CityLife

Youngsters tackle Shakespeare epic

A COMPANY of young actors from all over the city, including Whalley Range, Crumpsall, Wythenshawe, Blackley, Chorlton and Gorton, all aged between 15 and 18, are to tackle an epic Shakespearean drama at the Library Theatre this weekend.

Set against the backdrop of the Trojan war and widely considered to be one of the Bard's most complex works, Troilus And Cressida is the debut production from the norfox Young People's Theatre Company, a company of young actors based at the Library Theatre.

The production is directed by Liz Postlethwaite, the library's community and education director, who explains the choice of this particular play. "When you're working with young people, I think it's really important to give them all an equal opportunity to shine, so not to pick a production that focuses on just a couple of main parts.

"But also, when you're working with young people, there's often a pre-conceived notion that you're only going to do a certain type of work with them, for instance with an issue-based theme.

Challenge

"So, I really wanted to do a piece of work that was not only going to challenge the young people but that was also going to challenge the audience and their expectations."

In this production, she points out, the company has pared the story down to its basic elements to look at the contradictions of modern war and the issues faced by young people involved in conflict.

"The theme of conflict and war has a real relevance to the young people we are working with.

"For instance, they've all been very interested in the idea of child soldiers, which has been in the news a lot lately.

"The story of Troilus And Cressida looks at friendship, love and family ties, and asks when these personal commitments should take second place to a commitment to your country or a political cause."

Troilus And Cressida is at the Library Theatre until Saturday, August 11 with a matinee performance on Saturday. £9. Click here for more information.