Barbara Speake Stage School

The Barbara Speake Stage School was opened on 10 February 1945 as an independent school, and was initially set up as a dancing school, by the founding principal Miss Barbara Speake, MBE, and was located in East Acton, London. The school was fee-paying but non-selective in its admissions.

The school closed in 2020.

History

In 1961, June Collins (mother of drummer/singer Phil Collins) joined forces with Barbara Speake to become the school's agent. Collins supplied the entertainment industry with children for every major production in the West End, TV and Theatre. Due to the success of both the agency and dancing school, in 1963 the decision was made to turn their successes in to a full-time educational establishment for the performing arts. Collins discovered Jack Wild playing football and decided that he was a child with potential, and persuaded his family to let him attend the full-time school. Wild went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of " The Artful Dodger" in ''Oliver!'' Collins died in November 2011.

Barbara Speake, received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in the New Years Honours list of 2007, for her services to the arts.

The School received an Inadequate Ofsted rating at its last inspection (30 April 2019). The decline from a Satisfactory rating began with an emergency inspection on 4 July 2014 which found that the welfare, health and safety of pupils was at risk following the installation of CCTV without appropriate changing facilities being provided. The inspection found that there were no changing facilities for female pupils.

Alumni

Over the years, Collins had an eye for talent, and with Speake, the school has helped to develop some notable performers in the entertainment industry, including:

* Drummer, lead singer of Genesis, solo artist, music producer, actor (and June Collins' son) Phil Collins
* British child-actor Jack Wild, known for playing the Artful Dodger in ''Oliver!,'' (1968) and Jimmy in the NBC children's television series '' HR Pufnstuf'' (1969) and accompanying 1970 feature film
* Actress Julie Dawn Cole, known for playing Veruca Salt in the 1971 film Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
* Child actor and TV presenter Keith Chegwin
* Grange Hill cast members Lindy Brill (Cathy), Paul McCarthy (Tommy), Mark Baxter (Duane), Mark Savage (Gripper), Gary Love (Jimmy), Ian Congdon-Lee (Ted), Darren Cudjoe (Clarke)
* Actress/singer Kim Goody
* Writer/director/actress Sara Sugarman
* Actress Sylvestra Le Touzel
* Actress Alison Dowling, longtime character Elizabeth Pargetter in The Archers
* Film producer David Parfitt
* Casting director Mark Summers
* Actor Keith Jayne, star of Murphy's Mob and Stig of the Dump
* Comedian, actor, singer and TV presenter Brian Conley
* Comedian Jeff Stevenson
* Singer Denise Gyngell of 1980s pop group Tight Fit
* Actor Paul J. Medford
* Supermodel Naomi Campbell
* British screenwriter, film director and former actress Amma Asante
* Actor and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah
* Actress and singer Michelle Gayle
* Pop star Lindy Layton, lead vocalist of Beats International and 1989 number one single Dub Be Good to Me
* Musician Paul Varney of 1980s pop duo Yell!
* Nick Grant, member of 1990s boyband Ultimate Kaos
* Noel Simpson and Rahsaan Bromfield of the 1990s pop group Damage
* Aml Ameen (born 1985), Actor
* Demi Holborn (born 1992), singer
* Kedar Williams-Stirling (born 1994), Actor
* Rachel Brennock actress, singer and songwriter.
* Angie Le Mar,Comedian

References

External links

* - Official biography of Barbara Speake

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1945 establishments in England
Educational institutions established in 1945
Acton, London
Drama schools in the United Kingdom
Defunct schools in the London Borough of Ealing
2020 disestablishments in England
Educational institutions disestablished in 2020