PERFORMING arts students from Wiltshire College & University Centre’s Trowbridge campus will be performing at the Bristol Old Vic as part of a National Theatre project.
The college was chosen to be part of the UK-wide initiative and 15 students will debut a new comedy horror play, called Fresh Air, by Vicky Donoghue at the world famous theatre.
Performing arts lecturer Lauren Stone-Symes said it will be a rare chance for the students, some of whom are in their first year, to perform on a professional stage. “To be able to perform new writing, especially at a college level, is a really rare and lovely thing,” she said.
“It’s a massive opportunity, the sort of thing that I wish that I had had when I was their age.
The play tells the story of a group of disaffected students who have all been excluded from schools. They are sent on a teambuilding orienteering expedition and meet a group of ghosts who were sent to a sanatorium in 1927 to clear their tuberculosis.
“There are lots of really good moments of comedy which has been really fun and easy for them to get into” said Lauren. “But as it’s a horror comedy, getting some of the horror across has been a bit of a fun challenge. They are doing really well with it though.”
Second year student Zoe Haythornthwaite, 19, of Steeple Ashton, is playing one of the ghosts. “It’s really fun and so interesting to get the kind of the characterisations, it’s absolutely brilliant,” she said. “I love being able to be so creepy and I’m really excited and slightly terrified about the prospect of using fake blood and having it come out of my mouth.”
The students are excited at the prospect of treading the boards of a professional stage. Second year student Emma Preston, 17, of Trowbridge, said: “I’ve always loved Bristol Old Vic. To perform there will be really cool, especially with the college.
“You have the safety net of being able to work with Lauren and produce the show and then to be able take it to a professional theatre is really cool – and a little bit scary.”
Second year student Max Brooks, 19, added: “I am grateful to have the opportunity, it’s a lovely theatre and I’m looking forward to it.”
Because the play is brand new the students have been able to put their own interpretations on the script. “Everything has been completely up to them,” said Lauren.
“They are doing it how they’ve wanted to do it, so it will be like a professionally realised production with their ideas for sets, costume and music. They ‘ve all been given a production role as well as their acting role, so they’ve all got a hand in the front and the backstage part.
“Everyone is acting, bar one student who has just been directing, but we’ve had teams doing sound and lighting design as well.”
As part of the project a mentor/director from the National Theatre will visit rehearsals to pass on advice and guidance.
The students says they are excited at showing off their skills. “I’m looking forward to performing in front of family and friends,” said first year student Hanna Dobson, 16, of Devizes. “You want to go out and do your best for them to show them what you can do.”
Lauren said a big part of the college’s performing arts courses is getting out on stage in front of an audience. “One of the main things we teach is, ‘can you believe in yourself enough to step into the shoes of someone else?’ This is a real challenge for the students and we’re all excited to see what they make of it.”
The students will be performing Fresh Air at the Trowbridge campus on March 5 and 6 at 7.30pm, with a matinee at 2.30pm on March 6. The college is waiting for a date for the Bristol performance but expects it to be in the first week of April.
Pictured: Wiltshire College & University Centre performing arts students rehearsing Fresh Air at the college’s Trowbridge campus
