Mull Youth Theatre comes of age...
Five years to the day since the senior members of Mull Youth Theatre performed their first major production, Pan, they took to the stage again with a powerful exploration of gender and identity in Reset: Framework and Fragments.
Directed by founder member Kate Stevens, who also wrote the script, the young cast researched, devised and delivered a thought-provoking piece about the LBGTQ+ community.
With professional creative support from National Theatre Scotland’s Sarah Rose Graber; Mull Youth Theatre founder Andi Stevens; set, sound and lighting from Alan Melvin and Martin Low and poster design by Ruth Darling, the stage was set for an evening which demanded the audience think outside the box. Literally.
A cleverly designed, huge, empty cube created and broke boundaries as island girl Breagha ventured to the city.
As Breagha, Flora Thomasson gave a remarkable performance. She took us on a convincing journey from life with horses, wellies and kittens to a growing awareness of the diversity of ways others live their lives: to finding confidence, acceptance and love.
Despite echoes of Cinderella, this was no ordinary fairytale. Compelling performances from Izzy Willis, Zac Finch, Hannah Thorne and Vicki Stevens used humour, facts, anecdotes, questions, movement, music: subtle layer upon layer. They demanded the audience consider how we understand gender and identity. And they made that difficult task accessible and even enjoyable. They turned dust into glitter and convinced us it is time to activate the reset, with courage and joy. Mature work, indeed.
Reset: Framework and Fragments is part of National Theatre Scotland’s biennial exchange festival. From July 2-6, Eden Court Theatre in Inverness will showcase productions by 10 companies from Scotland, England, Chicago and Malta.
Director Kate Stevens and her senior Mull Youth Theatre cast won a place at the festival, describing their company as ‘electric’, ‘a team’, ‘close’, ‘unique’, and ‘a family’.