What's happening at YTYT

Jacobe Sakels tells us of his YTYT year: What a brilliant year of yew tree! I want to start this by saying how delighted I am to spend yet another year of my life doing what I enjoy most, and 2025 has certainly made me fall even deeper in love with acting (which I never thought was possible!)   At the start of this year, I was buzzing after Hansel and Gretel and was ready for a new thing to keep me entertained! Luckily, I didn't have to wait, as we started work on a new play: In The Hands of The God's (Greek mythology), where I was Daedalus in the story of Icarus. I enjoyed this, and with many new people that had joined at the beginning of the year, it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know my new friends.  Alongside this play, I was also focused on my Grade 2 LAMDA devising. And after months and months of hard work, it all paid off with a wonderful distinction! Not only do I enjoy LAMDA, it's been proven to expand my skills and I wouldn't have become half the actor...

  What Oz Said: Lurking in the Background  Firstly, I want to get my sorry bow in early… I don’t normally write stuff…ever…That’s Sarah’s superpower and I try hard not to get involved. However, I suppose I have a unique perspective on YTYT having been there on the journey all the way from the beginning. I will try my best to be original and interesting but if this turns out to be all about how great Sarah is, I apologise.  Secondly, the other thing that those who know me will attest to is my sharp distaste for deference and anything that approaches it - so the idea of writing something as a 51 year old, privileged white male who has largely stood at the back of shows, turned lights on and clapped enthusiastically for 30 odd years… and then being taken seriously as a writer with some deep perspective… doesn’t sit terribly well.  I got involved with theatre at school. Actually, truth be told I was talking in a science class aged about 12/13 and got roped into helping s...

I have so many memories from Yew Tree - it’s hard to single out a specific one. I’ve been hoping if I waited long enough, one would pop into my brain.  Recently I was working from home, and I put on some background music. Working in silence seems to shorten my attention span, but I get too easily distracted if I know any lyrics.  I popped on an old playlist called ‘Original Scores’. I made it whilst at uni so I could listen to music from films to fuel my concentration through all the chapters of required reading.  Its first two albums are Yann Tiersen’s score Amelie (2001) and Hans Zimmer’s score The Holiday (2006). They’re both there because we used them in Yew Tree productions. Each time I hear the songs we used, it takes me right back to the rehearsal rooms. Song: Comptine d’un autre été, l’aprés-midi  Date: March 2016  Place: Unity Hall, Wakefield This song was used for a companion piece we devised for our Connections production of Eclipse by Simon Armitage....

For almost a decade, I have had the privilege of being a part of a community of people that not only shaped my journey in theatre but also helped me become the person I am today. At the ripe age of 6,   Yew Tree Youth Theatre   quickly became my second home and – as it is in its 30 th   year – I have a reasonable excuse to write about it. 30 years is a remarkable milestone for any organisation, however for many people who start an originally small drama company it seems near impossible. Yet  Yew Tree  made it happen! The legacy of what is now the youth theatre we know and love today has been built upon years, and years, and years of hard work – both from the actors and the behind-the-scenes crew. Reaching three decades of  Yew Tree Youth Theatre ’s existence is insane, and to say I’ve been a part of nearly a third of it?! However,  Yew Tree  isn’t just a drama company: it’s a community, a family, a place where people come together to create. In ea...

I’m certain that of the many Yew Tree histories submitted as part of these anniversary celebrations, mine is a little unusual. I didn’t start young, nor am I from an especially theatrical background (I am, somehow, my own fault), nor did I feel particularly called to the stage. Rather, I was 17 and in need of something constructive to do. Turned out to be quite good fun, so I stuck around for a good 18 months before swanning off to uni. Yet probably the distinguishing feature of my Yew Tree experience is that a few years and one global pandemic later, being at a similarly loose end, I popped back in. I’ve been volunteering with Sarah and the youth theatre now for about twice as long as I ever attended in the first place. This has been in any number of capacities: running warm-up games, assistant directing, occasionally fetching coffee, now by contributing to this zine. And it makes sense to me to predicate my contribution on the unusual perspective I might have, having been on both sid...

Youth theatre has a hugely important part to play in amateur theatre and as NODA North East Youth Co-ordinator and District 13 representative I am doubly blessed to have Yew Tree Youth Theatre (YTYT) as part of the district. In addition to performance skills young people can gain so many benefits from being involved in youth theatre including building confidence, communication skills, creativity, teamwork, and emotional development.  YTYT provides a safe and supportive environment for self-expression, social interaction, and personal growth, which will ultimately boost self-esteem and well-being.  Through watching the YTYT productions I can see how youth theatre helps young people overcome stage fright, develop self-assurance, and believe in their own abilities.  Improving communication skills is achieved through participating in activities and it also enhances verbal and non-verbal communication, including clear articulation, active listening, and effective exp...