Youth Showcase:
A Durham Horror Story
Monday September 15
"Tell them they did brilliant"
That was the reaction of one audience member leaving Youth Showcase's performance of A Durham Horror Story on Monday 15 September.
Groups of young people from the Durham area worked with writer Gary Kitching, visual artist Beth Davidson and sound artist Nicola Lumley. Using the theme of horror, a multi-media performance was created. Gary Kitching added: "I am over the moon" he said, "They were absolutely superb", adding that the group of sixteen 11-17 year-olds had been set tasks more often given to university drama students.
In the space of eight hours on Saturday, with the guidance of actor and director Phil Hoffman, the performance was written and rehearsed (photo right). There were no stars: everybody wrote something, everybody performed, everybody was involved in the film that was projected behind the performers.
It all came together on Monday evening (September 15) in the Studio of the Gala Theatre. Performers in black masks, dwarfed by flickering shadows, invited the audience to share their fears. A story about cowering under the covers listening to the frightening noises of the night was echoed by a giant gothic bed in the corner.
The performance ended with the audience being invited to add their own fears to the examples already placed on the bed by the cast.
All in all, a most impressive show: it was hard to believe that this group had only come together on Saturday to put it all together.
The performance was captured on video by Beth Davidson and you can see it here. (Copyright © 2003 Beth Davidson / Durham City Arts) [Running time 14 minutes: plays best over a broadband link.]
This was a Durham City Arts project, financially supported by the Baring Foundation, COSIP led by County Durham Youth Offending Service and Access Durham (funded through SRB) and with the assistance of the Looked After Network.
Thanks also to Clayport Library for providing space and refreshments and to all those individuals who helped with transport. Particular thanks go to The Three Tuns Hotel, Durham for providing essential rehearsal space at short notice.
