Theatre Centre facts for kids
| Formation | 1953 |
|---|---|
| Type | Theatre group |
| Purpose | Touring, Theatre for Young People, New Writing |
| Location |
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Notable members
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Brian Way, Ron Cook, Lisa Evans, Noël Greig, Mike Kenny, Bryony Lavery, Diane Louise Jordan, Brendan Murray, Adrian Noble, Philip Osment, Pam St. Clement, Juliet Stevenson, Manjinder Virk, Roy Williams, Benjamin Zephaniah |
Theatre Centre is a theatre company in the UK. It creates and tours new plays for young people. The company was started in 1953 by Brian Way and Margaret Faulkes.
Contents
How Theatre Centre Started
Theatre Centre began in 1953. Brian Way and Margaret Faulkes founded it. They put on a shorter version of a play called The Man Born to Be King. The writer, Dorothy L. Sayers, was so impressed. She gave them £200 to help them get started!
Brian Way wrote many of the first plays. He believed plays should be made for specific age groups. He also thought small audiences were best for performances. Theatre Centre shows were often informal. They were performed in the round on school hall floors.
In 2006, Laurence Harbottle said the company first aimed to help unemployed actors. But it became much more. It launched educational theatre in schools. Brian Way became a huge influence on this movement worldwide.
Theatre Centre has worked with many talented writers. These include Lisa Evans, Noël Greig, Mike Kenny, Bryony Lavery, and Benjamin Zephaniah.
What Theatre Centre Does Today
Today, Theatre Centre's shows travel to schools. They also visit other venues across the UK. The company focuses on writers who create plays for young people. Their plays are for ages 4 to 18.
Theatre Centre is part of Theatre for Young Audiences UK (TYA-UK). This group connects people who make theatre for young audiences.
Theatre Centre is a registered charity. It also gets support from Arts Council England.
Awards for Young Playwrights
Theatre Centre helps manage two awards for writers. These awards encourage new plays for young people.
The Brian Way Award
The Brian Way Award is for the Best New Play. It used to be called The Children's Award. This award is given each year. It goes to a writer whose play for young people has been professionally performed.
Here are some winners of the Brian Way Award:
- 2012: Evan Placey for Holloway Jones
- 2011: Keith Saha for Ghost Boy
- 2010: Laurence Wilson for Blackberry Trout Face
- 2009: Douglas Maxwell for The Mothership
- 2008: David Greig for Yellow Moon
- 2007: Tim Crouch for Shopping for Shoes
- 2006: Neil Duffield for The Lost Warrior
- 2005: Abi Bown for Hey There Boy with the Bebop
- 2004: Charles Way for Red Red Shoes
- 2003: Phil Porter for Smashed Eggs
- 2002: Brendan Murray for Eliza's House
- 2001: Mike Kenny for Stepping Stones
The Adrienne Benham Award
The Adrienne Benham Award is for new writers. It helps someone who wants to write a play for young people. This award is for writers who have not written such a play before.
Here are some winners of the Adrienne Benham Award:
- 2012: Kenneth Emson
- 2011: Marcelo Dos Santos
- 2010: Paula B. Stanic
- 2009: Steven Bloomer
