New Wimbledon Theatre showcases talents of 300 young people
Wimbledon schoolchildren will be taking centre stage in a unique collaboration between New Wimbledon Theatre Creative Learning, local charity WCTT and Merton Music Foundation.
They will perform Grace, featuring original live music and a script created by a professional scriptwriter with a group of young writers.
It will showcase the talents of 300 young people as actors, writers, singers, dancers and musicians when it takes to the main stage at New Wimbledon Theatre on July 14.
Grace is the original story of a young girl, her passion for music and her struggle to have her voice heard.
It has been written by NWT’s Creative Learning Manager Andy Alty, who said of the show, “In the last five years I’ve worked with over 20,000 young people from Merton. Grace is inspired by them- their stories, their hopes, their dreams and fears. At its heart it’s the story of the power of the arts to change young people’s lives- something I’ve had the privilege of witnessing for myself many times…”
His credits as a writer include the Royal Court Theatre, Soho theatre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The play is directed by Kate McGregor (winner of the Noel Coward Trainee Director Bursary 2012 at The Salisbury Playhouse).
Music and lyrics written by Adam Saunders (Sing Up!, Musical Futures and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra) and Phil Merriman (co-director of Be Creative Music and composer for large-scale youth productions including the Royal Albert Hall in 2015.)
Choreography and movement by Diane Alison-Mitchell (Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bush Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester.)
The Production Designer is Florence McHugh (Southwark Theatre, Hampstead Theatre and the Bush Theatre).
Grace: A Youth Musical is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and funding from The Goldsmiths Company.
Participating groups: WCTT Young Actors Company, Cricket Green School, Harris Academy Merton, Perseid School, Ricards Lodge High School, Rutlish School, Bond Primary School.
Songwriting schools; Abbotsbury, The Sherwood, & Hollymount Primary School.
House band; Merton Youth Jazz Orchestra 2.
June 24, 2016