A Slice of Music / The Hattie Carrolls and Support

As part of our fundraising we have organised two great events on the weekend of the 8th/9th May.

On the Saturday night is The Hattie Carrolls and Support - a gig showcasing 5 awesome local bands, find out more about it on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=357731702530&ref=ts

On the following afternoon we have found a tasty selection of local musical talent to play in a classical concert, along with homemade cakes and fairtrade tea and coffee.

Everyone likes music, so one of the events must float your boat! (Even better - come to both!)

The money we raise will go towards funding our trip to Edinburgh. Tomorrow we are applying for another grant of money from the Youth Oppurtunities Fund to help us, but we need as much money as we can to make our trip as good as it can be!

We hope to see you there

Jonathan Wolfman, Script Executive for CBBC says....

"A terrific ensemble piece from a young cast playing diverse roles old and young. Dawn Harrison and Rosanna Jahangard's play about the exploition of young refugees and the pressures they face weaves multiple narratives, leavening its potentially sombre themes with satire and comedy in a funny thread portraying three young tourists abroad. It's no-budget youth theatre at its best: fast-moving, emotionally engaging and ultmately moving and powerful"

Production Photos

Reviews from first performances!

"An absolute triumph! A really powerful piece" (Jane Corry, Theatre Producer and Arts Centre Director)

"Bursting with energy and pace. Shines a light on the subject from every angle with wit and authenticity..." (Jonathan Evans, Writer BBC/CBBC)

"A stunning play- superbly directed and skilfully executed by such a young cast. Dealing with such deep and important issues, all of which are handled with real attention to detail, utmost respect, and at times hilarious comedy, is a challenging feat which RYT achieve so well.... Very impressve, very moving- unforgettable" (Sam Tombs, Drama Student)

"A fantastic piece of theatre" (Ben Sandiford, Actor)

"The best I have seen in a long time" (Audience Member)

"There was a really genuine, original and sophisticated feeling to the play that made it engaging, enjoyable and I would say really educational to watch" (Rebecca Hillman, Phd Theatre Student)

First Performances...

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we performed our first draft of "Nothing to Declare" at South Street, ready to improve it next term for Edinburgh. We were performing alongside the other half of Reading Youth Theatre, who had been working on a devised piece called "Passing Shots" which we enjoyed watching.
Having met up most Sundays during March on top of our Monday sessions, we certainly had a well rehearsed piece by the time it was opened to the public on Tuesday, and although it was great to finally get to show it, we are all quite glad of the Easter break!
Overall, the general feeling was that the first showings were a success judging by the feedback we have gathered from our audiences.
We will be spending this next term revising and editing the piece to perform first at South Street again in the summer, and then in Edinburgh in the holidays, so don't worry if you missed it this time!

Juliet's thoughts on rehearsals

Last week we took a trip as a company to see a play called "In A Thousand Pieces" by Paper Birds theatre company. It is roughly in our subject area as it told the story of a women who is sex trafficked. Although we knew about the subject matter, not all of us were prepared for quite how shocking it really was. We were thrown into a world which was so far removed from our own and one that we knew little about. The true facts and events shown were horrific. It was a highly emotional story and it was also inspiring to see the actresses’ ability to maintain this depth and emotion despite the amount of times they have performed it. The impact that this play has made in educating people about this problem is huge, so hopefully we can do just the same.

The date of our play is getting closer and closer so we’re pushing on and have now blocked every scene in the play. The pressure’s nowhere near off though as we still have so much to do! But it is exciting to see the play come together.

We now have most of our set, including the hundreds of dollars which we photocopied, stamped on both sides and guillotined (MAKING SURE THE MARGINS ARE THE SAME!) We’re hoping that this attention to detail is appreciated... The inflatables have managed to remain intact so far, touch wood that the sofa doesn’t burst on the first night. Pins away ladies and gents.

The flyers are now done, so they will probably be thrust under your noses very soon. They don’t include any booking info, this can be done on the internet or by phoning the box office (0118 9606060.) But if you want to avoid a booking fee (don’t we all?) then you can get them straight from the Hexagon. Book your tickets soon.

Gig on the 8th of May

As part of our fundraising scheme myself and another company member have organised this gig at South Street Arts Centre. It should be a great night! Tickets are £6 (£5 in advance!) Check out the bands on myspace and come and support Nothing To Declare!

http://www.myspace.com/hattiecarrolls

http://www.myspace.com/wearethebrinx

http://www.myspace.com/garageflowersuk

http://www.myspace.com/thescreenbeats