Here's
some of what the SAVVY Young
Company have been getting up to
...
OUTDOOR
SUMMER STORYTELLING EVENT On the 20th July 2008,
members from the SAVVY Young
Company supported the All Stars
Drama Group on a very special
promenade performance at the AWS
Leisure Gardens, a community
allotments in Croydon.
This project was in conjunction
with CROYDON CONTACTS - a charity
providing leisure activities for
people with learning
disabilities.
THE
GIANT PUPPET PROJECT
On Sunday, 8th June 2008,
members from the ALL
STARS drama group (for
adults with learning
disabilities), supported
by SAVVY Young Company
members, began working
with Di Jones, a visual
artist from EMERGENCY
EXIT ARTS
on the creation of a
giant puppet.
At the end of the 6
weeks, the project was
completed and the puppet
developed by the group
then formed a vital part
of their OUTDOOR SUMMER
STORIES event, held on
Sunday, 20th July at the
AWS Leisure Gardens in
Croydon (see above).
LANDING
ON THE MOON Aside from being re-united
with some ofthe older cast
members of 2nd FROM LAST IN
THE SACK RACE SAVVY Young
Company members spent three
rehearsals devising a brand new
show that was performed as part
of Sutton's IMAGINE Festival of
Participatory Arts in May 2008.
THE
LEATHERHEAD DRAMA
FESTIVAL On Monday, 5th
May 2008 the SAVVY Young
Company performed THE
GHOST OF JERRY BUNDLER by
W.W.Jacobs and Charles
Rock as part of the
LEATHERHEAD DRAMA
FESTIVAL. A wonderful ensemble
piece set in an old
travellers hotel where a
group are scaring
themselves with ghost
stories - one of which
might just come true ...
!
In
preparation for their performance
of "The Ghost of Jerry
Bundler" and in conjunction
with the Mousetrap's StageXChange
Programme, the SAVVY Young
Company worked on some Stage
Combat techniques with Rc-Annie.
STAGE
X-CHANGE
The SAVVY Young Company
was accepted to take part
in the pilot
'StageXChange Programme'
with THE MOUSETRAP
FOUNDATION. On 24th
January 2008, Young
Company members saw the
award-winning production
of 'The History Boys' by
Alan Bennett.
They
also met with the cast
afterwards and had the
opportunity to talk with
them about the
production, what it was
like to work as part of
an ensemble and the
choices available if you
decide to pursue a career
in acting.
To coincide with
the official launch of SAVVY
Theatre Company, the Young
Company members were recently
involved in an inter-generational
piece set during WWII with a
combined cast of teenagers and
older people. Many of the older
members of the cast were
evacuated during this time and
the project used script,
improvisation and filmed memories
of all those involved. These two
groups have already worked
together at the Secombe Theatre,
Sutton.
The group also
opened their rehearsal process up
to the general public as part of
the London Borough of Sutton's
'Text Fest' on Thursday, 27th
September, Charles Cryer Theatre.
AN
EVENING OF SHARED
PERFORMANCE On Wednesday,
4th July 2007 SAVVY Young
Company members supported
a group of very special
young people with
learning disabilities in
an evening of inclusive
theatre performance.
The project was arranged
in conjuction with the Croydon
Contacts charity and
was designed to help the
charity's drama group
open up their work to a
wider audience and
community.
FAUST Inspired by
Goethe’s story of Faust,
SAVVY members devised their own
production with drama, song and
movement. This show proved as
original and entertaining as
their past performances and was
performed at a variety of
venues/festivals during the
Summer Term 2007 including:
The Festival of Youth Arts, Oval
House Theatre ~ Tuesday 29th May
The Croydon Warehouse Theatre ~
Wendesday 4th July CLICK HERE TO SEE
THE PROMO VIDEO SAVVY'S
2006 X'MAS SHOWCASE ~ THE EXAM
An incredible ensemble
performance on Saturday 25th
November 2006 at the Charles
Cryer Theatre, Carshalton.
