Project Archive

Young people from Petersfield and the surrounding areas came together for four days of workshops led by young theatre and music professionals.

The workshops culminated in a presentation based on musical theatre and featuring a colourful mix of song and dance.

Scenes from Annie, Mary Poppins and Oliver! were performed, and for the first time, members of First Steps took part. For some of these very small children, this would have been their first every experience of live theatre.

Easter Holidays 2005 and Petersfield Youth Theatre was to be found once again at Bedales School, this time with professional performers acting as leaders, taking individual groups of young people for workshops, with the aim of putting on a production of Bugsy Malone in just 4 days.

Director Nik Ashton worked with Musical Director Jonathan Gill and workshop leaders Caroline Sheen, Michael Jibson, Edwin Ray and Charlotte Alldridge.

The part of Bugsy was taken by Jordan Murphy who said that he had the most fun since joining the youth theatre. 130 young people took part in this project which was open to both members and non members of PYT.

Both the set and costumes were made on site by willing supporters within the four days, to provide a colourful and spectacular performance with plenty of glitz from Fat Sam’s Grand Slam and splurge from Dandy Dan’s Gang.

Bugsy Malone was the seventh Easter Holiday project which each year provides many young people with their first theatrical experience, often sewing the seeds for long lasting enthusiasm for musical theatre.

Five years after PYT’s first Easter Holiday Project, this enduring musical once again provided the challenge for 125 young people, supported by professional actors and musicians.

PYT’s Director of Education, Debbie Baty directed and choreographed the production, assisted by Kay Shepherd, who teaches dance at Laine Theatre Arts and the Royal Ballet School.

The lead roles were taken by Robert Miller (Joseph), Louise Dearman (Narrator) and Steven Paling (Pharoah). The Musical Director was John Pearson, assisted by Jonathan Gill and Ruth Paton was responsible for set design.

PYT’s hallmark of originality came to the fore with Ishmaelites in leather jackets on scooters, Potiphar with laptop and Joseph on gold rollerblades.

Many of the older members and friends of the youth theatre worked on sound, stage management, props and costumes and two performances were staged for friends and family on the last day.

For the fifth year in succession PYT took on the challenge to produce a Musical in just 4 days. This year more than one hundred and forty young people, both members and non-members teamed up with professional actors and musicians to produce the ever-popular Annie.

PYT’s Artistic Director Nik Ashton directed the performance with Jill Farrow as Musical Director. PYT first produced this musical in 1996 when Charlotte Alldridge played the part of Annie with Fudge as the dog Sandy.

Both Charlotte and Fudge were back this year to lend a hand and to support PYT Member Chloe Williams who took the role of Annie.

Working through the musical numbers with the help of professional actors, Lucy Cound, Alice and Sarah Redmond, Mark Roper and Russ Spencer the young people rose to the challenge and performed to full houses on the final day.

The Easter Holiday project 2003 was supported by EHDC.

140 members and non-members took part in this Easter Holiday Project at Bedales School.

Once again the challenge was all the more demanding due to the fact that few of the young people had experienced the music.

Based on the story of The Ugly Duckling, the National Theatre production of this musical won the Olivier Award for the Best Musical in 2000.

Ten professional actors and musicians supported youth theatre Artistic Director Nik Ashton, and a performance was given to an audience of 700 family and friends.

Easter Holiday Project, this time over a period of five days, this musical was performed with a cast of 140, once again with professionals working alongside the young people.

The music was new to most of the cast who worked hard to produce a high standard of performance.

The set involved a complex set of man-eating plants, which were made on site during the project by Head of Set Construction Patricia Buttery.

Easter Holiday Project. Richard Stilgoe’s comical but educational musical was produced in three days with 130 young people, three guest professionals and approximately 50 parents and friends to help with props, set and costumes.

Easter Holiday challenge to produce a musical in three days. 160 young people took part with the principal roles being performed by visiting theatre professionals.

PYT hosted this event and invited local Youth Theatres to participate. Three days of Street Theatre, workshops and a devised performance for Parents and Friends.