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LYT CHOSEN TO PERFORM AT THE NATIONAL..... LYT has been chosen from a staggering 400 young companies to perform their recent production A Bridge to the Stars at the National Theatre in July. LYT will be one of 9 companies performing newly written plays as part of the NT Connections Scheme. LYT has been to chosen to open the festival on the prestigious Olivier stage on Monday16 th July. “We are absolutely thrilled and delighted with the news and look forward to this marvellous opportunity. It is the dream of most professional actors to perform at the National especially on the Olivier stage. Just thinking of all the great actors from Lawrence Olivier to Daniel Day Lewis, anyone who is anyone in the British Theatre has trod the boards on the Olivier stage.” explained Chris Rees Artistic Director of LYT. The NT Connections scheme is about young people taking part in new writing especially commissioned by the National Theatre. “We first took part 1995; it is an amazing scheme which provides so many opportunities to everyone who participates. First you perform the play in your home town then you get to perform the piece at a regional theatre with other Youth Companies. We were excited this year as Bristol Old Vic was chosen as our regional theatre, which is probably one of the most famous regional theatres in the world as well as being the world’s oldest.” Llanelli Youth Theatre will perform at Bristol Old Vic on 5 th July, alongside 12 other youth theatres from South Wales and the South West of England. A Bridge to the Stars is adapted from the semi-autobiographical novel by Swedish author Henning Mankell (famous for his crime fiction novels) about a boy and a town. Joel is 11 and lives alone with his dad. Joel has no friends. So he forms a secret society. All his adventures happen in the middle of the night while the town sleeps. He searches for a dog he has glimpsed that is “headed for a star”. He never finds the dog but he finds Ralph instead. All comes to a head when Joel stands up to Ralph but he risks his life to do so. In a gripping climax, Joel is stranded 100 feet up on an icy railway viaduct in the middle of the night…. The story is set in Sweden in the middle of winter in 1956. “A Bridge to the Stars” is a strong psychological drama told by an ensemble who are on stage throughout. The playwright John Retallack has adapted the novel for the stage. Helen Prosser, NT Connections Producer in her assessment report on LYT’s production of A Bridge to the Stars says: “There was a very high level of professionalism at work here. It was a delight to meet this company. They should be enormously proud of what they achieved….. Llanelli Youth Theatre is a well-established organisation which like many other youth theatres survives on very little but thrives none the less. At its core is a drive to impart a professional attitude and work ethic. This company is a vital resource for the area and is (and should continue to be) supported”. LYT now has to fundraise to take up these prestigious opportunities to perform at the Olivier Theatre London and at the Bristol Old Vic. The cost to the company is a staggering ₤10,000. They have embarked on a series of fundraising events, and are looking for the support of local businesses and individuals to help them achieve their target in this limited time period. As the lead character of Joel, a nine year old boy from Swiss Valley School , Ryan Davies will follow in the steps of so many great actors on the Olivier Stage in July. Artistic Director Chris Rees said “this is an amazing opportunity for anyone let alone someone so young. Ryan’s performance as Joel is probably the best I have ever seen on stage by a young actor; he is a leading man. He dominates this production and is on stage throughout its entirety. I am extremely proud of him and I have to keep pinching myself to remind me that he is only nine. He is an absolute delight to work with and has a professional work ethic, no tantrums or primadonna attitudes that you sometimes come across. This young man will go far; he’s been a member for some years now and has flourished through weekly workshops and productions.” The production has a cast of 13 actors whose age range from seven to nineteen and who remain throughout the production on stage. A coach trip is running on Monday 16 th July for all those who wish to see Llanelli Youth Theatre perform at the National. Further details are available from Jill Stevens Company Administrator, 01554 773894 / 07870 385513 |
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