Join LYME YOUTH THEATRE and be part of it...

It costs just £5 a year to join. For this you will get a regular Newsletter, ticket discounts for most Marine Theatre events, priority when booking places on LYT classes and workshops, performance opportunities, and more! 

You must be a member to register for classes and take part in performances.

About LYME YOUTH THEATRE...

Based at the Marine Theatre, LYT is creating an ensemble of well-skilled and motivated young actors between the ages of 5 and 21.  Running since 2005, LYT’s professional tutors use a multi-faceted approach to create an environment in which members can explore and fulfil their potential. Voice work, improvisation, movement, mime and stage combat are just some of the skills taught. 

Our productions have ranged from ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Macbeth’ for the Shakespeare Schools Festival to ‘Just’ by Ali Smith, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and our own versions of Peter Pan, Robin Hood, the Little Mermaid, 'Fantastic Mr Fox', 'Alice' and Philip Pulman's 'Clockwork'.  Older members took part in the National Theatre Connections programme last year, performing 'The Beauty Manifesto' at the Marine Theatre and at Bristol Old Vic.

The aim is to introduce the company to the best of modern and classical theatre practice and technique. Performance skills are known to boost confidence and self-esteem, and we hope our members will be able to transfer these skills to work done in school, university or vocational drama training. We also offer opportunities to learn about stage management, including lighting and sound.  We are very proud that four of our members have been selected to join the National Youth Theatre, and at least two of our members have chosen 'Theatre' as a career.

Saturday morning classes over three terms from September to June/July form our core programme. There are 3 classes:  LYT Beginners is for 5 - 7s, YLYT is for the 8-11s and LYT is for the 12-16s.  At 14 members may become part of LYT Company.  There are also one-off workshops and a Summer School. We have a tradition of supporting local events ranging from Carnival to the Fossil Festival and ArtsFest. All these give members varied experiences from acting on stage to street theatre.

About CONNECTIONS - National Theatre Project

LYT Company (Lyme Youth Theatre for over 14s) has again been accepted to take part in Connections, a National Theatre project which has run annually for many years, for which they commission 10 new plays and have 200 youth companies perform them (at their own theatres and at regional theatres – we are going to Plymouth Theatre Royal on 5 May) and one performance of each play goes to the National Theatre in July 2012.  See http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/connections

This year LYT is working in association with Woodroffe School and ‘Little Foot’, the play we have chosen, will be directed by Anne Cruwys-Finnigan. 

Here is Anne's message to you all about the play:

                                           ‘Little Foot’ by Craig Higginson

On The National Theatre Connections website I found this description of the play -

“Deep within the South African underground caves, a group of friends meet to spend the night and explore its mysteries.  The so called ‘Cradle of Humankind’ caves are home to the oldest human remains. As the young friends venture deeper and deeper, strained relations and questions of loyalty take hold. With truths revealed and loyalties undone, these modern teenagers are stripped back to their primordial instincts.

Surrounded by a chorus of ancestral voices, the group unravels. Just how far will modern humans go to exact revenge? This poetic play draws on Greek Tragedy and South African folklore to create a powerful portrayal of modern relationships”.

A good description but a bit cryptic, to tell you a bit more - five teenagers, aged about 17/18 meet in one of these famous caves that are part of the ‘Cradle of Humankind’, near Johannesburg in South Africa. The caves are famous because incredibly old fossils of our direct ancestors ‘homo habilis hominins’ have been found there. Also the remains of an even more ancient human ancestor, of about two and half million years old was found almost complete, because it was small it was nicknamed ‘Little Foot’. Google it.

The teenagers are there for a dare, to spend the night in the cave. There are two couples and lots of history between them. While they are there strange things happen, Little Foot appears, he will be a puppet probably controlled by two performers. The bones/fossils/ancestors/memories/spirits are present, these will be played by a chorus as a physical ensemble.

When I first read the play I wasn’t particularly impressed but having read it again more carefully I have decided that it is a really interesting play and I feel really excited at the thought of directing it. It has masses of potential for chorus and ensemble movement and sound/music work as well as some strong, challenging naturalistic acting.

The chorus will wear masks and be strange and mysterious! The teenagers (two girls and three boys) will be teenagers, they get a bit out of control, it feels a bit like ‘Lord of the Flies’ at this point and one of them ends up being tied up and left on his own, this is when he encounters Little Foot and the ancestors. The audience is then led to believe that he has been killed in the cave in a terrible accident...

                                                                    - Anne Cruwys-Finnigan, Director

(Please note that this project is open to anyone aged 14 – 19 – you do not have to be connected with Woodroffe School).

All enquiries to LYT coordinator:           

Monika Henshaw

Marine Theatre Office

Church Street

Lyme Regis

                     DT7 3QA                      

Tel: 01297 442394

Email:  LYT@marinetheatre.com

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