Programme a success

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 20

Programme a success

The Court Theatre's "Theatre in Education" programme has been a resounding success this year. The theatre’s publicity officer, Ms Y. M. O’Connor, said that the theatre had taken smallcast plays to towns throughout Canterbury. Parties from the Canterbury area and as far away as Dunedin and Balclutha had also regularly attended main bill performances at the theatre. However, the most adventurous and far-reaching venture had been a fiveweek tour by four actors with a programme called “Story Theatre,” Ms O’Connor said. During the tour, the group played to more than 6500 children from 64

schools In Canterbury and Z the West Coast 1 » In spite of such diffi- * culties as being locked out * of halls, loosing costumes, < and arriving at the wrong hall, members of the tour * had said it was very successful. The aim was to ‘ take theatre into remote , „ areas, and many schools ( • had asked the group to ' J return. | ' The programme per- « formed in schools included I • two plays, “Drink the * Mercury." which was al* dramatisation of mercury j * poisoning in Japan, and , “The Hollow Crown,” a • • brief history of events in * the lives of English monarchs. * The tour was funded by ; grants from the Queen , Elizabeth II Arts Council ’ and the Telethon Year of . * the Child.