A NEW session for the dale’s youth theatre group The Turrets begins this week with a new director at the helm.
James Barton hopes to cement the group’s place as “the capital of youth theatre” in South Durham, having taken over from Rupert Philbrick, who spent more than five years with The Turrets.
Mr Barton is an actor, writer, director and producer from Newcastle and is also part of modern theatre group The Six Twenty, which is based in the city.
Originally from Derbyshire, he said he caught the stage bug as a year 9 school pupil watching his sister take part in a show.
“I thought that was what I wanted to do. I studied it at GCSE and went all over Europe with my school doing different things – it was a great baptism into performance,” he said.
“I didn’t do youth theatre, but there were a lot of extra-curricular plays at school – we would do three shows a year outside of drama lessons.”
After school, he studied contemporary theatre in Bournemouth and then contemporary acting at Newcastle College. Having led youth theatre groups elsewhere for the past six years, Mr Barton said he was alerted to the opportunity at The Turrets via an advert on the Arts Council website.
“I saw it come up, checked it out and I am so glad I did.”
The Turrets meet weekly at The Witham on a Wednesday evening. The juniors, for ages seven to 11, get together between 4pm and 5.30pm, while the session for seniors aged 12-plus is 5.45pm to 7.15pm.
Working alongside Mr Barton will be Laura Shaw, who directed the most recent junior Turrets production Lockdownland.
Mr Barton said he was delighted Ms Shaw would be continuing in her role was looking forward to meeting the young people involved in The Turrets.
“I am new to this place and new to them, I don’t know what they like doing and what they don’t, so I think it’s going to be a good thing to start from the ground up with stage craft and skills building,” he said.
“I am looking forward to the first two sessions, as it’s both groups together after which we will be putting in place some theme-based skills workshops each week.”
Mr Barton said both groups would take to the stage later in the year.
“I want The Turrets to be accessible to all. The Witham is as at the heart of the community and it should be the capital of youth theatre in South Durham. I am looking to bring in as many young people as possible
“The best thing about youth theatre is that it’s fun, but it is also is great safe space to explore whatever you want.”
More information about The Turrets, including details of costs, is available at the witham.org.uk/workshop/ turrets-youth-theatre.
