Alan
Ayckbourn Theatre
officially opened
The college’s
Alan Ayckbourn
Theatre was officially
opened at a special
performance of
Romeo and Juliet
on 27th June.
Steven Ayckbourn
(son of internationally
renowned playwright,
Sir Alan Ayckbourn)
officially cut
the ribbon to
declare the theatre
open when he
attended the
National Diploma
in Acting and
Technical Theatre
final year show.
The role of Romeo
was played by National
Diploma Acting
student, Sam Coulson,
who is following
on the heels of
four former York
College students
who have been accepted
onto professional
training courses
at the Royal Academy
of Dramatic Art
(RADA) over the
last few years.
Sam has been awarded
a place on the
BA in Acting course.
With over 3000
applicants for
only twelve male
places, RADA is
probably the most
prestigious Drama
School in the world,
taking students
from across the
globe. Sam has
also been accepted
at Mountview and
the Guildford Conservatoire
and he joins a
list of over twenty
York College students,
who have gained
places at the top
drama schools (including
RADA, LAMDA, the
Royal Welsh College,
Bristol Old Vic
and Central School
of Speech and Drama)
over the last 4
years.
Shakespeare's
classic tale of
young passion was
transported to
the gang-ridden
streets of Verona
in the late 19th
Century, where
the overwhelming
heat of an oppressive
summer, fuelled
by sectarian hatred
and jealousies,
created the setting
for the most famous
four days and three
nights in English
literature.
Anthony Ravenhall,
performing arts
tutor at York College
says: “Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet
is a tale of young
passions, of actions
uninhibited by
the thought of
consequences. It
is unusual to see
the principle characters
played by people
who are themselves
the same age as
Shakespeare’s creations-
who can identify
directly with their
own rollercoaster
of emotions as
they struggle with
the newness of
being in love for
the first time.
This is a tale
of poetry, passion
and power, a story
of street crime
and knife crime
long before it
became a fashionable
tabloid topic.
About
the theatre
York College 's
New Theatre, named
for Yorkshire 's
and the UK 's greatest
living playwright
opened its doors
for performances
this autumn.
Designed to be
a flexible auditorium,
the Alan Ayckbourn
Theatre can be
adapted for a wide
variety of performance
spaces, for theatre,
dance and music
events.
Seating of up
to 200 (dependent
on performance
style), in addition
to new state-of-the-art
lighting and sound
equipment, makes
this an ideal addition
to the range of
theatres and performance
venues in York
.
Over the next
12 months we will
be putting in place
means of the space
being available
for hire from local
groups and professional
companies.
Together with
performances from
our own Acting,
Dance and Musical
Theatre Students
as well as Musical
Events, we hope
that the Alan Ayckbourn
Theatre will become
a regular setting
for performances
here in York .
If you would like
further information
concerning the
Alan Ayckbourn
Theatre, or any
forthcoming events,
please contact
Anthony Ravenhall
on tel:01904-770296.
Romeo
Awarded Prestigious
Place At Rada!
Following on the
heels of our 4
students who had
been accepted onto
professional training
courses at the
Royal Academy of
Dramatic Art (RADA)
over the last few
years we are very
pleased to be able
to announce the
one of our current
Year 2 Acting Students,
Sam Coulson, has
been awarded a
place on the BA
in Acting .
With over 3000
applicants for
only 12 male places,
RADA is probably
the most prestigious
Drama School in
the world, taking
students from across
the globe and from
York College.
We are sure that
you will want to
join with us in
congratulating
Sam on this achievement
and what better
could you could
this be done by
coming to see him
play Romeo in our
Second Year Final
show this week
in the Alan Ayckbourn
Theatre.
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