|
|
Congratulations to Nick Evans
The company would like to extend its warmest congratulations to Nick on his resent appointment as director of the West End musical "Billy Elliot". Nick's contract will start straight after the summer course (not that we have high standers but the Billy Elliott director as our warm up boy!) and will initially last for 18 mouths. The company takes great pride in the work and contribution Nick has given over the past years and especially for the last seven years when he has been a very active member of the Artistic Directorate. Is this end of Nick Evans? NO, we are not going to let him get away that easily, and I'm sure he dose not want to, he'll be back. Our best wishes go out to NIck on this progression in his career and we wish him every luck and success in his future.
Barnaby Kellett
The entire West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company has been deeply saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Barnaby Kellett, a much cherished member of the Company from 2001 to 2006. At a time when many staff and students are experiencing deep sorrow and shock at the sudden loss of such a talented young man, we can draw some strength from the many gifts Barnaby brought to the Company over the last five years.
Everyone who has been a part of the Company in that time will have been touched by his energy, capacity for friendship, and utter love of all things 'West Glamorgan'. He was a student and actor of rare versatility, and brought a professional and detailed approach to a remarkably wide range of acting roles. A youthful energy to the role of Ferdinand in 'The Tempest'. Wit, and incredible craft, to the role of Groucho Marx in 'Marx Soup'. Charm and grace as Sky Masterson. Physical prowess and strength as Nugget in Equus. Threat and danger in his work as part of the Company's production of 'The Birthday Party'. And an ethereal nobility in playing Aufidius in 'Coriolanus'. The list goes on. Few young people could have adapted and developed across such a range of diverse challenges. Barnaby did so, with a joy, intellect, and good humour, that greatly influenced all around him; students and staff alike.
But beyond these great abilities as actor or dancer, it is as a remarkable person that we shall most remember him. Company members will have a range of memories of rooms-shared with Barnaby, social committee games, our international visit to Denmark….. or just the conversations around Danycoed that Barnaby so loved. In having someone as special as Barnaby as a part of the Youth Theatre family, we have been blessed. It is to be hoped that we can find strength in so many happy memories shared, over the weeks and months ahead.
At the end of his last course in Summer 2006, Barnaby left Danycoed with a typically-Barnaby-phrase. He turned to the staff and said simply, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world". And neither would we….
Graduate of the Year
The Company is thrilled that one of our alumni, Jennifer Shakesby has been awarded the prestigious Spotlight Prize as one of the four most talented Graduates in the Country. Each year, The Spotlight Prize helps to launch the careers of four outstanding drama graduates, offering financial support and raising their profile within the entertainment industry.
Jenni, a student of Bishop Gore School and Gorseinon College , was with the Youth Theatre between 1999 and 2003, including a visit to Denmark as part of the Youth Theatre.
The awards were announced on Sunday 28th May at the Spotlight / CDS Graduation Party at London 's Café de Paris, in the presence of over 1000 drama students, agents and casting directors.
Every Principal from a CDS school nominates their most talented male and female final-year students for entry into the competition. From the finalists, four winners (two male, two female) are chosen to receive a prize of £1250 each, with which to launch their acting careers.
Since previous Spotlight Prize winners have included Judi Dench, Robert Lindsay and Zoë Wanamaker, Jenni is in auspicious company, and we look forward to following her progress in 2006!
Youth Theatre Student wins Writing Prize
Youth Theatre student Sam Thomas has scooped an auspicious prize at the New Writing Festival that is run by Oxford University Drama Society, after entering a play that he wrote as part of the Youth Theatre Course in Summer 2004. ‘Bank' by Sam Thomas won the 2006 Cameron Mackintosh Prize for Best New Play at the festival.
‘Bank' was devised and written by Sam in 2004 for its first performance in the Taliesin Arts Centre as one of four new plays written by Company members as part of a new writing project called ‘ i.d' overseen by Kevin Matherick.
