All in the Timing

A Youth Theatre Company based in the North-East of England is preparing to take their latest production to the Prague Fringe Festival on the 27th-30th May 2011.

Windermere Productions is entirely run by young people from the area and was founded in 2007. It will perform David Ives´ “All in the Timing”, a collection of short, humorous plays, in a professional theatre in the Czech capital after their successful bid to be part of the Fringe Event.

The Prague Fringe, famously referred to as “Edinburgh Festival´s naughty grandchild” is celebrating its 10th Birthday this year and is hosting a variety of performances from across the globe.

Director and co-founder, Stan Hodgson, 19, says: “This is a huge opportunity to take something that is entirely the work of young people to an international event. We would love any fellow North-Easterners who happen to be in Prague to come along and see us!”

The company, which was awarded the “Most Cultural Project” at Darlington Borough Council´s DOSH awards ceremony in 2009, have performed three successful productions: Oscar Wilde´s “The Importance of being Earnest” – Saltburn Community Theatre, and American comedy classics, “Arsenic and Old Lace”, and last year´s “Harvey” – both at Darlington Arts Centre.

Faye Hall, 19, who has been part of the company since she was 16, says: “This is the most ambitious project the company has ever attempted. We´ve been very happy performing in Darlington and across the north east, but we are now setting ourselves up for all the challenges that are waiting for us in the Czech Republic.”

Hodgson adds: “What we´re doing couldn´t have possibly started without the support of local funding and use of facilities such as the Darlington Arts Centre. We´ve been very lucky that something that began as a bit of fun has taken off to such an extent. It´s daunting, but incredibly exciting!”