Results...

-

Last week was all about the anticipation for a full on YTYT week so it seemed only fair that this week I should reflect on some of the highlights…

Before we get into the performances which is going to be my focus of the blog, Aladdin is a treat…a treat I tell you…my next task after this is to write the next scene and I’m positively looking forward.  What I particularly like about it is how we balance not taking it too seriously with integrity…which is pretty much a reflection of the Sapphire Company itself…

Which brings us on to Comedy of Errors, which was in fact a triumph.  The Black Company created something that can only be described as outstanding.  They pushed the boundaries of performance, of bravery, of focus to produce a performance which presented Shakespeare’s most farcical play to their audience with a flourish.  Never have I been more proud of them.  Inevitably some of the audience were baffled by the cast’s quick fire delivery of iambic pentameter, blank verse and rhyming couplets but no one could deny the sheer talent showcased in the performance.  The Hepworth’s Black Cloud provided the perfect setting and the rain was kind…relatively kind anyway.  At the end of the second performance my only regret was that we couldn’t set off on a 3 month tour…in all seriousness it was of a quality that would justify it, and if I’d won the lottery last night there would have been no stopping me…

Up next, the lovely students of West Yorkshire Dance Centre.  I arrived at the centre in trepidation – we had significant work to do, only two hours to do it in and I had been informed two of the students were too ill to perform.  Not the best way to start a performance night.  However I had nothing to fear…the casts rose to the challenge beautifully presenting their family and friends with performances that were poised and skilled.  Each of the three pieces presented a different challenge to the cast and each challenge was met – from the emotional maturity of Spirits of the Landscape to the poignancy of Princess Blankets to the quick fire wit of Camping.  I was so proud of every single performer who will be rewarded next week with as many games as we have the time and energy to play.

Then yesterday I had the treat of attending a performance I’d played no part in.  Crimson Company under the direction of the brilliant Gemma had created what could only be described as an intelligent, witty and utterly entertaining adaptation of As You Like It mixing the original text with modern instances and a generous helping of physical comedy too.  It was a delight and such a pleasure to just go and watch something after the tension of presenting my work all week…a wonderful end to a triumph of a week.

It’s difficult to draw out a conclusion out of such a varied and rich week but if I have to it will be this…the commitment and dedication of both YTYT members (and my honourary ones at WYDC) and their loyal audiences means that we can achieve the most creatively fulfilling things.  The sense of achievement from the casts that performed and the admiration of those that came to see them is enough to make all the effort not only worth it but in fact seem like a small amount to pay…so team…thank you for this week and here’s to the next set of creative challenges!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating the past in the present...

-
  Next year Yew Tree Youth Theatre will be 30 years old.   We haven’t quite decided how we will celebrate - any suggestions would be gratefully received. No doubt there will be some nostalgic perambulating down memory lane and some haphazard but joyous celebrating of three decades of creativity we have shared.   Some variation of those two themes would feel fitting. This blog however is something different. This blog is a celebration of the present of those who attended YTYT in the past. Alumni, graduates, previous members – I can never seem to find the right term – but whatever word is chosen I know for sure they are part of the fabric of the youth theatre and I’m grateful to have known all of them, mainly because I have learnt so much from them.   I also can’t put a number on how many people have spent significant time with YTYT over the last 29 years.   I know we started with a group of 8 and now have about 80 members, I know at our peak just before COVID w...
Read more

Yew Tree Youth Theatre. 2024 - Fred

-
What a year (That's a good thing, by the way). My favourite shows, my favourite rehearsals, my favourite year; so you can hopefully gather that I've enjoyed it all.  But in all reality, my blog should start in 2023, as National Theatre Connections began then.  I had been cast, along with Izzy, in the role of Noush, which quickly I became attached to. As the rehearsal process continued into the year of 2024, I only grew to like the role even more. Kiss/Marry/PushOffCliff - as the play was called - soon shaped up to be a fantastic show. The year before (I know, this is meant to be 2024, but everything, after all, is interconnected) I'd shown interest in NT Connections but had shied away, thinking I was not capable enough for such a task. This time, however, I was prepared - or brave, or optimistic, or however you could describe it - and chose to take part. It was indeed the right decision. Never before from a show had I received such enjoyment, even from rehearsals. Every tim...
Read more

Robin's Connections Blog

-
 Kiss / Marry / Push off a cliff was my second connections play that I have done with YTYT. As soon as I read it, I fell in love with the script. Although it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it drew me in with its pure weirdness and mystery. I was so intrigued as to how we would tackle many of the problems that were initially presented to us. After all, showing someone getting pushed off a cliff while inside of a sleeping bag in a youth theatre production isn’t a simple task. However, with the combined effort of an equally talented crew and cast, I believe we were able to do a pretty good job. I could ramble all day about how much I love characters as a whole. In truth, they are what drew me to connections in the first place. I love being able to delve into their motivations and fears in detail and develop a whole other being rather than myself. I remember there was one character that stood out to me in my first reading. I knew from the start that Marco would be a tricky character. B...
Read more