More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A hospital doctor and teachers are just some of the key workers who joined stars of stage and screen in a lockdown tribute to the arts.
West End theatre director Nick Evans, who now lives in Rochester, helped bring the cast together for a reworking of Dylan Thomas’s classic play for voices, Under Milk Wood.
The cast of West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company perform Under Milk Wood
The short production featured former members of the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company (WGYTC) in his native Wales.
Each graduate filmed themselves re-citing a line or a few words of the classic BBC radio drama's opening introduction to nightfall in a sleeping Welsh fishing village.
Famous names include Hollywood actor Michael Sheen, the Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies and Gavin and Stacey star, Steffan Rhodri, who plays Dave Coaches.
Nick Evans is the associate director behind such major productions as Billy Elliot, Rock of Ages and Jesus Christ Superstar.
He began his 30 year career at the the WGYTC, and said the idea was to celebrate the many and varied careers the theatre company’s alumni have gone on to pursue, from the West End to working in the NHS.
“WGYTC is now in its fifth decade and alumni from across the world keep in touch and support the company which had such a profound effect on them during their teenage years," he said
“All of them hope this unique video will remind people exactly why the arts are so vital in these difficult times.”
He added: “The notion of a town that is ‘hushed’ and ‘dumbfound’ echoes with how many of us feel in this current situation."
The play is set in a community with not much noise, which is not too dissimilar to the situation we find ourselves in, he said.
Nick has been reconnecting with his new home in Rochester during the lockdown and using his daily exercise to explore Jackson's Field.
"I went out and watched the amazing meteors in the sky over Kent," he said.
"I dash from place to place without noticing things at times, but on my little walk I have got to realise how beautiful this part of the world is."
The director has been keeping himself busy with teaching online but is keen to return to the big stage as soon as possible, adding "it feels a little bit like living through a window".
However, he fears given the intimate nature of theatres they will be one of the last public venues to return.
His thoughts echoed those of Stephen Fry who said he cannot foresee any theatres opening to live audiences until 2021, adding that these are “dark times indeed” for the performing arts.
The West End director hopes the arts will be supported both now and during their eventual return.
He also lended his support to Medway's ambitions to the be named a UK City of Culture in 2025 adding: "Medway is hoping to be the city of culture and I think it would be great."
"It has both history in terms of Dickens and its little book shops but also the living culture – there are all kinds of people living here."
