Clearing the bar...

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Yesterday we put the final touches to the production of Journey to X we will take to The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal.  It’s been a real challenge putting it back together and getting it to the standard needed to represent Yew Tree Youth Theatre on a regional level and last week it was all looking a bit like we might not meet that standard.

Yew Tree Youth Theatre have a reputation for being brilliant at Kendal…like really brilliant…it’s lovely that we’re held in such esteem but with it comes pressure…we have to meet the bar every year and to be honest I’m not really happy with that as I want to exceed it every year.  Hence why my reaction to the penultimate rehearsal last week was one of disappointment and frustration.  Lines were sloppy, reactions were formulaic, scenes were tired and characters weren’t multidimensional.  This wasn’t the case for everyone all the time but there was far too much for it for my liking.

Yesterday however was a whole new story…my cast rallied…they were mature enough and ambitious enough to take on board Danny’s and my feedback and do something about it.  The result was a play worth feeling proud of…worth taking out of the safety of our home city to showcase our artistry further afield.  This success leaves the cast with one final challenge…in their last two performances they have to meet the bar they set themselves yesterday…they have to believe in their characters and their stories, they have to believe in the world of the play both in general terms and the specific environments of the scenes and they have to hear, see and feel each thing that happens in the play for the very first time and respond accordingly.  No doubt about it the bar they have to reach is very high indeed…but I have every faith in them that they will meet it...

…however you never know…they might just clear the bar and set one even higher… watch this space…

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