ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BIZ  —

Congratulations go to Tom Orme who has just been filming the lead part in a new film My Friend Malcolm. Also congratulations to Ben Woodward who has been offered a place at London Studio Centre.

We are also delighted that Tristan Semon-Ward has been asked to return to the role of Gavroche in The West End production of Les Miserables.

The Biz Theatre School and Biz Productions present Rogers and Hammerstein’s

Friday 29 – Saturday 30 August 2008 at 7.30pm and Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. To book tickets please click here

All Tickets £13.50 profits to CHASE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE ASSOCIATION.

SUMMER SCHOOL AND PRODUCTION 2007
Following last year's production of OLIVER!, we are pleased to announce another successful production from The Biz. Our summer school 2007 production of THE WIZ, an R & B dramatization of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a huge success with standing ovations! This intensive two week course culminated in a fully staged performance of THE WIZ at The Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking in August/September 2007. The Mayor of Woking Cllr Cross attended the opening night and came on stage at the end of the performance to congratulate the cast and the production team on producing a fantastic show. Over £2,500 Profits will be going to CHASE-The Children’s Hospice Association. Thanks to everyone who supported us! The Biz have now raised more than £10,500 for local children's charities from our last three productions!

TWO WEST END SUCCESSES!!!
Congratulations go to two of our students who have been offered West End roles, Indeera Shankla who is currently playing the role of Nala in The West End production of The Lion King and Tristan Semon-Ward who has won the role of Gavroche in The West End production of Les Miserables. Tristan Semon-Ward, aged eight, will fill the well-worn shoes of Gavroche, the heroic street urchin, in the Queen’s Theatre’s production of Les Miserables. Tristan, said The Biz was to thank for much of his success. He said: “I just like acting so much. I don’t know how I got started but I like The Biz because I really enjoy acting and singing and dancing. They are all of my hobbies.”

Meanwhile fellow leading light of The Biz Theatre School Indeera Shankla, 12, is playing the young cub Nala in a production of The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. “I was really excited when I heard I was in The Lion King. It was a great opportunity for me to be in another West End musical — two years ago I was in The Far Pavilions at the Shaftesbury Theatre.”
 

A very successful year for The Biz Theatre School has been rounded off with a stream of the school’s students being featured on TV. We are approached on a regular basis to put forward students for both live and recorded features on the BBC and commercial television. Earlier this year, two pupils were chosen to appear in the new series of Vroom Vroom.
 

Another call to the school’s appointed agent resulted in two students being selected to appear in a new TV advert for the RSPCA. Recently, 5 more Biz students appeared live on CBBC Xchange in a challenging feature where they had to learn classical singing with Opera singer Katherine Jenkins and beat-box with Jay Sean and perform live at the end of the programme. Needless to say the students rose to the challenge and we had a great day at the BBC. Other students also appeared on BBC’s Xchange programme and The Mysti Show.
 

The Biz Theatre School once again appeared at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the West End in December having been asked to take a starring role in the Childrens Variety Performance.
 

THE BIZ ON BLUE PETER
After being spotted on CBBC's Xchange programme last year, the BBC asked for six Biz students appear live on Blue Peter. The Biz Theatre School took part in the launch of the Blue Peter GET TOGETHER APPEAL. The appeal is to help children with learning disabilities participate in out of school activities. Erika was delighted to be supporting the appeal and also to get a Blue Peter badge after 30 years of trying!