Tickets now on sale for Birmingham Youth Theatre’s production of Jekyll and Hyde.
Stage2, Birmingham’s longest-running youth theatre, is delighted to announce that, following the success of their 5-star production of Ted Hughes’ Tales from Ovid in April, tickets are now on sale for their summer production of Jekyll and Hyde by Evan Placey, at the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham.
‘Stage2 has never been afraid of taking on a challenge and this collection of tales … is certainly that, and, to their immense credit, the young cast rose to the task quite splendidly.
It is a brave choice of a play you would more likely expect to find at the RSC, who performed it in 1999, or at the National Theatre, but Stage2 have pulled it off quite magnificently’.
– Roger Clarke, Behind the Arras
Never ones to shy away from a challenge, this summer, Stage2 will be presenting a unique take on the classic text, Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, with a radical, inventive reimagination of the original tale, written by acclaimed playwright, Evan Placey. This version focuses on contemporary issues, as the detective story powers through history and levels the question: how do we know what the truth is, in a world controlled by science and technology?
Join Stage2 from 23rd-25th July at The Crescent’s Ron Barber Studio and watch as Stevenson’s Victorian England crashes and collides with our modern society, and a massive mystery unfolds…
With gender swaps, a neon pink bar, and gothic Victorian society all melded into one, this is a powerful story that is sure to delight and provoke audiences both young and old. Tickets can be purchased here, directly from the Crescent Theatre, for £16.50 per person.
Stage2 has a 37-year history of producing award-winning productions in Birmingham. In fact, in Summer 2015, exactly 10 years ago, they performed another of Evan Placey’s texts, Girls Like That:
‘Stage2’s ‘Girls Like That’ is a sensational staging of a brilliant play: in fact, it’s one of the cleverest youth productions I have seen in years.’ – Roderic Dunnett, Behind the Arras
This was directed by Company Founder and General Manager, Liz Light (who will be directing a world premiere of one of Claire Dowie’s texts in the Autumn), and featured current Stage2 Performances Manager, Roni Mevorach, as one of its actors! Stage2 has a long history of training up its members to become tutors, and includes young people in every aspect of their shows. All technical elements, including lighting and sound, are operated by its members, who also receive full training in all of these areas. In fact, Stage2 is particularly proud of its inclusive approach to youth theatre, which means that any member who wants to can act in the show – without even auditioning!
Stage2 is coming off the back of an extremely positive year, and is hoping to grow even bigger in the autumn. Membership rose to the highest it has been in nearly 10 years, which means that they are able to significantly expand their offerings. Stage2 is now returning to its original tradition of putting on a full-scale production every term, for the first time since 2018, which started in spring with Tales from Ovid. After just about surviving COVID in an online format, the company is now absolutely thriving! They are well established in their new home at The Hub Hazelwell in Kings Heath, and offer 3 different workshop options each term, as well as the opportunity to be in a show.
Stage2 runs sessions on Sundays, with the autumn term beginning on 14th September. Membership fees for a term are £190.00 for a first child, and £150.00 for any subsequent siblings (there are discounts available for booking early!). Stage2 is proud to be the only Youth Theatre in the West Midlands that provides all members who require it with a financial subsidy for fees, or any other aspect of Stage2 costs, believing that no one should ever be left out for any reason.
Anyone interested in further information should check out the Stage2 website. Alternatively, they can contact Stage2 staff with any questions at info@stage2.org, or by calling 07951 122932.
by Roni Mevorach