Next Stage Youth Theatre Company Celebrates its 25th Anniversary with His Right Worshipful The Mayor of Bath
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Image > His Right Worshipful the Mayor of Bath, Gerry Curran and Alan Casse join director Ann Ellison BEM and the cast and crew of Tom’s Midnight Garden at The Mission Theatre for Next Stage Youth’s 25th Birthday party. Also pictured are some of the ex-youthers who have won the Bridget Casse Trophy for Excellence in Youth Theatre since 2010.
On November 2nd Next Stage Youth celebrated its 25th birthday with an extra special matinee performance of Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, adapted by David Wood. This show was performed in front of The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Bath, Gerry Curran, past-youthers from the last 25 years, ex-tutor and supporter Alan Cassé and other valued Next Stage Youth Friends, Patrons and Supporters.
The afternoon kicked off with a first-class production of Philippa Pearce’s time-fantasy classic: Tom’s Midnight Garden. Presented by the current Next Stage Youth class of 2019, this sold-out matinee was enjoyed by an audience of all ages. After receiving two rave reviews earlier that week, the company’s production continued to excel and wow audiences for the remainder of the run.
Image < His Right Worshipful the Mayor of Bath Gerry Curran congratulates the Next Stage Youth cast of Tom’s Midnight Garden on their outstanding performances.
The performance part of the afternoon was followed by a speech from The Mayor and Next Stage Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Ann Ellison BEM. Speaking from the stage and beside a beautiful floral arrangement donated to The Mission for this special birthday celebration by The Secret Gardens, Bath Spa Train Station, The Mayor paid tribute to Next Stage Youth’s mile-stone achievement and contribution over the past 25 years to the Bath community, and the company’s work with young people. Ann Ellison reflected on the last 25 years and the thousands of children she has tutored, toured with and worked alongside since the company’s inception in 1994. She spoke proudly of how the skills and self-confidence learnt at Next Stage Youth meant that so many past members had now become accomplished young adults, a number of whom have gone on to work in the performing arts. However, Ann said that the greatest achievement in the past 25 years of the youth theatre must be the friendships that have been formed amongst each talented group of youth members.
Image < Winner of The 2019 Bridget Casse Trophy Harry Lewis with Alan Casse
Ann concluded the speeches by inviting Alan Cassé, a long-time supporter of Next Stage Youth and ex-Tutor, onto the stage to award the Bridget Cassé Trophy, in memory of his late wife Bridget. 2019 marks the 10th year of The Bridget Cassé Trophy awarded annually for excellence in Youth Theatre. This year’s trophy was presented by The Mayor of Bath to winner Harry Lewis who had played Tom in the afternoon’s play.
Runner-up for this prestigious award was Lily Chapman who had played Hatty and Ralph Leming and Georgia Grobler were both highly-commended.
The other nominees for the 2019 Bridget Cassé Trophy were:
Girls: Grace Campbell and Alicia Corripio-Dieppe
Boys: Max Leming and Henry Skinner
Alan Cassé and Harry Lewis were joined on stage by 7 of the previous trophy winners including Phillip Davies who received the trophy the first time it was awarded in 2010. It was great to meet up with these talented ex-youthers, all of whom had travelled from around the country to join Next Stage Youth for its special birthday.
The awards were followed by the lighting of candles on the 25th Anniversary Birthday cakes and with a rousing chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ led by Lily Chapman.
After the formalities The Mayor, Ann and Andrew Ellison along with Alan Cassé enjoyed catching-up with past members of the youth company and chatting to parents and friends before everyone involved in Tom’s Midnight Garden had to get ready to give one last performance of this stand-out youth production.
