Award winning stage and screen actor Marcus D’Amico is offering Worcestershire children the chance to step into the spotlight this summer by taking part in a brand new children’s theatre workshop.

‘Kidz Acting Up’ offers budding actors, actresses, stagehands, costumiers, prop designers, lighting technicians and any child with a desire to express and enjoy themselves the opportunity to learn the skills and thrills of putting on a play – in a week!

Two individual five-day workshops open to all children aged between 8 and 14 years will be staged from July 27 to July and August 3 to August 7 at Kempsey Primary School in Ellsdon.

Each workshop will culminate in a final performance on the Friday night, which will be staged in the School hall and open to family, friends and the general public.

During the week, students will be coached in the production of every element of the final performance; from creating the costumes, props and set to bringing to life characters from a popular children’s play on stage.

No previous experience of drama is necessary; students simply need to possess a willingness to get stuck in!

Marcus D’Amico, now living in Worcester, shot to fame at the tender age of 11 when he was picked for the lead role in the West End production of ‘Oliver’.

A glittering career ensued with appearances in blockbuster movies ‘Full Metal Jacket’ and ‘Superman 2’, TV favourites ‘Tales of the City’, ‘As Time Goes By’, ‘Jeeves and Wooster’, ‘Murder Most Horrid’ and hit teenage series ‘S.W.A.L.K’ plus numerous acclaimed Broadway and West End theatre productions, including ‘An Inspector Calls’ for which he received a Theatre World Award and ‘Angels in America’ at the National Theatre for which he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier award alongside Sir Ian McKellen, Robert Lindsay and Nigel Hawthorne.

D’Amico will draw upon his first hand experience as a child and professional actor to lead the workshops.

He says, ‘Children have incredibly fertile imaginations which when nurtured and encouraged can be extraordinarily creative. The workshops will create a fun and safe environment where children can express themselves as individuals in a productive way. There is no pressure to perform or be competitive; everyone will have a worthwhile contribution to make to the shared enjoyment of the week and to achieving the overall goal; delivering the final production.

‘Every aspect of putting on a play is rewarding; be it working hard as part of a team to craft a structure out of a script, some ideas and tonnes of enthusiasm, or having the courage to lay bare all your hard work for the public, friends and family to share and enjoy.

‘This workshop will not only provide an opportunity for children to uncover new talents and skills, more importantly it will help them develop their self confidence, their creativity and encourage them to be brave and communicate in new and challenging ways,’ says D’Amico.

Each workshop costs £125 per child; places for additional children from the same family are available at a discounted rate of £100 per child. A £25 deposit per child is required at the time of booking. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

For further information or to book contact Kempsey Primary School on 01905 820262 or email marlington04@ymail.com PICTURE CAPTION: Worcester kids line up to step into the spotlight (left to right) Ioan Bale age 11 from Kerswell Green, Chiron Star age 9 from Worcester, Bobbie Dutton age 11 from Kempsey, Sapphire Star age 11 from Worcester, and Marcus D’Amico from Worcester.