NEWS IN DETAIL...
Budding actors' final performance
AVID theatre goers are in for a treat next week as budding actors from Cornwall College St Austell's performing arts department take to the Keay stage for the very last time in their college careers.
Extended Diploma Acting and Subsidiary Diploma Musical Theatre students, who are in their last year of study, will be performing their Final Major Production – Godspell - at the College’s Keay Theatre on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June.
Based on the Gospel of St Matthew, Godspell is a fun, modern day musical about how we act as individuals and the teachings of Jesus Christ by using a series of New Testament parables from The Gospel according to Matthew.
A stranger arrives within a group of individuals and through them the audience get to see a very touching story about how a community can be formed and how learning how to live life selflessly can be hard but also very rewarding.
Written by Stephen Schwartz, who is well known for shows like Children of Eden and Wicked and animated films The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt, the show is at times full of laughs while at other times sentimental and the audience can expect to be very close to the action as the students re-enact the Biblical parables with great enthusiasm and flamboyance.
Karen Burdon, Acting Lecturer at Cornwall College St Austell, explained: “Godspell is a wonderful piece for these students, who themselves have learnt to be a community over the past two years of working together. Like the characters they have had their ups and downs, but ultimately they know that when they work together they achieve more. Not to give too much away, but the final scene in which they have to say good bye will be very real and very touching for all who have been involved in the show as art is very much mirroring life, and it will be the last thing they perform together before moving onto to their lives beyond college.
“I am exceptionally proud to be working with these learners who, again like their characters, have travelled so far with us over the course of their time.”
Both performances start at 7pm and tickets are £6 or £3 for concessions and students and are available from The Keay Theatre box office 01726 226777 or online at www.thekeay.co.uk.
The group also have a Facebook page called Cornwall College St Austell Acting Department, where people can visit to find out more information about the show and view images of past productions.
Dave Linnell, Principal of Cornwall College, said: “We are very lucky to have our own high quality, multi-media theatre at Cornwall College St Austell and the students gain invaluable experience performing their work to the public. As this will be the last time many of them will take to the College’s stage, I wish them all the very best for their promising futures ahead.”
Cornwall College St Austell offers a wide range of Performing Arts courses, from acting and musical theatre, to dance and music. For further information about these courses, please contact the College on 0845 22 32 567, visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or pop along to the forthcoming Open Event on Saturday 30 June from 10am – 12pm. Places are still available for a September start.
