Ex member’s work on DVD

Oct 9 2008 By John Slim

WOLVERHAMPTON Central Youth Theatre thinks so much of a former member that it has made a DVD about him.

Five years ago, David Pillinger was one of the founder members of the CYT’s Acting Up Group, which caters for young people with special needs.

CYT Director Jane Ward says: “David is a special young man. Throughout the five years he was involved with the youth theatre he helped to inspire many other young people to get involved with the group.

“He progressed from doing very small productions in studio theatres to integrating with the rest of our cast in the large-scale production of The Supreme Sunbeam at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, last year.”

The DVD has been commissioned by Black Country Connexions and it follows the progression of David through his move to residential college at Derwen College, Gobowen, near Oswestry, Shropshire.

It gives a personal insight into David’s family, school and social life and shows how he has developed through his involvement in the youth theatre.

The DVD was commissioned by Black Country Connexions, which gives information, advice, guidance and support to 13-25-year olds.

HALL Green Little Theatre’s Sylvia, opens tonight and tells the story of how a stray dog causes problems for a couple who take her in. It is directed by Jaz Davison, whose dog Lucy died in the United States after Jaz had come to Britain. Due to unavoidable circumstances the part of Kath, the wife in Sylvia, has had to be taken over by Jaz. This has meant the cancellation of the last night so the run will now end on Friday October 17.

THE preliminaries of pantomime are well under way all over the country. We are approaching the annual season of what unfortunately seems to be a traditional insistence on shoving in the second eleven and hoping for the best. Far too often, I come away from my latest look at Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty and I wonder why so many groups do not make a better effort to give their patrons value for money.

Apart from not being fair on the people who turn up to watch, this is no way to tackle what for many groups is the biggest money-spinner of the season. Alas, I have no reason to suspect that this year is going to be any different from all its fairly puerile predecessors. I shall be delighted to be proved wrong.

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