The Society is proud of its thriving Youth Group. The group came into existence in 1995, having evolved from an earlier Junior section.

This section is for young people between the ages of 11 and 16 (although occasional exceptions are made for 16-18 year olds that fall into the two year overlap with eligibility for entry into the main company). These additional two years can be used as a transitional period into the main company whilst still retaining involvement and friends within the Youth Group. The group has, in the past, been run by experienced actors within the Society but, more recently, members from external, professional companies (initially the Changeling Theatre Company and currently Heidi Garwood from the Ka4ting Theatre Company) have taken on the responsibility of running the group assisted by senior members of the RaTS.

The group meets every Wednesday evening between 6:30pm and 8:30pm and has a restricted membership (currently around 30 young people each year). The Group runs in 10 week terms roughly in line with school terms and, at present, costs around £40 per term (please enquire for exact costs).

The aim is to teach young people the various skills required by budding actors (such as voice projection, movement, awareness and general stage presence) whilst also introducing the arts of the various backstage sections. This is achieved by workshops and lectures involving improvisation, play readings, and group work.

When the Youth Group was run internally, it was the policy to select suitable adult plays rather than plays written specifically for children in the belief that more was learnt when faced with the challenge of such material. The external regime has introduced a new dimension in that, during the term, the members of the Group sometimes write their own play (with guidance) to be performed at the end of term.

Over the past 2-3 years, the Youth Group have been given the November production slot and have provided great entertainment with shows such as "Bugsy Malone" and "The Dracula Spectacular". These productions have been staged entirely by the Youth (including backstage functions), with adult assistance only for set building and electrics for reasons of safety.

Anyone requiring further information, or wishing to join, can contact us at Youth Enquiry.

Please Note: The Youth Group runs from March to November each year and usually requires the committment of attending for the entire year to allow consistency in producing plays. As a result, applications are usually only considered in the New Year. If you wish to apply, please send your name, age, and a contact telephone number to us (using the e-mail link above) and we will add your name to the application list. We will contact you in the New Year if you have been lucky enough to have been selected.

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