A THEATRE group made up of students from the Hurst school has received a five star review for its production, Splinters.
The play, written and directed by head of drama, Judy Seall, was performed at the fringe festival between August 8 and August 13.
The cast was entirely made up of young people, with ages ranging from 11 to 16 years.
“It was extraordinary, it’s been such a high,” said Judy.
“We hadn’t been to the Edinburgh Festival for six years, so it was just wonderful to be back.
There were 18 young people in the cast, with a backstage crew and music provided by ex students.
“I think it was extraordinary for all of us,” she continued.
“The young people told me it had been the opportunity of a lifetime to play at the Edinburgh Festival, that it was inspirational, a life changing experience.”
Dolphin Youth Theatre’s Splinters, tells the story of an Edwardian family’s demise, in a performance that brings together comedy, music, dance and physicality.
Described as a perplexing and compelling tale about children who fall through the cracks of parenting, the play follows a group of siblings, thrown out of home by their father, with just a leg of lamb.
“It was an idea I had been working on for a couple of years,” added Judy.
“I wanted to explore parenting, trauma and the threads that link us to the past.
“But the writing was definitely a collaborative process.
“When people in Edinburgh asked the cast who wrote the piece, they truthfully said, ‘Judy wrote it, and we edited it’.”
In the play, vivid characters and compelling cameos from the past are cleverly linked to the present, as it turns out that the house the family occupied whilst alive, now faces demolition.
Modern-day Nate visits the building, trying to find a connection to his great grandparents, and inspiration for a film script.
“We went to the foundling museum in London, for research, and the cast were so moved by what they saw,” said Judy.
“There were cabinets filled with the tokens mothers attached to their babies when they had to leave them at the Foundling Hospital.”
These were left with an infant as a means of identification, in the hope that one day they might be re-united with their parent.
“There were ribbons and bottle tops, even a tiny ivory fish,” explained Judy.
“After the visit, one of the cast said, ‘I think we need to look at the end of the play after what we’ve seen today’, and we did.
“It wasn’t a big change, but it worked.”
Music, played live by ex pupil Oliver Hagen, and a set design from Joe de Mounteney completed the production.
“Extraordinarily, creating music for a show was something Oliver had never done before!
“We do all like a challenge at Dolphin School.” she laughed.
Dolphin Youth Theatre performed to appreciative audiences at The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall.
Reviewer, Robin Strapp praised the production in the British Theatre Guide, saying:
‘It is seldom that you see such polished, thoughtful work from such a young company, but this company excels.’
Russell Brand, in a tweet, gave them the thumbs up too, describing the group as, ‘brilliant’.
Judy is pretty pleased too.
“As I said in the programme, I’m incredibly lucky, and deeply grateful to have the privilege of working with young people, who lead me through tunnels of inventiveness, chaos-making and, at times, despair, but who emerge the other side with something collective and beautiful.
“This production was exactly that for me.”
