The cast of Northern Stage’s production of Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills, which opens this coming Friday (19th April), has gone back to school to remind themselves of what it felt like to be seven years old. They visited Class 3Y at Hotspur Primary School in Heaton.
Teacher Simon McLoughlin said, "The opportunity to work with actors doesn't come along very often so it's been amazing to be able to work with Northern Stage and the cast of Blue Remembered Hills."
The seven actors, along with director Psyche Stott and Assistant Director Rachel Oliver, joined in with games in the classroom, play time in the school yard and chatted to the children about their daily lives. But it wasn’t all fun and games—the team were there to see how the children respond to different situations, looking for behaviours to take back into rehearsals and connections with their characters and how they relate to each other in the play.
Actor Phil Cheadle commented, “it was good to be reminded of their constantly changing energy. They are never still, their focus is always changing. It was great to bring this back to the rehearsal room.”
Adrian Grove added, “The excitement goes right through their bodies when they’re telling you something. They just want to be part of whatever’s going on, whatever it is.”
And Tilly Gaunt said, “They were so brave, fearless; sometimes a little cruel and so very, very tiny. They had no doubt in the moment; they are totally committed to what they say and do. It reiterated how clever Dennis Potter is in representing the brutal honesty of seven-year-olds.”
The production runs from Friday 19th April until Saturday 11th May.