Great Expectations:
"a Next Stage Youth landmark"
The talented and highly-acclaimed group of young actors that make up The Mission Theatre's resident Next Stage Youth Theatre Company performed their "tour de force" production of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations to packed audiences all last week.
The cast had been working on the play since April, using their 90 minute sessions every term-time Sunday to workshop themes and devise the chorus scenes. They worked particularly hard during February to pull together this long and complex show which takes place over several years and in several contrasting locations.
With a minimal set, simple but effective costumes and a beautiful lighting plot, Next Stage Youth wowed audience members and reviewers alike over the six-night run:
"A tour de force. We loved the continual and practiced movement; and clever, polished scene and mood changes. Congratulations!" P&N R
"It was an incredibly tightly organised piece with great ensemble work and outstanding individual performances. Extremely enjoyable" JM
“Wow!! What a brilliantly staged play, wonderfully engineered atmosphere and superb performances by all this talented cast with excellent confidence, delivery, tone, acting, reaction and singing and dancing to boot! Pitch perfect! This really was premier league youth drama!" RL
"Never less than gripping, it’s a thoroughly well told tale, with no weak links in the young cast" Philip Horton reviewing for the Bath Chronicle
The cast and crew had a successful final performance on Saturday evening, and were all sad to say goodbye to what had been an intense, challenging, but extremely enjoyable production. Next Stage Youth are now looking forward to starting work on the next two shows... watch this space for more information coming soon!
