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Action Transport Youth Theatre - Archive - GO BACK?
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Junior Youth Theatre,
Ride, July 2007
Adam Bladen, Youth Theatre
Summer Festival, July 2007
Senior Youth Theatre, At 3am, April 2007
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If you are aged 11 – 25, live in and around Ellesmere Port, and want to be involved in an exciting summer project, then... it’s time!
Get involved with: Performing / new writing / lighting / sound / design working with theatre professionals.
Making / Creating…
16th - 25th July 2007
(Evenings, weekends and 1st week of summer holidays)
Performances on:
Thursday 26th, July 2007 @ 7pm
Friday 27th, July 2007 @ 7pm
Saturday 28th, July 2007 @ 7pm
@ Whitby Hall Studio Theatre, Whitby Park, Ellesmere Port
Sign up! It’s free!
(Limited places available)
For more information,get in touch:
nina@actiontransporttheatre.co.uk
Tel: 0151 357 2120
‘Ride’
Junior Youth Theatre
Is there something special about you?
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Action Transport Theatre Company’s junior youth theatres have been exploring the world of ‘celebrity’ and V.I personalities.
Following on from scratch night performances in March where audiences gave their feedback, this new performance weaves a story about a group of young people at a ‘celebrity fancy dress party’ through a surreal and imaginative landscape which mixes popular TV culture and the idea of fairground rides.
The performance created by 20 young people aged 11-14, explores the desire for celebrity status and the current obsession with ‘car crash television’.
We invite you to get hold of a ticket, if you can and come with us for an unforgettable Ride….
Performances:
- Wednesday 4 rd July 5.30 pm
- Thursday 5 th July 7.00 pm
- Friday 6 th July, 7.00 pm
Whitby Hall Studio Theatre,
Stanney Lane ,
Ellesmere Port.
Tickets £4 adults/£2 concessions
Please call or email for tickets –
Action Transport Tel 0151 3572120
Email: info@actiontransporttheatre.co.uk
April 2007
Action Transport Senior Youth Theatre invites you to
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| Photo credit Sylvia Selzer |
TICKETS - £4 (£2 for concessions) –
please call 0151 357 2120 to book.
If you are 15 – 18 years old, and want like to talk to us about how to get involved in the Senior Youth Theatre,
Action Transport are looking for young people aged 11+ in Ellesmere Port who are interested in making, creating,
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| Photo credit Sylvia Selzer |
Action Transport Youth Theatres
are supported by Shell UK
February 2007
Youth Theatre Play on Celebrity Status
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| Members of the Junior Youth Theatre in their production of The Miracle in 2005. Photo Credit Sylvia Selzer. |
Action Transport’s Junior Youth Theatre is inviting an audience to attend a ‘SCRATCH NIGHT’, on the 13 th and 14 th March, which will be the first airing of new ideas for their next show called ‘Once in a Lifetime’, to be performed in full in summer 2007.
Shell UK are sponsoring this project whereby young people aged 11-14 from across Ellesmere Port have been exploring what being in the limelight means. They will create a new drama from this which explores the impact of being plucked from obscurity into a world of celebratory status.
Nina Hajiyianni is the new Associate Director at Action Transport and leads the youth theatre.
Nina says
There is some fantastic work being created here in Ellesmere Port by young theatre makers, I am really keen that people see this work that is on their doorstep.
Nina, who joined the company in November 2006, is new to Ellesmere Port and is keen to get more people in Ellesmere Port through the doors of Whitby Hall to see the work that is being created in their town.
This is one of three projects sponsored by Shell UK this year which will allow young people across Ellesmere Port the access to high quality creative experiences.
The play will use a theatre style reminiscent of Victorian freak shows mixed with present day popular culture and the idea of fairground rides. This new performance will explore the idea of ‘car crash television’ in a highly imaginative landscape.
An informal, work in progress showing will be taking place on Tuesday 13 th and Wednesday 14 th March in the Studio Theatre at Whitby Hall. All those attending are encouraged to offer their feedback to the youth theatre so they can continue to develop their ideas for this play. In return the youth theatre promise to offer tea, cake and a dose of inspiration!
Tickets cost just £3 (£1 for concessions) – please call 0151 357 2120 to book.
Shell UK is sponsoring both the Junior and Senior Youth Theatre groups at Action Transport this year. Both groups are growing rapidly and are very popular. If you are keen to join Action Transport’s Youth Theatre and are between 11-18 years old, please call 0151 357 2120 to register your interest and speak to either Louie or Nina.
3 Way Youth Theatre Exchange
– Navigating Landscapes
This summer has just seen a 3 way exchange project bringing three youth theatre groups together from Ellesmere Port, Liverpool and Kendal...
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The two week residential project saw the groups working together in Kendal for the first week and Liverpool & Ellesmere Port for the second week. They explored each others communities and local landscapes and, working with young writers, devised and performed their own unique
collaborative piece of theatre, which was performed at Action Transport Studio Theatre and the Brewery Arts Centre in August 2006.
