She says she still intends to go to drama school to train (wonder if she has spoken to Jessie Bickley??)

http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newss...r-drama-school

A very wise plan I think (though she could change her mind)

Aww another reason to add to my list of why Danielle is brilliant lol....

she is very passionate about what she does isn't she... she really wants to make sure she can be as good as she possibly can... that makes me really proud... unfortunately that means we get less Danielle on stage for a few years but then hopefully we get to see a lot more of her and the other girls... wouldn't it be brilliant if they all went to the same drama school!!1

Yes very wise! She obviously wants to be thought of as a legitimate actor who has gone through training rather than just someone that's won a competition.

She's got a very wise head to those shoulders of hers, especially for someone just turned 18. I think she'll remain grounded and down to earth and have a very successful career

EDIT: of course The Wizard of Oz will be valuable experience too!

I think going to train after TWoO is a brilliant idea for her! Because in a few years time she could start to lose out to others in auditions who have done their training and even as a Lauren fan I wouldn't want that for her! I know of a girl who won a part in Chicago from a TV show, she then went on to do Saturday Night Fever but once the limelight faded she struggled and now she is a make-up person (one of them one's that travel the country to different department stores). It's a decent job but not really what she wanted originally! I hear she's happy now because she eventually got fed up with all the dejections in the end!

Training is a good idea!

I agree.Danielle cannot continue to rely on natural raw talent to get through auditions.
That inexperienced flare she has will need to be moulded and conditioned for more mature,tighter and increasingly disciplined roles in MT.She will need more versatility.
Training is of course the only way she will be able to satisfy these future demands.

A wise head on young shoulders,but I am sure this was also confirmatory advice from a certain Lord we might all happen to know.

The only problem I can see with Danielle or Jessie going to train is they might find it a bit like putting the cart before the horse. What do they do in an acting class if what they are being taught to do contradicts advice given by Sheila Hancock or Trevor Nunn? Or if they're told to perform a song differently to how Andrew Lloyd-Webber taught them? Antony Hansen from ADWD dropped out of Mountview and he's work consistently since then.

Long after he'd become successful someone tried to teach Paul McCartney how to read music and they couldn't do it. because he was so used to songwriting without it. He still can't read music!

There may be something vital she would miss out on if she did not at least undertake some formal training.

She will know when there is nothing left to learn.
Many actors both men and women who started performing on stage,and then later went to RADA left when they realised there was nothing left for them to teach,but what they did learn was invaluable.

It is a precautionary route to take, at such a young age.

Smart idea to continue to train but the formal training that the likes of Lauren undertook before these shows may not work for the likes of Danielle and Jessie.

I personally think that Danielle would benefit from some further training, but I don't think she will need a full three-year course, especially after two years of getting ready to be in The Wizard of Oz and being a leading lady in a major West End show. It's going to be at least two years before she could go to drama school anyway, and a lot can change in two years. I'm sure she will get classes and coaching leading up to when the show opens, and she may even get put in the the ensemble of a show like Jodie was in Les Mis. Still, after all that and whatever classes and training she gets leading up to the show, she will be the lead in The Wizard of Oz for at least a year, I would imagine, and that will be a learning experience in itself. Also, she might get some great offers for roles when she finishes Oz, so she will have that to consider as well.

She is certainly very mature for her age, and it is wise to acknowledge that she still has room to grow as a performer. Whenever the final decision is made, I'm sure she will be equipped to make the decision that is best for her. Two years (and possibly longer) is a long time, though, and a lot can happen. We will see what happens when the time comes.

You make a very good point. If Danielle has natural and instinctive acting talents (as ALW and Sheila Hancock among others have stated), she may only need coaching to hone them.

I'm sure she'd benefit from learning established techniques (especially with her vocals) but I'm not convinced a 3 year full-time course would be any more beneficial than part-time coaching and on-the-job training.

But I can't sing a note or act for toffee and I have two left feet, so what do I know about what's best for her??

I'm sure she'll make the right decision for her career when the time comes.

I am all for her going to drama school, as far as experience etc goes and formal training. However, I do hope she retains the 'acting from the soul' ALW praised. I don't think it would be a bad thing for her to just do a different show after WoO, as she would already have quite a lot of experience. It really depends if SHE feels confident that she can do different roles at that point, or if she still wants the training.

Even if they only went for a year, to say that they went to, say, Mountview at all would be better than not going at all! Especially when it comes down to audiitions. Remember guys there a lot, I mean a lot of other talented people coming out these schools every year that the girls have to compete with! Plus also remember once Danielle has finished TWOO she will be out on her own so to speak and there are people in the business who won't look to kindly to someone who has got there via a TV show when they've spent money on their training! This is not just other actors/actresses but crew as well. It's a dog eat dog world out there!

Even if they only went for a year, to say that they went to, say, Mountview would be better than not going at all! Especially when it comes down to audiitions. Remember guys there a lot, I mean a lot of other talented people coming out these schools every year that the girls have to compete with! Plus also remember once Danielle has finished TWOO she will be out on her own so to speak and there are people in the business who won't look to kindly to someone who has 'made it' via a TV show when they've had to spend money on their training! This is not just other actors/actresses but crew as well. It's a dog eat dog world out there!

as long as she sings 76 Trombones in the interview she'll be fine!

But seriously I agree with Eleven ... It's a tough industry out there and so Danielle will have to work even harder to get into these Stage Schools - especially with the tag of "Reality Show Winner" but then again all ALW has to do is pick up the phone and she will be in any SS she wants

They are NOT stage schools - they are proper drama schools certified by the NCDT, and offer undergraduate degree courses as well as post graduate that are as valid as any other degree. Danielle means serious training like this, not some SY-type school where they churn out "T&T" performers.

ok ... When she auditions for these Drama Schools ... Really tho, there are going to be hundreds of people of equal or better standard going for limited places so she'll needs to up her game. Fortunatly doing WoO will be a valuable experience and this will hopefully be in her benefit!

The only reason any drama school would not jump at the chance of accepting Danielle after a stint as leading lady in a major West End production would be because the application was vetted by somebody as spiteful and vindictive as some of the posters on this thread.

Applications are not "vetted". Everyone has to audition, and usually it will be in front of a panel. I would say that Danielle would have a huge advantage after WoO, the only possible reason that a drama school would have second thoughts is if she picked up bad habits (this can happen even in big productions, some MDs are better than others). They may also worry about whether her presence on the course would unbalance the others on it - these schools audition for a company as well as an individual, having an ex leading lady may not fit as well with them.