Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School is set to stage Hamelin, a newly devised cop drama created by company members to investigate the classic Pied Piper tale.
Appearing at The Egg from Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th April for a run of five performances, Hamelin features twenty-two cast members aged 14 to 16 years, who hail from Bath, Bristol, Chippenham, Frome, Langford, Trowbridge and Wells.
When a mysterious stranger comes to Hamelin, promising to solve the town’s troubles, will the townsfolk hold up their end of the bargain? What magic lies in music, what stories hide in song, what really happened in Hamelin 700 years ago and why does it still matter? In this brand-new stage production audiences are invited to join the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School in their quest to uncover the truth behind a folk story we all think we know.
Image - Hamelin
In addition to the company performing on stage, Hamelin also includes ten Theatre School members working backstage alongside a professional team on lights, sound, stage management, costumes and props.
Initial plans for Hamelin started back in September 2021. From January onwards, company members met weekly to craft their story collaboratively; pulling together disparate threads of historical theories, fairy-tale whispers and mischievous humour. As a result, audiences can look forward to a love letter to elements of historical folk horror, from traditional tales right up to the Grimm Brothers stories, coupled with original music composed by Alex Heane, which together provide a kaleidoscopic take on a familiar story we all think we remember well.
Sophie Jacobs-Wyburn, Head of Community Theatre at Theatre Royal Bath, says: “Hamelin was essentially born out of a very interesting question that kept rearing its head in our weekly training sessions. Why tell this story? What purpose does it serve? Whose purpose does it serve? And how could details have been changed over the years to better serve that story? The resulting production is testament to the remarkable level of maturity of the young people who have created it. The curiosity and playfulness they employ to engage their audience is an absolute joy. The challenge was to find them an interesting story to really dig into and we could not be prouder of the results!”
Hamelin is directed by Jenny Davies, Associate Director of Deathdrop in the West End, whose recent credits also include the acclaimed Outlier for Bristol Old Vic. Music is composed by multi-instrumentalist and sound designer Alex Heane, who has toured with companies including the National Theatre and Wise Children. Design is by regular Theatre School collaborator Caitlin Abbott, whose work has been seen nationwide and internationally. Sam Kenyon Hamp, who joined the TRBTS team initially as part of the Government’s Kickstart scheme, has worked as a dramaturg and writer-in-the-room with the Hamelin company.
Hamelin appears at The Egg at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th April. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Box Office on 01225 448844, The Egg on 01225 823 409 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk/whats-on/
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