Second Wind
Youth Turns To Local History For Drama -Taken From The Grimsby Evening Telegraph 28th August 1998 - Joe Lumley (Arts Reporter)
The Caxton Youth Theatre will be performing a play this weekend which has historical relevance to Grimsby.
The cast have been involved in a two week workshop which culminates in two performances of Second Wind, tonight and tomorrow.
The play, directed by Andy Evans, is about an old man called Nat Jansen who escapes from his nursing home in Cleethorpes and makes his way to his old home in Freeman Street.
Nat points out what used to be where and what has changed to a young girl he has befriended during the walk
All aspects of Grimsby are explored: The civic pride generated by the Mariners@ recent cup runs is mentioned, as is life on the Freeman Street market.
Nat, an ex-jazz musician, is amazed that 71 years on, the same questions are still being asked about rejuvenating the heart of the town - Freeman Street.
One character in the play says: "The town planners came into Grimsby from outside the town. They ripped the heart out of the community and the community out of the heart."
All the cast walked from the Market Place in Cleethorpes to the White Bear pub in Freeman Street so they could appreciate the length and surroundings of the trek.
Ben Hanslip (15) who plays Nat Jansen said: "It was very interesting rehearsing for this play, we learned a lot we didn't know before about our home town."
Rachel Marwood (14) a pupil of Toll Bar School, Waltham, plays Jen, a young busker.
She said: "We are very grateful for the grant we received from North East Lincolnshire Council. It was interesting to learn about how Grimsby used to be and we are also more aware of technical things too, like taking direction and the use of language in a script."
The message of the play is not to be ashamed of your roots like one character in the play is, but to look around and see what has gone before, and the potential for the future.
Second Wind - A Review
By David Peasgood
Just ten days ago a group of 21 teenagers from the Caxton Youth Theatre summer school sat down with a challenge to produce and perform a brand new play.
I expected them to succeed, I hoped they might even surprise me; in the event I was left both stunned and delighhted. Second Wind was the title of the play and indeed it truly was a breath of fresh air for the packed house that enjoyed it.
The play is powerful and emotive. It stirs up evocative meories of an era now gone from our town and caused many a gesture of recognition from an appreciative paacked audience.
The story follows the last day in the life of 80 yuear old Nat Jansen, a legendary guitarist, who escapes from a Cleethorpes old folks home and sets off on foot for Freeman Street market to "die at home" Along the way are faces and places that bring mixed memories to Nat. Nat was played by 15 year old Ben Hanslip.
That a youngster should attempt to carry off such a role is audacious; that he succeeded and with room to spare, was a tribute to the brilliant acting and attention to detail which belie his age
Nat's companion during his journey is young busker Jen, played with compassion and sensitivity by rachel Marwood. I would also single out Joe Mooney, Tim Konar, Emily Rushmer and Emma Nicholson playing Jen's dysfunctional parents and freinds, for their confident, powerful and quality comedy performances.
The staging of the play as "theatre in the round" is intimidating for any actor and required consumate skill to work close to an audience that surrounds you and to react to all sides of the arena. Anjali Wierny and Paul Winney, playing Nat's children, did this to perfection.
Paul has definite comedy talent, as does Spencer Pritchard, whose excellent portrayal of ex-boxer Frankie Jarvis was a favourite for many. Adding a sub-plot to the text were Alex Kyle and Sally Cole cleverly epitomising the tearaway hoodlums of today; but there were many beautiful cameos from the whole cast which included Keeley Preston, Tyron Tryst Magor, Olivia Kersey, Faye Donald, Helen Bell, Rachel Collins, Rebecca Thompson and Kirsty Irving.
The author and director of Second Wind was Andy Evans. Assisted by Sophie Nelson and Lisa Burton as stage managers, he will have been delighted with a result that left a lump in the throats of the audience or tears in their eyes.
Credit in the final analysis, though will go to the 21 youngsters who showed determination, discipline and dedication to meeting their challenge of 10 days previously.
Some segments of script! Full script available from Rogue Publishing.
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