|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The ChildrenFactory Performance Space, March31st, April 1st & 2nd, 2009
“A disturbed mother sends her son on a bizarre errand which has fatal consequences. Leaving home, he embarks on a journey with his friends. Encountering evil, destruction and eventually compassion, he is drawn into a world that is changed for ever.”
Sligo Drama Circle's Young People's Theatre returned to the stage of the Factory Performance Space with their new production of Edward Bond's "The Children". The play, specifically written for young people, combined both script and improvisation.
Edward Bond – one of Europe’s leading playwrights – wrote “The Children” in 2000 to be performed, not by professional actors, but by young people. Sligo Drama Circle Young People’s Theatre took the play to heart, working with commitment and integrity, searching with the playwright for what it is to be human…
The 12 scenes in the play, lasting about an hour, were part scripted, part improvised, according to the playwright’s instructions, with the two adults in the play, as Bond insists, played by adult actors. Muireann Tóibín played the Mother and Wayne O’Connor played the Man.
The play was directed by Peter Milne who worked as an actor/teacher/director for many years in London with Harlow TheatreVan, The Cockpit Theatre in Education Team and Hoxton Hall Community Theatre.
Check out some photos of the performance HERE.
Inside OutFactory Performance Space, March, 2008 Have you ever looked out the window at the rain falling and felt glad to be inside, warm and comfortable ........ where the boundaries are known? But then again, maybe it's different and you feel slightly trapped, stuck on the inside and out there life is happening? Were the walls built to keep you safe or keep you in?
"Inside Out" is a performance that has been created by the Sligo Drama Circle Young People's Theatre group through improvisation. It runs in the Factory Performance Space from Monday March 10th to Wednesday March 12th at 8pm. From the company that has already presented " Ed and the Hat", "In Just Spring" and "You Are Here (But Who are You?), this new improvised show promises to be well worth a look.
Rehearsal Photos Here >>>
HistoryThe Young People's Theatre group of the Sligo Drama Circle was set up in April 2005 with three specific aims:
In the main, it is hoped that the group will devise productions so that the young people themselves have an input into the content of the productions. Members of the Young People's Theatre group will be encouraged to take part in Drama Circle productions. The group will share its methods regularly with a wider audience. A variety of directors will be encouraged to work with the young people. There is currently no charge for membership of the group and the Young People's Theatre group acknowledges the financial and other support of the Drama Circle.
Currently, the Young People's Theatre group has a cast of ten, its membership taken from a range of secondary schools across the city; some are in apprenticeships, students at IT Sligo or in work. The group meets on Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm at the Drama Circle's rehearsal space in the Market Yard. Space is limited so numbers in the group are also limited, but new members are always welcome at the start of each new project. If you are in the targeted age group and are interested in becoming a member of the group, e-mail us and let us know your details: sligodramacircle@eircom.net
The group is currently under the stewardship of Peter Milne. Peter has been a workshop leader and director. He has also previously been a secondary school drama and English teacher. He has facilitated many school productions specialising in improvisation towards performance. He worked a lot with Sewell Barn Theatre Co. and Norwich Clowns (Mime) in the UK. He also performed with the Norwich Clowns at the Edinburgh Festival in 1980. He subsequently set up the Sewell Barn Youth Theatre. He moved to London to work as a full time community arts worker at Hoxton Hall community theatre in East London 1984-1986 where he directed many performances. He trained in mime at the City Lit in London. He attended the Central School of Speech and Drama in London in 1987/88 for a one year full time Advance Speech and Drama Course. He directed a Christmas Show in 1988. He joined the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) Cockpit Theatre-In-Education Team, where he achieved an equity card. He was a member of SCYPT Standing Conference of Young People's Theatre. He attended international drama workshops/conferences on an annual basis for six years. He moved to Harlow Van Theatre-In-Education Team 1989-1993. In 1991he was elected as a member of the campaign team to defend theatre-ineducation and subsidised theatre 1992/93. He taught in many primary schools in London and then in a special school in Sligo where he used drama a lot in the classroom and in school plays.
