When Youth Theatre starts its autumn term this week, it will be 'face-to-face' for the first time since the start of the pandemic and there will be a new leader at the helm.
Ruth Allison has been appointed Youth Theatre Officer and brings with her a wealth of acting, writing and directing experience.
She will run Richmond’s highly successful youth theatre programme, which introduces young people from 6 to 18 years old to all aspects of theatre and stagecraft, including acting, directing, devising and stage management. Over the years, it has provided a launch pad for many students who have gone on to study drama or pursue successful theatre careers.
“I am thrilled to be taking up this very exciting post,” said Ruth who has previously worked at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. “The Georgian’s Youth Theatre has a well-earned reputation for excellence and to be based in the UK’s oldest working theatre with the opportunity to use its amazing stage for live performances is an added and unique bonus.”
As well as holding an Honours degree in Applied Theatre and Community Drama from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Ruth has considerable stage experience of her own. During the Covid pandemic she worked as a facilitator on ‘More Than … Blanket Baths and Bedpans’ – a community play celebrating the history of the NHS in Liverpool that was a collaboration between 20 creative individuals and six Merseyside community groups. She has also recently directed ‘See No Evil’ – a play inspired by the testimonies of survivors of human trafficking.
Ruth is a big believer that everyone has a story to tell, which she was able to explore through her involvement in a ‘Friends in Fiction’ project that looked at friendships in children’s literature and their impact on mental health. This was undertaken with Wirral Council and Collective Encounters – a Liverpool-based arts organisation for social change and delivered to multiple primary schools in the area.
“I am passionate about promoting the arts to young people and providing them with inspiring and innovative art projects,” said Ruth, who had her own first acting experience as a member of the Stephen Joseph Youth Theatre.
“My aim will be to provide a fun, playful and engaging environment for young people to create theatre and develop their own skills – whatever their age, interests and experience,” she added.
The Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre runs acting and musical theatre classes, which are structured in three age bands: Juniors (6-11 years); Middles (11-14 years); and Seniors (14-18 years). They run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and Saturdays during school term time.
Anyone interested in joining the Youth Theatre should call 01748 823710 or email: youth@georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk. Details and an application form can also be found on this website.