STUDENTS at Reading College will be presenting a new piece of theatre to the stage next spring.
The Level 2 Performing and Productions Arts students are to join in the National Theatre’s Connections showcase from the new year.
The youngsters will perform Finding A Partner, a commentary on how society views love and what it deems important.
To help them, they will have regular workshops with playwright Miriam Bettye. and assigned a professional director from the National Theatre, either via Zoom or in person closer to the time of the performance.
By the end of the autumn term, students will find out which playhouse or theatre they will be paired with. The National Theatre is hoping that the students will be able to do a dress rehearsal and final performance at their chosen theatre but are just looking into the best way to do so, given the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.
The director from the National Theatre will also watch one of the performances and give the students feedback which can be used for reflection, helping them to improve future performances.
Katie Townsend, performing arts lecturer at Activate Learning, said: “I’m really excited that our students are going to be taking part in the National Theatre’s Connections annual festival which will be a really good production that they can utilise for their CVs and work experience.
“Students will have the opportunity to work alongside theatre industry professionals, including an assigned playwright and director. They’ll touch on different elements such as tech and costume design, as well as working with outside agencies to refine their professional and communication skills.
“They’ll have specific roles and duties to take responsibility for and one of the students, Callum Wade, will be working alongside me as a director.
“They’ll be taking directions and learning to self-direct.
“It’ll also give the students the opportunity to work closely together and start negotiating and managing themselves as a company, which I think is a really good skill to have especially in terms of refining their professionalism, entrepreneurship skills, not just on an arts scale but on a professional level and to make them more employable.”
Jesse Dopson, performing arts student at Reading College, said: “I’m really excited to work with professionals and the National Theatre.
“I’m also excited to take part in a play that I’ve never done before and hasn’t been performed before which is a bit of a challenge.
“It’ll be good to be able to perform on an actual stage in a professional atmosphere and looking into how directors, the playwright and other professionals will give us directions and influence the show.”
