News and Events
CRAFTY FOXES AND WEARY TRAVELLERS
Our end of year presentations brought applause, congratulations and enthusiastic cheering from large audiences of families and friends who enjoyed a varied and entertaining programme of short plays by the different age groups of the academy.
At Loch Leven Community Campus in Kinross, students from Kinross, Perth and Dunfermline studios made the most of the sparking, new facilities to demonstrate their skills of clear pronunciation, projected voices and sustained characterisation, filling the stage with action, ad libbed converation and improvised dialogue.
For the youngest children, being hard-working and cheerful farmers was an energetic introduction to a tale of cheeky and hungry foxes who menaced their chickens - but who really preferred a ready-cooked take-away meal and a chance to join in the song and dance in the barn!
The older children grumbled and complained their way through a series of disasters on their holiday with "Jet Lag Tours" until finally concluding that a taxi back to the airport was the preferred option.
In Kinross, a second class climbed aboard the Space Cruiser 5, unhappily under attack fom the Targons - and, even more worrying, subject to a case of sabotage from among the crew members.
The Youth Theatres presented a selection of three plays, varying from the Annual Meeting of "The League of Freaky Creatures", monsters who decided it might be an ida to be nice instead of nasty for a change (it didn't work!) to a series of character porrtrayals showing the hopes, aspirations and prejudices of a group of people in a park in "A Slice of Life", and a third Youth Theatre dressed up as 1920s New York gangsters and Molls in "The Kidnapping of Kitty O'Hara".
The studios in Cupar, St Andrews and Newport presented their plays in Elmwood College Hall, Cyupar, and were joined by the Dundee Youth Theatre who show-cased a selection of activities from the Youth Theatre programme.
Awards and certificates were presented at the end of each show.
The students now enjoy a well-deserved rest until the new term starts on Satyurday 21st August.
TEN YEARS ACHIEVEMENT
Tara Walster was only 7 years old when she joined the Academy in the Lower Primary class in Kinross, and over the course of ten years she has moved through the ranks of the Upper Primary class to the Youth Theatre, in addition to becomimg a tutor to the youngest children and passing on to them her own enthusiasm for Drama and her belief in Drama as a way of growing in confidence and self esteem. Over the years she has taken part in over 30 plays, ending her career as the Bride of Dracula, entreating the audience; "Do you want to be in our gang?"
Following her final presentation, Tara was awarded a special prize for her long career with the Academy: a thank you gift for all her work with the youngest children; and a trophy for her own personal achievements in Drama and communication skills.
KINDY DRAMA THRIVES!
Our youngest students aged 3 – 5 have just completed their first year with Kindy Drama in Kinross, St Andrews and Perth. Following themes of transport, the circus, creepie-crawlies and, the children and their carers have listened to stories, behaved like hot air balloons and rockets, sounded like ponies and lorries, asked for a ticket on a bus and travelled on a magic carpet. Discovering language can be fun: articulating well and pronouncing new words can encourage an enhusiasm for language and introducing their teddies to Drama has added to the giggles. there has been lots of learning rhymes and songs, dancing, stomping, tip-toeing, laughing and jumping.
Our Kindy Drama teacher, Susie Chown, brings all her acting experience and love of play to entrance, delight and stimulate our young actors.
If you are interested in a course of classes for your nursery or playgroup, please contact our office on 01382 330052