dead born grow - Spellbinding

dead born grow

National Youth Theatre Wales with Frantic Assembly

Dance House, WMC

3^rd April 2014

dead born grow is the perfect response to the post-millennium teenage experience. The hard transition from child to adult is beautifully navigated through childhood memory, awkward social interaction, young love, body image and existential musings.  

Devised by the company of 12 young people, aged between 16 and 21, the show is part dance, part theatre, part multimedia and completely spellbinding. The influence of the amazing Frantic Assembly is clear to see with the production being directed by Frantic’s Eddie Kay and Jessica Williams. The pace is relentless and leaves you wanting more – as all good theatre should.

The resulting collage dips into a group of interrelated narratives which are never overtly expressed, letting the intensity of the movement speak for itself. From an uber confident lady’s man to a painfully shy schoolgirl the cast really inhabit their on-stage personas blurring the lines between reality and performance.

The design by Gabriella Slade, combined with the lighting of Sophie Smith, really add another layer to the splintered narratives. Clothes are spread across the back wall, like a teenager’s ‘floordrobe’, panels are moved to reveal different spaces, sometimes with a dressing area, sometimes a battered sofa. The shifting dimensions of the space create feelings of claustrophobia or endless opportunity, often juxtaposing the two to maximum effect.

It’s so refreshing to see a youth theatre present work that is created by young people but has universal appeal. No one is pretending to be something they aren’t and it isn’t littered with the usual adolescent ‘issues’. It is obvious that the show isn’t trying to ‘be’ anything, it isn’t preaching or even reaching out, it is just a bold statement about these performer’s personal experiences. They are baring their souls and aren’t too bothered about the result – take it or leave it, they will keep doing it.

This young, exciting approach to theatre making is somewhat new to Nation Youth Theatre Wales but it’s a formula that is really working.  They will be working with Frantic Assembly again in the Autumn as part of Frantic’s Ignite programme that provides physical theatre training for young men. I can’t wait to see the future results of this fruitful collaboration.