The New Writing Festival is an annual celebration of student playwriting in Oxford University , centred around the performance of four of the best new plays to be written by students. These are selected by judges who work in theatre professionally and performed at venues around Oxford during the week-long festival. Sam's latest production of ‘Bank' also featured Youth Theatre student Jack Cooke, who was also involved in the 'i.d.' project in 2004.
Congratulations to them both.
On Stage, On Screen….
The Youth Theatre has played its part in some of the major new drama season across the BBC Channels in Spring 2006. BBC 4's major new play ‘Fantabulosa' about the life of comedian Kenneth Williams, featured the central performance of Company member Michael Sheen as the Carry On Actor, as well as an appearance by Youth Theatre member Joseph Morgans (Joe Martin), who also had a role in the BBC 2 adaptation of ‘The Line of Beauty' . On BBC 1 nationwide, Stephen Poliakoff's major new work ‘Gideon's Daughter' saw a main role for Joanna Page who was a member of the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company in the 1990's.
On stage, Company Member Daniel Hawkesford (Dan Jenkins) appeared alongside Desmond Barritt in the RSC production of ‘A Midsummer's Night's Dream' , whilst congratulations go to recent graduates Matt Rees and Ryan Dixon on gaining their first major professional work since graduating from RADA and Arts Educational respectively. Matt worked on a new play, ‘Pomegranate' at the Manchester Royal Exchange and is now appearing as Paris and Benvolio in ‘Romeo and Juliet' in Harrogate . Ryan has played a number of roles on the National Tour of Lloyd-Webber's ‘Starlight Express' .
Meanwhile back on television, Nia Gwynn (Nia Davies) who was with the Youth Theatre in the late 1980's took the lead role of Sara in Catherine Tregenna's new drama ‘Stick or Twist' . Steve Meo appeared in new BBC 3 comedy ‘Grown-Ups' as well as returning in BBC Wales' ‘Belonging' , where he joined Di Botcher who featured in the first Youth Theatre Company. And on the same Saturday night schedule in April, you could find appearances by Caroline Berry in ‘Doctor Who' and Nick Richards in ‘Casualty' .
Do let us know if you know anything about the work or whereabouts of other Youth Theatre students of any era, by e-mailing us at alumni@wgytc.co.uk
Company To Perform at National Eisteddfod
The West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company is thrilled that it has been invited to perform as part of the 2006 National Eisteddfod, which is to be based in Gorseinon. This major honour has come as the Company closes the celebrations of its Thirtieth Anniversary. The Company has a long tradition of performing in the Welsh language or bilingually, including previous work as part of the National Eisteddfod on its last visit to Swansea in 1982, with a production named ‘Perthyn'. That production was performed as part of the festival at the Grand Theatre, Swansea . On this occasion, the Company will perform on the Eisteddfod Maes, at the end of the first full week of August. The Company is currently finalising the creative team who will lead this exciting project, more details of which will be revealed soon.
Cape Town Adventure Gets Go Ahead!
The commitment from the Artistic Directorate to make the Thirtieth Year of the Company its most exciting yet was furthered this January as it announced it had struck a deal to tour the Company's work to Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2006. The Company will take approximately 25 students to one of the world's most beautiful cities to perform in at least 3 venues, including in one of the townships near to Cape Town .
The exact nature of the work is yet to be confirmed, but the tour will provide a great opportunity to develop its tradition of international work, established with visits to Denmark in 1984, 1988 and 2003. Company spokesperson Nick Evans explains,
“The wider educational brief of the Youth Theatre has always been greatly enriched by taking young people to other countries, where the social and cultural context has allowed them to place the Youth Theatre experience, and their own backgrounds, into a much wider perspective. Visiting Africa will heighten this experience even further, and we feel that the commitment and potential of the current Company Members make them the perfect group to take abroad”.
The West Glamorgan Youth Theatre hope that no students will be precluded on the grounds of money, and so are hoping to raise over £25,000 to directly aid the current students to take part. It is hoped that key regional businesses will co-sponsor the tour, and that Company alumni will be willing to help with fund-raising schemes including community fund-raising ventures, raffles and voucher schemes. Any ideas from friends of the Company would be greatly received. Please e-mail the company with any suggestions.