This piece of theatre, called Number 8, told a number of stories which
can be read at the bottom of this page.
Feedback on the piece of performance included:
“Another excellent performance! Very mature, very powerful! Well done to all”.
“Moving, exhilarating, funny. Brilliant acting”.
“Stirring, evocative and very powerfully acted. A superb collaboration!”.
“’A piece of cake’ – Wonderful, enthralling, collaborative performance.
Well done all!”
“Both funny and sad, and
superbly acted. Well done to all”.
The 21 young people built upon their performance skills, tried their
hand at new creative skills, devised, wrote, had fun, enjoyed social
activities, worked with experienced, professional practitioners, made
connections throughout the theatre industry and made new friends!
The young people involved were from Action Transport Senior Youth
Theatre, Ellesmere Port, The Brewery Arts Centre Youth Theatre, Kendal
and The Valley Community Theatre Youth Theatre, Liverpool.
For information on joining Action Transport Youth Theatre Contact Louie on 0151 357 2120 or log on www.actiontransporttheatre.co.uk
Brewery Youth Theatre Contact Trish on 01539 722 833 ext 274 or log on www.breweryarts.co.uk
Valley Youth Theatre Contact Martin on 0151 488 0364 or log on
www.valleytheatre.co.uk
We would like to thank Awards For All, Shell and Connexions for funding towards this project.
Stories from Number 8...
Father and Daughter
We developed this story from William David Titley’s art installation
‘Demolition Street’. Actors watched as a clock ticked and a television
screen depicted 600 names of former residents of a street that had been
left derelict. Then, through a focused visualization exercise supported
by our musicians, actors injected a back story and physicality for their
chosen name. The characters were then allowed to inhabit a new world,
where they developed relationships, connections and storylines. From
this devising, a father leaves his daughter to go war. Will he return?
Mother and Son
We asked the young people ‘what does home mean to you?’ Responses
included memories, landscape and the people we love, who in turn love
and support us. Using a series of physical ‘support’ exercises and
lullaby singing, this led to the writing of a poem based on the evolving
relationship between a mother and her son. Told through visual and
written imagery and song, this piece explores the emotional and often
complex relationship between a mother and her son.
Orrest Head
At the heart of the exchange was the exploration of our respective
landscapes, houses, mountains, rivers and local places. On a hot, hot
day, we took the train from Kendal to Windermere, and began a walk from
the base of Orrest Head Hill to the pinnacle of Orrest Head! After an
uphill struggle by all, we reached the summit, caught our breath and
were staggered by the beauty of the view and the exhilaration and
satisfaction of reaching the top. There was something about this
moment, and the way it affected all the company in different ways that
we wanted to capture in our scene.
In the first part of this scene, we’ve tried to capture the physical
determination of a lone walker, to a backdrop of friendly trees,
difficult boulders and then the final steep push to the end of the walk.
The second part sees the heart and mind of the walker at peace and
inspired by the view from the summit. The words spoken are inspired by
one company member’s feelings towards this special place, and the effect
of this space on one of our writers during the walk.
Leader Who Can No Longer Lead
‘If he was here this never would have happened.’
Who matters in your community and how do they affect you and others?
The
idea for this piece developed through improvisations based on William
David Titley’s community voice videos. It explores perceptions of a ‘Man
of Importance’ in his community and his impact both positive and
negative, on the lives of those he comes into contact with. We follow
his breakdown as he realizes the reality of peoples feelings towards
him.
Polystyrene Cake
The creation of life spirals evoked a discussion of childhood memories.
One of these memories involved a polystyrene cake. Writers produced a
rhyming monologue about this cake, which was then put to song by our
musicians. We now tell a story about a woman who dresses up as a
polystyrene wedding cake to propose. How far would you go to declare
your love?
House of Fear
From a visualization exercise came a character who didn’t relate to
other characters, trapped by their own fears, isolated and lonely. From
this character we developed a physical group response to what these
fears could be; a dangerous, violent world. Writers worked on a
monologue expressing these fears.
Birds
William David Titley’s exhibition, and the workshops he ran for the
three groups, explored pigeons, and their sense of home and direction.
At the beginning of the process we talked a great deal about our sense
of ‘home’ and what it means to you. We were keen to explore the idea of
freedom and flight, especially as a group, whilst we were travelling to
and from each other’s homes. Within this discussion, we all talked
about where our special places are – places we go to feel safe, to
think, to feel love, to be at peace. As you will have heard in the
scene, everyone has a very different place.
We worked to music, creating the movements of different birds, and
finally three large birds.
Local Young actors bring The Universe to Whitby Hall
How do you write a play about black holes, new planets, the future of mankind, time, space, love and hate? Two Ellesmere Port based writers, Heather McGaw and John Moorhouse, have been doing just this and their jointly written play, “The Universal” will be performed by Action Transport Senior Youth Theatre this week at Whitby Hall Studio Theatre in Ellesmere Port.
