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The wonderful Gemma with some thoughts in her head from her week at YTYT...


The Inspiration 

Anyone who comes to Yew Tree Youth Theatre knows that each session starts with a formulaic pattern of Best and Worst but that's where the formula ends because for everyone in that space they all have lots of life happening outside those doors...exams, stress with family, friends, watching Avengers (lots of watching The Avengers) what they had for breakfast and often 'no news' (or none they want to share or think is news worthy) 

And we respond, we are sympathetic, we laugh along, we share parts of ourselves so others don't feel silly, we even come up fighting someone's corner if they need us. So this is where the formula ends and we begin to explore that all the people in the space are there for more than the idea of doing drama...and although we're a youth theatre we are are enabling young people to sculpt themselves into the best shape they choose to be...be it doctors, politicians, journalists, primary school teachers...or just less angry with the world and like themselves a little bit more. 

We are responsive...



We let them start again at Cowboys and Indians claiming it was only a practice, we read blogs from New Zealand, feeling so happy for their world whilst quietly missing them for ours, we cast the smallest in the biggest part so they have faith that they can grow, we move performances to suit birthdays, holidays, or to just give more time... and we take those right to edge of Yew Tree Youth Theatres world and give them the nod to step off to a new world, telling them all the while that there's a bridge that stays open 24/7 that was built just for them to come visit whenever they need.

We are giving them a place to fire fight their feelings and find a place in the world...and in turn they do the same for us.

We are more than just a youth theatre...but there's not a title for what we do...

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