Professional Engagements
As ever, we are pleased to bring you up to date with the wider work being undertaken by Company Members within the Performing Arts at the moment. Unless you've been living on Gallifrey, you can't have failed to notice that the Christmas edition of ‘Doctor Who', written and produced by Company Member Russell T.Davies, gleaned the biggest audiences on Christmas Day. We await the new series – and its rumoured the appearance of some other Company Members – with great excitement.
Caradog James, who was a part of the Company in the 1990's, has a film he has written called “Zoo” in pre-production in early 2006. Current Company member Tomos Ryan will play one of the two lead roles, and so the Youth Theatre connection is doubly strong. Meanwhile, a great deal of press attention has been garnered by new S4C series ‘Caerdydd', and in particular by its leading lady Siwan Morris, who was a part of the Company between 1992 and 1995. From the same era, Steven Meo has returned to our screens in BBC Wales' ‘High Hopes'.
It was ‘By Royal Appointment' for the cast of the West End 's ‘Guys and Dolls' at the Royal Variety Performance in November, and once again it was our own Martyn Ellis (Martyn John) at the heart of proceedings. Those present at our reunion last October will know this is a role in which he excels!
Please update us with any news about your, or others, whereabouts by e-mailing this website.
The Company's preparations for its Winter Production of ‘Under Milk Wood' by Dylan Thomas continue apace, and we are pleased that all performances are selling fast. Some tickets remain for each of the evening performances, and slightly more for the Saturday Matinee, so friends of the Company are advised to book in the next few days to avoid disappointment.
The performances are at the Taliesin Arts Centre on Friday 24 th and Saturday 25 th February at 7.30pm . The matinee is at 2.30pm on the Saturday. Tickets are on sale at the box office on (01792) 602060.
Autumn Auditions
This Autumn, the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company completed its latest round of auditions for new Company members. This proved to be the most successful audition process in recent history, with over 120 young people putting themselves forward for audition. At group auditions in Cwrt Sart Comprehensive and Counterpoint Arts Centre, the auditionees were put through their paces in script work, improvisations, movement sessions and group tasks. 35 students were then recalled to a second audition held at Cwrt Sart, in which they sang, worked on unseen texts and performed an audition speech of their choice.
When the final, extremely difficult choices were made, the Company was pleased to offer places to students who are currently studying at, or have progressed from
Bishopston, Cwmtawe, Cwrt Sart, Dyffryn, Glanafan, Gorseinon College , Pentrehafod, Penyrheol, Pontarddulais, Sandfields.
They will rehearse a project at Dan-y-Coed Education Centre from October 2005 for final performance in February 2006.
New Pastures
The Company is pleased to celebrate the success of some of its current members who are beginning a new life at drama colleges and universities across the UK . Company members who have been involved in the last year of productions have combined their input into “Coriolanus”, “Miss. Jean Brodie” and “Widows” with interviews and auditions for many of the UK 's most prestigious academic institutions. We are pleased with their successes and, in wishing them well in their new starts, also look forward to their input to future courses.
They join company members who are currently studying at colleges and universities as diverse as:-
Brasenose College , Oxford London Contemporary Dance School , Merton College , Oxford Middlesex University, Queen Mary, University of London Rambert Ballet School, Royal Holloway University, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Southampton University, University of Exeter, University of Wales (Aberystwyth), University of Wales ( Cardiff ) .
Alumni at Large!
As ever, several Youth Theatre Alumini are currently setting the theatre, film and television worlds alight in London and beyond. The West End Production of “Guys and Dolls” features company member Martyn Ellis (formerly John) in the key role of Nicely-Nicely, and sees Jaye Alexander (formerly John Dummer) overseeing the work as Musical Director. Michael Sheen is playing the lead role in the Royal National Theatre Production of “The UN Inspector”. Joanna Page follows her success in the Old Vic Pantomime with a key role in the Hampstead Theatre Production of “What the Butler Saw” by Joe Orton. Christian Patterson features in a production of “Under Milk Wood” in Lancaster , while Rhian Morgan will soon begin recording of another season of Radio Wales' award winning satire “The Ll Files”.
