Rehearsals are in full swing for the Yarra Valley Theatre Group’s next production.THE Yarra Valley Youth Theatre group will showcase three new plays, written by the youth themselves, when they take to the stage at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre on Friday, 2, and Saturday, 3 December.
YVYT director Howard Proctor said the trilogy was the culmination of months of hard, dedicated work by the group’s members.
The evening will start with “A Family Portrait”, a dramatic portrayal of a dysfunctional family.
“Some of our kids wanted to do something really confronting,” Mr Proctor explained, “and, after workshopping ideas they wrote this very dark and moving piece.”
He described the play as hard-hitting with some mature themes.
“It’s quite a step in a different direction for the group,” he said.
“Usually we do comedies or melodramas so this gritty, real-life play is something quite new for the group.”
The next play brings a change of pace. “The Murder of Humpty Dumpty” is a comical whodunnit based on the murder of the famous egg.
Be prepared to forget everything you thought you knew about the Humpty Dumpty story. “He didn’t fall off that wall – he was pushed,” said Michael Connell, the group’s artistic director.
“Super Science Allstars” could very well be the strangest play the Youth Theatre Group has ever produced according to cast member Jim Ellis.
“It’s a comedy about famous scientists going to high school and dealing with teen issues.
“It’s a sort of The History of Quantum Physics mixed with Degrassi Junior High – something people have been wanting to see for a long time,” he quips.
Then adds by way of further explanation, “We’re just trying to give the people what they want.”
If you like your theatre raw, but with a certain degree of polish – a bit of a roller coaster, this trilogy has great promise. The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets will be available at the door.
