The Burnham Trophy - 2015

Devised Theatre in a competitive Drama Festival Setting

(An edited extract from the Group’s members’ newsletter explaining the 2015 competition)

This Summer, the Young Theatre’s production saw the return of the tried and tested, longstanding format of the Burnham Trophy. The competition sees the group divided into three sections in order to devise and produce a one act play around a specific theme. The plays are performed over two nights, each adjudicated and with an audience vote, with the most successful overall winning the Burnham Trophy.

The Burnham Trophy format, running for nearly thirty years, is designed to push members to explore new aspects of performance, learning more about the production side of theatre, whilst being guided with a gentle push in the right direction by individual mentors for each group. More..

The theme for this year’s Burnham Trophy is The Home Front; an exploration into the differing aspects of the Second World War at home, in commemoration of VE Day on May 8th, and the end of WWII, 70 years ago this year. The Group was split into three teams, with a theme that should suit them being assigned. A research trip to London’s Imperial War Museum and their exhibition A Family in Wartime: Life on the Home Front was planned for a date late in May.

The Teams

One - Evacuees
With the aim of exploring the realities as life as an evacuee, this group comprises some of the youngest members of the Young Theatre.

Two - Blitz
This group will explore life of those who stayed in London, enduring the bombardment of Nazi bombers night on night, whilst trying to continue daily life.

Three - Intelligence
Our eldest group will explore the work of men and women who stayed on the home front to work to protect the lives of soldiers fighting in Europe through the intelligence network.