Offstage, we are pleased to hear of the ongoing work of Chris Howells and Alex Murphy at the National Theatre, as well as Rhian “Flora” Davies' work as a Stage Manager on “The Producers” at the Drury Lane Theatre . Ben Holdsworth and Tom James have both been touring internationally working to light a little known band called Coldplay !
The new series of “Doctor Who” has more than its share of the Youth Theatre connections. As well as being penned by Youth Theatre Member Russell T.Davies, the design team consists of two West Glam Alumni, Edward Thomas and Ben Austin. Other recent television appearances have included Laura Rogers with a returning part in popular ITV series “Bad Girls” and Joseph Morgans (formerly Martin) following his successes in Hollywood Films “Master and Commander” and “Alexander the Great” with work on ITV hit “William and Mary”.
If anyone else wants to let us know of current appearances within the acting world, please e-mail the members editor to let us know.
Teacher of The Year
The Company is thrilled that one if its Directorate members, Ruth Williams, was voted Secondary Teacher of the Year in the recent National Teaching Awards Ceremony held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Ruth has taught on several Youth Theatre courses, and is Head of Drama at Bishop Gore School , Sketty, Swansea .
South Wales Evening Post : 29 July 2005
REMARKABLE PRODUCTION
Around 12 years ago I saw Anthony Hopkins act in a Theatre Clwyd production of Chekhov's August at the New Theatre in Cardiff . It was an amazing production, the like of which I had not seen since until last week, when I was invited to see West Glamorgan Youth Theatre put on Shakespeare's Coriolanus at Margam Orangery.
The acting was, without exception, inspiring and remarkable. Huge congratulations to all involved.
Councillor Jayne Woodman
Sketty Road , Uplands, Swansea
Press Release : 15th Febuary 2004
West Glamorgan Youth Arts Company to Reform.
This summer, the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company will take part in a production of "Guys and Dolls" at Swansea's Taliesin Arts Centre. The project will see the re-embracing of an old tradition in the West Glamorgan arts diet; the reformation of the West Glamorgan Youth Arts Company, uniting students from the Neath, Swansea and Port Talbot areas who specialise in a wide range of artistic disciplines.
The Youth Theatre will join its partners from the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra and the County Youth Dance Company to stage the classic "Guys and Dolls", Frank Loesser's Broadway hit based on the writings of Damyon Runyon. Project Director Nick Evans explains why;
"The long tradition of combining the special skills of the counties' dance, drama and music companies was a memorable element of the area's world-renowned provision of arts education in the late seventies and early eighties. Many students who were involved in joint projects such as Bernstien's Mass and West Side Story remember the unique flavour that combining the companies - so often separate in their work - brought to the educative process"
"When the new artistic directorate assumed direction of the Youth Theatre nearly four years ago, we decided to reflect on what good practice from the past should be built on and developed. I think that's been shown in our developing diet of work, and last year's tour to Denmark".
The joint project also recognises the strength of support being given to the arts by both the City and County of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. Nick Evans recognises the importance of this;
"There was a time when it was not possible to plan large-scale collaborations such as this because of the environment the counties were working in. Their on-going commitment, the re-emergence of a dance company over the last two years, and the strength and reputation of the West Glamorgan Youth Music Services make it an ideal time to celebrate the diversity of arts provision in the two counties, as well as hopefully pointing towards even more ambitious projects a few years down the line".
This summer, its anticipated that in the region of 75 young people from the area will take part in "Guys and Dolls", before returning to their own respective companies for separate projects later in the year. You can see the results of the collaboration at the Taliesin Arts Centre on July 15th, 16th and 17th 2004.
15/02/04 NJE
