He started initially with 24 young people and put them up at a camp down the road from his country house in Beauville.

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Over the years, that number has mushroomed to more than 50 children, with some returning every year to nurture their talents and the friendships they developed with other participants.

"Beauville is a fantastic place to hold courses because there are no distractions," says Mallalieu. "We have lots of kids who come from Europe, but some are also from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China and the United States. It's a completely international experience and a very creative bubble for the week they are in France."

Mallalieu expects everyone to pull his weight and he admits that the workshops are intense.

"During the six day week, kids will learn 14 to 18 musical numbers and spend six or seven hours per day rehearsing," Mallalieu says. "They are expected to learn all their lines and parts in their spare time.

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"We treat them like young professionals. In Hong Kong, we plan to impose the same process. And we find that kids love it. They want to be proud of their achievements. The typical response I get from parents is that they're amazed at how we managed to pull off such a polished 90-minute show in just a week's time."

Over the past few years, Mallalieu brought his musical teachings to rural Chinese mainland areas for a series of charity performances.

"We brought a team from Europe and worked with 106 students for each show," he recalls. "We did Romeo and Juliet, The Lion King and The Tempest. Those were the most amazing weeks of my life.

"It was incredible to see these Chinese kids sing, speak and dance all in English - and they embraced it completely. Their progress in just a week's time was amazing. The shows were all performed in front of 4,500 people."

Mallalieu's success on the Chinese mainland encouraged him to test the waters with a camp in Hong Kong modeled after the one in France.

As with Beauville, the Hong Kong camp will be open to students on a first come basis.

All Mallalieu requires from the young applicants are "enthusiasm and interest. At the camp, kids learn about teamwork, gain confidence and the camaraderie of achieving something as a group. And many become best friends."

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn