The Funky Future of Newport
Running from February to July 2022 on alternate Sundays at the Hub Newport, ‘The Funky Future of Newport – imagined through our children’s eyes’ was the first project by the Youth Theatre. Over the five months of drama workshops, the Youth Theatre explored the theme of imagining the future of Newport through drama exercises, conversations and drawings. The end play was a culmination of their main ideas which were pulled together into a script by the director and workshop leaders.
Feedback on the 10th July performance was resoundingly positive: ‘Fabulous that this was created from their own thoughts and ideas’, ‘A great first event. Onwards and upwards!’, ‘Children performed so well as a team’, ‘absolutely fantastic!’, ‘fantastic, entertaining, funny, well-rehearsed’, ‘They all performed with confidence which can only grow’. (See more comments below!)
This first Youth Theatre project was made possible with the support of funding from the Councillors’ Pride Fund, Annabel Lady Boughey Charity, Newport Town Council, Arnold Clark Community Fund, Telford and Wrekin CVS and Lilleshall Parish Council alongside the kind support of the Hub Newport staff and volunteers, our excellent team of Youth Theatre volunteers and committed parents/ guardians. Thank you all.
What some of the children had to say:
“I liked that it was only our ideas that got put in [to the performance]… My determination has got a lot better… you do a load of fun activities and you learn a lot more new skills”
“I am a bit better at socialising now and that has helped with starting secondary school… the play was just brilliant.. and people really enjoyed it so you should definitely try it as you never know you might like it!”
Cast & Creatives:
Cast:
- Harrison Brown – Planet Holidays son & ensemble
- Chloe Freeman – Food Pill mum & ensemble
- Hope Hillman – Stuffy the Dog & ensemble
- Holly Podmore – Planet Holidays daughter & ensemble
- Zachary Bates – Robobuddy 500 & ensemble
- Matthew Bowen – Food Pill light stand & Dave & ensemble
- Charlotte Garratt – Angela (robot mum) & Emma & ensemble
- Nate Hyde – Max (robot son) & Food Pill son & Alex & ensemble
- Mikayla Jones – Planet Holidays mum & Fiona & ensemble
- Theo Turnock-Ley – Planet Holidays dad & Robobuddy 700 & ensemble
Creatives:
- Oliver Alford, Ella Burchell, Libby Clarke – helped devise the show along with all the cast.
- Megan Jones & Edie Harrison – Assistant directors & workshop leaders
- Hannah de Quincey – Director & scriptwriter & workshop leader
Audience Feedback:
- Great. Impressed that children remembered lines and actions for all the parts.
- Very participative for the cast.
- It was interesting and entertaining.
- Absolutely fantastic! So unique and well thought ideas.
- Fun and well performed.
- Inspiring, collective thoughts of making life easier and less hectic – shows how impacts on the children of today.
- Fantastic, entertaining, funny. Well-rehearsed.
- Very good with differing age groups involved. They all performed with confidence which can only grow.
- Great. Impressed that children remembered lines and actions for all the parts.
- Very participative for the cast.
- It was interesting and entertaining.
- Absolutely fantastic! So unique and well thought ideas.
- Fun and well performed.
- Inspiring, collective thoughts of making life easier and less hectic – shows how impacts on the children of today.
- Fantastic, entertaining, funny. Well-rehearsed.
- Very good with differing age groups involved. They all performed with confidence which can only grow.
- Robo Buddy arrives at house. Friday dinner.
- Bits of humour. ‘Bon Appetit’ from a robot!
- The adverts and the clock.
- The acting! Such great emotions portrayed, kids looked like they it enjoyed it so much too!
- All of it! Space travel advert.
- How all the children supported and encouraged each other.
- A Funky Friday Night in Newport.
- Fabulous that this was created from their own thoughts and ideas.
- Just brilliant. Lovely. Well done. Very proud. Great achievement for all.
- Well done Hannah and the cast.
- Great to see a youth theatre back in Newport. Look forward to the next show.
- All the cast should be so proud of their achievements, such stars!
- Children performed so well as a team.
- Hard work shone through. Well done.
- Very expressive and clear delivery. Great teamwork.
- Wonderful robot costumes! A great first event. Onwards and upwards.
