What's happening at YTYT

Christmas eve eh?   How’s everyone doing?   Presents all wrapped?   Food prepared?   Destination where you’re going to spend the festivities reached?   Film viewing timetable agreed? The Yew Tree Office is officially closed.   It has been since Thursday, although it’s 8.30 on Christmas Eve morning and I’ve changed the profile picture on the facebook page, uploaded the final jingle, written my 99 words, collated all the entries I’ve got so far ready to add any last minute ones and then make my decision and in a minute, when I have written this, I’m going to write some of my play…so not as closed as you’d imagine it might be… This year I’ve been one of those irritating people who, when people asked me what I wanted for Christmas, responded that I didn’t want anything…thing is I genuinely didn’t…(obviously when pressed I came up with something) and I’m going to explain why in this blog… This has been a tough year for so many people, t...

Emma took the responsibility of the Christmas Blog this year Hello from the Fretwell abode.  It’s all getting very festive around here: we’ve managed to clean and shop and I’ve just got myself settled in front of my laptop, with a mince pie and Michael Bublé’s Christmas album. This is far from the norm on a Saturday morning - usually it’s all systems go at Thornes Park (St Swithuns for Mili, who attends Purple company)….   And now I’m faced with the task of a Christmas blog, I really don’t know what to talk about. I could ramble on and on about how brilliant Connections was at the beginning of this year. We got a lovely script with Shooting Truth, the Ensemble set it off beautifully and it was just so much fun to perform. Then Kendal was perfect, from performing to playing That’s Out and making a wall of fielders to catch the ball (think it was captured on camera, and the pictures can be found on Facebook somewhere). I’m certain that the memory of Merv dancing will never lea...

I’m proper tired.    Proper end of term, going down with a cold, need a holiday tired and despite the fact that I could have slept in I got up at half seven anyway.   I’m blaming the fact that the last two weeks have held just too much.   Too much in the way of experiences, sights, revelations, performances, challenges to be met, logistics to be tackled, conversations, highs, act of generosity, laughter, risks to be managed, anticipation, frustration and last but not least too many wonderful, wonderful Yew Tree moments… I’ve decided my head is going to need a full couple of Yew Tree down time weeks to process all of this (and write a play of course.) I am going to look properly through the photo’s instead of flicking through them.   To reflect fully on the development of each group and individual I work with over this last year.   I’m going to spend time enjoying the sense of achievement I feel with everything we’ve done and to start finalisin...

James Budenburg with his annual games sesh blog I wrote this blog last year, how time flies. Except I probably did it much earlier in the morning as I’m growing lazier in my old age.  Anywho The games session had so much to live up thanks to last year’s hilarity and even with the lack of ratchet screwdriver; I think we’d all agree it did more than live up to its expectations. I was expecting to be writing about the games now, as normally I tackle my blogging in chronological order, but the creative task has to come first… so the brief was a jingle. Short, sweet, Christmassy and Yew T ree related. Looking at the casting I was anticipating finished products of a crazy and ridiculous nature, but what we came up with, I just don’t think there is a word in the English dictionary to describe it. BUT, I believe they are being put up one by one in the lead up to Christmas and if you manage to get through the entirety of MC Murphin’s escapade without laughing, then credit to you, you hav...

Sam has been generous and blogged for the second week in row As we break up for Christmas I ponder to myself. What would a week be like without Yew Tree, I daresay that I shall miss Sapphire despite the food, festivities and, if you will excuse my ridiculous use of alliteration that for some reason I just can’t help myself to include, fun I shall find myself missing the hilarity, happiness and hold on a minute there I go again with my stylistic devices. I have done with alliteration perhaps imagery can be slotted in... I find that Yew Tree is a light at the end of the tunnel that we all call Monday. You could say it is a field sewn with a million seeds, each one ready to burst into its own unique flower. It is a jewellery box of precious gems that are different every time it is opened. Looking at these descriptions, it is clear that this is all very much true. Have you ever been to a Yew Tree session that has been the same as the last? Each one has its’ own character, personality alm...

This blog could just ramble for a good strong amount of time about how wonderful you all are…The last weeks has been tiring to say the least but so very rewarding and left me “chock full” of nice things and happiness to share with you. However over the last week I’ve had a really strong sense of what I wanted to talk to you about in this blog…it’s been such a strong theme of the weeks leading up to the shows and the performances themselves…because to me the last few weeks have been all about distance travelled… Yew Tree has never been about who is better than someone else, partly because it’s entirely against our culture and values, and partly because it’s a ridiculously subjective measure anyway.   It’s about rising to the next challenge, it’s about making discoveries, it’s about gradually gaining confidence, self belief, control of your body and voice, opening up, being bold enough to try things, to stretch your creative muscles, being brave enough to invest all...

This brilliant blog is by Mel... 'Twas the night before Christmas with Yew Tree and everyone was scared,  Even though lines were learnt and everyone prepared. With over 140 people that made up our cast,   And everyone excited to perform at last. With Jack and the Beanstalk with giants so tall,  And 'Twas the night before Christmas with a mouse so small. Purple with mime so clear and perfected,  To crimson with bullies where lives were affected. Gold with Sleeping Beauty so stunning and resolute,  To green with the Grinch that stole Christmas as he climbed down the chute.   Last of all was robin hood, with the bravest and boldest of men,  With sword fights and dances, from the poor to the merry men. No better than we could of asked for an audience such as ours,  Who sat there taking everything in and playing their part for hours. So thank you yew tree for making our Christmas, we are very grateful - i ts true,  To sing and shout and a...