It’s always good to hear of successful projects for under 21s, many of whom have had little exposure to theatre through their home and school life - both in and out of school time. The Young Friends of the Almeida (YFA) scheme is one such.
Set up in 2008, it allows any young person in London interested in taking part in producing theatre (not just acting in it) to work and engage with the Almeida Theatre’s building and staff. “Two years in and they’ve really begun to contribute to our organisation’s culture and wider audience development, having spoken at board meetings and getting involved in programming the activity they want to participate in,” Charlie Payne, Almeida’s Projects Administrator, tells me.
Next week there’s a production to mark the end of Almeida’s second year-long project for a group of fifteen 15-21 year-olds. The Red Helicopter brings together a broad group of young people, mostly from Almeida’s partner state secondary schools in Islington, and I’m really sorry that I can’t get there on Friday 6th or Saturday 7th August to see their production.
So how does it all work? The group has come together regularly to explore each of the Almeida Theatre’s season of plays in practical workshop sessions - from Judgment Day through Mrs Klein, Rope, Measure for Measure and Ruined. Working with them has been a team of emerging professionals, including director Tessa Walker (who’s recently left her post as Literary Director of Paines Plough), designer Cecilia Carey, choreographer Kitty Winter and musical director Eilidh Debonnaire. Writer Robin French attended all these sessions and participated in discussions about the plays, wherein the participants drew out the themes and ideas that most affected them, growing up in London.
In February French went away to write the play and since April the group has been rehearsing The Red Helicopter. The play is set in London in 2072, a post-apocalyptic world where the only people remaining are society’s outcasts - including this group of unwanted children. Under the brutal leadership of the self-titled ‘Daddy’, they struggle for survival and constantly hope for rescue. The play tells the story of the rebellion that topples Daddy’s ruthless dictatorship.
Director Tessa Walker says of the project: “The chance for a young cast to work so closely with a professional team on a play specifically written for them is unique and exciting. It is an excellent opportunity for an audience to see a new generation of actors and emerging professionals in a production of a brand new play for young people.”
So who are these young people? In alphabetical order the YFA Company is: Diego Alejandro, Kim Brewin, Nina Chograshi, Omar Choudhury, Jessica DeFreitas, Jake Head, Aisha Josiah, Mollie Keane, Nickcolia King, Misha Patel, Hauk Pattison, Robert Ristic, Zakiyah Rawat, Josie Roughneen, Emma Tye, Cataline Zuliani.
I wish them every success with their show next week.
