Putting on a school production is a stressful event for all concerned - from the teaching staff through to the student performers and even the maintenance staff, but done well a school production can be as intensely put together as a West End Show which really was the case when Kate worked with Perins School in Hampshire, putting school performances into another league. The school bought the licence to Lloyd-Webber's Phantom Of The Opera and there are strict rules that apply to performing the show so from the outset, the Performing Arts teacher knew that everything from the acting, costume, set design and makeup all had to be better that perfect. Kate was asked to work with the 20-strong student team who would be applying the makeup to the main cast including making and applying the disfigured face of Erik (The Phantom) and basic stage makeup for the rest of the cast. After working out exactly what needed to be taught in a one day session via email and phone calls, Kate planned and delivered a full and packed day of tuition, demos and small group teaching. Firstly, she did a two hour special effects hands-on with the whole makeup team, followed by a two hour session with the art department staff teaching them how to make silicone prosthetics and how to paint and apply them for The Phantom and then spent the final two hours with the makeup team teaching them how to apply basic stage and character makeup. The school were delighted with the workshop day (which was part-funded by NADFAS, the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies) and the results speak for themselves
