Rachel Sears is the Programmes Manager (Education, Training and Jesters) here at The Court Theatre. Part of her job involves running The Court Youth Company, where she gets to work with some of Canterbury’s most passionate young performers.

My weeks at work are punctuated by my time spent with The Court Youth Company – twice a week I get to hang out with a group of passionate and talented young people who keep me on my toes and challenge my creativity and knowledge with their capacity to learn. The Court Youth Company is a training and performance company for young actors aged 17 - 21, providing an opportunity to develop potential and nurture performance skills through practical experience.

Applications are now open for The Court Theatre’s 2019 Court Youth Company. We’re searching for 20 young theatre practitioners aged 17 – 21, with auditions being held between the 9th – 11th November.

We’re looking for young people who love or loved high school drama but want the next step; performers who want to get professional experience, make exciting work and find their own voice.

The company meet twice a week for three hours at a time on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons to learn theatrical skills from a range of tutors, including members of The Court’s artistic team and visiting practitioners, and to prepare for their two productions which are performed publicly each year.

2018 has been an exciting year for the company with their sold-out performance of Vernon God Little – a fast paced and energetic masterpiece. Later this year, in December, they will perform Children of the Night – an adaptation of Dracula that the company will create with The Court’s Associate Director, Dan Bain.  

Two members have also transitioned onto The Court’s mainstage, with Miriam Qualls rocking it as Lavinia in Titus Andronicus and Ocean Jones bringing the ‘80s back to life as Natalie in Kiwi comedy Astroman.

If you or someone you know thinks they could be part of our 2019 Court Youth Company, we’d love to hear from you – click here to find out more and apply!

“The Court Youth Company is a vital part of The Court Theatre itself. Theatre cannot exist without passion. It’s important we find people who have passion for theatre as soon as we can. The Court Youth Company tees up young people who are excited about theatre with a platform to learn, grow and indulge that excitement.”
-Ross Gumbley, Artistic Director at The Court Theatre