen these films before we can guarantee your in for a treat this Christmas.

Elf (2003)
The story of Buddy, who is raised by Elves in the North Pole. When Buddy finds out that he is a human, he decides to set off on an epic adventure to go and find his biological father in New York.
Elf is a spirited, good natured family comedy starring Will Ferrell and Zoey Deschanel.

Nativity (2009)
Paul Maddens, a primary school teacher who was once a failed actor is the given the task of directing the nativity at St Bernadette’s school. Competing against the posh rival school for the honor of best reviewed show in town.
Paul boasts that his ex-girlfriend who is a Hollywood Producer is coming to see their show. The trouble is he hasn’t spoken to her in years…
Together with Mr Poppy, Mr Maddens and make the nativity a showstopper.
Nativity is a heart- warming tale, starring Martin Freeman and Marc Wooton.

Nativity 2 (2012)
An anxious teacher starts a new job at an under-achieving school and quickly finds himself struggling to cope with a wild classroom assistant, a group of under-performing kids and his own very pregnant wife.
Nativity 2 is the second instalment in the Nativity film series stars David Tennant, Marc Wooton and Paris Ferris.

How the Grinch stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey stars as the Grinch, a devious green creature who despises Christmas who lives on his own outside of Whoville. Cindy Lou, a six-year-old girl who believes in the true meaning of Christmas sets out to find out the real reason for the Grinch’s hatred of Christmas.
The Grinch is a hilarious film, that shows the importance of kindness especially at Christmas.

Arthur Christmas (2011)
When Santa’s son Arthur learns that due to a technical fault a little girl’s present has been missed, he sets out on a mission to deliver the present before it’s too late.
Arthur Christmas is a sweet yet inventive film, that combines technology with magical Christmas traditions.

Polar Express (2004)
When a doubting young boy boards a train and embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus… his life will never be the same.
Polar Express is the story of self-discovery starring the voices of Tom Hanks and Josh Hutcherson.

Klaus (2019)
A selfish postman and a reclusive toymaker form an unlikely friendship, delivering joy to a cold, dark town that desperately needs it.
Klaus is a brand-new Netflix original Christmas film that focuses on howsmall acts of love and kindness can influence a whole town.

Home Alone (1990)
Eight-year-old Kevin is accidentally left behind when his parents leave for France. At first he is happy to have some peace and quiet, but when thieves try and break into his house, Kevin now has a fight on his hands.
Home Alone will deliver enough laughs through it’s slapstick humor, that is bound to have you laughing out loud.

Muppets Christmas Carol
Scrooge, an old miser who doesn’t care about the joyous season of Christmas is visited by spirits who tell of his future. Will scrooge turn over a new leaf and change his ways?
The Muppets Christmas Carol is a funny, creative and heart-warming story with great songs and memorable characters.

Miracle on 34th Street
A little girl discovers dreams do come true if you really believe. Six-year-old Susan has doubts about Santa Claus. Her mother told her the secret about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn’t expect to receive the gifts on her Christmas list. After meeting a special department store Santa who’s convinced, he’s the real thing, Susan is given the most wonderful gift of all, something to believe in.
Miracle on 34th Street is a classic family tale starring Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson.

It’s Panto time! Oh no it isn’t. Oh yes it is!

Wednesday, December 4th, 2019

Panto season is fast approaching… oh no it isn’t! Oh yes, it is!

Going to a pantomime is often a child’s first exposure to theatre. They are a great family event to enjoy together during the festive season. A Pantomime has many classic traditions. The main male role is often played by a woman. A Pantomime always has a dame, a man dressed as a woman in an often-eccentric dress with very exaggerated make up. Although the story-lines are classic fairy-tales the jokes are always contemporary, bound to make you laugh your socks off! Audience participation is hugely encouraged during a Pantomime. So, you’ll find yourself easily getting involved amongst all the action. From shouting ‘He’s behind you’, ‘Oh no you’re not’ and booing loudly at the evil characters.
The end of the year simply wouldn’t be complete without going to see a pantomime.

To help you we’ve put together a list of some of our Pantomime picks for 2019.

London Palladium, 7th December – 4th January
If you are looking for a premium Pantomime then the London Palladium is for you. Qdos Entertainment is the world’s biggest pantomime producer. The production this year is Goldilocks and The Three bears starring regular headliners Julian Clary and Paul O Grady. Sophie Issacs stars as the title role who recently starred in ‘Heathers’ (Theatre Royal, Haymarket).

Fairfield Halls, Croydon 10th December – 8th January
After being refurbished the Fairfield Halls has reopened its doors to theatre goers. This year however the story of Cinderella will be held in the brand-new Phoenix Concert Hall. Starring Strictly come Dancing champion Ore Oduba, actor and comedian Tim Vine. It’s one not to be missed.

Churchill Theatre, Bromley 7th December – 5th January
Starring Pantomime royalty, Christopher Biggins as the iconic Widow Twankey. The Churchill theatre presents Aladdin, a classic tale of the ‘magic carpet ride’ that sees Aladdin and Jasmine enter a whole new world. This pantomime is guaranteed to bring plenty of festive magic.

Broadway Theatre, Catford 20th -29th December
With a star cast featuring Soul singing legend Mica Paris as the Fairy Godmother. Broadway Theatre present the tale of ‘Beauty and the Beast. The production features fun dance routines, plenty of jokes, slapstick comedy and heaps of Christmas magic.

We also appreciate that buying Pantomime tickets can be expensive so why not try some cheaper productions where you can still have lots of fun. The Beckenham Theatre Centre are performing Aladdin with tickets just £8! Help support your local amateur theatre group and let them put a smile on your face this Christmas.