A
COUPLE OF GRIMMS TALES
Performed as part of the
Surrey Youth Drama
Festival
Harlequin Theatre,
Redhill ~ Sunday 26th
March 2006
Musical
numbers, barbie dolls and
fly-foxing action men ...
not your regular
presentation of Little
Red Cap and Rapunzel, but
hey - that's SAVVY for
you! Based on the
original stories of
Little Red Cap and
Rapunzel, this ensemble
adaptation was great fun.
CRYING
FOR TIME SHOWCASE
Puppetry and personal items
provided the basis for SAVVY's
phenomenal showcase performance
of 'Crying For Time' - a play
that pushed the boundaries in
people's perceptions of what
young artists have to say.
SECOMBE
THEATRE IMPROVISATION SHOWCASE Participants from SAVVY
joined forces with two other
local groups at the Secombe
Theatre's Open Day on Saturday,
3rd June 2006 to participate in a
completely improvised workshop
showcase.
THE
STOLEN PRINCE
After the success of 'A Midsummer
Nights Dream', SAVVY wowed them
again at The Harlequin Theatre,
Redhill in March 2005.
SUMMER
PERFORMANCE WEEK (in
association with THE
DELLA ACADEMY) With
a bundle of energy, 5days
of rehearsal and an
amazing cast, the Summer
Performance Week is
always a great success!
Past
productions have included
adaptations of Charlie
& The Chocolate
Factory, The Wiz
and Bugsy Malone
~ in which the
cabaret-style performance
had the audience
initiating the amazing
cream-pie finale' fight!
In August 2007 the SPW
cast performed highlights
of their show at the
Ashcroft Theatre,
Fairfield Halls as part
of Croydon's Gifted
& Talented
week-long dance event.
ANNUAL
SHOWCASE PRESENTATION Both Thursday's SAVVY
and Friday's JUNIORS performed on
Monday, 29th November 2004 at the
Charles Cryer Theatre,
Carshalton.
A
MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM On Saturday, 22nd
November 2003, at the Electric
Theatre, Guildford, the SAVVY
cast dazzled at the SURREY YOUTH
DRAMA FESTIVAL.
POLKA THEATRE'S CAROL
CONCERT Thursday, 18th December
2003 ~ singing christmas carols
and performing comedy skits to a
family audience. A lovely way to
finish the term.
SNOW
WHITE AND THE 7 DWARVES -
Well sort of ... It starts off
with good intentions ...
Once upon a time and all
that stuff, but somehow
it gets interrupted along
the way. The Seven
Dwarves are there - well,
sort of ... Snow White is
there - well, sort of ...
the Evil Queen - yeah,
she's there - well, sort
of ... and as for the
Handsome Prince - NO,
he's definitely not there
... no icky love-stuff!
Performed by members of
SAVVY Drama Group and a
great cacophony of
puppets on Thursday, 27th
June 2002.
SAVVY
JUNIORS In 2003 SAVVY Juniors
began as a dedicated drama group
for pupils aged 9-13years.
Throughout the two years it was
in existence, students explored a
variety of drama techniques
including puppetry,
improvisation, mime & mask.
Although the main element of the
group was in devising theatre and
empowering individuals with a
sense of their own artistic voice
- working with established texts
was also essential, with Roald
Dahl's 'James & The Giant
Peach' and 'The BFG' (both
combining live action &
puppetry) being two favourites.
On Monday, 29th November 2004,
the group joined the Thursday
SAVVY group at the Charles Cryer
Theatre, Carshalton for a
showcase performance.
Unfortunately the group had to
stop due to Sheree's commitments
with the UNICORN
THEATRE.
However the students have not
dispersed entirely, with some
joining Thursday' SAVVY, some
moving onto POLKA
THEATRE'S
drama group and the rest
attending SAVVY's sister company
- THE
DELLA ACADEMY.
