Theatre Review - START SWIMMING - THE PEOPLE'S THEATRE, NEWCASTLE

Start Swimming is the latest production from The Young People’s Theatre, a youth theatre group based at The People’s Theatre in Heaton, Newcastle.

Performed in the superb new studio theatre space, set up in the thrust theatre style, this young group of 15 actors have certainly taken this script and developed and interpreted it with style.

Francesca Secker, Jem Etherington,
Alistair Wilson, Madeleine Secker
 - The Musicians

With no set, a black background and an audience on three sides, this group of young actors have the audience gripped from the start. With no named characters the actors are split into three groups; The Musicians - dressed in black, The Oppressors and The Oppressed – both dressed in black and white with the Oppressors distinguished by a black sash apart from the leader with a blue sash.

Back Row - Isabella Warburton Brown,
Imogen Henderson,
 Olivia Mawdesley (An Oppressor)
Front Row - Ethan Rutherford, 
Phoebe De'Ath, Beth Crinnion (An Oppressor)

Opening with The Musicians reading well known quotes, they soon move to surround the audience to create a self-composed soundscape which complements the script brilliantly. It is then the turn of The Oppressors and The Oppressed, where the question of “What are you doing here?” is posed. The simple reply is “Standing, standing on the grass.” The next 50 minutes that follow are a fast-paced physical performance where The Oppressed rebel, find that they are to be punished, The Oppressors punish, but are not really sure why. At least they aren’t been punished, that is their reward, but we can easily change sides. This is one of those productions which you could interpret in many ways and can be interpreted differently depending on your circumstances. What is important is the obvious journey the cast have gone through not only to create a sublime piece of theatre, but one which is thought provoking for them as well as the audience.

Abigail Mableson - An Oppressed & 
Ethan Rutherford - An Oppressor

It is not often that I will single out a particular cast member in youth productions, but I felt the performance of the overall leader of The Oppressors, with the blue sash, Phoebe De'Ath, was mesmerising in her performance as she subtly controlled The Oppressors, with a glance and a nod.

The entire cast show great confidence producing a thought-provoking, emotional and entertaining performance.

Runs until Saturday 23^rd February