ASPIRING young talent is being given the opportunity to shine as the New Wolsey Theatre launches its first youth theatre project.

By Jo Macdonald

By Jo Macdonald

Entertainment editor

joanne.macdonald@eveningstar.co.uk

ASPIRING young talent is being given the opportunity to shine as the New Wolsey Theatre launches its first youth theatre project.

Open auditions are being held early next month to find 15 young performers and two kids with a desire to learn about the technical side of theatre.

Together they will work once a week on producing a show to be staged at the Ipswich theatre as part of next year's Pulse festival.

The project is being run by John Adam-Baker, the theatre's cultural outreach worker, and Mary Swan, the New Wolsey's associate director.

Mary said: "This will be a proper bona fide youth theatre which we hope will continue after the performance in Pulse.

"We'll be pulling together a group of kids. We want 15 performers and two people interested in what goes on back stage.

"We're particularly looking for kids from culturally diverse backgrounds but it's open to anyone to come and audition."

Referring to the production they will be working towards, she added: "It will be a modern interpretation of a classic text. What form it takes depends on who we choose."

Mary and John are looking for talented youngsters who are committed to rehearsing every Wednesday night from January until the performance in May. It is open to people aged 13 to 18 and these cut off points will be strictly met.

"The audition process if purely for us to whittle down the numbers to people who are really keen and really committed," explained Mary. "They'll be working on this for a long time, meeting every week from the beginning of January until the end of May. They've got to be committed, willing to learn and able to learn scripts.

"We don't want people who have a fully formed talent. We're looking for raw talents, people who have never done this before but are interested."

"This isn't going to be Fame Academy," she added.

Auditions for the youth theatre company will be held at the theatre on December 7 and 15. Hopefuls must first pick up an application form and send it to John and Mary who will invite youngsters to the audition.

The kids who are chosen will start rehearsals on January 8 and will continue to meet every Wednesday from 7pm to 8.30pm at the Meeting House, in Fonnerau Road, Ipswich. The final production will be performed as part of the annual Pulse festival at the end of May next year.

Anyone interested in auditioning for a place in the company is asked to pick up an application form from the New Wolsey in Civic Drive or call 01473 295900. Completed application forms should be returned for the attention of John Adam-Baker at the New Wolsey Theatre, Civic Drive, Ipswich, IP1 2AS by November 25.

For more information contact John Adam-Baker on 01473 295927 or Mary Swan on 01473 295917.

Weblink: www.wolseytheatre.co.uk