Curtain closes on city monologue trail

Youngsters at Wolverhampton’s Central Youth Theatre performed a number of socially distanced performances throughout the city by travelling to each other’s houses and performing outside each others' front doors.

It started in May and took the budding actors to Bradmore, Bushbury, Wednesfield and Sedgley, before a socially distanced finale at West Park's Bandstand on Saturday, June 27.

The final monologue which closed the trail was Shakespeare's All the World's a Stage.

Former member, and part-time leader Zak Douglas, who lives in Oxley, came up with the idea.

He said: “We were brainstorming ideas of ways the youth theatre could undertake some live theatre and I had this idea that we could involve as many people as possible in learning a new monologue and travelling around the city performing for each other.

"We are all really missing rehearsing and performing right now – and doing meet up’s on-line is OK but it’s nothing like performing live.”

Twenty two of the groups members took part in the trail.

Jane Ward, director of CYT added: “I felt it was a really innovative idea – and it certainly sparked a great deal of interest amongst our members.

"They are all pretty low at the moment, as during April, May and June we had seven shows due to be performed – including one that was due to tour to a festival in Northern Italy – and of course everything has had to be cancelled.

"Added to that, everyone has been cooped up in their houses for so long they are desperate to get out and about, but currently there aren’t many places young people can go.

"This project meant they could combine their exercise with something more purposeful - by going to stand outside someone’s house to perform."

All of the performances and finale have been recorded for a short film which will be released this week.