It was a night of the living dead as the young starlets of Scottish Youth Theatre enjoyed a monster mash-up. Actresses Elaine C Smith and Blythe Duff joined budding performers at last night’s ‘zombie prom’ to mark the 35th annual SYT Summer Festival.
The stars of Rab C Nesbitt and Taggart were guests of honour alongside SYT artistic director Mary McCluskey, who is in her 20th year at the helm of the national theatre for young people.
Just a few weeks before Hollywood heart-throb Brad Pitt turns Glasgow’s George Square into a zombie metropolis for his film World War Z, SYT made it a fright night-themed party to open its ‘Summer of Horror’.
The company is no stranger to famous names – Law Abiding Citizen pin-up Gerard Butler, Red Road star Tony Curran and Primeval’s Douglas Henshall attended the same summer festival back in 1985.
The custom-built £3.3 million headquarters in the basement of the Old Sheriff Court building played host to more than 100 participants, staff and friends. Guests were greeted by two werewolves on arrival, before watching scary home movies in the Brian Cox Studio. They then enjoyed a live performance from local indie rockers Sunflower Tuesdays, who played their aptly-titled single Party In A Graveyard.
Former teacher Mary McCluskey, who was appointed artistic director of SYT in 1992, said: “Young people have a fascination for things such as Twilight and Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all things to do with zombies and vampires and werewolves and witches.
“I think that it’s a human condition that we all like to get the adrenaline going and frighten ourselves a wee bit. The buzz about this has been so exciting.”
SYT, whose former participants include Alan Cumming, Billy Boyd, KT Tunstall, Michelle Gomez and Karen Gillan, are staging three new productions in August, Prom Night of the Living Dead, Born Bad?, and Zombiism.
Source: Evening Times
Scottish Youth Theatre's 35th annual Summer Festival reaches fever pitch next week in Glasgow with three mainhouse shows in the Tron Theatre and Scottish Youth Theatre's Brian Cox Studio - Aug 1 - 6.
ReplyDeleteFull production and booking information can be found at http://www.scottishyouththeatre.org/festival/summer_festival_2011_box_office_production_info/
To book all shows call 0141 5524267
Prom Night of the Living Dead, Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Aug 2-6
Born Bad?, Brian Cox Studio @ Scottish Youth Theatre Glasgow, Aug 1-6
Zombiism (n.), Scottish Youth Theatre, Glasgow, Aug 4-6