1066 Youth Theatre

The time has come! When I joined the 1066 Youth Theatre I would never have known it would be such an experience. I can put my hands up and say this has been one of the greatest shows I've ever been part of. I have never met such a friendly and professional group of young people. Even though I am only 17 myself, I feel a lot older and have found it really interesting to meet so many young people as passionate about acting as I am. I'd just like to give a huge shout out to everyone in the ensemble because even though they don't have many lines, they still have to put in so much effort, and I can say from experience that this is no easy task. I would also like to thank everyone in the stage management team as they have helped us understand the discipline required backstage, including when to come on and where our props are located. Without them this production wouldn't be possible. I also want to thank the directors Niall, Barbara and Maureen for allowing me to be a p...

The countdown is on. Two days until our first show and we are all very excited. Today has been very busy as we had our very first technical run and full dress rehearsal.  We started at 12 and finished at 8. When we got there, we had to do a cue to cue. This a rehearsal for the lighting, sound etc, and not the actors (for once). After the cue to cue, we had our dress rehearsal with lights and sound. Being under the stage lights was very hard as it was very, very hot. This is my first year acting with 1066 Youth Theatre and I have loved every moment of it. If you haven't done the 1066 Youth Theatre then I would definitely recommend coming next year. Lily Pierce (Ensemble in David Copperfield )

Well, as Fatboy Slim once sang, 'We've come a long long way together'. I can certainly say that. We are starting to do full runs, and on Monday, a technical run through. I cannot say I'm not excited. These past two weeks, for me, have involved the building of props and rigging a few lights (if you see the prison bars, kite, and neck sign, think of me). It has been a social adventure, making new friends, and noticing more and more about them everyday. A learning experience as well as many life skills, such as how to make a good cup of tea, have been learned. Yesterday I got my first experience handling the lighting board. I sat down in front of the desk, my inner fangirl screaming inside me. It was definitely fun playing with the moving lights. Cutting out colour is certainly not as fun, but just as essential. Today was a rest day for the actors, but a work day for the lighting, and a hard one at that. Once we finished aligning the lights, making sure they lo...

I am part of the stage management team and am working with Jane on the book for David Copperfield , which is something I have not fully done before. We note down every movement an actor makes: their entrances and exits, whether they sit or stand, walk past each other or lift someone. We use symbols and signs for each character and action so we can record the blocking and keep up with the rehearsal.  Changes are very frequent when blocking a production, especially for David Copperfield because it has a lot of movement. Soon enough the show changes and reshapes itself. The closer the production comes, the more jobs you have to do, for example finding props. This week we made the props list and then found them all in the cupboard or loft. Looking through all the used props is one of my favourite parts of working backstage; Finding notebooks where actors have written their lines from plays performed before I was even born is incredibly interesting. But for me, the best ...

In a few days we will be ready to take the stage, and show the public our interpretation of David Copperfield . The play has come together remarkably well, from just practising a few lines to a full play in just a few weeks. Although it has been quite a challenge, the rewards have made it all worthwhile. I have learnt new techniques and grown in confidence. Today we ran through the whole play. For the ensemble, Act One is where we are needed frequently, whereas in Act Two we are needed less. This allows the younger actors to gain experience from watching the main cast. This is my first time acting with 1066 Youth Theatre. Overall it has been a phenomenal experience. I have made new friends and learnt a lot. I would love to do it again next year and would recommend it to anyone. Photo by Peter Mould Eve Brownbill (Ensemble in David Copperfield )

Well, today was an intense one for the year 11's of the cast, as we went off to get GCSE results and came back to a very welcoming cast full of support for us. To me personally, it really highlighted the relationships and the cast's ability to support each other. Today we worked on tidying up a couple of scenes and increasing the pace of the play. We changed the opening of the play, which is extremely important because the opening scene of a performance really needs to capture the audience and draw them right in. In the scene, each member of the cast can be seen placing props and other Victorian elements of the set. David Copperfield has a twist and a touch of modern, not only shown through the stylised elements of the play, but also the costumes that have been planned. We also ran Act Two near the end of the rehearsal to again tidy up scenes. We spent the day without scripts on stage, pushing us to really know our lines. This was very good as it stopped us from relying on...

It's now exactly a week until the opening night and I can't quite believe how quickly it's passed and how far we've come.  Although most of us could quite happily fall asleep on our feet when we get home, it is so satisfying to watch things come together in such a short space of time. Today we have rehearsed the whole of Act 1 and have gone over many scenes from Act 2 as well. One of the scenes I was very excited to go over was the wedding scene as I have been asked to provide live music for a dance. This was equally challenging and nerve-racking as it is a completely new experience for me. However, with a lot of unwavering support and practise, we managed to get the music to fit with only a few mistakes on my part.  A scene was also added for my character at the beginning of Act 2 and, despite it being only a few seconds long with no dialogue, I feel that it gives more of an insight into how he is feeling after the events of Act 1. This is my first time perfor...

It's safe to say that today has been one of the most tiring, yet rewarding, days at the Stables Theatre so far. My feet are aching, my entire body is overwhelmed with a sense of fatigue, however, this tiredness wasn't all for nothing. Throughout the course of the day we have run countless scenes, sometimes performing them for the very first time on stage, and other times reworking certain aspects of the scene, for example, to sort out staging, or to explore new ideas and concepts. The sheer amount of scenes we have run through today has given the cast, and crew, a sense of pride, as it gave us a visual representation of just how much hard work and effort we have put into this play over our time at the Stables. Although we've only been working on 'David Copperfield' for just over a week now, the strength of the bonds made between cast members are ones like friends who have known each other for decades. When acting, there has to be a sense of trust between all...

