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26th
November 2005
Charles Cryer TheatreI
discovered this script in
New York earlier this
year and knew instantly
that I wanted to explore
it with SAVVY. Its depth,
characterisation and
poetic handling of the
subject matter were
perfect for this maturing
group. It is an exciting
time for SAVVY as they
move from being a drama
class to a young theatre
company. As a director,
the pleasure has been in
harnessing their
creativity and giving
them a text in which they
can explore their own
'voices'.
I am now
working with artists, not
students.
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| KIDS
IN A WAR ZONE FIGHTING
HARD FOR SURVIVIAL
THEY
BAND TOGETHER
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 GWEN
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Amy is 15
years old and attends
St.Philomena's High
School for Girls. Prior
to this she did Speech
and Drama at St.Elepheges
Primary School for
4years, where she
received many
certificates and medals.
She also sang in the
school choir during that
time, performed at the
Fairfield Halls in
Croydon and performed in
many other festivals in
Surrey. She enjoys drama
and singing and is
currently attending SAVVY
drama school where she
has recently passed her
Grade5 Acting LAMDA Exam
with distinction. She
is an extremely bubbly
person and loves
socialising and meeting
new people! Amy has an
abundance of energy, is
enthusiastic, confident,
and loves anything
lively. Her ambition is
to one day become an
actress or a teacher to
young children.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I am really enjoying the
show and experimenting
with new techniques to
portray a really innocent
and naive character! I
love performing different
types of plays, and this
one certainly is
different!
QUOTE
My favourite quote/line
from the play so far has
got to be: "I like
his trousers!" Alone
the line does not seem
anything, but in it's
context it really shows
how naive and vulnerable
my character is. It is
quite a funny moment
where my character seems
the inexperienced one who
doesn't quite understand
what is going on!
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 RAFE
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Danielle
is fifteen years of age
and currently attends
Greenacre School for
girls, where she is
studying for her
GCSE’s. She has been
acting since the age of
six, when nerves
prevented her from
reading at a poetry
competition that she
wanted to enter. Two
years after Danielle
began Helen O’Grady.
Dancing and singing were
introduced at Stagecoach,
where Danielle received
her gold medal. Since
then, Danielle has been
attending and enjoying
SAVVY, where she learns
the tools and techniques
of the industry. She has
participated in many
productions including
“The Wiz” and
“Our Day Out”.
Her ambition is to become
a drama teacher, giving
others the confidence,
ability, opportunity and
enjoyment that she has
been given through
dramatic art. To make up
for the dance lessons
lost at Stagecoach,
Danielle goes to hip-hop
classes every Saturday at
the Della Academy. She
also enjoys swimming,
trampolining,
baby-sitting and singing
with her school choir in
various concerts and
competitions. She has
even sung at The Royal
Albert Hall. Danielle has
achieved her bronze Duke
of Edinburgh award and is
just finishing off her
silver award, where she
will soon begin helping
out at her local Rainbows
organisation. Danielle
enjoys a challenge, and
being a perfectionist
will strive to obtain the
best of her ability.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I have really enjoyed
rehearsing for
“Crying for
time.” At first the
play seemed quite dry but
when I really got into
the script I
couldn’t help but
realise how wrong I was.
I usually prefer playing
characters as different
from myself as possible.
I find it quite easy to
take a character
completely over-the-top,
with distinctive accents,
a funny-walk, using the
maximum volume of my
voice, and behaving
completely abnormally.
However, this play has
taught me that sometimes
“less is more”
and that giving
everything to a script
doesn’t necessarily
mean using my voice and
body to the maximum
level. The emotions of
the characters
aren’t always shown.
For example, my character
Rafe is violent and rude,
but it doesn’t mean
that she isn’t a
vulnerable teenager who
feels alone. It is
sometimes quite difficult
to portray her sensitive
side as her actions are
not usually pleasant.
