Young make dramatic start to stage careers

May 7 2008 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

Talented young people are making dramatic connections over an energetic four days. Barbara Hodgson hears more.

THE National Theatre’s New Connections Festival returns tomorrow, giving the region’s young people their moment in the spotlight.

The countrywide annual event sees selected schools and youth drama groups performing 10 plays specially commissioned from leading authors, such as Skins and Shameless writer Jack Thorne.

Claire Newton, of Gateshead, is associate producer of the regional leg of the festival, which runs from tomorrow until Sunday, and learning officer at Newcastle Theatre Royal, which is hosting Connections.

“It has been wonderful,” she says.

Claire is also directing new youth theatre company Cre8 in It Snows, a challenging physical theatre by Bryony Lavery and Frantic Assembly.

After several months of rehearsal, it will be performed on Saturday in a busy schedule of 10 plays being staged by ages ranging from year sevens to more experienced students from Newcastle College Performance Academy.

The National Theatre festival means schools and youth theatres apply for a chance to perform at the partnership theatre in their region, of which the Theatre Royal is one.

Chosen applicants, including nine from the North East, were invited to pick one of the plays.

Jack Thorne certainly struck a chord. To attract young people unfamiliar with theatre, the Skins connection proved a good selling point, admits Claire.

“We used that in our marketing to get some interest among young people.”

Each play lasts about an hour, which is just as well.

“Young people can sit in a cinema for three hours, but when it comes to theatre, they want to know how long it’s going to be,” says Claire.

Workshops have taken place in recent months to find producers and directors and decide who would do what.

The young people, some of whom had never acted before, influenced all aspects of their chosen production, from how the words were interpreted to how the result would look.

Assessors from the National Theatre have already seen the first run-through of every production to pick some to appear at the London venue.

Though none from the North East was chosen, no one much cares as the regional festival has taken on a life of its own. Claire says there’s a huge air of excitement among the young performers.

Adding a buzz to proceedings will be Paul Black, 23, picked as festival producer after working as a volunteer assistant last year. Chris Price, of comedy improvisation troupe The Suggestibles, will play host and there will be a guest appearance from actor Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

Another first for the festival is a performance from a European youth theatre company. A group from Italy were delighted to take up an invitation and are flying in specially to present Le Belle Notti on Saturday.

It’s an exciting time for all those involved and not least for Claire, who has seen her young charges blossom in confidence despite the complexity of their chosen piece.

That was the reason she picked It Snows. “I wanted a challenge. Very few directors nationally have chosen it. It’s physical theatre and difficult to figure out.”

While the “boy doesn’t meet girl” story incorporates quite a lot of dancing, it was open to interpretation.

“There was a lot to work out and none of the group were dancers,” says Claire. “At the beginning they didn’t understand it.”

One or two dropped out, but 18 of the 13- to 19-year-olds stuck with it. “They’ve worked very hard and were eager to rehearse,” says a proud Claire.

She was keen to give the cast lots of freedom and the fact they have no pre-show nerves is testament to her approach. “If anything they’re over-confident,” she says.

Festival passes cost £5 for under-19s and students and £6.50 for adults. Call 08448 112121.

For information on the Theatre Royal learning programme, including summer schools, call (0191) 244-2508.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Thursday, 6.30pm: Burying Your Brother in the Pavement, by Jack Thorne, Newcastle College. 8pm: Arden City by Timberlake Wertenbaker, Ian Ramsey School.

Friday, 5pm: A Vampire Story by Moira Buffini, Manor College of Technology. 6.30pm: My Face by Nigel Williams, St Joseph’s School.

Saturday, 1pm: MyFace, Blyth Community College. 5.45pm: Le Belle Notti (Beautiful Nights) by Gianni Clementi, Liceo Scientifico Vittorio Veneto. 7.15pm: Bryony Lavery and Frantic Assembly, Cre8 Theatre.

Sunday, noon: MyFace, Hall Garth School. 2.15pm: A Vampire Story, Newcastle College. 4pm: Burying Your Brother in the Pavement, Shotton Hall Theatre School. More details: www.theatreroyal.co.uk/ntconnections