The participants of Playmakers Youth Theatre return to Theatre Royal Winchester on Friday 20 March with their annual Playmakers Youth Takeover.
This year the young performers of the youth theatre’s School Years 3 – 6 and 7 – 9 groups and its drama clubs at Olivers Battery and Wickham primary schools will present a number of shows they have been working on since September. Formed from their own ideas and inspired by the theme: generations, the shows are packed with energy and imagination.
The School Year groups will perform a show about two very different sisters thrown into extraordinary, vibrant worlds including an underwater kingdom and a tech-land, triggered by a time capsule.
As they encounter challenges, they must learn to communicate and work together.
The show is inspired by the participants exploring generations then a deep dive into mobile phone use, screen-time, and how siblings connect or clash. Funny and heartfelt, the play celebrates imagination, teamwork and the messy, magical bonds between siblings.
The primary school drama clubs will perform a show set in a land powered entirely by imagination, where fairies make the rules, rabbits can talk, and marshmallow baths are possible – and how when a mysterious phone appears, sparkle levels fall and everyone must work together to save their home. For this show the young participants explored growing up in a world full of technology, the pull of phones, and the power of imagination. It’s a show full of humour and heart with the message: Choose magic. Stay present. No phones!
The youth theatre’s Year 10+ participants will perform the play Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman about a boy whose class is told to write a poem about someone they care about. Sam volunteers to write about Davey. Davey was Sam’s friend – not that Sam wanted anyone to know that,
Davey liked to see the world in a different way to everybody else. But no matter how much Sam liked being with Davey, he always denied their friendship. Then one day, the bullying goes a step too far. Will Sam step in to help his friend?
The play is filled with emotion, humour and honesty and is one of a number of plays that will be performed by young people across the country as part of National Theatre Connections – a festival celebrating young people, theatre making and the importance of access to the arts.
The Year 10+ group will perform Cloud Busting additionally at MAST Mayflower Studios, in Southampton, on Saturday 25 April at 7pm, as part of National Theatre Connections, with the venue a Partner Theatre of the festival.
Playmakers’ Young People’s Producer, Shian Hunter, said: “At Youth Theatre, young people take the lead – creating, devising, and performing theatre that is entirely their own. Our ethos is to give participants a safe and supportive space to explore ideas, take risks and discover their own voices. This show is the result of weeks of imagination, teamwork and dedication. We hope it inspires audiences, makes them laugh, and shows the incredible talent and energy of our young performers.”
Playmakers Youth Takeover is a chance for the families of the performers, plus, theatre audiences, to celebrate what the participants have achieved in their youth theatre sessions since September, including what theatre skills and confidence they’ve gained.
This is a Pick Your Price event meaning audiences can choose the ticket price that works best for them –from £5.
The Playmakers Youth Takeover will be at Theatre Royal Winchester on Friday 20 March at 7pm. Recommended age: 13+ (Cloud Busting contains themes of bullying, on-stage violence, references to anxiety and poverty, and one sexual reference). For more information, or to book tickets, visit: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk or call 01962 840 440.
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