You Are Here (But Who Are You?)Factory Performance Space, December, 2006 Sligo Drama Circle Young People's Theatre Group presented their new play You Are Here (But Who Are You?) in The Factory Performance Space on Thursday 14th, Friday 15th, Saturday 16th December, 2006. The Performance lasted approximately one hour. This was a cast improvised production consisting of an absurd series of modern tales exploring different aspects of identity, performed in a unique and unusual energetic style.
Check out some photos of the performance HERE.
In Just SpringFactory Performance Space, April, 2006 "In Just Spring" is a performance using Mask and Movement, created through improvisation, exploring the foibles, struggles (heroic and otherwise), and joys of humanity, seen through the eyes of young people 'when the world is mad and luscious'. Following their highly successful production "Ed and the Hat", the Young People's Theatre group continues to develop its skills in improvisation. The use of mask is a new and powerful tool in the hands of these young people. The group is committed to an ensemble approach and continues to develop its sense of a company working creatively together.
These young people, using masks for the first time - masks they have themselves made - have created characters and a world that will both enchant and challenge you as an audience. Enter the unreal world of the MASK. Watch the characters unfold and interact with each other. While absurd, and at times humorous and frightening, this world of the MASK reflects our own, and is an exploration of young people's struggle to find themselves and fit in. Masks are a powerful tool in the hands of these 15-19 year olds. The performance has been created through improvisation and uses mask and movement to explore the world we live in. Come and see a different kind of play. The structure is fixed but improvisation remains at the heart of the performance.
We have worked as a company for two months, developing our skills and learning how to use the masks on stage. This is the same company who produced "Ed and the Hat", an improvised performance based on Macbeth, back in December. "In Just Spring" looks like being every bit as exciting and challenging to watch. Who are we? How do we make sense of the world we live in? These are serious questions explored in the mad funny world of the MASK.
"In Just Spring" is at the Factory Performance Space April 6th - 8th at 7.30pm. The performance lasts about sixty minutes and there is no interval. Check out some photos of the performance HERE.
Ed and the HatFactory Performance Space, December, 2005 "Ed and the Hat" is the first official production of the Sligo Drama Circle's Young People's Theatre group. It takes place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December at the Factory Performance Space at 8pm. It is a one-act play, created by the cast through improvisation and, while the shape and certain movements are fixed, much of the actual performance too will be improvised. While not a long piece, performance time is estimated at between 35 and 45 minutes, it is fascinating to watch young people work in such a committed way in an ensemble production. The starting point was an exploration of some of the themes and issues raised in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and while this production is certainly not Macbeth, those who know the play will see and hopefully enjoy the connections.
The Young People's Theatre group has a cast of ten, there were no auditions, and over the past eight weeks we have worked on creating a company that spark off each other, accepting and exploring each other's suggestions, as well as developing acting skills. In the last two weeks we have met more frequently, shaping the performance piece and rehearsing it. Wile the play has roles: Ed, Ed's wife, he Cleaners, the Chorus, we prefer not to think of main parts or lead actors, rather a collective company who have created this play, with each member being key to the whole.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All Content and Photographs © Copyright Sligo Drama Circle 2006-09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [SITE MAP] [LINKS] [CONTACT] [SEARCH] [DISCLAIMER] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The broad overall
aim is to develop a core of young people with experience of
working together. The group is targeted at the 16-19 year old
age group, Transition Year and older. The Young People's Theatre
group work on a project by project basis, with newcomers invited
to join at the start of each new project. We try to encourage a
membership from a broad base of schools so that the group is not
seen to be based in any particular school or institution.
Auditions for the group do not take place, but it is attempted
to create a team of young people for each project who may be
encouraged to partake in different roles. The object is to avoid
the culture of lead roles, but rather create ensemble
productions where every part has value and significance.
Workshops form the basis of rehearsals.