Spicer and Atherton Bring W.E Masterclass to Salford Uni

West End stars and recording artists Julie Atherton and Paul Spicer bring their unique brand of Masterclass to Manchester’s Salford University on Tuesday 19 July 2011 where they will be leading two sessions in acting through song. The classes are open to actors and students alike from the age of 16 and above. Having previously played dates at London’s Albany Theatre, the pair are keen to bring Masterclass to the rest of the country.

The trip precedes Atherton’s forthcoming return to Manchester (The Opera House) where she will be appearing as Sister Mary Robert in the UK tour of the West End smash hit musical Sister Act in September.

Having worked closely for ten years in musicals such as Fame and The Last 5 Years, Julie and Paul also co-founded the critically acclaimed Notes from New York series and both recently starred in the hit West End musical Avenue Q. Their chemistry on and off the stage is unrivalled and in the past the pair have been described in the press as ‘stage husband and wife’, and it‘s this fact that makes Masterclass such a unique educational experience.

Masterclass is a focused 2-hour session concentrating on acting through song and audition technique. The session is designed to hone your skills as Julie & Paul impart their tricks of the trade to sharpen your tools and enhance your performance. Both sessions last two hours and participants are required to workshop one contemporary musical theatre song.

Best known for creating the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in Avenue Q, and her role as Cathy in Jason Robert Brown’s The Last 5 Years, Julie is one of the most prolific and successful young musical theatre stars in the West End, having previously played Sophie in the smash hit Mamma Mia!and Serena in Fame.

She is also an experienced concert artist, having headlined numerous musical engagements at venues as diverse as the Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Albert Hall. Julie launched her second solo album, “No Space for Air”, at the Delfont Room at the Prince of Wales Theatre in June 2010, following which she made her North West solo debut at Manchester’s infamous Band on the Wall. Recently she has performed two exclusive acoustic sessions of an unplugged reworking of her album at The Pheasantry and headlined her first solo concert at London’s Apollo Theatre in June.

Paul Spicer played the lead roles of Princeton / Rod in the final West End cast of Avenue Q. His other credits include Michael Spofford in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of The Witches of Eastwick, Billy in Taboo, Tobias in Sweeney Todd with the Gothenburg Opera and most recently he headlined Friday Night is Music Night on Radio 2 with the BBC Philharmonic at the brand new studios at Manchester’s Salford Quays. He is also Creative Director of West End production company Speckulation Entertainment and will next present Broadway’s star of Wicked and Glee Idina Menzel at the Royal Albert Hall conducted by the legendary Marvin Hamlisch.

Paul Spicer and Julie Atherton’s Masterclass is on Tuesday 19th July – 4.00 – 6.00pm & 6.30 – 8.30pm at the Studio Theatre, The University of Salford.

To participate – it costs £35, and to be a spectator – £10. For enquiries email enquiries@paulspicerteaches.com