appearing in the Nottingham Post

Hail Caesar – the new youth production

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Nottingham Post

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CAESAR, 13, has more experience in comedy. But in recent weeks he's got used to oratory and getting stabbed.

And he wasn't expecting a starring role.

Star roles: Madi Smith, 7, and Isaac Stark, 13, as Julius Caesar.

"I thought I'd get something smaller," said Isaac Stark, 13, who plays the title role in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. "I enjoy doing comedies. This was quite challenging at first, but now I think I've got used to being Caesar."

That's good, because tomorrow Julius and fellow young actors take to the stage at the New Art Exchange, Gregory Boulevard, and perform a work that's ambitious for a troupe ranging from teenagers to primary school-aged children.

The toga-clad crew is part of the Royal Youth Shakespeare Company, a local theatre group that believes the works of the Bard shouldn't be off limits to the young.

"We got fed up seeing kids not doing anything but getting stuck at the back of the chorus," said assistant director Malcolm Barnes, who runs the RYSC with artistic director Fiona Naysmith.

"Not only are they capable of it, they rather enjoy it."

The company targets pupils of all backgrounds, although many are home-educated. Malcolm explained that when they set up the RYSC several years ago, that group jumped out as one where the opportunities to participate in something like a holiday play did not always exist.

Act 1: The cast of Julius Caesar, which will be staged at the New Art Exchange in Hyson Green.

The summer Shakespeare play is one of the RYSC's three annual projects, and the only one that actually involves the Bard's work. There's also a writing and directing course, and a Christmas play.

The Shakespeare, meanwhile, is taught in a way that includes history and an understanding of the time period and themes.

Some of the young actors are veterans of RYSC productions and aren't daunted by Shakespeare. For others, this is their first go-round with the Bard. Extra workshops have helped.

"We did some rhetoric workshops," explained Seirian Griffiths, 10, a home-educated pupil from Mapperley Park. "The language is easier than I thought it would be."

Lucy Wakefield, a 14-year-old home-educated pupil from Hucknall, said working on Shakespeare had been good for confidence.

"Acting," she said, "is a passion."

The actors also had to get used to one other thing – the full-length togas they'll wear.

"It's quite hard because I have to keep my arm up here all the time," said Carrington Primary pupil Lottie Bluewater, 10, as she bent her arm so that her hand rested just below her neck in the manner of a Roman senator.

Julius Caesar is on at New Art Exchange, Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green, on Friday and Saturday at 7pm. There is also a Saturday 2:30pm matinee performance.

For more information on the RYSC e-mail rysc@live.co.uk.

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boating at Highfields

We had hoped to meet up with a friend that lives in Beeston before tennis today, but unfortunately she cancelled at the last minute, so we made the most of our time by heading to Highfields (University Park) for the boating lake.

Madi found it a lot harder than it looked, but soon started to get the hang of rowing and, more importantly, steering! Which the wildlife was rather pleased about too!

The Galleries of Justice

JK visited the Galleries of Justice with his Aunt several years ago, but although it is not far away, for various reasons I have never been. So when a friend of Madi's from RYSC organised a group visit, complete with tour and activities, it seemed an excellent opportunity to take a complete break from our Romans theme and look at a completely different aspect of history.

We took the train in to Nottingham (still making the most of our free Family and Friends Railcard, courtesy of the Daily Fail) and arrived in time to buy a new daysack big enough to fit the clarinet in, especially for 11th Session. In fact I had initially hoped to visit the Nottingham Contemporary , another local venue that we have yet not managed to visit, but sadly the galleries were closed today for an exhibition changeover so it was not to be, and instead we had to make do with a quick drink and snack in their Café Bar.

Upon arrival we were all issued with a numbered ticket, and then entered the Victorian courtroom for a mock trial.

We were then led down to the cells, to find out from our ticket what crime we had committed, and what our punishment would be...



Unfortunately, in spite of being joined by her BFF, Madi found the whole experience very frightening, getting particularly upset at the parts of the visit that were underground, and was much happier when we reached the exercise yard, where we were drilled...




...and hunted for 'historic grafitti'. I was delighted to find this example from a prisoner from Ashfield...



...whilst Madi was happier to find a nice (safe!) activity table!



After a very short break for our 'packed loonch' (as described by Madi and BFF in a strong northern accent at every available opportunity)



we entered the Narrowmarsh area where we took part in a range of activities designed to help the children imagine what it would have been like to live in the area around the Galleries of Justice in Victorian times.

Hedgerow Safari

The highlight of our camping trip was the 'hedgerow safari' at Beechenhill Farm, near Ilam, where we were joined by some more HE families.

Madi is not, by nature, a naturalist, but had a wonderful day from start to finish. Although normally nervous around dogs, not today...



The safari leader from OMSCo (Organic Milk Suppliers) was superb. He had arrived at the farm the night before, and set small mammal traps. Unfortunately it appears the small mammals at Beechenhill had grown wise to this and we didn't catch anything, but he showed the children skins of the voles and shrews we might have caught, as well as larger and better known animals such as red and grey squirrels, a hedgehog and even a badger...



