GEORGIE LUPPI attended an intake course for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
Stomach muscles burning; Body trembling; Mind determined to not give in. A sudden hit of the wooden sticks cueing a whole chorus of 30 students to perform the MacBeth ‘Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow’ speech whilst in a Suzuki Theatre position.
Welcome to the summer intake course to the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
On the 13th August 2019 I walked down the high street to Goldsmiths University of London with my new flat mates and our yoga mats in hand. Out of 6,000 people who auditioned, just 300 successful applicants were beginning the adventure. We were ready to embark on the three weeks of intense, professional training. I was put into Course 5 (out of 10 courses) with 29 other students to complete our intake into the National Youth Theatre. Being led by our director Lukas Angelini and our course assistant Yinka Fadeyi, we received a massive variety of training from Japenese Suzuki training, Anne Boggart’s Viewpoint theory, yoga and improvisation. The variety of explorations and their distinctiveness created an even playing field for all members – no matter age or previous training, we all learnt together.
The senior course of NYT accepts 18 – 25 year olds from all around Great Britain and in my course we even had someone from Los Angeles! NYT are an ensemble company and this was highlighted during our training. We were 30 young adults from Liverpool to Kent, Wales to Suffolk, all having experienced life in very different ways, but being brought together to create a strong ensemble. The term ‘strength in numbers’ has never felt more genuine as we discussed topical debates from education to environmental issues. Some discussions were certainly more heated than others, but experiencing the passion and devotion in young people and their beliefs was inspiring. We are the next generation of adults. We have a voice and we own our opinions. In today’s current political and environmental situation it is sometimes easier to forget that ‘ignorance is bliss’. Yet NYT gave us the space to speak up through the means of theatre.
Since completing my course and becoming an official member of the National Youth Theatre, the new found confidence and determination in me is overt. I have been up to London for workshops with new companies NYT recommend. These have challenged me in new ways – allowing me to improve, meet new people and develop my comprehension of the industry. Also, I was put forward by NYT to a casting company looking to audition young people for a new TV series. Attending a professional audition in the heart of London and acting in front of people who cast films such as ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Theory of Everything’ is an opportunity that would usually be so out of reach whilst living in a small village in Suffolk. Yet, NYT made it a possibility.
However, it was the generous funding from the Old Burians’ Charitable Trust that enabled me to attend my intake course and live in London for three weeks. Their kind contribution led me to be trained by professionals, make contacts and provide me with exciting opportunities. Thanks to their help, I can now say that I am a proud member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.