Cabot Learning Federation Post 16 students have been treading the boards at the Bristol Old Vic.
The 19-strong cast and crew, who have been rehearsing for five months, performed the critically-acclaimed production The Heights, after a sell-out show staged at John Cabot Academy. A National Theatre (NT) festival director came to see the show and was extremely complimentary about the approach the students had taken to the material.
Lillie, played by Jess Barnett, lives on the Heights Estate; a place where nothing ever happens, except in Lillie’s head.
Lillie’s life is not like most people. For starters, she never goes out, but sits in her bedroom window on the sixth floor of her tower block, watching the world and the people in it go by. As she sits, she makes up stories: some sad, some happy, some funny. But they are just stories, aren’t they?
The show was staged as part of the National Theatre festival. NT Connections festival is the National Theatre’s annual showcase of new plays for youth theatres and schools. Bristol Old Vic’s festival will host seven regional Youth Theatres; performing short plays of 30 minutes to one hour which have been selected from the past 22 years of Connections.
Anna Shaw, Post 16 teacher of English & drama, and show director, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with such a lively, creative and enthusiastic group of students. We are so proud of our performance and hope it will be the first of many more P16 drama enrichment opportunities.”