YTYT 2012

Every week we bring you up to date with our adventures with a blog from me and at least one from a member of the youth theatre - as we approach a brand new year I thought it might be nice if a whole heap of people got to share their YTYT highlight of the year...so here you go...

So many good things happen at Yew Tree that I've found it too difficult to pick a highlight of the year. For me, the highlight of coming to Yew Tree is the feeling you get when you walk through the doors and sit in a circle. It's also the feeling you get when you're performing with your company - a big performance on a stage in front of an audience or just a tiny five-minute improvisation for your group on a Saturday morning. The highlight of coming to Yew Tree is when you've said your best and your worst and you can let go of everything that's happened in your week, seeing everyone else letting go of all the chaos that they carry around with them in their day-to-day lives. The highlight of coming to Yew Tree is the cheering for the winners and cheering for the losers. It's seeing my favourite people once or twice or three times a week. It's knowing that you've got this completely safe and accepting bubble to walk into whenever you need it. It's that you absolutely belong - whoever you are. I can't really pick one highlight, I suppose I just like everything. – Emma Fretwell

February:

Green closing seemed like a curse… but having Gold there for me to transfer over to showed me that it was definitely a blessing in disguise! – Bobbie Meadows

May:

The highlight of my year at Yew Tree has to be performing Journey to X at Cathedral High School and then at the Kendal Brewery Arts Centre as part of Connections. I loved being a part of it and being able to share the experience but at the same time being in a different unit, rather than acting. It was lovely to be in a position where I was able to add a different element. I also definitely became more organized as a result! The weekend away was lovely too, and the standard of acting and performing was incredible. It reminded just how fun everyone at Yew Tree is to be around – Amy Osborne

June:

Starting in June and the amazing welcome I got, instantly felt welcomed - Jacob Dore

My highlight of 2012 was Yew Tree Theatre bringing my Naked Sheep of Ossett Town myth to life in a live performance setting. As a writer I will never forget seeing it for the first time, interpreted by some very talented performers. It will stay with me forever. Thank you. - Helen Rhodes

July:

Nostell without a doubt was my Yew Tree highlight of the year! A fantastic week with amazing people - it was a great final performance before I left my lovely Yew Tree family (temporarily of course) to go off to university! - Natalie English

I would have to say that for 2012 that two performances stick in my head, both being at Nostell Priory. The summer school at the end of July was the first one as it was so great to perform in such a big cast with people who I had and hadn't worked with much. I enjoyed performing in the sun and spending a week with people back from uni and I really loved the character that was created for me. The other project was Halloween because even though it didn't go to plan and we performed inside I got to sing and be all scary and ghostly. There is so much more that could be said about 2012 at yew tree including the volunteering to performing full length Shakespeare to the Christmas shows. On the whole it's been a brilliant year at yew tree youth theatre! – Charlotte Scott

August:

Probably not my favourite part of the year, but certainly the one that I got the most out of and the one that provided a new experience, was the filming for Risk and Resilience. I found acting for a camera much different to acting for people, and quite a lot harder. But, despite it being more difficult, it was still an excellent opportunity for both me and everyone else that took part.

September:

I’d not joined YTYT until Emma talked me into doing the Christmas show... at first I sort of regretted saying yes to join because I was a little nervous and thought it'd be like I was an ''outsider'' but I have never felt more welcomed by a group of people I didn’t know (with the exception of a few friendly faces) it was lovely to just work enjoying drama, not thinking about techniques and practitioners etc. 
with Sarah writing the show as well it was like a breath of fresh air, rather than working on a piece which had all the character depth there it gave everyone a chance to experiment with the characters they were playing, which made me play our own. I was really proud to be involved in something so lovely – Rachel Armitage

This year the highlights of my time with Yew Tree Youth Theatre have involved performing at the Orangery in Wakefield, being involved in Gold company which i was partly involved with the play Cinderella performed at the Phoenix theatre in Castleford and making some short films in areas within Wakefield which were sent to schools and youth work settings across the Wakefield district. – Emily Bridgett

Joining Yew Tree and getting more insight into the world of drama through different techniques/styles – Joe Biltcliffe

