ST MARY’S YOUTH THEATRE MAKES NEW CONNECTIONS

SMYT is taking part in New Connections, one of the world’s largest celebrations of youth theatre. NEW CONNECTIONS, produced by the National Theatre and supported by Bank of America, commissions new plays for and about young people from some of the best contemporary playwrights, for performance by schools and youth theatres from all over the UK and Ireland, both in their home venues and at regional partnership theatres.

Director Steve Archdale took part in the training weekend which launched New Connections at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. He met and took part in workshops with Jack Thorne, the writer of Burying Your Brother in the Pavement, which he has chosen from the ten plays on offer this year. SMYT will be performing it at Garforth Green Lane Primary School on Thursday 20th March and Friday 21st March, 7.30pm, then at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough on Saturday 26th April.

New Connections culminates at a celebratory Festival in July at the National Theatre in London, where an example of each play is chosen to be performed on the Olivier and Cottesloe stages.

This year the National Theatre announced a new partnership with Bank of America as supporters of New Connections, enabling the programme to involve young people outside mainstream education, such as those with special needs or young people at risk, in addition to the hundreds of schools and youth groups who regularly participate.

Nicholas Hytner, Director of the National Theatre, said: ‘Bank of America’s generous support will enable NEW CONNECTIONS to develop into an even more exciting programme. It promises to fire the imaginations and aspirations of everyone involved.’

Burying Your Brother in the Pavement by Jack Thorne
Tom’s brother is dead. He was killed by a broken bottle to the neck. This has upset a lot of people but it hasn’t upset Tom. Or, rather, it has upset him, but in ways he can’t explain. Tom really didn’t like Luke, but without him… This is a play about grief, and looking at someone that little bit more closely

Jack Thorne’s plays for stage include When You Cure Me (Bush, Radio 3’s Drama on Three, Barrow St Theatre, New York), Fanny and Faggot (Pleasance, Edinburgh, Finborough & Trafalgar Studios 2007) and Stacy (Tron, Arcola & Trafalgar Studios). His TV writing includes episodes of Skins, Shameless and The Spastic King. Jack is currently Pearson Writer-in-Residence at the Bush.

For further information, contact Steve at steve.archdale@btinternet.com

FROM TOKYO TO ROCK YOU

St Mary's Youth Theatre has had members from far and wide but Yui Suzuki holds the distance record by far. She joined SMYT in May after enroling at the Leeds College of Music to study Performing Arts. Yui is from Tokyo in Japan and has come to Leeds to enhance her chances of becoming a musical star back home. She met a boy in her 2nd year at Senior High School who was a young rising star in Musical Theatre who told her how wonderful it was to appear in Musicals. He said his dream was to play Marius in Les Miserables, a dream which has now been fulfilled. Inspired by this Yui decided to study in the UK to gain experience of life abroad and to learn to be strong morally.

She said " There's nothing that I can't do if I try really hard"

Yui is appearing in SMYT's production of We Will Rock You which is being performed at the Carriageworks, Leeds at the end of November. Tickets are now on sale.

SCHOOLS WE WILL ROCK YOU

THE CARRIAGEWORKS. WED 28 NOV - SAT 1 DEC 2008

CONGATULATIONS TO NICOLA

SMYT would like to congratulate an ex-member of the group who has just joined the company of the West End hit musical WICKED.After being awarded a Dance & Drama Award, Nicola Brazil (we knew her as Nicola Yeowart) recently graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London where she studied Musical Theatre Performance. Recent credits at Mountview include the roles of ‘Nancy’, ‘Tina’ and ‘Judith’ in Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens and ‘Albina’ in Brezhnev’s Children. Other credits include ‘Medea’ in Jason & The Argonauts - showcase performance, and ‘Elizabeth’ in Whistle Down The Wind - National Youth Music Theatre. TV Credits include the role of ‘Fran’ in Children’s Ward. In the year 2000, Nicola recorded her debut album, Cross The Battleline and was subsequently awarded the HMV Rising Star Award and named Touring Artist of the Year. Nicola is delighted to be making her West End Debut in WICKED. Nicola appeared in a number of early SMYT productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Billy and Oliver (playing the lead role of Oliver). Steve Archdale and everyone at SMYT wish Nicola the very best of luck and if you are in London why not go down and see her and say "hello".

SUMMER SCHOOLS PROVE A HIT WITH YOUNGSTERS

Youngsters have been busy honing their theatre skills at a series of week long summer schools in Garforth.
A trio of Summer Schools have been held over recent weeks by St Mary's Youth Theatre.Each provided an opportunity for children to practice their dancing, singing and acting skills before performing in front of parents.They were held at SMYT's base at Green Lane Primary School on Ribblesdale Avenue.

Dates for the Summer Schools 2008 are

Mon 28th July- Fri 1st August
Mon 4th Aug - Fri 8th August
Mon 11th Aug - Fri 15th August

* For further details of 2008 summer schools please contact Steve Archdale at steve.archdale@btinternet.com.

NEW LOCAL NEWS WEBSITE FOR GARFORTH

This is a link to Yorkshire Evening Post's community digital editor.
http://www.garforthtoday.co.uk/ is one of a series of free all inclusive websites run by the Yorkshire Evening Post which features all things local to Garforth. They are hoping it will prove to be a invaluable community resource. On the site you will find news and sport updates, latest local planning applications, video, audio and slideshows and a whole lot more - and updated on a DAILY basis.
St Mary's Youth Theatre hopes to make full use of the site and even has its own section! They are keen to run news stories of productions and events , previews, reviews as well as audio and pictures! Have a look and see what you think.

WE WILL ROCK YOU CAST LIST

CONGRATULATIONS TO ARANN SMITH FOR WINNING BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (HONK) AT THE AWARDS NIGHT AT THE CARRIAGEWORKS ON SATURDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2007.

SCARAMOUCHE MARIA STRUDWICK
GALLILEO JAMIE YEO
KILLER QUEEN NATASHA BOSELEY-YEMM
KHASHOGGI RYAN BRAY
MEAT KIM LISTER
BRITNEY MARTIN LOMAS

POP MICHAEL HUNTER
TEACHER HELEN FISHER

TEEN GIRLS

YUI SUZUKI

POPPY-JO LUMLEY

OLIVIA NOLAN

SOPHIE COCKERHAM

BOHEMIANS

YUI SUZUKI MICHAEL JACKSON

POPPY-JO LUMLEYPUFF DADDY

OLIVIA NOLAN ADAM ANT
SOPHIE COCKERHAM CHARLOTTE CHURCH

LAUREN MATTHEWS TINA TURNER
KIRSTEN MOORE ALANA MORRISETTE

IMOGEN HEY CLIFF RICHARD
CHRIS BROWN BIG MACCA

DANIELLE WRIGHT MADONNA
KATIE WILKINSON JACKSON FIVE
KATIE MATTHEWS EDDIE COCHRANE
GEORGIA SEEDHOUSE JUSTIN TROUSERSNAKE
CLEM ABBOTT BOB THE BUILDER

ABIGAIL PRUDOE ELTON JOHN

HELEN FISHER ROD STEWART

KILLER QUEEN YUPPIES
HANNAH SHAW
HANNAH MIDGLEY
NATALIE CLARK
AUDREY ABBOTT

COP 1 THOMAS PINDER
COP 2 ROBERT PINDER
DOCTOR DANIEL FISHER