Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts to open in Beverley
Tue 5th April 2016
The initials PQ stand for Pauline Quirke; yes, THE Pauline Quirke we all know and love from such wonderful TV shows as ‘Birds of a Feather’, ‘Broadchurch’ and the recent ‘You, Me and The Apocalypse’.
It seems amazing, but Pauline has been appearing on our screens since she was 9 years old when first cast in an edition of ‘Dixon of Dock Green’. Since then she has had her own chat show and appeared in every acting idiom since, gaining a BAFTA nomination on the way. She is so passionate about the performing arts that she wanted to pass her skills onto the next generation and so set about recruiting industry professionals who shared her enthusiasm to open the Pauline Quirke Academy.
There are now 150 branches operating nationwide. Luckily for Beverley, we are next on the list! Heading up Beverley’s PQA will be James Aconley, who has been running the York and Scarborough branches for the last couple of years. He is a Yorkshire-based singer, actor and director who is proud that the PQA offers bang up-todate coaching and amazing opportunities for their students. And, James stressed to Just Beverley, Pauline Quirke is not just an arms-length figurehead; she gets involved as often as she can, running Masterclasses and introducing West End shows which star pupils can audition to perform in.
Aimed at 4-18 year-olds, PQA will meet at Beverley Grammar School on Saturday mornings. There is a FREE open day scheduled for May 7th, 9.45am- 1pm. To find out more, visit the Pauline Quirke Academy website.
