Strange Town’s New Patron
Youth company marks tenth year
Edinburgh’s Strange Town youth theatre is marking its tenth anniversary year with the announcement of actor Tallulah Greive as its Patron.
Greive, who grew up with Strange Town youth theatre, has appeared in numerous productions with the company including with their young company in David Greig’s Dr Korczak’s Example.
Having begun her professional acting career at the age of 13, the 21 year-old actor has just finished filming as Orla in the as yet un-named feature film based on the novel The Sopranos by Alan Warner, directed by Michael Caton-Jones.
For the moment she is best known for playing the main role of Lauren in Millie Inbetween, the CBBC series about Millie and her older sister Lauren whose parents have split up which first aired over four series from October 2014 to December 2017.
Strange Town is based at the Out of the Blue drill hall in Leith. Founded as a youth theatre company by Ruth Hollyman and Steve Small it has subsequently added a young actors’ agency for 5 to 25 year-olds.
Part of the ethos of the company is to employ up-and-coming Edinburgh playwrights to create new plays which are developed in conjunction with the young performers.
wonderful and overwhelming
“It was pretty wonderful and overwhelming to be asked to be patron,” says Greive, who has already helping in a masterclass with the youth theatre.
“I’d advise any young people thinking of going into acting to get involved in youth theatre, practise regularly and keep learning new things.
“Strange Town has been really great for me as it gave me the chance to devise and improvise work and get me interested in the whole creative process beyond acting.”
As patron, Tallulah will play an ambassadorial role, representing the character and ethos of Strange Town. She will be raising awareness of the work the company does and will support campaigns and events as well sharing her experience and knowledge as a professional actor with Strange Town’s young performers by leading masterclasses.
“When Strange Town began in 2008 with a group of 17 young people in its youth theatre, we had no idea that the company would develop and grow so much over the next ten years,” Ruth Hollyman and Steve Small told Æ, before reeling off a list of the company’s many achievements.
“During that time we have staged 124 productions, commissioned 98 original scripts, offered regular holiday projects, established an actors’ agency and provided after school drama sessions for primary schools in Edinburgh.
notable public successes
“We’ve also set up a young company for 18-25 year olds, performed at the fringe, toured to secondary schools, prisons and youth work conferences across Scotland and commissioned and produced two series of original radio drama.
“We’ve offered regular youth theatre classes in not just script work but acting for screen and improv comedy and provided jobs and career opportunities to literally countless numbers of people starting out …”
Among the company’s more notable public successes has been the work of the Youth Company. Balisong by Jennifer Adam is a co-production between Strange Town and Fast Forward, funded by No Knives Better Lives.
The play follows of four friends through the final weeks of school. They’re facing a dilemma: What should they do now that one of their friends is carrying a knife? The show has played to over 37,200 people in two extensive secondary school tours.
The company currently has six different youth groups for different ages and will be performing two productions at the Traverse on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 June 2019.
Listings and Links:
The Strange Town website contains full details of its various activities and youth theatre companies: http://strangetown.org.uk/.
Facebook: @strangetowntheatre.
Twitter: @infoStrangeTown.
Instagram: @strangetownco.
Little Boxes & Stolen Futures
Traverse, 10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404
Friday 14/Saturday 15 June 2019
Evening: 7pm & 8.30pm.
Little Boxes, by Catherine Exposito and performed by the Tuesday 14-18s group, is an exploration of mental health and societal pressure on young people today.
Stolen Futures by James Beagon and performed by the Monday 8-18s group, asks: Is survival enough? Struggling to live in a post-apocalyptic world, Becky had never seen a plane until the strangers landed, offering a better future. Book here.
ENDS
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