YORK Theatre Royal’s latest community production over the May Bank Holiday weekend is surrounded in secrecy.
"We do know there will be more than 200 participants but we can’t tell you anything about it!" says head of communications Abbigail Ollive. "That's because it's called The Secret Bank Holiday Play."
York Theatre Royal has an impressive track record for its community productions, such as the 2012 York Mystery Plays in the Museum Gardens, Blood + Chocolate on York's streets in 2013 and the railway play In Fog And Falling Snow in the purpose-built Signal Box Theatre at the National Railway Museum last summer.
"Often our community shows take months of planning and rehearsal, but this May Bank Holiday weekend, this process will take place over just four days," says Abbigail. "A team of community volunteers will descend on the theatre on Friday to find out the name of the play they will be putting together for a one-off performance on Monday night after three days of rehearsals."
At present known only under its working title of The Secret Bank Holiday Play, the production will be based on an existing play that reflects the history of the theatre. "The piece will be split into five acts, each of which will represent a style of theatre-making from the last 270 years, from 1744 to the present day," says Abbigail.
More than 200 volunteers have signed up to take part in The Secret Bank Holiday Play, not only cast members but those wanting to help with the wardrobe, lighting, sound and prop-making.
"They will be joined by a small orchestra and the York Theatre Royal choir, and a professional creative team will be working on the project," says Abbigail. "Theatre Royal artistic director Damian Cruden will provide the link between the acts and the themes of the five sections which will each have a different director."
The Secret Bank Holiday Play has been adapted from a classic script by playwrights Richard Hurford and Philip Goulding, who have written new material to accompany the text and the title will be revealed tomorrow.
York Theatre Royal associate director Juliet Forster
The creative team is made up of Riding Lights artistic director Paul Burbridge; Theatre Royal associate director Juliet Forster; Pilot Theatre associate director Katie Posner; Theatre Royal young actors associate Julian Ollive and Forward Theatre Project and RashDash director Charlotte Bennett.
The production will be designed by Anna Gooch and Lydia Denno, with lighting designed by Alexandra Stafford-Marshall, music composed by Dominic Sales, music directed by Madeleine Hudson and movement directed by Hayley Del Harrison.
Liam Evans-Ford, the Theatre Royal's associate producer, says: "Following our major community productions, this is a brilliant opportunity to welcome our community theatre-makers into our new building for a fun-packed, chaotic weekend, which will lead to an exciting production looking at the last 270 years of theatre-making at York theatre Royal. This is all about enjoying the anarchy and enjoying making live theatre together in our newly redeveloped building."
The Secret Bank Holiday Play will be performed on Monday at 7.30pm in the main auditorium. Tickets are on sale from the Theatre Royal box office in person, by phone on 01904 623568 or online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
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