NTS Transform Caithness

1 May 2009 in Dance & Drama, Highland

The Hunters Are Coming

LOUISE HENDERSON sets the scene as the Caithness project gathers momentum

THE NATIONAL Theatre of Scotland has taken up residence in Thurso High School to inspire pupils to write, produce and perform their own new and exciting dramatic creation.

Transform is a major collaborative education project between National Theatre of Scotland Learn, ScottishPower Learning and the Scottish Government’s Determined to Succeed programme. The Caithness project is additionally funded by Highland Leader, Highland Culture Fund and The Highland Council and it is produced in association with Frantic Assembly.

Transform Caithness is one of eight Transform projects being produced by the National Theatre of Scotland’s Learn team from January 2009 to March 2010. Following the success earlier this year of Transform projects in Fife, Dumfries and East Renfrewshire, three new Transform projects are currently underway in Caithness, Moray and Orkney.

Teams of leading artists are taking up residency in communities across Scotland, working with secondary schools and community groups to produce full-scale theatre productions in June 2009. Future Transform projects are taking place in Glasgow in Autumn 2009 and in Aberdeen in Spring 2010.

The entire third year at the school have been working with six arts specialists on Hunter, a promenade theatre event which will take the audience on a mysterious journey through the streets of Thurso.

Every third year student is being given the opportunity to take part in a variety of theatrical workshops – be it lighting, front of house, performing, writing, or anything else they may fancy trying. The pupils have been brainstorming ideas – with a little help from the professionals – many of which will evolve and become part of the final production.

To nudge this evolution along, John Tiffany, award-winning director of the famous Black Watch, and his team are being drafted in at the end of May. The senior management staff at the school are hoping his presence will further motivate the pupils to see their ideas in a theatrical context.

The Depute Head Teacher at Thurso High, Ken Murphy, commented on the creativity he had observed thus far: “It’s not chaotic, but the ideas do come at random. People who might not have been my first choice to say they’d be enjoying it have been, so it’s transformed my idea of that pupil, therefore the transform theme works there as well.” He also said it takes theatre into the hearts of communities like Thurso, adding, “This is a prestige project for us.”

The specialists have also been invigorated by the enthusiasm the pupils have shown. Johnny McKnight, a drama specialist from Glasgow, said, “Everybody was a wee bit hesitant at first, but I’m really impressed by how many folk are staying committed. They’ve come a long way and they’ve still got more to go.”

Mr McKnight, 31, runs Glasgow theatre company Random Accomplice. He has been popular among the pupils due to his light-hearted yet enthusiastic approach and his vigorous physical warm-ups which prepare pupils for the workshops that follow.

Steven Hoggett, the Artistic Director of the London based theatre group Frantic Assembly, has also been involved with the project. He and Eddie Kay, who performs regularly for the group and is their movement captain, have been working together to teach the pupils dance routines and skills they will need for keeping concentration.

Brian Docherty is a freelance composer who has been showing the pupils how to write simple pieces of music using the latest music technology. He and Mr McKnight have worked together on several other occasions but this is their first time together within the National Theatre of Scotland.

Not much can be revealed about the project at this early stage, but Mr McKnight is quietly confident. “I wouldn’t want to give anything away but I think we’d be looking for people to be surprised, shocked, hopefully a wee bit scared at points. We want them to feel that what they’re seeing is different from a normal theatre where you’d sit down in one place and just watch it.”

The way the play will be performed will make the audience feel they are more active and that they are playing a part in the performance. Mr McKnight struggled to capture the scope of the project in three words, but with a little help from Mr Docherty he concluded that it is, “ambitious, innovative and exciting.”

Performances of Hunter will take place in locations around Thurso from 23–25 June 2009. Community groups in Thurso and Melvich wil also take part.

Louise Henderson is an S3 Pupil at Thurso High School, and a participant in Hunter.