Helmsley Arts Centre

the arts for everyone in Ryedale

1812 Youth Theatre Company

Enquiries to:

Alison Priestley on 07917690224

or by email alisonpriestley123@hotmail.com

The Company meets weekly in term time to take part in workshops, or rehearsals for productions, or to devise projects. Members are encouraged  to develop their acting skills, to learn about the technical and 'backstage' aspects of theatre and to explore new ideas. Working to create  good  theatre takes a lot of discipline and committment - to the production and to everyone else in it. It's also a lot of fun. Working  together like this does a lot to increase our members' self confidence and self esteem and their ability to express themselves and to communicate.

Membership is open to anyone aged 9 to 18 and costs £28 per term.

There are about 60  in the Company, divided into three age groups. Together members produce challenging and innovative work to an extremely high standard in at least three productions a year. Some join forces with the adult 1812 Company. In fact, some go on to join them regularly.

Recently  several members successfully auditioned for the National Youth Theatre, being cast in productions at venues such as York Theatre Royal and West Yorkshire Playhouse. And some have gone on to Drama School in London or to university to study theatre.

But perhaps the greatest achievements are those that are most difficult to measure. The loyalty and sense of identity which develop and the relationships that are formed accompany the young people throughout their lives, whatever their chosen future may be.

If you’re interested in joining the 1812 Youth Theatre please contact

Alison Priestley on 07917690224

or by email alisonpriestley123@hotmail.com

Our next production

Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 June, 7.30pm
A double bill:

The Blues Sisters & Rain on Me

Two fabulous plays from our resident Youth Theatre. The Blues Sisters is a lively and inventive comedy with music. When Madame Chantelle's School of Dance and Deportment is threatened with closure by evil property developer Barnaby Sludge, Maddy, Becky and Annie are transformed into 'The Blues Sisters'. They take on the crooks, but will they save the day?
Rain on Me, Mark Rees' award-winning drama for teenagers, won the Quidi Vidi trophy at the Scottish Youth Finals in Dundee in June 2001. This is a modern Romeo and Juliet with overtones of West Side Story and Roxanne. While the drama is serious in parts, it is hugely entertaining and contains realistic and sometimes hilarious dialogue.

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Some recent Productions

July 2011

Grimm’s Tales
by Carol Anne  Duffy
The 1812 Youth Theatre goes grimm!
Fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel are told to millions around the world, yet not many of us are aware that The Brothers Grimm began compiling the stories to maintain German culture, not merely to entertain. They feared the literary traditions of their people were endangered by French occupation so they published the stories they gathered. It was not until they realised the desire for

softer, child-friendly stories that they reworked their tales. While these tales remain violent in many ways, the brothers toned down the violence and highlighted the lessons that each story offered.

Carol Anne Duffy’s exciting re-working of these classic tales will delight, entertain and perhaps provide a scare or two along the way!


The Late Sleepers

March 2011

Book and lyrics by Paul James    Music by Eric Angus

In a junk-strewn wasteland in a distant future a gang of young people, The Late Sleepers —self-styled vampires, dressed in black and scarlet with bright dyed hair — scrape a strange existence on the outskirts of a walled city. Their leader is Gabriel, a dark brooding presence whose jealously guarded store of music, videos and DVDs from earlier centuries has informed the gang’s unlikely passion for classic TV, horror movies and pop songs. When two strangers, James and Elsa, stumble on the Sleepers’ hideout, they are intrigued by this all-singing, alldancing gang, and begin a chain of events which will explore both the light and the darkness of their rock and roll vampire existence.

With show-stopping numbers, a high gothic wedding, drama and betrayal, and, ultimately, heart-breaking bravery, this is a fascinating romp through the world of the Undead, of popular culture, and of teenage rebellion.


The world premiere of

Won't Be Long

By Tom Needham and David J. Griffiths

June 2010

In the first four days of September 1939 nearly three million people were moved from towns and cities considered in danger from enemy bombers, and transported to places of safety in the countryside.
Most were schoolchildren. They were taken to railway stations, labelled like pieces of luggage, waved goodbye to by their parents and sent off into the unknown. Many destinations didn't have enough places for the children to stay so they were often lined up in town halls where local people were invited to take their pick.  Both funny and moving, Won't Be Long tells the story of Philip, Peggy and others as they make this extraordinary war-time journey to a new life in homes so completely different from their own.

Also performed with great success at Thornton-le Dale


Our Day Out

By Willy Russell

February 2010

Another big cast in a witty, fast-moving drama. The secondary school's 'progress class' is on a school trip to the coast and cause mayhem in a zoo, a castle and a funfair. Liberal Mrs Kay and the strict Deputy Head have completely different ideas about how the day should be organised.

A  celebration of the joys and agonies of growing up… but is a 'day out' all that these young people can expect?

You, Me and Mrs Jones
by Tony Horitz
June 2009

This production involved 34 members from the two youngest Youth Theatre groups aged 9 to 14. It is a comedy that centres around two unemployed teenagers (played by Alex Thorn and Saskia Fullerton Smith) who are sent on a mission to find 'heroes fit to save the day'. On their quest they encounter a hotchpotch of humanity- violent street gangs, cranky religious sects, unscrupulous pop groups, television characters and even a family of vagrants.  

The Visit   by Friedrich Dürrenmatt  

April 2009

This production involved just 13 of the eldest Youth Theatre members, aged 15 to 18. The Visit was the most challenging production undertaken by the Youth Theatre to date, with its 'grotesque' style, wacky characters and big moral themes. Hannah Moody played Claire Zachanassian, the central character of the Billionairess, and has since been accepted into the National Youth Theatre.

This was a huge production that involved 45 members of all age groups of the Youth Theatre, ranging from ages 9 to 18. It is a hugely exciting piece of theatre which is very much of our time. The play was presented as a 'clown show' in a circus big-top. All of the actors wore clown costumes, creating a kaleidoscope of impressions around the central character of Grace. Young Grace was played by Amy Ellis and Old Grace by Polly Gunton, who has since gone on to play a part in Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' at West Yorkshire Playhouse.

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