YOU MUST SEE THIS SHOW!

Preview – Dressing Up Too

Sherman Cymru Youth Theatre

21nd - 23rd February

On a 15 metre long catwalk 120 young performers will be joined by 6 others, all 85 years old or over to perform an unusual, intergenerational, multimedia event.

I was recently privileged enough to have a chat with Sherman Cymru Youth Theatre director and Head of Creative Learning, Phillip Mackenzie and sit in on one of the groups rehearsals.

Phil is an exciting, dynamic man, with a clear vision for the work he is doing:

I first got the idea for this show when I had to design a catwalk show in Paris. It turns out that the catwalk models were actually really interesting people – one of them was an aspiring beat poet! I was really interested in the difference between what we see and what we hear. In Dressing Up Too the visual outside is clearly represented by the catwalk but at the end of the runway are three microphones from which the characters can express their inner thoughts.

It is very unusual in theatre to have such a large group of young people performing in the same show in which none of them are the ‘leads’ and none are relegated to being ‘chorus’:

For me it is really important that youth theatre is inclusive, this show has a large scale ensemble from the ages of 12 to 26. The show is made up of lots of different sections each directed by a different emerging director – I haven’t seen the final product of any of the sections yet, just parts of the work in progress. Each of the 4 emerging directors has a 15 minute slot in the show to create something great. Not only is it important to support our young acting talent but also these new directors, it means we will have an interesting and varied show that is dominated by tempo and rhythm rather than direct narrative.

It’s not often you get to see such a huge range of ages on the stage at the same time. This is obviously a subject that Phil is very passionate about:  

No one ever asks old people about their futures. All they can talk about is the past or how young people today have no idea about anything!  When I spoke to one of our performers, Alfred, about his future he said “I despair – the older I get the more invisible I become”, that isn’t right. I’d been working on the idea of running an intergenerational summer school but then I thought; why not do it now?  At first some of our 85 year olds were reluctant to get involved but now they are just as excited as the young performers. The audience will be seeing the show of young people through the eyes of the old people.  It’s an exciting idea!

After our chat I was welcomed into the rehearsal room where a small group of unusually focussed young people were preparing to warm up. With very little instruction and nothing but an empty room and some pulsing beats the group started to create a spontaneous series of movements that were incredible to watch. The group is so supportive and collaborative and each individual had a sense of self-confidence that is often lacking in people of their age group. Personally I would pay just to watch one of these improvised warm-ups.

As they started to rehearse the set pieces for the show there was plenty of pouting as the young men swaggered up and down the catwalk. One of the sections performed by the girls showcased their talent not just for movement but their excellent delivery of poetic verse. Each time they went over a section small tweaks were made, it is this attention to detail that will made the final production unmissable.

No where else would a group of young (and old) people get the chance to be involved in something so innovative and exciting. They are all part of an incredible creative experience that will teach them so much - not just about theatre, but about themselves and the world around them.

 

As I left the theatre I had the feeling of having been part of something special, some kind of infectious ritual. The final piece will involve so many layers; movement, text, projection, music, not to mention the huge number of performers; that the audience will be completely absorbed in this world of internal desire and external perceptions.

YOU MUST SEE THIS SHOW!  

For tickets or more info visit: http://www.shermancymru.co.uk

Or call : 029 2064 6900

@ShermanCymru
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