Puppets are another idea
that I was unsure about
at first, trying to talk
to a piece of material as
if it had an opinion was
really strange and
difficult. It was also
hard to occupy another
person on stage. Quite
often I found that I
would be leaning on my
puppets head, without
even realising it. I
resolved this problem by
including the puppet into
Rafe’s character and
it actually became easier
to portray Rafe’s
sensitive side. Quite
often the aggressive
sixteen-year-old would
hug or cradle the puppet,
even though she’ll
be shouting or bullying
the other teenagers.
I
think that this play has
been really well written
and performing onstage
with lighting, sounds
effects and other
effects, such as a smoke
machine will change the
atmosphere altogether.
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 MOLE
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Acting has
been a primary focus in
Chavonne’s life for
many years now. She
joined SAVVY 18months ago
and started dancing
classes from a young age.
Chavonne constantly
challenges herself with
everything she takes
on-board. She has
undertaken a variety of
roles from Jan in GREASE,
to Joan of Arc - all of
which she has
triumphantly made her
own. Hip-Hop dancing
takes place in her spare
time, alongside the
directing course she is
currently studying and
with the directing skills
she is learning, Chavonne
hopes to enhance her
on-stage performance
work. Her
ability to constantly
strive and push herself
moves her closer towards
the dream of a successful
acting career.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
We have never
performed a show like
this one, which is why I
am so excited about it. I
think it is especially
interesting since it
focuses on the young
people and is a reminder
of how war effects
everyone. I have eagerly
wanted to be a part of a
play like “Crying
For Time”. When we
think of war, most of us
imagine soldiers risking
their lives for their
country, however when do
we think about the
children? What I find
most interesting about my
character (Mole), is how
she has managed to
conceal almost all of her
emotions and hide them
away. She has become a
mute and is a reflection
of war’s devastating
effects.
The use of
puppets gives the piece
an unprecedented depth.
Mole’s puppet is a
representation of how
there is nothing left
within her except pain
and fear. She is dead
inside. Not being able to
speak is not the same as
not speaking, and I
believe that by becoming
her, can help me to under
stand the atrocities of
war. Her character is
definitely the most
challenging, which every
actor needs in order to
grow.
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 FISH
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Conall is
12years of age and
currently attends
Wimbledon College for
Boys. Aside from SAVVY,
he also participates in
drama, singing and
dancing lessons at the
Della Academy. He has
acted in many productions
at SAVVY including
“Snow White”,
Roald Dahl’s
“The Twits” and
“The Quest for the
Whooperdink”,
performed at the Charles
Cryer Theatre in 2004. During
the summer he attended a
summer performance school
where he performed the
lead in an abridged
production of “Bugsy
Malone”.
He hopes
never to give up
performing as it has
changed his life so much
in many ways. Whenever he
did school plays or
assemblies, he always got
positive comments from
his peers and teachers
(and even at one point
the head-mistress), so
thanks to his mum for
bringing him to SAVVY
each week - something he
looked forward to (as it
also took his mind off
his SATS).
“...It
was such a brilliant way
to use up energy and of
course, make loads of
friends...”
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I feel that
doing this show is a very
different turn for me in
many ways. Firstly, after
attending SAVVY Juniors
for over a year and a
half (which was only
2hours a week) and then
moving up to SAVVY and
doing 3hours is quite a
huge change, but in a
good way of course...but
I say that because when I
attended the Juniors, I
did such fun and lively
and un-realistic plays
and doing it was like
going on a never-ending
rollercoaster - and
please don’t get me
wrong, it still is like
that - however, now I
notice the play
we’re doing is much
more realistically based
and it takes a lot of
time to fit in as best I
can in my
character’s role.
As well as
that, it also takes a lot
of time to imagine that I
myself am in this
situation, but so far I
am really enjoying it
very much, for many
reasons. Mainly because I
am using a puppet in it
and that is also such a
big challenge for me.
Trust me, you might be
thinking “Oh that
looks easy to master - a
puppet” but believe
me, it’s a very
complex process. So to
add it all up, I feel
that it is a very
adrenaline pumping
showcase. And I am sure
you will find the
performance “Crying
For Time” that way
as well - why? Because
that’s what
drama’s like!
