From Julie Batten

Director, People Express, South Derbyshire

Entry Date :

23/4/2010

As Director of People Express, a professional community arts organisation based in South Derbyshire, I am more than happy to provide a short evaluation of 'The Selkie Boy' by the Senior Youth Theatre Group. People Express' work is based on a 'participant led' approach and I was extremely impressed (when I watched an evening workshop) with the way the Youth Theatre members were so actively involved and engaged in developing the story-line, characters and dialogue for the play. The quality of the ongoing engagement in the development process, I felt, was strongly reflected in the high artistic quality achieved by the Group in their public performance, which I thought was outstanding and thoroughly enjoyed. The music, lighting, set, puppets and were all impressive and the play succeeded in exploring complex and potentially sensitive issues at a young but 'adult' level that was refreshingly truthful and challenging. The Ashton Group is producing some of the highest quality youth theatre work I have seen, both in their development process and quality of performances, I think your work should be highlighted nationally as an example of best practice. Long may it continue!