Bromyard is making Connections!
A successful project for our Youth Theatre
National Theatre Connections Festival
The Bromyard Intermediate and Senior Youth Theatre members have had the privilege of taking part in this year’s National Theatre Connections Festival.
Every year, Connections commissions new plays for young people to perform. The programme brings together some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. In 23/24, Connections are working with nearly 270 youth companies from every corner of the UK.
The cast took on the challenge of performing Charlie Josephine’s skilfully written piece ‘Orchestra’ and did a fantastic job of creating a performance that was full of creativity, emotion, and their unique personality.
The cast had their debut performance of ‘Orchestra’ at their home venue, The Conquest Theatre in Bromyard. Enjoyed by a supportive audience who were blown away by the standard of performance.
What the audience had to say
‘Amazing performance from you all, wonderfully put together and performed.’
‘Wow, what an amazing performance. Such a tricky play, with a fast pace. I loved the amazing monologues a really great chance to shine. Well done all of you.’
What the cast had to say
The cast then performed at The Courtyard as part of INSPIRED festival. Then finally in April, the group travelled over to Northampton to perform at The Royal & Derngate as part of their Connections Festival week. This has been a fantastic opportunity for members of our rural sister Youth Theatre, the cast have relished getting to grips with a demanding text with themes that resonated with them in different ways. Developing various skills along the way, the group have learnt to adapt a performance to different locations, the importance of trust in themselves and others, and have worked hard to come together to perform as a true ensemble.
One cast member, speaking about their experience, said
‘One of the things I love most about The Conquest Youth Theatre, and with this production in particular, is we do a lot of character work. We filled in character profiles answering questions about our characters lifestyle and things like their name, age, what they had for breakfast and lots of different things that you wouldn’t necessarily encounter in the script. I like this because it helps us get into the mindset of each part and see from their perspective.’ They also went on to say ‘I also enjoy how the people here are never afraid to be themselves, as Ellen makes it a nice space where we can share our feelings and she doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t feel comfortable doing. She takes into account our fears, stresses and outside lives. This helps us gain trust and become better actors.’
Ellen, Participation Manager, says
‘I am thrilled that we have been able to provide this opportunity for our Bromyard Youth Theatre members and they have gotten so much out of it. It has been a joy to work with this group and see how much they have grown in confidence from the beginning of this project. They have certainly been pushed creatively but have absolutely risen to the challenge and I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them. With special thanks to Hugh Farey at The Conquest for his generous contribution towards costs.’
The preparation process
About the play…
A youth orchestra practises during half term holidays in preparation for a concert. Unexpected events cause them all to interrogate their relationship with success. How do you protect the joy of the process whilst also wanting to be the best? Is striving for artistic excellence worth the pressure of losing a soul?
The process…
The cast have been working hard in rehearsals to develop characters, learn lines (which is no easy task with a particularly challenging text) and come together as an ensemble. They have put their all into creating a performance that is full of creativity, emotion and their unique personality.
We were also lucky enough to be invited along to a Bromyard Wind Band rehearsal, which was a wonderful opportunity to experience watching a live band and seeing the instrument they mime playing on stage in person. It really inspired the cast and gave us that extra bit of motivation before our first performance. (add pictures)
Going on tour…
The cast had their debut performance of ‘Orchestra’ at their home venue, The Conquest Theatre in Bromyard on Tuesday the 19th March. Enjoyed by a supportive audience who were blown away by the standard of performance.
Quotes from the audience:
‘Amazing performance from you all, wonderfully put together and performed.’
‘Wow, what an amazing performance. Such a tricky play, with a fast pace. I loved the amazing monologues a really great chance to shine. Well done all of you.’
Next up, the cast will be performing at The Courtyard on Wednesday 27th March, as part of INSPIRED festival. Then finally in April, the group will be travelling over to Northampton to perform at The Royal & Derngate as part of their Connections Festival week.
How the cast feel…
One of the things I love most about The Conquest Youth Theatre, and with this production in particular, is we do a lot of character work. We fill in character profiles answering questions about our characters lifestyle and things like their name, age, what they had for breakfast and lots of different things that you wouldn’t necessarily encounter in the script. I like this because it helps us get into the mindset of each part and see from their perspective.
I also enjoy how the people here are never afraid to be themselves, as Ellen makes it a nice space where we can share our feelings and she doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t feel comfortable doing. She takes into account our fears, stresses and outside lives. This helps us gain trust and become better actors.