Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Unlocked!!
27th - 29th August 2020
E M Forster Amphitheatre, Tonbridge
In March I, like so many other producers, had the awful job of telling my cast of over forty 7-18 year olds that the show that they had been working on since January, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, had to be postponed due to COVID-19.
In the months that have followed they have done nothing but impress me with their dedication and support of each other and the show. We have continued rehearsing twice a week via Zoom, including a full run of the show (made very interesting by video and sound lags!), optimistically preparing for performance dates in June, two months after the original April planned performances. As governmentally issued lockdown continued, we started having to make other plans. After their months and months of hard work, both online and at the original traditional rehearsals, I was prepared to do anything to give these amazing young performers the chance to present. With the continual support of the amazing team at Tonbridge’s E M Forster Theatre, I am so proud to be able to announce that we will be performing in an open-air amphitheatre 27th-29th August 2020.
My cast and team have been the most incredible support network for each other during this testing time, and it’s been a great opportunity to have some silly rehearsals too! We’ve done fancy dress sessions, played games, run quizzes and kept our community alive. In a period of isolation and loneliness, these rehearsals and sense of purpose have been incredibly important for our young people, most of whom have had their lives completely changed at a moments notice, with schools shut, extracurriculars cancelled and social lives put on hold.
We are re-working the show to ensure social distancing and compliance with the two metre rule, which Tonbridge’s E M Forster’s open air theatre lends itself brilliantly to. In amongst the horrific losses that the international theatre community is going through, this re-imagined classic is a beacon of hope, and a step on the path towards the unlocking of local theatres. I am so excited to finally be able to showcase the talent, dedication and hard work of the wonderful cast of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat- Unlocked!
Debbie King
The Talentz Ltd
In the months that have followed they have done nothing but impress me with their dedication and support of each other and the show. We have continued rehearsing twice a week via Zoom, including a full run of the show (made very interesting by video and sound lags!), optimistically preparing for performance dates in June, two months after the original April planned performances. As governmentally issued lockdown continued, we started having to make other plans. After their months and months of hard work, both online and at the original traditional rehearsals, I was prepared to do anything to give these amazing young performers the chance to present. With the continual support of the amazing team at Tonbridge’s E M Forster Theatre, I am so proud to be able to announce that we will be performing in an open-air amphitheatre 27th-29th August 2020.
My cast and team have been the most incredible support network for each other during this testing time, and it’s been a great opportunity to have some silly rehearsals too! We’ve done fancy dress sessions, played games, run quizzes and kept our community alive. In a period of isolation and loneliness, these rehearsals and sense of purpose have been incredibly important for our young people, most of whom have had their lives completely changed at a moments notice, with schools shut, extracurriculars cancelled and social lives put on hold.
We are re-working the show to ensure social distancing and compliance with the two metre rule, which Tonbridge’s E M Forster’s open air theatre lends itself brilliantly to. In amongst the horrific losses that the international theatre community is going through, this re-imagined classic is a beacon of hope, and a step on the path towards the unlocking of local theatres. I am so excited to finally be able to showcase the talent, dedication and hard work of the wonderful cast of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat- Unlocked!
Debbie King
The Talentz Ltd
