Nottingham Playhouse is to work with an anti-bullying charity on a “groundbreaking” production.
The theatre and Nottingham-based charity Combat Bullying will collaborate on a production of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling. Directed by dramatherapist Nikki Disney, the piece will be performed by 17 young people, all of whom have experienced bullying.
Nikki Disney said, “it‘s important when working with young people that they retain ownership of the project and that the ideas come from them. Bullying can affect people’s sense of self, strip away confidence and leave people uncertain of what they believe in, so it’s important that the young people feel excited by the project, develop confidence in their creative ideas and feel empowered to perform.”
Nottingham Playhouse associate director Fiona Buffini added, “the role of the arts is to encourage people to think about the lives of others, exploring the range of issues and barriers that many of us may face. We’re determined to offer all young people, particularly those who may be dealing with difficult life circumstances, the chance to express themselves through the platform of drama.”
Natalie Harvey, founder of Combat Bullying, commented, “we support children and their families with all aspects of bullying and we wanted to work with the Playhouse to give our children a platform to gain confidence and raise their self-esteem. Some of our children have never been cast in a play, and The Ugly Duckling seemed an appropriate choice, hopefully reaching out to many and teaching us all to embrace our inner swan.”
The Ugly Duckling runs at Nottingham Playhouse from Thursday 8 until Saturday 10 October.