Theatre / bristol old vic young company
Preview: Under a Cardboard Sea, BOV
This summer, Bristol Old Vic’s Young Company presents a major new production in celebration of the 250th anniversary of its parent theatre. Under a Cardboard Sea will be performed on the historic theatre stage, will feature a cast of 100 young people aged between five and 25 – and is inspired by the Old Vic’s own story.
A year in the making, the show takes inspiration from the hundreds of child performers used in the 19th century. The story germinated during a research visit to the University of Bristol’s Theatre Collection, where writer Silva Semerciyan and Young Company director Lisa Gregan stumbled upon Victorian theatre paintings which showed young children dressed up and filling the stage. The duo discovered that, in Victorian times, very poor children were often paid to put on costume and stand on stage as set dressings.
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From this, Silva, Lisa and their cast and crew have devised a show centred on a nameless city where, beneath a cloud of smog, there is a theatre. A little kingdom of its own, where secrets are hidden and lies are told. Outside, the wheels of progress grind on whilst hundreds of children are vanishing off the streets.
Eventually they reappear on the stage with painted smiles on their faces: but, behind the curtain, nothing is as it seems. The award-winning Young Company use their signature blend of ensemble performance, original music (played by the company’s own house band) and choreography to explore the creativity of young people fighting for their place in the world.
It’s fitting that the Young Company are taking such a prominent role in this year’s 250th birthday celebrations: the company were instrumental in keeping Bristol Old Vic’s creativity alive during the theatre’s financial and artistic crisis back in 2006, creating work (and keeping the BOV brand alive) throughout a period devoid of professional productions. As such, they represent a crucial part of the story of the theatre’s survival and recent (re-)flourishing.
“There are over 100 people working on this show and myself and Matt Grinter (co-director) are lucky enough to be part of this incredible process,” Lisa enthuses. “The ideas that come from devising with our cast are as unique and imaginative as I have come to expect from working on a Young Company production.
“I feel very lucky to be working on Under a Cardboard Sea – it feels a little like our birthday present to this wonderful theatre.”
Under a Cardboard Sea is at Bristol Old Vic from Aug 4-6. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk/cardboardsea.html
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