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Spreading the music
Jo Barnes chats to Craig Downes, of Chepstow Musical Youth Theatre, about their recent tour to France
MCL: Tell us about Chepstow Musical Youth Theatre
Craig Downes: Started in 2001 as a means of teaching practical musical theatre skills through performance driven teaching. It was quite small at inception, but has grown to encompass 65 students in four groups aged between six and 19. Essentially it is for every child in the area who wants to be exceptional and to pursue excellence in performing. Not everyone can sing or dance well, but there are always parts for non singers in shows. We also teach stage management, lighting and sound. It is a very enviable position to be in, to chose your pupils, and we attract more young performers each year. There is a waiting list in some of the age categories.
MCL: How many shows you put on each year?
CD: Normally two musicals and an annual review, but we take part in concerts and carol singing at Christmas. This will be growing as we have started the process of twinning with one of France's leading youth choirs SACD'ADO based in Normandy. We will be swapping teaching staff and performing together in early winter 2008.
MCL: Tell us a bit about yourself
CD: I moved to the UK from South Africa in 1995 and worked first with WNO and later internationally as an opera soloist. I have performed 59 different opera, operetta and musicals roles in a 22 year career, but have been reinvigorated and reinvented by a love of teaching and directing. It is quite the biggest challenge there is, and one of the most rewarding, to instil the desire to succeed and achieve more than that which they thought possible - especially in young people.
MCL: So did you decide to take CMYT on tour to France?
CD: Chepstow is twinned with Cormeilles in Normandy. We were approached by the Chepstow Twinning Association and asked if some sort of performance would be feasible. I have taught some of the students for up to eight years, and have waited a long time for the right cast to do West Side Story. With enormous funding from the European Union, and Chepstow Town Council, I designed the production with a view to touring to Cormeilles as well as a subsequent run during the first week of the Chepstow Festival at the end of June.
MCL: How long were they in rehearsals?
CD: We started music and dialogue rehearsals in October 2007 with a month off over Christmas.
MCL: How did the show go down?
CD: I gave two workshops with some of the local young people and we did a schools performance and a public performance. The show was a smash hit. Most of the children who attended the schools performance had never seen a musical before. The word got around fairly quickly, as the 100 or so tickets sold the day before shot passed the capacity of the venue (300) and people were turned away from the doors in large numbers. Both performances drew prolonged standing ovations, and an impromptu reception hosted by the town mayor ensured that we were quickly invited back.
MCL: How did the youngsters enjoy the trip?
CD: Immensely. Staying at a real French chateau, eating in French restaurants (although we took our own chef) and the opportunity to do what they are really good at made for a winning combination.
MCL: Were they nervous before they left?
CD: They were a little nervous. Done properly, West Side Story is probably the most difficult musical in current popular repertoire calling for very specialised voices. The music is very difficult and and the emotional range required of the acting is enormous. A lot of companies stage the show, not all are successful. This particular grouping of young people might come around once in a lifetime, all chosen specifically for their exceptional talent. Role for role, I think it is the best cast of young performers assembled in Monmouthshire without exception. They were also concerned as to how they would be understood. Although we had figured out a way to do surtitles' in French (just like a proper opera company) using projectors, we were not sure that the audience would be as receptive as they turned out to be. It was great!
MCL: How long did you go for?
CD: The trip was six days long
MCL: What special memories do you think they will keep?
CD: The pupils have said that of the many happy memories, the time spent with the French pupils, the food (especially the fresh pastries every morning) and the friendships made en route will be the most enduring. Some have also now taken up French lessons at school. On another note, the lead soprano Charlotte Creber was rushed to casualty with a suspected broken foot hours before the performance and as we always have understudies ready to take over, Vicki Currie was prepared and ready to go on, but it turned out that the injury was a sprain and the crisis was averted. Other aspects of the production have bee very exciting for them, including the original 50s clothing (huge petticoats and all) that our wardrobe department sourced mainly on the internet and had flown in from America to give the dances that extra something special.
MCL: What other highlights have there been in the history of CMYT?
CD: Probably the production of Camelot in Chepstow Castle in 2006 which had a very authentic feel to it, and was also very strongly cast.
MCL: Why do you think it is important to give youngsters the chance to express themselves through musical theatre?
CD: It is an art form that uses all the various artistic disciplines and can be done to a lesser or greater degree successfully at any age. The huge range of requirements gives every youngster a sense of inclusion whatever their gifting and music frees them up to express themselves in a way that straight drama' invariably fails to. Unlike school productions, we get to choose from the best in the area, and I always double cast and have understudies in the leading roles as well. It doubles the number of opportunities to perform, and to shine. The healthy rivalry is good for the development and develops character and determination, the result of which is confidence and success in whatever the children go on to do in later life.
MCL: What plans do you have for the future - any more tours?
CD: Plans for the rest of the year are the Chepstow performances of West Side story at the end of June. The younger groups will be doing Gilbert and Sullivan during the festival. Later on this year there are plans to tour to Scotland and then to tour West Side Story to Cape Town in mid 2009. If anyone is interested in auditioning to join the company, they can contact us at info.cmyt@yahoo.com
12:14pm Tuesday 6th May 2008
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