Workshops: A Song for Ella Grey

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A Song for Ella Grey

Free summer opportunity for 16-21 year olds to take part in new stage adaptation of David Almond’s award-winning young adult novel

Creative team with young people at Ella Grey workshop

Photo: Mark Savage

A brand new production of David Almond’s award-winning young adult novel A Song for Ella Grey will premiere in Newcastle (5^th– 16^th September) before touring. Adapted for the stage by David Almond and directed by Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne Campbell, the creative team will create the show with the help of more than 100 young people from across the North East.

David Almond joins vocal session with Amy Cameron

Photo: Mark Savage

In July and August, Northern Stage is offering 16-21 year olds the chance to work with the professional creative team in a series of free workshops to create film, movement and sound for the show. Each week, participants will develop skills including performance, film making, voice, movement and writing, creating material and then capturing all the magic on film and audio which will be incorporated into the production.

Movement Director Martin Hylton

Photo: Mark Savage

19 year old Jack Young from South Shields explained why he’s signed up for the workshops this summer. “With Northern Stage’s Young Company I’m doing things I wouldn't normally do. The movement sessions surprised me, I was much more interested than I thought I would be. I felt included, if that makes sense? From the sessions over the summer I want to get a new perspective on how I work in an ensemble, that professional approach to making work.”

Jemma Martin from Birtley, also aged 19, added, “My experience so far has been in a classroom. I want to work with other people, to explore work outside of a school situation.”

David Almond's story sets the Orpheus myth in teenage Tyneside. Travelling from the beaches of Bamburgh to the bridges of Ouseburn, A Song for Ella Grey is a wild and darkly romantic story about the seductive power and pain of being sixteen and in love.

Mariam Rezaie on the right leads vocal

session for A Song for Ella Grey

Photo: Mark Savage

Hailed as one of the most important writers for this generation of young people, Tyneside author David Almond is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, Whitbread Book Award, Newbery Medal and, most recently, the Guardian children’s fiction prize. Previous stage adaptations include Skelligat Sage Gateshead, Heaven Eyes at Washington Arts Centre and Miracle!An Opera of Two Halves at Sunderland Minster.

The creative team includes Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne Campbell, choreographers Martin and Debbie Hylton and musician/composer Mariam Rezaei. The cast is to be announced later.

How do I get involved?

To find out more about the workshops or to sign up visitwww.northernstage.co.uk/take-part/perform/young-company-a-song-for-ella-grey or email PCrossman@northernstage.co.uk

A Song for Ella Grey opens in Newcastle in September 2017. For more information or to book tickets for the show when they go on sale in June visit www.northerstage.co.uk or call 0191 230

5151.