Kate goes back to school.

Starmaker pupils were well and truly star struck when the curtains went up to reveal former student Kate Winslet at rehearsals on Wednesday night.

The Oscar-winning actress paid a surprise visit to Blessed Hugh Faringdon School in Southcote to chat to the aspiring actors and offer some top tips.
She told them: “Don’t be shy because I am very normal.”

Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet made a surprise appearance at her old stage school to share some top tips with the aspiring actors.

Starmaker pupils were thrilled to see the Reading-born superstar on their stage on Wednesday.

About 75 students gathered in the main hall of Blessed Hugh Faringdon School in Southcote for their regular Wednesday night rehearsals for their next production, Boogie Nights, completely unaware the award-winning Hollywood actress was just a few feet away behind a curtain.

Michelle Palin, membership secretary of Starmaker told getreading: “We got them there under false pretences because they had no idea Kate was going to be arriving.

“They were all sat there impatiently as teenagers do and we held open rehearsals for parents so they could see what we were doing with Kate as well.”

The mum-of-two was revealed as the curtains were drawn and she was greeted by a huge round of applause and cheering from the starstruck students.

Ms Palin said: “The atmosphere was electric.”

An excited Kate, the school’s patron, spent half an hour chatting to students and answering their questions about her career and time at Starmaker.

She told them: “Don’t be shy because I am very normal. Ask me questions, anything you like.

“For me the best thing about Star-maker is that everybody looks after each other, and there’s nothing more exciting than your first opportunity of getting backstage.”

Students asked questions ranging from whether she preferred stage to film work to who she would most like to work with.

“All you could see around the room was kids texting about Kate being there,” said Ms Palin.

During the rehearsals Kate joined in with a drama workshop run by Ben Ashton, when she starred opposite aspiring actor Jack Kowalik.

Willink School pupil Jack, 15, said: “I was so starstruck because she was acting right next to me and I was thinking what if I do something really bad.”

Kate, 33 and originally from West Reading, also took time out of her busy schedule to watch students rehearse for their latest production Boogie Nights, to be performed at Wilde Theatre in Bracknell from October 6 to 10.