When you love someone, you tend to goall outon their birthday with balloons, bunting and, if they’re lucky, a home-made cake. When it’s a milestone birthday, the stakes are even higher; the pressure to make a child, partner, parent or friend feel special is most definitely on!
So, what do you do if the object of your birthday affection is not a cherished friend or family member but…. a building?! That’s the conundrum TRP faced when planning this weekend’s glorious celebration of TR2’s 21stbirthday. Their answer? Treat the occasion as you would any big birthday and throw one hell of a party!
The Key initially feels no different to your usual chaotic family birthday party. There is a huge cake, lots of candles and some confusion over who is actually in charge of proceedings. Is it the floppy haired, nervous usher earnestly trying to get our attention with a quick speech, or is it one of the many efficient looking stage managers that stand amongst the crowd carrying clip boards and directing us to our “tour” group? The atmosphere is electric as uncertainty and excitement surges through the audience.
It quickly becomes clear that this confusion is all part of the plan. Rather than offering us a traditional review of the building’s history, we are quickly immersed in a spectacular piece of promenade theatre that sees us walk around the entire building (both inside and out) to look at all the pioneering work that takes place at TR2.
The scale of this production, like the building and location itself, is impressive. For weeks on end, a largely young, local cast have worked tirelessly with professional directors and choreographers to create an unforgettable theatrical experience.
TR2 might be turning 21 and emerging further into adulthood but you can tell that keeping the essence of the work there youthful and energetic is a huge priority for TRP.
In a nod to The Tempest, Prospero (Tip Cullen), Ariel (Florian Saturley) and Miranda (Natasha Nwaegbe) all star in this larger-than-life tour. Before witnessing the work of several community groups in action, these Shakespearean guides introduce us to Plymouth’s past. Quoting from the play, three local actors remind us of the brevity of time before a group of young dancers mimic the movements of the choppy waters that surround TR2. Whale song and the sound of a ticking clock fill the air. We are all mesmerised.
Just before we enter the revolving doors of the building, we witness a dance performance by Far Flung Dance Theatre. In another captivating moment of the tour, three dancers move in unison to the sound of modern, digital music. This is physical theatre at its best as the three performers execute risky jumps and movements on top of the entrance’s hard, concrete floor. It feels like this performance is a tribute to all the ground-breaking physical theatre work that happens behind these elaborate doors.
Miranda leads the next section. Wide eyed and terrified of the future, she watches a Young Company rehearsal in 2024. Young performers come head-to-head with their directors, tensions between cast members bubble and first night nerves kick in! It’s a scene that poignantly reminds us of how youth theatre builds resilience and team working skills in young people.
When we visit Wardrobe, the more glamorous side of youth theatre is explored, and Miranda begins to smile! Donning a range of colourful and sequinned emblazoned outfits from TR2’s huge costume department, all the young people cavort on a top of a “catwalk” shaped platform and sing a range of powerful and uplifting songs that showcase their fresh talent. It is a moving moment for me and others in the room who remember attending The Young Company themselves. All performers look like they are having the time of their lives!
However, The Young Company don’t shy away from more hard-hitting pieces of drama. In one gripping dystopian scene, the teens trash the upstairs office and demand for an end to society’s obsession with STEM subjects. They want the right to access a wider curriculum and have the chance to play Drama games again. (Who doesn’t love “Zip, Zap, boing”?)
According to The Stage this week, A-level entries for arts subjects have dropped by a third since 2010. It’s great to hear the opinions and ideas of the people experiencing these changes within education and it’s even better to see that TR2 gives young people a creative outlet that they may, perhaps, no longer access at school.
It’s not all about the young people today though. Significant chunks ofThe Keyalso show us the innovative work done by other groups that use TR2 as its base. Funky Llama, Our Space and Our Space: Armed Forces all feature too.
Watching a member of Our Spaceperform a spoken word piece about the inner strength group members find at their sessions is inspiring: “I see people grow here – they’re no longer bound.”
Ending on a high, led by a jubilant Ariel and a content looking Miranda, all three tour groups reconvene in the building’s largest rehearsal space to sing TR2 a Happy Birthday. More mature voices harmonise with youthful voices, and we’re all stuffed to the gills after feasting on the many delightful projects this wonderful building regularly hosts.
More please TR2!
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