Welwyn Youth Drama Festival – ‘The IT’
Review: The IT – by Montgomery Aldridge
The Story and Concept
The play centres on the theme of anxiety, personified through a girl named Grace who believes a creature is living inside her. While the rehearsal process was a challenge due to the complex, fast-paced nature of the staging, the final result was an engaging experience for the audience.
The Ensemble Performance
One of the production’s greatest strengths was the versatility of the cast. Every member took on multiple roles; even those without speaking parts contributed through “amazing” physical acting. The ensemble (acting as a choir) proved that you don’t need lines to make an impact, using movement to keep the energy high throughout the show.
Staging and Space
Performing at The Barn Theater worked perfectly for this specific play. The theatre’s unique layout – narrow but very deep – provided the long “runway” space needed for our more expansive scenes.
The Performance and Results
No live show is without its hiccups! We had a few minor blunders – at one point, we missed our exit cues and had to be guided by Miss Eagles from the wings – but we recovered well. Our hard work clearly paid off: we were thrilled to take home the Louis Davis Cup, along with a Special Award for Best Acting.
The IT review – Lucas McDonald
Recently, the two Year 9 GCSE classes took part in the Welwyn Garden City Youth Drama Festival at the Barn Theatre, performing a show called ‘The IT’, by Vivienne Franzmann.
What was it about?
This piece is about anxiety and mental health and what happens if you don’t speak about it, and how the outside world and being a teenager affects it.
What was it like to rehearse?
It was very fun to rehearse, but also a bit tedious as it relied heavily on ensemble work, and finding actions to do every few lines was hard, but we ended up making it work.
What was it like at The Barn Theatre?
Backstage we had a spacious room, a small kitchen, and a living room area. It was very relaxing and we needed that with all the pre-show stress! The living room area also had a small TV so we could see how the other performances on that night were going (really useful actually!) We also came into the audience after the final performance that night to receive our reflection notes from the adjudicator, and the auditorium was small but cozy.
How did the performance go?
The performance was EXCELLENT, apart from a few minor slip ups (Extinction! – in the last scene was the worst one 🤦), but overall a great performance that everyone contributed positively to, especially Yuji Gregory and Mason Jones in the main roles, Ms Baldwin and Jack Talmer on the sound and lights, and Miss Eagles, Mr Smith and Kai Digby backstage – prompting.
How did it feel to win?
It felt amazing to win, as we thought we had no chance of getting a trophy, going up against drama schools and out of school drama clubs, but it was very satisfying to win and we were all so proud of each other.
Review of The IT by Archie O’Donnell
I was incredibly proud to be a member of the cast for IT. It was a fantastic experience, and I am thrilled that we won a trophy among all the competing drama schools and clubs. The play explored the internal world of a young protagonist – depicted as both a child and a teenager – struggling with extreme anxiety. Throughout the performance, various scenes illustrated how her anxiety grew more intense and overwhelming. This project taught us that anxiety can manifest in many different forms and strike at any time.Growth The creative process was a significant learning curve for all of us. Working as an ensemble allowed us to sharpen our communication skills, and we grew by sharing tips and supporting one another to improve our performances. When opening night arrived, we discovered the stage was quite small. Fortunately, thanks to our teachers’ preparation, we already knew our marks and entry points perfectly. The performance went flawlessly – not a single line was missed! The entire cast was buzzing when we found out we’d done so well. We realise that without the dedication of our drama teachers and the collective effort of the group, we wouldn’t have achieved such a fantastic result. It was a proud moment for everyone involved.