We were then shown around the farm, and introduced to the various animals...







...and were given guides to help us identify many of the hedgerow plants.

Then, armed with our nets and pooters (plus some very large sheets of white card to help us spot the little critters) we went on our bug hunt.









We were invited in to the farmhouse gardens for our picnic lunch, with organic milk of course...





and they were pretty special gardens, with plenty to keep the children busy...





...then a nice long walk after lunch to spot Roman remains, and burn off those calories!

Camping

We have spent the past few days with several other home educating families camping at Barracks Farm near Hartington, host to the annual Peak Camp.

As it was just the two of us, we took our small hike tent, which I regretted after the poor first night's sleep and when we didn't really have anywhere to escape the rain except our beds!

Here is Madi, in her new sunhat purchased in Hartington, learning to Scoubidou with Aimee...



And here are the girls in a much larger (and more suitable!) tent, plotting and planning their latest venture...

And here are (most of) the children at the very end of camp, looking a little the worse for wear but having their photo taken with Jodie's flat traveller before he returns to Sweden.

looking after hamsters

Whilst Flic and Jem have been on holiday in Spain, Madi has been looking after Pipsqueak and Scurry, and very quickly learnt that the only chance she would get to play with them, was after she was bathed and ready for bed!





It hasn't dampened her interest in having a pet of her own, but has encouraged her to consider guinea pigs instead, and she has now started to find out more, by reading books from the library, asking questions at pet shops, and visiting 'Spikey Mikey' at Molly and Lucy's.

Brownie Pack Holiday

This is the article that Madi wrote about her pack holiday for the Monthly Mail, which she hopes will count towards her Brownie Writer's badge!

From 17th -19th June I went to Pack Holiday. For those of you that don’t know, pack holiday is where all the Brownies have a big holiday but this time we could only take 18 Brownies, and other people that wanted to come had to visit us for a day trip. We went to Hanson House in Linby.



Friday

The first thing we did was settle in and put our slippers on (no outdoor shoes allowed inside the house) and put our sleeping bags out. It was bunk beds and I was on the top- hurrah!- and my buddy Holly was underneath. The second thing I did, was to wait for Holly to arrive!
When she came, we went in to the playroom and did some craft. Now, there is one thing you don’t know. Pack holiday was based around a theme. This year, it was an Island Adventure.



The island we were on was called Brownie Island. We were split up in to teams- orange explorers, green explorers, and of course, pink explorers (which I was in, even though I don’t like pink). Holly was in orange explorers. We were called explorers because there was a map of all the different things on the island. The first place we went to was the enchanted forest and we made some binoculars and it was freaky because they actually worked. The second place we went to was the Tom Tom Tribe Indian village. There we made some totem poles and then we did our jobs. Waitresses helped set the tables, cooks helped wash the dishes and house orderlies tidied up the rest of the house.
We had chippeeeeeees from the chippeeeeeeee shop for tea. I had sausage as well as chippeeeeeeees.

After tea we went to the mountains of music and made a pan flute, a hand drum and a tambourine (different tambourines for different people- I had a blue one because I chose blue). Then we had some free time. At 930pm we got our pjs on, then at 1030pm everybody had to get in to bed and try and get to sleep.

Saturday

I woke up because everybody was shouting, and Carin shouted at everybody to get up, but some of us still stayed in bed.
After breakfast, the day visitors came and were the yellow explorers. They wanted to wash up, so the pinks got a day off! While everybody else was tidying, pinks were allowed to do whatever they wanted.



We decorated a cap and a bag of our team colour. I wasn’t very happy about the colour as I said before. Then we went to Starfish Point, where we made sand bottles.
Then it was lunchtime, we did our jobs again, and the yellows didn’t. We had jelly and ice-cream!
In the afternoon we had some free time, and played outside.
We had a chicken dinner for tea. The chicken was soft so I liked it. But not as much as the chocolate roll and chocolate custard for pudding! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
In the evening we had a birthday bear party for Sarah’s teddy bears George 1 and George 2, and other bears (who I don’t actually think had their birthday that day). For supper we had hot chocolate and a biscuit and then it was time to wash our faces and do lights out. I didn’t feel tired then, but I did the next day because I only got about two hours sleep.



Sunday

On Sunday morning we had yummy pancakes for breakfast! Then we had something called PowWow. We stood in a Brownie ring and wore flower garlands called leis round our necks and the leaders gave out awards. The pinks got the best house orderlies prize but I can’t remember the other awards. The awards came in a pirate box for pirate cove, the final place on the map we hadn’t visited.
I won’t bore you about how packing went because technically there was nothing to it really (except I put everything in a big bag instead of packing my case properly Mum would like to point out!).



We waited for our adults to arrive and then we got in to the car and I waved goodbye to Holly. Then when I got home I started to write this!