We had a great read through in the studio this morning. All the actors really went for it and captured the atmosphere of the pieces – lots of laughing and mucking about which breaks the ice and allows for a really productive working process. Super start to this project – can’t wait to see finished production next week. Really pleased with the cast.

Nadine Hoare – Casting for Under 11s

Today was the first day of rehearsals – it's always a very exciting day when everyone in the team gets to meet each other. There’s a really big team of people working to make the plays happen, actors, designers, prop makers, exhibition co-ordinators. It’s a major project! The first thing that we did was to read out all the plays this morning. It's great to hear them come alive when the actors get hold of them. There were lots of laughs as well as some very tender moments with the serious plays – it’s a real mixed bag of pieces this year. This afternoon we worked on four plays. We started with Behind The Staff Room Doors. This play had lots of comedy and it was fun choosing different accents for the teachers to have. Then we went onto Haunted House at the Funfair. I like the spookiness of this one and the way that the characters get fooled. The next piece was The Beautycatcher  which is really big and happens in many different locations.  We worked on how the cast can create the different environments that the central character Eddie travels into without the need for big set pieces – they make it work beautifully. The last play we looked at today was The Room That was Not There Before – simple and beautifully told. A pleasure to work on. The day was over in a flash – we had such a good time. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Suzanne Gorman - Director