My highlight of 2012 has to be that I got to do drama with amazing people, I have loved the performances I have done this year including performing at the orangery with yewtree as it was something new that I had never done before and something I will never forget, performing at the Christmas show this year at the phoenix theatre was also a performance I will never forget. – Amy Walton

October:

We’ve loved every performance of Yew Tree. I especially enjoyed the Christmas production, were all the groups came together to produce some fantastic work. Orange group were fantastic in bringing a part of our history to the evening. I was so proud of Lucy standing alone and saying her lines. Lucy loved every minute. Me, Alan and our other children came to Doncaster to see the group perform for the Miners Memorial Service, which was very moving. Lucy was the youngest member. She loved working with the others, some of who she hadn't met before. They all made her feel welcome and part of the team. The end result after all the hard work was very moving and the whole Minster fell silent. One of the amazing things I've seen is the way Yew Tree members can tell a story though no words just movement. I'm so pleased Lucy belongs to Yew Tree and we are all looking forward to what comes in the next year. – Stacey and Alan Gibson

Highlight of the year - probably the bits you don't see, the excitement I see as I drive Mel and Charlotte to and from sessions, and the relaxed feel that comes after the end of those. Other than that for performances I think Nostell at Halloween was surreal, and Black's interpretation of the Bridge at the Christmas got me really emotional – Phil Parramore

November:

I think my YTYT highlight has to be being Scarlet in The Bridge... I think for the first time I felt completely immersed in another world and I wasn't me... It felt good having power in a play and being able to portray such a good character was amazing! Plus, everyone in Black is fabulous so George's world felt so real! Cheers team for being awesome! – Charlotte Clayton

December:

Standing on the stage after our first performance of Aladdin and that feeling in the pit of my stomach coming from the pride I felt in the whole company - Brittany Dore

Being a member of Yew Tree Youth Theatre during 2012 was a great experience but there were two highlights for me. One was being chosen to play the part of a narrator in the Christmas Sapphire production of Aladdin. It was a challenge learning lines and exploring a persona. My character developed over the months and I could see the change from when I first read my lines from a script to when I delivered them on stage to a bigger audience. It is definitely hard to put your own twist on a character, but I enjoyed playing the part very much. The second highlight of 2012 for me was Christmas Open Mic Night on December 20th. I performed with my friend Leah but that wasn't what made the night special. Seeing people from all different companies, older and younger, performing and doing something they enjoy was such a good experience. I think it's nice how everyone can be put together in a group like Yew Tree, yet have their different likes and dislikes. Whether it's being musical, or reading poetry, everyone had their own style of doing things. That's why I loved this year, because I met so many different people that had one thing in common; being part of Yew Tree. Literally can't wait for 2013 when we start again! – Amy Thompson

My Son has only been coming to YTYT for a short while but I wanted you to know that he absolutely loves it! Gemma is brilliant with the kids and we have seen such a change with Richard (for the good!)- his confidence has come on leaps and bounds.

Our highlight of the year is seeing him and the rest of the Elves perform in 'Elves Unite' at Castleford. I lasted about a minute before I had to reach for the tissues! Every one of them was brilliant.  It was the first time Richard had ever done anything like it and I was sooooo proud of him and the rest of the Purple company, they we're fantastic.

Thank you very much indeed Gemma, Purple company and YTYT for making 2012 a special year to remember. - Jill Hill

I enjoyed performing on stage and saying my lines – Lucy Gibson

Yew Tree was a delight this year as it is every year. All the talents from open mic nights and the small events between to everyone coming together at the end of the year for the Christmas shows is great to see. Another Yew Tree year is complete. – Leah Farrar

I was thinking about this for a while the other day and I couldn't come up with what my highlight would be just because of the amount of stuff we've actually done. So I think my favourite bit of yew tree in 2012 is the variation of stuff that we've done. Lots of our audience know us for lots of things and some only know us for one thing...but being involved in 3 hour, one day, one week or several month projects; doing devised, scripted, collaborative, traditional, innovative, intense or self indulgent fun things is a privilege and a pleeeeeeeaaaaaassssssuuuuuuuuuuuuure. – Alice Proctor