Harrogate Theatre ReActor Summer 2013
Welcome
Now the snow is finally melting it’s time to look back on
the Spring term and look forward to what the Summer term will bring.
As I write this we are about to stage the under 12s end of
term performances of The Ugly Duckling and Oliver! I’ve heard a lot about the
fantastic ideas they’ve come up with to bring the stories to life so I hope you
enjoyed watching them. We’ve also got the 15+ group performing Hope Springs
this week which will see our largest ever HYT cast take to the Studio to tell a
dark tale of pupils versus staff.
Due to other teaching commitments Aimee Wray will no longer
be a regular workshop leader, but she will still provide workshop cover for us.
She’s also getting married in May so we wish her all the best. With the help of
some youth theatre members we have already recruited a new member of the team.
Daphne Reynolds will take over group 3b in April. Daphne has a wealth of
teaching experience and has been an actress herself so we’re really excited to
welcome her to HYT.
Now read on for some very exciting summer holiday projects!
Have a fabulous Easter and we look forward to seeing you all
again in April.
Hannah Draper
Education Workshop Leader
Summer Term
Booking
Booking for the Spring term workshops is now open. As
usual places will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Fees are £48
(£29 concessions). Things have changed slightly this term as the bookings will
now be made under the Youth Theatre member’s name (the child). You can book
either online at www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk (there’s no transaction fee), over
the phone on 01423 502 116 or in person at Box Office. Please remember confirmation letters are only sent out when payment has
been received.
HYT 6-8s
This term the under 12s have been focussing on characterisation.
They have been learning how they can alter their own bodies and voices to
transform themselves into a totally different character.
The 6-8s
looked at character walks after which they had the opportunity, through
improvisations to create new characters from scratch and bring them to life
through simple stories and actions. They have been delving in to the classic
fairy ‘The Ugly Duckling’ by Hans Christian Anderson. Through exploring this
story they created their own farmyard animal characters and a performance which
they showed to friends and family at the end of term. The performances were
fantastic and they did a great job learning all of their lines and entertaining
their audience.
The 9-11s started out by concentrating on how
you can establish different characters by leading with four different parts of
the body. These were the nose, the chest, the knees and the stomach; they
considered who would move in this way and the status and power that those
characters would possess. After investigating the type of characters that would
move in this way they developed their vocal work and began to create voices and
dialogue for their characters in rehearsed improvisation. They ended the term by working in small
groups on adapted extracts from Charles Dickens’ classic novel ‘Oliver
Twist’. All of these scenes were
directed by the youth theatre members with guidance from myself and the youth
theatre assistants. I was incredibly impressed with the directorial decisions
the 9-11s made and their end of term performances were a huge success.
HYT 12-14s
The 12-14s have had a skills development term exploring the work of famous theatre
practitioners Constantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht.
Constantin Stanislavki was a Russian actor and theatre
director from the early 20th century. His system of acting is still
used by actors internationally. His system requires a lot of dedication and is
about the individual using their own experiences to shape their performance. The
audience should feel as though they are watching a slice of real life.
Bertolt Brecht was a German playwright and theatre
director. He was also a very influential theatre practitioner of the 20th
century who developed a style of directing which was designed to ensure the
audience never forgot they were watching a performance and which would encourage
them to question society.
The term has given the 12-14s the opportunity to
practically explore the work of these two very different drama practitioners
and compare and contrast the directorial methods that they used. They have
created short performances for their peers using both practitioners techniques
in order to showcase their learning and develop their understanding of these
useful techniques.
HYT 15+
We’ve adopted a new approach to rehearsals this term by
extending the rehearsals to 3 hours instead of meeting in two separate groups.
It’s also the first time the 15+ have chosen the script they want to perform
and this is something I’m keen to do more of in the future. This has allowed us
to tackle a more challenging, and longer, script and involve all of the 15+ in
the performance. I’m really proud of the way they have approached difficult
subject matter with sensitivity and their intelligent reading of the script,
coming up with connections and ideas I’d never thought of.
The 15+ age band will return to being two groups in the
summer term where they will examine small scale performances inspired by the
fantastic 2s Company festival. There will be an informal performance for
friends and family at the end of term to see what they have created.
HYT Summer project
information
Curiouser and
Curiouser
Booking is now open for the HYT
Summer Devised Project ‘Curiouser & Curiouser’. Following on from the huge
success of Area HG1 we’re once again undertaking a site specific devised
project but this time in the main auditorium. 20 Youth Theatre members will
have the chance to create a story inspired by the Lewis Caroll books Alice in
Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass.
The year is 2013 and this is
Wonderland like you have never seen it before.
White Rabbit Inc. has taken over
and Alice is nowhere to be found. What started as a daydream is fast becoming a
nightmare. Who is behind White Rabbit Inc. and what does it want? Why does the
Hatter drink so much tea? And where is Alice anyway?
Over the course of a week HYT
will transform the main auditorium into a dystopian Wonderland. Their audience
will be invited to join the Mad Hatter at his table and journey on an
unforgettable voyage to unravel the mysteries of this new and broken
Wonderland.
This project will run Monday 29
July – Friday 2 August 10am – 5pm with the performances taking place through
the day on Saturday 3 August. You need to be aged 12+ on 1 July 2013 to take
part and must be able to attend on all days. Places are limited and cost £75
(£44 concessions) and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To
book a place please pay at Box Office or call on 01423 502116
If you have any additional questions then please email
Jonquil at hyt@harrogatetheatre.co.uk
I Could Murder a Fat
Rascal
Harrogate Theatre
Young Company.
Directed and written
by Phil Lowe
2 – 6 July
7pm
Imperial Tea Room,
Bettys Harrogate
£25 includes food.
During a busy evening in Bettys
the news that the secret recipe for the world famous Fat Rascal has been stolen
and given to local rivals Trev's bakery is announced. Tensions between staff
build and accusations fly, but no-one guesses that murder is also on the
menu.
Enjoy sumptuous food and a unique
performance in the stunning surroundings of the Imperial Room at Bettys,
Harrogate, as you help find out ‘who-dunnit’.
Inaugural performance by HTYC.
Following on from the success of, and continuing the ethos of the Harrogate
Youth Theatre summer productions, we are thrilled to announce that we are
furthering our commitment to supporting HYT members on their creative career
paths with the launch of the Harrogate Theatre Young Company (HTYC). HTYC is a
project-by-project company producing at least one show a year. This small
company will comprise adults aged 18-25 who are looking to bridge the gap
between youth theatre and professional engagements and new company members will
be recruited for each project. We’ve recruited our cast for this year but keep
an eye out for these opportunities as you turn 18.
If you have any questions about the Summer Term or any of the Holiday Projects please contact Jonquil Claughan at hyt@harrogatetheatre.co.uk or call 01423 502 710 ext. 129