Youth Theatre

If you or somebody you know is interested in joining a youth theatre then you have come to the right spot. Follow the links below to find out what we offer, our latest news, our forthcoming shows and more. Click on the images on the right to find out more about our wonderful Youth Theatre team.

  • Rehearsal picture

    Groups and classes

    Details about the range of classes that we currently offer and information about how to join.

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    Shows

    View and book your tickets for our forthcoming shows.

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    Education

    Information about workshops and training that the we can provide to schools.

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    YAYT news

    All the current news about us.

Create, Transform, Perform - Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre

Meet the Team

  • Adam Adam Forde

    Adam

    Adam Forde

    Adam Forde – Head of Youth Theatre and Leader

    In the 10 years since Adam joined the Youth Theatre, he has worked with every group from First Stage to Act One. Adam has also led holiday drama weeks and has visited schools to deliver workshops based on a wide range of subjects.

    He has directed more than 30 shows and musicals for the Youth Theatre from the hard-hitting drama of Ghetto (Act One) to the completely bonkers musical Trolls (Act Three). Adam’s first involvement in the Youth Theatre’s summer show was on stage as The Selfish Giant. Since then he has developed a strong (and hugely enjoyable) directing partnership with Jules Black. He has also teamed with David Perkins to write three summer shows; Arabian Nights, Emil and the Detectives and The Wind in the Willows.

    Adam has also taken the Youth Theatre to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has directed two of the shows that have played there. Adam is the Youth Theatre Leader for Act One and Scene Change.

  • Jules

    Jules

    Jules Black – Youth Theatre Leader

    In 1993 Jules was asked to create a youth theatre from the existing Act One group for the Yvonne Arnaud. 18 years and 36 productions later she is still here and excited to be a part of such a great team.

    She studied Drama and Education at university and then taught and directed in schools at home and abroad before a telephone call from the theatre called her back home from Kenya to start work with the Youth Theatre. Jules is the Youth Theatre Leader for Act 2 and director of the summer show.

  • Alison Alison Webber

    Alison

    Alison Webber

    Alison Webber – Youth Administrator and Practitioner

    Alison joined the youth theatre department in 2007 firstly as a freelance practitioner, then part time administrator and now works full time for the department. She was trained at the Guildhall School of Music and then went on to the Guildford School of Acting. After following a professional career as an actress and singer for a number of years she moved out to Spain with her family and set up and ran a Youth Arts Festival for 5 years. Since returning to this country she has loved being a part of the Youth Department at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

  • Lucy Lucy Betts

    Lucy

    Lucy Betts

    Lucy Betts – Youth Theatre Leader

    Lucy read Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at Roehampton University, London. During her studies, she was involved in the creation of a production company, which toured several plays in France and venues in London. Following graduation, Lucy freelanced as a practitioner for Chichester Festival Theatre, Havant Borough Council and several schools in Hampshire and West Sussex. In 2009 she developed the Youth Theatre at the Spring Arts and Heritage Centre in Havant. She is also the co-founder of two theatre companies, specialising in Site-Specific Theatre and New Writing respectively. In September 2010, Lucy joined the Youth Team at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Lucy is the Youth Theatre Leader of Act 3, Interval and First Stage.

  • Gabbie Gabbie Bird

    Gabbie

    Gabbie Bird

    Gabbie Bird – Youth Theatre Apprentice

    Gabbie is this year’s Youth Theatre Apprentice who joins us after completing her A-levels at Seaford College. She has been involved in a lot of theatre and dance throughout her time at school and college and joined YAYT last year as a member of Act One, taking part in their production of The Canterbury Tales and joining the company that went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of the cast of From My Sleep With Horror. She is now looking forward to learning about the Theatre from a backstage point of view and working in the different departments before finishing the year by returning to Edinburgh. Next year she will be going to read English and Drama at university.

  • Abbi

    Abbi

    Abbi Pickard Price – Youth Theatre Leader

    Once an Open Stage member, Abigail graduated from The University of Exeter in 2010 with BA (Hons) Drama, prior to which she trained at LAMDA. Over the course of her time at Exeter Abigail both performed in and directed a number of different productions from J.B Priestley’s Dangerous Corner to Dennis Kelly’s Love and Money. She also held the position of Creative Director with Harbinger Theatre Company with whom she coordinated several festivals.

    Since graduating she has undertaken work at a number of different venues; in the production department of The Old Vic following which she worked at Film and Music Entertainment and most recently for NT Live at The National Theatre. Currently she is producing for the Edinburgh Fringe and Assistant Director on Guildford Shakespeare Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. Abbi is the Youth Theatre Leader for Open Stage 1, 2 and 3. 

  • Rob

    Rob

    Rob Cann – Youth Theatre Leader

    Rob has worked in youth theatre for over 10 years in a number of different venues including The Camberley Theatre and the Pauline Quirke Academy in Guildford (film and television tutor). His directing credits include; Bugsy Malone, Bloodbrothers and an outside production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He trained at Mountview Academy and has performed with the Cambridge Shakespeare, Walking Forward, Young Shakespeare and Powerhouse Theatre Companies.

    He has worked on film projects with the National Film and Television School and the Met Film School. After many years of helping with workshops and covering lessons on behalf of the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre, he is delighted to now be working with Open Stage 4, 5, 6 and Final Stage.

  • Nick

    Nick

    Nick White – Project Leader Discover Drama

    Nick trained as an actor, director and teacher at Bretton Hall College in Leeds specialising in theatre and diversity. His work has taken him the length and breadth of the UK working in schools, theatres, prisons and his acting has taken him on many international endeavors! He has even lectured at Trinity College Dublin. Joining the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in 2004, Nick heads up our busy Operations Department as well as working freelance as a writer and director and running Discover Drama – our specialist youth theatre classes for learning disabled young people. Nick likes to keep busy so that old age can never catch up with him and has a obsessive fascination with airplanes, trains and F1.

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