The Sixth Form College Farnborough

Students from the College’s Performing Arts Department Gifted and Talented Project, Prospect Theatre Company, PTC,  have been active in a number of local and national contexts. PTC has toured local schools with a community theatre piece called ‘...left looking and A RIGHT COCK-UP’.  This was accompanied by a specially developed workshop aimed at GCSE drama students, run by PTC.  Members are currently rehearsing for the forthcoming season of Jim Cartwright’s gritty 1980s drama, ‘Road’.

Recently  four members of the company had the opportunity to work with Bootworks Theatre Company in preparing an installation for the ‘Farnham Creates’ event held recently.

Actors from the company came to work with the students over the weekend and for one of their Wednesday afternoon rehearsals. They taught them the principles of working to an angle, and the blocking, costume changes, scene-shifting and physical moves for the mime enactment of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ for which the four students took on various multiroles including the sheriff, the vigilante and the Mexican.

The installation is performed to one audience member at a time, who sits on a high stool in the box and watches the show unfold through three windows, opened and closed by an actor. The students performed outside for two hours, proving a storming success - all the five-minute slots were an instant sell-out!

Cath Hammond, Performing Arts Tutor at the College who created the PTC, said, "This has been a fantastic opportunity, adding to their experience of being ‘jobbing actors’ for the year – taking a Theatre In Education tour, staging a small-scale scripted piece and being cast in an existing piece, directed by professionals, fitting into the costumes and working a specific gig."

In addition to the value of the experience, the four students involved, Rosie Reynolds (who has also gained a place on a three-year course at the Laban Centre, London), Alice Morgan, Alex Beeson and Sam Toye (who has also gained a place on the three-year World Performance course at East 15) have had a valuable opportunity to work with industry professionals, who were so delighted with their “outstanding ability, geniality and enthusiasm.”  

A spokeperson for the Bootworks Theatre Company said, “It was apparent from the breadth of their knowledge of theatrical precedents, as well as their innate capability to explore challenging and demanding physical work, that a great deal is being done at Farnborough to encourage students to prepare for future careers within the arts.”

Cath Hammond said, “One of the aims is to help some of our most able students with their CV building, to support their applications to universities, vocational colleges, and even to contribute to their applications for more ambitious post-graduate training opportunities such as creative residencies and internships should they choose to pursue these pathways”.