National Theatre's JEKYLL & HYDE To Be Performed In School Halls Across Wolverhampton This Week

The National Theatre's nationwide schools tour of Evan Placey's radical reimagining of JEKYLL & HYDE will be seen by schools from across Wolverhampton and its surrounding areas in partnership with Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

The National Theatre production will play to school students in their school halls in a tour that sees The National Theatre and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre work together to reach school students with quality drama, without them having to leave their school premises.

The production will be seen by the following schools from 26 February – 1 March:

•           St. Regis Church of England Academy, Wolverhampton

•           Brownhills Ormiston Academy, Walsall

•           Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy, Wolverhampton

•           The Khalsa Academy, Wolverhampton

Directed by Kirsty Housley, the 9-week tour will be watched by over 10,000 students with the production visiting school halls nationwide between 9 January – 16 March.

In a reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale, this production sees Victorian England merged with the modern day as it explores how the repression of female voices can be as prevalent today as it was in the 19th century. Confronting contemporary social issues such as identity, online personas, culpability and the right to protest, the production aims to bring education beyond the classroom and inspire students to engage with topical issues through the arts.

In partnership with local theatres, the production will also be seen by students in schools across Greater Manchester, Sunderland, Leicester, Stoke, Peterborough, Wakefield, Doncaster, Hornchurch and North Devon.

Kirsty Housley, Director of JEKYLL & HYDE, said “Touring this show in 2022 was such a hugely important experience and I am thrilled for it to be returning for a second tour. To bring work directly to young people in this way feels incredibly radical right now. During this cost-of-living crisis, many families are struggling for essentials and a trip to the theatre is sadly a luxury many can't afford. Bringing The National Theatre directly into school halls is a small way of redressing this. We can't wait to share it with pupils across the country.”

Rufus Norris, Director of The National Theatre, said “Theatre plays an important role in sparking discussions and developing skills that go beyond the classroom. We are delighted to be bringing back the schools' touring production of Jekyll & Hyde to even more schools across the country. By visiting young people in their school halls and in their local venues we hope they will be inspired to continue exploring theatre and what their brilliant local venues have to offer.”

The cast includes Sophie Atherton, Philip Bosworth, Wesley Bozonga, Ellie Gallimore, Dan Nash, Angela Jones, Andy Sellers and Lucy Elizabeth Thorburn.

Costume and set designed by Amanda Stoodley, with lighting designer Joshua Pharo, associate lighting designer Sarah Readman, and Benjamin Grant as sound designer.

The schools tour forms part of the NT's Theatre Nation Partnerships network to grow and sustain new audiences for live theatre and create more opportunities to engage in the arts. Our partner theatres include Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Theatre Royal Wakefield, Cast in Doncaster, Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire, The Wolverhampton Grand, Curve in Leicester, Landmark Theatres in North Devon and Peterborough, Restoke, Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall in Stoke, Trowbridge Town Hall and The Lowry in Salford.

The National Theatre's Learning department aims to inspire creativity and boost skills for the future workforce of the sector and build a more creative nation. With 85% of all UK state secondary schools now signed up to The National Theatre Collection, National Theatre Learning is present in every local authority in the UK through its in-person and digital programmes, making it easier for schools to place arts and creativity at the heart of education.

ABOUT WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Admired by performers and audiences alike for its friendly welcome and intimate three-tiered Victorian auditorium, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre opened in 1894 and is a long-established theatre in the heart of the Midlands. It receives a wide range of major touring productions including drama, musicals, ballet, dance, opera, variety, concerts, children's shows and one of the biggest pantomimes in the UK, with audiences from across the region and beyond taking advantage of excellent transport links to the town.

Through extensive Creative Learning and Access work, the Grand Theatre strives to reach even more people through the magic of theatre. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre's artistic vision has recently given emphasis to re-establishing the theatre's history of producing quality in-house theatre for the people of Wolverhampton and beyond.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre celebrates its 130th Anniversary on 10 December 2024.

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