YTYT's Christmas Creativity 2024
Information
- Date
- 13th December 2024
- Society
- Yew Tree Youth Theatre
- Venue
- Ossett Town Hall
- Technical Support
- Ashe Lloyd, John Broadhead, Harriet Hornshaw, Nat Lunt, Ash Howick
- Written By
- Sarah Osborne and the Company
Spread over two evenings ‘YTYT’s Christmas Creativity’ was a wonderful celebration of work by the young people of Yew Tree Youth Theatre. With limited rehearsal opportunity on the large stage space every performer adapted well and utilised the area available.
The first group to perform was Yellow Company (aged 6-12) who presented ‘One Foggy Christmas Eve’ – a lovely story about Father Christmas’s preparations to deliver presents around the world. However, the weather isn’t on his side so the elves, reindeers and weather fairies work together to solve the problem. With colourful costumes the cast were entertaining throughout with strong delivery and some clever comic timing. Whilst trying to find a solution the cast gave some great ‘thoughtful’ poses and ensured a lovely festive ending.
Yellow Company were followed by Emerald Company who are also aged 6 – 12 years and who performed ‘The Child who Melted the Snow Queen’s Heart’. In a land that is always winter, but never Christmas the woodland creatures desperately need to be rescued from the Snow Queen who rules with a very icy heart. The assembled animals did a great job of explaining the dire situation and were then so pleased when a delightful child entered their world to captivate the Snow Queen. There was some impressive miming of playing in the snow with wonderful snowball fights and even some imaginary snow angels on the stage floor. When a happy ending ensued, the whole cast left the stage in a fabulous conga line – one of the most fun whole cast exits I have ever seen.
The final group to perform on evening one was Black Company (aged 16 and over) who presented an adaptation of Dorothy L Sayer’s story ‘The Pearl Necklace’. Sir Septimus hosts a lavish Christmas party with a varied cast of players including his daughter Marguerita wearing a very valuable pearl necklace. Black Company did an excellent job of the multi-rolling and swiftly changed between characters with limited props and costumes accessories. This accomplished group of performers mastered the comic lines and characterisation narrating and performing with ease – a very entertaining piece.
Evening two commenced with Hansel and Gretel by Sapphire Company (Aged 11-16) – a fabulous retelling of the classic fairytale. The odds were stacked against the two children when they lose their much-loved mother and their father becomes bewitched by a woman who has no motherly spirit. There were the competing themes of happiness, portrayed by actors in pale hues, and devastation shown by performers wearing black and red. The two teams vied for the ability to tell the story and their pleas were adjudicated by the Arbiter from the Narrators Quality Assurance Guild. Switching from dark to light the story progressed and we meet the infamous Banter Birds who are intent on stopping the journey of Hansel and Gretel when they are left in the woods by the wicked stepmother. There they find a gingerbread cottage and a thoroughly nasty witch – a great re-telling of her backstory did allow a little empathy for her, but this was swiftly erased when we saw her true evil intent. Fortunately, the clever Gretel addressed the challenge and the witches’ demise in the fire was achieved with some excellent physical theatre by the actors. An entertaining alternate ending was given for the wicked stepmother and Hansel and Gretel lived happily ever after – well done Sapphire Company!
Aged 14-16 Gold Company presented ‘Death the Halls’ a hilarious tale of the Christmas family party for the Hargreaves clan in 1978. There was some super characterisation by the whole cast and excellent narration by the ‘twins’ as they explained the intricacies of family life with two waring sisters Sandra and Maggie and their domineering mother/Grandma. Throw in an un-married mother, a couple of drunk men and Carly – the granddaughter with wanderlust and the evening looks set to be entertaining without the sudden and unexpected death of Grandma. The assembled family members then seek to solve the mystery, and we learn more about their often-wayward antics until we find out just who did kill Grandma. Great delivery, super characters and a thoroughly entertaining piece.
A wonderful addition to the group performances were individual members of the company presenting pieces prepared for LAMDA examinations – excellent work and a great opportunity to showcase the breadth of work studied by YTYT students.
With simple staging, limited props and effective lighting all the performers worked without microphones and clear, strong diction remained a huge strength in their pieces. The young performers projected clearly into the large auditorium demonstrating their excellent training.
Congratulations to everyone involved, a wonderful collection of performances to get everyone in the Christmas spirit and to allow the audience to see just what a very special company YTYT is.
© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.