National Theatre Connections Festival

On Monday, 25 April 20 spectacular SVC pupils participated in the National Theatre’s Connections Festival at The Garage theatre in Norwich. A cast of 18 Year 8 and Year 9 pupils, ably lit by two members of our school tech team, performed a play called Remote by National Theatre writer Stef Smith.

Remote follows a girl called Antler who, after smashing her phone in protest, climbs the tallest tree in the park and doesn’t want to be found. We meet seven other teenagers and see how their lives intertwine, and how they are all just trying to survive and learn to navigate the world. The play delivers a positive message and challenges the audience: ‘you’ve got to care about something’ and not to ‘count yourself out because others are’, to find ‘perspective’ and to try and make a difference in the world.  The cast captivated the audience, including National Theatre mentors, directors and other industry executives, making them roar with laughter and also shed a tear.

I was so incredibly proud and privileged to have the opportunity to work with such committed and talented SVC pupils and to watch them hold their own in a professional theatre.

Mrs Meikle, Drama Teacher