Young Company 15-18 Autumn 2023

Booking

The booking window for this term has now passed.

Please complete our expression of interest form here, if you would like to be notified about relevant course booking information for future classes.

What is it?

This is an 11-week course for young people aged 15-18 who would like to be involved in an inspiring, collaborative company of actors and creatives. We will be rehearsing and developing an alternative Christmas show based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. We will be taking inspiration from a variety of genres including comedy, cabaret and panto, as well as exploring the darker themes within the story. 

As a member of Young Company 15-18, you will also gain unique insight into what goes on behind-the-scenes by taking part in an interactive comedy-based workshop with Director and writer Alex Jackson. 

Course Content

Week 1: Intro
The company will be introduced to the story that we will be taking inspiration from this term, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. We will practically explore the different ways this has been performed previously and what other possibilities are available to us. 

Week 2: Script
We'll be developing our script, making it relevant to our Young Company using a combination of text and improvisation. We will play with the themes that the company feel most passionately about and explore how these can be incorporated into our storytelling. 

Week 3: Genre
We will be further developing our piece by exploring what genres best enable us to tell our version of A Christmas Carol; is it going to involve elements of a ghost story? Comedy? Pantomime? Absurdity? Cabaret? Is it going to be immersive?  

Week 4: Character
This week we will be exploring character and relationships. This story includes lots of intricate characters with interesting, complex relationships. We will be taking a deep dive into how they can be presented on stage through a variety of ‘active listening’ and physical/vocal exercises. 

Week 5: Environment
In this session we will explore how to create the environment and atmosphere of our story; asking how we relate to it and how we would like our audience to experience it. We will have access to using lighting and sound effects to help us achieve this.

Weeks 6-8: Intensive Rehearsal 
These weeks will involve rehearsing the piece we have created (a combination of original text and scenes we have devised). The room will run as a professional rehearsal room, where the company will receive constructive direction and actionable adjustments to enable them to tell the story in the most fun and authentic way. Week 8 will be ‘off-book’ so all lines will need to be learnt by this session. 

Week 9: Tech 
This week, where possible, we will be adding technical aspects into our rehearsal, including lighting and sound effects.  

Week 10: Dress Rehearsal 
This week will be run as a dress rehearsal so that the company can feel fully prepared before next week's performance. 

Week 11: Performance 
The company will warm up, rehearse with tech and then perform for an invited audience in the theatre’s Morris Space on Monday 27 November at 8pm.

Running time approximately 1 hour. 

During one of the above classes towards the beginning of term, we will be having our comedy workshop with director and writer Alex Jackson.

Drop-in sessions, or full course?

Participants will gain maximum benefit from this course by attending all 11 classes.  

The Creative Learning programmes depend on course fees to run. For this reason we take payment ahead of the course and fees are non-refundable. 

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for this course, please email our Creative Engagement Manager, Carys Thomas ([email protected]) for more information. 

Photos by Alessandra Davison.

Supported by Tara House Nursery, Park Theatre's Creative Engagement Sponsor.