A WINCHESTER artist has been giving young actors some top tips as they prepare for their next production.
ENCORE Youth Theatre is getting ready for its next production KIPPS: The New Half a Sixpence Musical taking place from February 16 to 18 at the Theatre Royal in Winchester.
The story follows Arthur Kipps who unexpectedly inherits a large sum of money and attempts to improve his social standing by self-help. As part of his quest, Kipps joins a woodcarving workshop and falls in love with his teacher Helen Walsingham.
Sculptor and wood-carver Alex Jones, who lives in St Cross, has provided the aspiring actors with hands-on experience using wood carving tools, with the aim of helping the performers immerse themselves into their roles.
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Peter Symonds student Oli Eadie, 18, who plays Arthur Kipps said “It was fun to have an opportunity to try my hand at wood-carving, although I think my talents lie elsewhere. Alex was great at guiding us through the basics and I feel I can use my experience to enhance Arthur’s character for the play.”
The Winchester carver said: “Wood-carving is a very tactile art. To feel and work with the grains within the wood and be able to bring its natural beauty alive is such a satisfying artistic experience.
“It was great to share this with the young people so they could understand a bit more of what their characters experience in the show. It was also fun showing the cast my latest work and giving them a chance to try their hand at carving too.”
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The upcoming musical is a rags-to-riches story, based on an original 1905 HG Wells book, which was made into a musical comedy in 1963 and re-written in 2016 by Julian Fellows.
Alongside Oli Eadie as Arthur Kipps is Cerian Evans as the wood-carving teacher Helen Walsingham and Flora Armstrong and Bebe Elkins-Payne as fellow students.
Tickets are available from £10.50 at theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/kipps-new-half-sixpence-musical. Performances begin at 2.30pm or 7.30pm.
ENCORE’s 2024 production was also recently announced as Guys and Dolls. The company is holding a meet and greet on Thursday, February 16 at the Theatre Royal café from 3-4pm. The aim is for people to come and meet some company members, the artistic team and learn more about the casting weekend in June.
The Winchester-based youth theatre, established in 1981, rehearses every Sunday and some evenings until its production week during February half-term. The committee currently looks after around 50 members over the age of 11, recruited from schools and colleges around Hampshire.
For more go to encoreyouththeatre.co.uk/.
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