A TOP West End choreographer has given stage-struck students at a Llandudno school a dramatic taste of top level presentation and performance.
Steve Kirkham, who choreographed last year’s hit production of The Who’s rock opera Tommy, called at Ysgol John Bright to give a workshop to the school’s Year 12 drama hopefuls.
Steve, from London-based physical theatre group Frantic Assembly, was there to show the school’s drama students what it takes to succeed in the world of performance.
It was a massive coup for Ysgol John Bright to secure the services of the dance maestro whose own performances include the part of The Cygnet in Matthew Bourne’s famous all-male production of the ballet Swan Lake.
Steve’s intense one-day workshop was made possible thanks to financial backing from the Llwyddo’n Lleol – Succeeding Locally – project which is funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund to help young people across Conwy and Denbighshire develop their career paths.
Steve’s workshop in the art of physical theatre – a method of interpreting drama through movement – was given to Year 12 drama students who will now be able to cascade it down to the rest of the school.
This year is the first time the school has offered the A Level in Drama and Theatre Studies course and Head of Drama Donna Pender reckoned it would give students an edge in their upcoming exam if they could learn its sophisticated techniques direct from an expert.
She asked Llwyddo’n Lleol to help and they contacted Frantic Assembly who sent star choreographer Steve who has been associated with the company for many years and has worked on a number of its highly successful productions.
Jenni Edwards, Llwyddon’n Lleol Project officer for Conwy and Denbighshire, said: “It is vital in North Wales that we build a strong and skilled workforce because that will create a vibrant economy for the region and in turn create more opportunities for the future.
“There are many opportunities in the field of the creative arts and meeting someone who has made a career in that sector gives aspiring young people an insight into the kinds of skills and qualifications they need.
“We invited Steve to lead a Frantic Assembly physical theatre workshop and he taught the students how to interpret drama through movement and dance.
“He also explained what it means to work in the creative sector where almost 50 per cent are self-employed, including actors, dancers and costume designers.”
Donna Pender explained that the guidance Steve gave during the workshop would now be passed on by the eleven Year 12 students involved, including two boys and nine girls, to younger pupils of the school.
She said: “This was a unique opportunity for the Year 12 drama students and I would like to thank the Llwyddon’n Lleol programme for its support to make it possible.
“As part of their A Level assessment the students have to devise a performance in the style of the German playwright and director Bertolt Brecht.
“Steve has had an extremely impressive career and is one of the country’s leading experts in physical theatre. That’s why we are so lucky to have been able to have him at the school for the workshop.
“In the New Year, the Year 12 students will be staging their own workshop for our Year 10 drama students and what they have learned will be passed down to every pupil in the school where we believe very firmly in drama studies.”
Steve Kirkham said: “At the start of the workshop some of the students started off being really nervous because they didn’t know what to expect but they all pushed themselves and I saw them make a massive progression.
“I showed them how to look at things in a different way and I feel certain they will carry on and develop what they learned and hopefully Frantic Assembly will be able to come back and we can develop a strong relationship with the school over the next few years.”
Among those taking part was 16-year-old Tom Weldridge of Llandudno, who said: “The workshop with Steve has helped me to develop my interest and made me realise there’s a lot more to drama than I thought. It has really taught me some new skills.
“For instance, I learned that you don’t always need to scream and shout to portray anger – you can do it equally well through your actions and movement and develop a character’s emotions that way.
“When I leave school I’d jump at the opportunity to make a career in dramatic acting but I know it’s very hard to get into and I am looking at all my options.”
Shauna Swainson, 17, from Llandudno, would also love to pursue a career in drama. She said: “Steve Kirkham taught us some amazing ways to develop our dramatic skills and hopefully it will help us with the A Level examination.
“It’s given me a very different outlook on drama and has opened my eyes to many more stage techniques. I really enjoyed the whole day.”
