2004

Autumn 2004
The Snow Queen

by Hans Christian Anderson

15th-18th December

Stage2 is renowned for giving wide-ranging opportunities to its members and this show was no different. Ellie Darvill, whose extensive experience of working in children’s theatre and TV (including many years as the Why Bird in ‘Playdays’) collaborated on the script with 17 year old company member Holly Turton.

The premiere of this new adaptation ofthis timeless classic delighted festive theatre goers at The Patrick Centre at Christmas 2004. “The show promises to be of the usual high quality for the whole family to enjoy” Evening Mail

Summer 2004
Why is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt

by Claire Dowie

15th – 17th July

“What an inspired idea to transform Claire Dowie’s riotous monologue of feminine angst into a comic play with a cast of one hundred. It’s hard to imagine it would be possible until you see how confident and daring the brilliant Stage2 can be. This radical material is a courageous choice for a youth theatre and it pays off brilliantly – both holding and challenging the audience in the way the best theatre should. There are some great ensemble scenes – the sixty-strong chorus are all terrific, each giving just enough but never too much. The show works like clockwork and no-one puts a foot wrong.” Birmingham Post.

Stage2 were extremely pleased to be performing another piece by their Patron – who also took part in the production by supplying the voice over ‘presenting the future.’

New York Short Plays

5th July

“With a production of Claire Dowie’s ‘Why is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt’ plus workshops with the author at the Crescent Theatre, a showcase of exam work at the Library Theatre and a trilingual exchange trip with a German Theatre group in Barcelona, July is a busy month for Stage2 – Somehow though they have also managed to squeeze in a taste of the Big Apple. The company have taken short plays by some of the best American writers such as Christopher Durang and Lucille Fletcher and linked them with improvised scenes, to form a complete day in the life of New Yorkers. Stage2 has a strong reputation and has never been afraid to stretch the boundaries of what’s expected of youth theatre groups, performing challenging work from Shakespeare to Berkoff and with this amount of activity planned for the summer,it’s going from strength to strength.” Metronews

Spring 2004
To Kill a Mocking Bird

by Harper Lee

8th – 10th April

“Now well established independently of its long time at mac, Stage2 opened its latest production to a packed house at The Crescent. Once again it’s a remarkable enterprise. There are persuasive performances from Lauren Archer, Billy Coughlin and Sam Cofman acting their ages as three children for whom a blatant case of injustice is a rite of passage to a flawed adult world. Dan Dolan strives manfully embodying the idealistic lawyer Atticus; Luke Waite has touching dignity as his doomed client, Jon Paul Millington a plausible swagger as his racist accuser while the most complete performance of all comes from Helen Jones as the maid Calpurnia.” The Birmingham Post