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 TESSE
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Nazia is
14years old and has been
performing drama for
6years. She has been at
SAVVY for about a year
and has been included in
previous showcase
performances and drama
festivals. School
plays have included
“The Lost
Prince” and
“The Tempest”
for the Shakespeare
School’s Festival.
Nazia has
also completed speech and
drama exams and her
Grade5 LAMDA.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I really like the show
though it is a new
experience.
I like the
characters in the play
and I think it will be
really fun to perform.
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 XADHE
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Stacey
is 17years old and has
been a member of SAVVY
for approximately 3years.
She has been performing
since the early age of 5
in various styles of
dance, including tap,
ballet and modern. Stacey is
now using her dance
experience in drama. In
2003 she performed as
Titania in “A
Midsummer Nights
Dream” and in 2005
the Chinese-style
production of “The
Stolen Prince”, both
for the Surrey Youth
Drama Festival.
Aside
from SAVVY, she is
currently studying
performing arts at Cheam
High School and the Della
Academy.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I feel this show explores
a new aspect of drama.
Rather than fictional
plays, it’s a
realistically based
story-line on war.
It’s a great way to
explore the inner
emotions of yourself.
It
pushes you in a situation
you wouldn’t choose
to be in and makes you
think and feel for all
those victims at war.
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 PHAYNE
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Alex is
15years old and attends
St.Philomena’s High
School for Girls. She
attended Philomena’s
School of Dance well as
Helen O’Grady’s
Children’s Drama
Academy before joining
SAVVY in 2003. Alex
has performed in a number
of plays with the
Chipstead Players
Theatre, has sung at
local festivals with the
school choir and is
currently studying drama
for her GCSE’s
(where she performed in
“Hard to
Swallow” and John
Godber’s
“Teachers”).
Since joining SAVVY she
has also performed in a
number of festival
productions and
showcases. In November
2003 she portrayed the
role of Oberon in an
abridged version of
“A Midsummer Nights
Dream” at the
Electric Theatre,
Guildford, and in March
2005, was involved in an
ensemble performance of
“The Stolen
Prince” at the
Harlequin Theatre,
Redhill (a play involving
traditional Chinese
storytelling). Both were
part of the Surrey Youth
Drama Festival.
Alex loves
anything to do with drama
and hopes to study drama
at a university in
America - ideally in New
York!
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I really like this show
that we are performing.
It’s different to
other plays I have done.
I like the idea of having
the set dark with just
few spotlights on. It
gives the play a more
creepy feel to it, which
is great. I like all the
characters, as they all
each have different parts
which we find out in the
play. Each character has
different
characterisations, which
is great. I like the use
of our puppets. I have
never them used on-stage
while acting. It is
always fun to experiment
with drama.
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 MUSSO
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Chris is
sixteen years old and
attends Whigift School. From
an early age Chris has
taken an interest in
drama. He has performed
in many productions at
primary and secondary
school and at the start
of 2005 he decided to
pursue his interests
further by joining the
SAVVY drama group.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
I am enjoying
performing in this show.
Prior to this I feel that
I have just been playing
characters, but this show
has specific back stories
which show how the
character is the way that
it is.
I am very
much enjoying the use of
puppets as it is
completely different from
anything I’ve done
before.
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 ZETH
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Thomas is
13years old and lives at
home with his mum, dad
and two sisters. He
attends Greenshaw high
school and goes to a
number of performing arts
schools including
Stagecoach (4years), The
Della Academy (2years)
and of course SAVVY,
which he joined when the
juniors group began
approximately 3years ago.
Thomas also studies dance
at Grayes in Carshalton.
He has been
in a number of plays over
the years such as
Sleeping Beauty, The
Wizard of Oz, and has
even performed in the
West End production of
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
at the London Palladium.
THOUGHTS
ON THE SHOW
The things I most enjoy
about the play is that
its a play where everyone
must pull their weight
otherwise it doesn't
work. Its different to
what I have done in the
past but I am really
enjoying it
I like my
character Zeth, who is in
charge at the beginning
with high status and then
goes down to not so high
status.
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