Sweet Sixteen
Gateway Theatre Wednesday 6 to Saturday 9 September 2006
Click Here For List Of Company Members and Comments
If your sixteenth birthday was anywhere between 1959 and 2006 then there was definitely something for you to relate to if you went along to the Gateway Theatre to watch the second Theatre in the Quarter production. The young and dynamic company of talented 16 – 23 year olds from Chester formed the core of Sweet Sixteen. This year Helen Newall and the company have been out on the streets and in cafes asking people to offer their memories of being sixteen. This was turned into another homegrown and highly original exciting piece of musical theatre for the people of Chester.
Helen Newall says “It is amazing how teenagers’ aspirations and opportunities have changed over the past fifty years, and yet some of the anxieties of going on dates, wearing the right clothes and keeping up with fashions seem all too familiar whether you were sixteen in 1960 or 2006.”
One common thread for young people in Chester, which has sustained through the decades is the annual fair which comes to the Little Roodee in May. This has provided a common thread for the whole story, and provides an exciting backdrop for all the original stories and music.
The young cast were joined by even younger members from Jigsaw Music Theatre Company. Christian O’Connor, 9 from the Garden Quarter says “It’s hard work learning songs, pretending to sell candyfloss, getting chased up St. Mary’s Hill and being on lots of fairground rides. I am loving every minute of it.”