Since January of this year, Shell have sponsored Action Transports Senior Youth Theatre and Action Transport Writers, whom John and Heather are members of, to take part in this experiment in creating new processes of writing plays for, by and with young people.
One of the Writers, Heather McGaw says
“Every venture with Action Transport Theatre has taught me so much, and this has been no exception. This has been a wonderful, creative experience and I’m proud to say I have been a part of this fantastic production.”
In June, the final rehearsal draft of the script was delivered and rehearsals kicked in – the 12 performers and 2 writers have dedicated their time, and even in this heat, they have given all their energy, commitment and creativity to the rehearsals of their new play.
Louie Ingham, Projects Manager & Senior Youth Theatre Director says
“We were keen to create a brand new play that would reflect the thoughts and ideas of both our writers and performers, a new play created from the very start by them.
As a new writing theatre company for young people, we have taken the ideas of local young people to another level and made a challenging, thrilling new play – whilst having a lot of fun along the way!”
“The Universal” plays at Whitby Hall Studio Theatre for three performances (Monday 10 th 7:30pm, Tuesday 11 th 7:30pm and Wednesday 12 th for a special early evening show at 4:30pm) and promises to be a thrilling adventure about survival, hope and a new world.
The company will then pack their sleeping bags, tents, costumes and energy into a minibus and hot foot it down to Epping Forest, where they will perform at the national, Big Youth Theatre Festival!
If you are keen to join Action Transport’s Youth Theatre and are between 11-18 years old, there is a taster session on Tuesday 18 th July between 4-5pm at Whitby Hall Studio Theatre, Ellesmere Port. Call 0151 357 2120 to register your interest.
Shell are also sponsoring the next Action Transport Young Writers play “Fragments” which will be performed at the Chester Gateway Theatre on 6 th and 7 th October 2006. This will be part of The Lockpickers Ball Festival which is all about revealing the secrets of creating fantastic new plays for, by and with young people. For more information – www.thelockpickersball.info
For more information, and to find out the answers to the Universe and book tickets please call Box Office: 0151 357 2120. Adults £4 Concessions £2.50
Suitable for 11 years +
Have you ever experienced a miracle?
If so, Action Transport Junior Youth Theatre would like to hear from you…
Action Transport Junior Youth Theatre are spending their Tuesday evening’s rehearsing their version of a brand new play called The Miracle, written by award winning writer Lin Cochlan, as part of the national Shell Connections programme.
If you live in Ellesmere Port or the surrounding areas, and have a story about a miracle or a flood then please do get in touch with Louie on 0151 357 2120 – we’re interested in hearing from local people to support this locally created play.
Kindly supported by Shell UK, the play is about the story of a town that was flooded and amongst the chaos a statue of St Anthony burst up through 12 year old Ron’s bedroom floor. It’s a miracle – according to Ron’s mum. Soon Ron and Zelda are doing private consultations to heal people. When shell-shocked Lorenzo returns from Baghdad he’s in serious need of some help, but it would take a miracle to make him better. Will Ron use her powers one more time?
Through the continued support of Shell UK, Action Transport Theatre, based at Whitby Hall in Whitby Park, create brilliant new plays ‘for’, ‘by’ and ‘with’ young people. As well as making professional touring productions, and writing with young writers, we run two youth theatres – 11 -14 years and 15 -18 years for local young people with an interest in joining exciting and creative projects.
If you, or someone you know is interested in finding out more, then please get in touch with the company.
The Miracle will be performed in the round – a challenging, and interesting way of setting out the space. The show will be professionally designed by Chester based designer Gemma Pill and will be visually stunning and a fantastic night out. The show will be performed on Tuesday 28th – Friday 31st March at 7pm at Whitby Hall Studio.
Tickets are on sale now (£4 Adults and £2.50 Concessions) and are available by phoning 0151 357 2120.
ACTION TRANSPORT THEATRE MAKES NATIONAL CONNECTIONS...
Action Transport Youth Theatre is playing a leading role in Shell Connections, one of the world’s largest celebrations of youth theatre. Produced by the National Theatre and made possible through sponsorship from Shell UK, the programme gives 11-19 year-olds the chance to work on challenging new plays both on stage and behind the scenes. Shell Connections commissions new, hour-long plays for and about young people, written by some of the best contemporary playwrights, and enables schools and youth theatres from all over the UK and Ireland to produce them.
Further information available here (.pdf).
The Miracle by Lin Coghlan
When the canal broke its banks and a holy statue burst up through the floor of 12 year old Veronica Sheehan’s bedroom, no one was more surprised than she was. With the enthusiastic support of best friend Zelda, the two girls set about using their new found skills to help their ailing community, as the townspeople find themselves hungering unknowingly for something magical to come into their lives.
‘Kidnapped’ Youth Theatre Production
May 2005 ...
For further details and feedback on this performance please click here.
