Rehearsing within the tiny square boundaries of a Zoom box is not a challenge I had anticipated at the beginning of 2020. However, as the world catapulted into the 'new normal', it seemed like a brilliant challenge.
I quickly realised just how different youth theatre is online. Simple tasks like warm up games and group work become almost unrecognisable when you're sitting in separate rooms across the city, and it's very unusual working with people you've never met in person.
But there's a strange new kind of creativity emerging over the course of our rehearsals. There are thousands of new ways to alter the audience's perception of a show, and audience participation takes on a whole new importance. The tiny rectangular Zoom screens become infinitely malleable tools, and it's fascinating to explore different ways of manipulating what the audience sees. It's something that you would hardly think of doing in a normal theatre production.
This term, we have been working with Perth Youth Theatre on a new devised piece, Tay², occasionally attending joint meetings. Working with the team from Perth has been fantastic. and even though we can't rehearse in person there's a real sense of trust and connection between everyone. It's great to see so many different outlooks and our discussions are always full of interesting and original ideas. Having parallel perspectives is really exciting and adds a new depth to our performance.
The challenge of producing a live piece of theatre online is one I cannot wait to experience, and I know that whatever the finished product looks like, it will be something very special; a testament to the times we live in, and to the creativity that flourishes in adversity.
Evie Campbell
hidden route young company and Perth Youth Theatre will be performing Tay² online on Thursday the 3rd and Friday 4th of December. Tickets are free and now available here . We would love to see you there!