Marina Theatre’s Outreach work continues to expand!

Young people are being given the opportunity to take part in a number of exciting theatre workshops as the dedicated outreach work at the Marina Theatre continues to expand.

In the space of six months, a range of new initiatives, theatre sessions, youth theatre groups, school workshops and community based activities have been introduced – led by the Marina Theatre’s Head of Young People and Outreach Will Isgrove.

More than 150 people attended the Marina Theatre’s first free family open day in February, with 120 young people taking part in the various school holiday activities and 568 Key Stage one and two children enjoying the East Anglian wide Once Upon A Festival.

And now, future theatre stars are being encouraged to take control of the first ever Play In A Week and create something never seen before!

Between 14 – 18 August, a performance team and a production team of young people, led by experienced theatre professionals, will combine to create a unique version of Treasure Island.

This classic tale of adventure on the high seas, packed with cruel pirates, buried treasure and heroic deeds will be brought to life in the Marina’s 771-seat theatre.

People can learn new acting techniques, create weird and wonderful characters and design props, costumes, set pieces and sounds.

The cost is £100 for the week and to book, call the box office on 01502 533200 or visit the Outreach section of the website for more details.

Since the start of the year, the theatre has introduced three brand new Youth Theatre groups with 45 members now meeting on a weekly basis – helped by four Young Associates.

For age groups 9-12 years and 13-16 years, sessions run every Saturday morning during term time.

The Youth Theatre covers a variety of performance styles and genres, from musical theatre to improvisation via Shakespeare and creative writing, as well as technical theatre skills.

A youth theatre class for ages 5-8 also takes place every Monday evening from 5pm to 6pm.

There are a handful of spaces still available in all three groups, so if you know someone who’d like to join in September, let us know!

Members of the Youth Theatre groups have been busy preparing for their debut production – The Deal Breaker - which will be performed on 22nd July at 7.30pm

For one night only, performers will be combining for an evening of thrills and spills – with all seats just £5.

The show will be a fun and inventive and is sure to showcase the tremendous talent that the youngsters have been displaying each week. Call the box office on 01502 533200 to book.

The Marina Theatre is also delighted to announce that a number of free activities will be taking place in the café during the Summer holidays - supported by the Suffolk County Council Locality Fund.

From magic to music and from storytelling to board games, there is something for everyone each Tuesday throughout August, beginning at 11am. Visit the website for more details – no need to book- just turn up and join in!

The theatre’s live programme of shows has also seen young people getting involved on a regular basis.

More than 200 students took part in Shakespeare for Schools at the theatre in November and 100 Young People took part in this year’s Orchestra Age of Enlightenment performance.

5000 young people from across Lowestoft have also attended an open rehearsal of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 2005.

But it is not just young people that are getting involved with a range of activities.

The Next Stagers , a weekly over 50s drama group, is thriving and members have worked with specialists in Shakespeare, physical theatre, clowning and more. They meet at the theatre every Wednesday from 10.30am – 12pm.

The group is designed to give members a chance to meet and discuss theatre and arts subjects, read plays and even rehearse and stage them.

And on Wednesday, August 9 from 10am until 4pm, The Play’s the Thing: Understanding Shakespeare will take place.

Join Shakespeare expert Simon Bridge for a day unravelling the mysteries of the Bard, celebrating his strengths and making him that bit more accessible. This exciting event is open to the whole community, but spaces are limited to just 22, so book soon!

And don’t miss the screening of Shakespeare’s revenge play Titus Andronicus at 7pm which is included in the £20 price – aimed at over 18’s.

Will Isgrove, Head of Young People and Outreach at the Marina Theatre, said: “We’ve come a long way in a short space of time, it’s great to meet and work with so many different groups and people. There’s so much we hope to achieve in the future and are always looking for feedback and suggestions for where we can go next.”

For more information about anything you have read, call Will Isgrove on 01502 533231 or email willisgrove@marinatheatre.co.uk