A NEW stage school has being set up in Kidderminster to offer children the chance to learn performing arts skills.

The Talking Props Theatre Company was created by Michael Neri as a way to provide children with affordable training.

The company will offer three groups to run on the same evening from September and alternate through acting, dancing and singing, depending on age.

Sessions will be based at Baxter Hall, in the Bull Ring, last 45 minutes for each discipline and will run during the same term times as local schools.

Michael said: “We want to make performing arts training affordable for everyone, while offering the very best training possible.

“We’ll teach your child to act, dance and sing for almost a third of that price that leading national theatre school charge.

“We work to a professional standard and have the very best fully qualified teaching staff.”

Michael used to perform in a variety of local musicals and pantomimes. His first performance was at Kidderminster’s Rose Theatre and he also studied performing arts at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Worcester.

He has gone on to work professionally as an actor and presenter as well as working in television and within musical theatre and now wants to work within the local community to teach children new skills and allow them a chance to perform too.

He plans to showcase local talent and provide work to local actors when he launches a West Midlands based theatre company, to follow on from Talking Props, allowing the children who have trained with him to audition professionally.

Classes cost £10 a week for ages 5-18, running between 4pm to 6.30pm while classes for under 5s cost £3 a session and run between 3.30pm and 4pm.

For more information or to book a place for September call 07548 323773 or visit talkingpropstheatre.com