After a relaxing weekend off for cast members and backstage crew alike: week two, day one, comes as a slight shock. With the first performance now only a week and two days away, the pressure is on to rocket through the scenes and memorise our lines as soon as possible, so we're able to piece together and perfect 'David Copperfield' for opening night. However groggy we happened to be feeling, we quickly overcame it and began to rehearse, splitting into smaller groups ready to run our lines and combine ideas leading to us ironing out any creases we felt were present. Peter Mould, the photographer at the Stables, came in and took some photographs while all the actors worked on their stage presence and line delivery. These photos will later be used to form the programme for the show. Today for me was extremely busy and I had to face some of the larger scenes while also reflecting and trying to understand my character more, which will lead to a stronger performance. I f...

Today’s rehearsal of David Copperfield was rather relaxing. As yesterday was the last day of the first week of rehearsals, the company dynamic has started to get more comfortable. We, as an ensemble of actors, directors, stage managers and musicians, have much more of an understanding of where we want the play to go and how to get there. Most of the cast (mainly ensemble) had the day off to rest and to learn lines, while some of the main characters with definite scenes came in to rehearse from 10:00 till 1:00. This may only be three hours and would normally take us up to about lunch time, however, this was a packed three hours full of lots of exciting and imaginative things. I, for example, worked with another company member on the choreography of a stylistic scene where a ship in the play sinks and two characters, including my own, drowns. We went off to the Gwen Watford and started to work on a sequence. The idea behind this sequence/scene was that we were to be underwater and...

Today marked the last full day in our first week of 'David Copperfield' rehearsals at the Stables Theatre, and I think it would be fair to say that by the half-way point things are coming along very well indeed. 'Copperfield' will be my third production with the youth theatre and under the direction of Niall, Barbara and Maureen the quality of theatre we manage to create in such a small space of time is always something I'm very proud to be a part of. After some warm-up games which got the whole group laughing, the morning comprised of devising physical movement scenes with the chorus, dramatising key events in David's story; from his job in the noisy bottle factory, to his long trip to see his aunt in Dover. Watching from the auditorium seats, it was clear that the chorus are really coming together as a group and their scenes together were effective and very well executed. Much of the morning I spent learning lines. My character often takes on a somewhat ...

This Thursday, I could see the whole cast moulded to become a large group of close friends. We've all cultivated a strong bond in which we can support each other. This helps with learning lines and feeling comfortable acting alongside one another. I believe this amazing accomplishment must be due to our active staff and experienced elder members. They've always helped create a friendly atmosphere for fresh faces. We started our morning by being guided through a warm-up by one of our directors. This warm-up's purpose was to improve our confidence in performing on stage and in front of others. We were taught to be conscious of our posture and habits on stage. We also created a circle in which we took turns to stand in the middle, look into everyone's eyes and introduce ourselves. I thought I could show more confidence by placing myself in everyone's faces instead of standing in the middle. I was nervous at first, but I found this to be a perfect opportunity to show off...

The third day in and everyone is settling into their roles. You start to really bond with the people around you. You're constantly learning from the adults, and your cast-mates as well. I'm amazed at the work that we've all done in only two days; it's really starting to fit together. It's great to watch everyone work with each other, giving feedback and sound advice. This is my first year and I already feel so involved in what we're doing. I'm excited to see more! Rosie Richardson (Clara, David Copperfield's Mother in David Copperfield)

Day two of Youth Theatre done and it already feels like a week has gone by. People have already become more comfortable with each other as friendships grow, thinking more about their characters and constantly creating different directions and ideas for scenes. It is obvious, already, the dedication and commitment people are bringing, excitedly waiting for their scenes. The great thing is everyone is just beginning to discover what they can do - how they can push themselves whilst being surrounded by people who will only positively support them. This is my fourth Youth Theatre now and yet it still feels as if I’m brand new to it all, as I meet and work with new and talented people all working towards making David Copperfield the best it can be. Rehearsals It is great fun working with all the new people, especially with the younger version of David: watching him and talking to him, and then incorporating his mannerisms and movements into my own work to really be able to captu...

The first day of Youth Theatre is always a strange one. For the past four years I have walked into a brand new group of people with new skills and ideas and it is amazing. You're suddenly thrown into a lively and full-on atmosphere. There's nowhere to hide, but no one wants to. There's no pressure or overly high expectations of anyone. The directors, Niall, Barbara and Maureen, only want to see you grow onstage as well as offstage, and I have never found myself in a more intense yet inspiring environment. The first day is quite obviously the toughest, but also the most exciting. You get an idea for the characters and scenarios the company will bring to life, as well as the people you're about to spend every day for the next (almost!) three weeks with. I already can't wait for next year!  Script for David Copperfield Emily Cooper, Youth Theatre regular. (Uriah Heep in David Copperfield)

This summer we are rebooting the Youth Theatre at the Stables Theatre in Hastings! We had a gap last year when we had the opportunity to be part of the Root1066 Festival and we are returning with a dynamic and different approach. We're aiming to make the 1066 Youth Theatre solely about the young people and will be encouraging them to share their voices and get involved. This blog will be updated regularly with posts from a number of members that will give you an insight into this summer's project David Copperfield . Hope any readers in the Hastings area, between the ages of 14 and 19, will be inspired to get involved in future productions, or at least come and see the show (which is for all ages)! More info to follow! Updated logo for the 1066 Youth Theatre (by Hermione Hawkins, former member of YT) Email: 1066youththeatre@gmail.com Twitter:  @1066theatre