UNDER the chairmanship of Jim Welsman, Upstage Centre at 41 Monkgate is steering a new course in York.

Jim does not beat about the bush in his assessment of the past year, saying: "2015 was a financial disaster for Upstage Centre but an artistic triumph for Upstage Centre Youth Theatre.

"At the beginning of the year we discovered our lighting grid was no longer fit for purpose and had to replace, upgrade and extend it together with other essential electrical work costing over £6,000.

"Being an old building, later in the year it became necessary to replace a large part of the roof and internal ceilings resulting in a bill for £12,000, only partly met by our insurance. An upgrade to our accessible toilets came to £500 and a water leak resulted in a charge of over £600 for one quarter."

Artistically the year was outstanding, he reports. "2015 started with the double bill of Babe The Sheep Pig and Animal Farm, which received rave reviews and an invitation to the Edinburgh Fringe, and this was followed by an original production of The Wizard of Oz, our annual musical in a week," says Jim.

"During the year, and funded by the Arts Council, we ran our young adults project, where young adults researched, wrote and performed a play, Where I’m Stood, about young people’s experiences of living in York, and the year ended with a fresh take on the classic musical Oliver."

All these productions took place in the studio theatre, using the space in a variety of configurations, under the "able and imaginative direction" of co-artistic directorsJoshua Goodman and Matt Harper, but the stark need for financial prudence has led to the decision not to renew their contracts.

"For the last few years, the artistic programme has been designed and delivered by Joshua and Matthew, whose tenure ended with our Spring Spotlight, where our young people provided an entertainment devised and presented by them," says Jim.

York Press:

Matt Harper, left, and Joshua Goodman, moving on from their posts as co-artistic directors of Upstage Centre Youth Theatre

"Matthew has agreed to direct our upcoming Roald Dahl centenary double bill and the board of trustees is considering the future strategy for the youth theatre, hopefully building on the exceptional work done by Joshua and Matthew."

Rehearsals are under way for James And The Giant Peach's run from May 22 to 28 and the company's musical in a week, Matilda The Musical, will be in situ from May 30 to June 4. Anyone interested in taking part in the latter should contact jim@upstagecentre.org.uk

"Both shows centre on the dreams of a young person and their ability to overcome barriers. This is why these plays are perfect for Upstage," says Jim.

"Although similar in themes, however, they will be two completely different projects for our young actors. James And The Giant Peach will be built from 12 weeks of workshops in characterisation, physical theatre and shadow puppetry in order to bring the extravagant and exaggerated world to life.

"Matilda, on the other hand, is a fun and fast-paced project, in which we have only five days to stage our own interpretation of the recent West End hit.

Therefore, the focus can't be on an extensive process of skills development, but more on the exciting energy that comes from a group working towards a common goal. In order to stage this musical in a week, everyone has to work together, contribute ideas and come up with creative solutions to blocking."

Upstage Centre combines rehearsal space and a dance studio with the studio theatre and also serves as a community and arts centre, used by organisations through the day and in the evening for dance, fitness and arts classes and yoga and zumba sessions, as well as by the Yorkshire School of Acting, York Mind and Once Seen.

The premises are available for hire from 9am to 11pm, seven days a week and have proved invaluable for such companies as Six Lips Theatre, Pick Me Up Theatre and York Shakespeare Project for rehearsals.

The studio theatre will continue to combine Upstage shows with performances by York performing arts groups. Already this year, D&B Productions, from the University of York, have staged Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company in February; Infinite Riches have premiered two Alison Morgan one-act plays, Last Awake and Lucky 6, in March; and York Settlement Community Players have presented Marina Carr's Southern Irish dysfunctional family drama, The Mai, two weeks ago.

Next up will be Not Cricket Productions' staging of Joel Bates's A Tale Of Robin Hood from April 5 to 9, with 7.30pm shows from Tuesday to Friday and 2pm and 6pm performances on the last day.

In this new family adventure for seven year olds upwards, the Sheriff has been killed and Nottingham is now ruled by a man whose thirst for blood is matched only by his hatred of notorious outlaws. Lady Marian, the daughter of the murdered Sheriff, is on a ruthless hunt for revenge. When a young girl lost deep in Sherwood Forest is taken under the wing of the most infamous band of heroes in all of England, she must show all her courage and wit to avoid capture. For tickets, visit bookwhen.com/ncp