After Santa goes missing, the elves must save Christmas in a brand new immersive theatre experience to be debuted this weekend at Aberdeen Arts Centre.
Castlegate Theatre Company will perform Casting Claus in the venue’s foyer during the interval of matinee performances of pantomime Dick Whittington on Saturday, December 14 and 15.
With the company devising the production in the months leading up to Christmas, audience members are encouraged to visit the foyer during the interval for the additional performance.
Creative facilitator Leah Christie, who leads the centre’s Castlegate Theatre Company, said: “This year, we have been focusing on theatre in unconventional spaces – playing with a variety of theatrical forms and unusual venues.
“I’m really proud of the way our young people have embraced these new concepts, and we’re all excited for audience members to experience the new performance at the weekend.
“During the interval, Aberdeen Arts Centre’s foyer will become a North Pole in turmoil as Santa’s elves search for a new Father Christmas and save the festive season. It’s the perfect addition to a day out at the panto, adding something extra special for our weekend audience.”
Earlier this year, Leah was selected to study as a supported artist with Surge at the renowned Street Performing Arts Summer Academy in Tárrega, Catalonia – and has brought back a great deal of insight for the members of Castlegate Theatre Company.
Amy Liptrott, director of Aberdeen Arts Centre, added: “Aberdeen Arts Centre has a legacy of pioneering work with and for young people. Catherine Hollingworth and Annie Inglis saw a need for young people and the wider community to have access to an artistic outlet in the city.
“Now, we are proud to continue to push boundaries by offering opportunities in street theatre and unconventional theatrical forms to advance the diversity of the arts in the north east of Scotland.
“There are many fantastic opportunities for young people to take part in performing arts in Aberdeen. We are excited to be providing something completely new for our young community, where they can develop improvisational, creative and innovative new performances to surprise and delight audiences.”
With the theatre company experimenting with form and venue, in the new year the group work towards a street theatre performance to be debuted at the highly anticipated arrival of the Tall Ships.
Any young people aged 12-17 interested in joining Castlegate Theatre Company can visit https://www.aberdeenartscentre.com/creative-learning/castlegate-theatre-company
for more information.
Aberdeen Arts Centre is an independent arts venue and registered charity in the heart of Aberdeen. For over 60 years, it has played a crucial role in the north east’s vibrant arts scene through its programme of performances, Creative Learning Programme for children and adults, and an Artist Development Programme to support local professional creatives.
The venue encompasses a 350-seater auditorium; café bar; flexible spaces for performances, events, exhibitions and meetings; and the Children’s Theatre, opened in the 1950s as a pioneering youth theatre and now used as a vital resource for professional artist development.
For more information, visit www.aberdeenartscentre.com or follow Aberdeen Arts Centre on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @AberdeenArtsCentre.