It's 1925. Crowds of people throng the streets to welcome King George V to Stoke-on-Trent, the soon-to-be city. The King makes his way down the road, acknowledging the citizens with a polite wave and a nod of his head, upon which is seated a fancy top hat. The carriage stops at the King's Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, and as the King alights from his ride, he proudly pronounces the title of a city upon the borough.
Now, 100 years on we will witness people once again filling the streets of Stoke-on-Trent to celebrate this momentous centenary. At a time when almost all the city is celebrating, it seems fitting to pay tribute to one of Stoke-on-Trent's greatest treasure troves – the New Vic Theatre.
Situated on Etruria Road, this theatre is a haven for any theatre-lover – whether that's to participate on stage, get involved behind the scenes, learn from the professionals in high-quality workshops, or simply to come along and enjoy the shows. The New Vic offers a place in the arts for everybody, and I would like to highlight some of the key ways you can get involved below.
ACTORS
With its unique stage in-the-round reminiscent of an ancient Roman amphitheatre, the New Vic offers not only an immersive experience for the audience members, but also a one of a kind exposure for those performing.
Charlotte Price, who starred as Milady in the New Vic's Christmas production of The Three Musketeers, tells Voice: "It is such a versatile in-the-round venue, with amazing audience views from wherever you sit. The atmosphere created by the design of that auditorium helped bring the show to life, so it was a joy to perform there every day. No show I have seen there has looked or felt the same. It is a unique space for unique performances, and an easy theatre to make wonderful, lifelong memories in."
Charlotte Price in The Three Musketeers at the New Vic
(Credit: Andrew Billington)
Ayan Philip (Rav in The Last Quiz Night On Earth) states that “acting in the round is a brilliant challenge and a real gift which sharpens your craft in unexpected ways”. He adds: “You'll be supported by a generous and collaborative team, and perform for one of the most loyal and encouraging local audiences out there.” Matthew Ganley (The Snow Queen, The Prince and The Pauper, Alice in Wonderland) considers performing at the New Vic from a more analytical viewpoint, sharing that “the magic of the round is in the stage craft that it asks of a production”.
Ganley says: “Generally speaking I'd say a bit more care has to go into the audience's experience. If you're too static then one half of the audience will experience the back of your head for too long. There's also proximity, especially as Theresa [artistic director] loves to make use of the entire space, aisles included. So there's not as much separation between stage and audience – almost like the fourth wall is a 3D, flexible one. I absolutely love it.”
Another enticing benefit to performing at the New Vic is the lovely work environment it provides, which actress Kaylah Copeland (June in A Matter of Life and Death) describes as “incredibly humble and lovely”. She adds: “You can tell everyone that works there loves their job, which makes you feel inspired to continue to do the work you love. Aside from the lovely people, the facilities you have on hand at the theatre are fantastic … rehearsal spaces were so handy as they were offered to us basically whenever we needed them, whether it was to film self tapes or needed some quiet time alone.”
Kaylah Copeland in A Matter of Life and Death at the New Vic
(Credit: Andrew Billington)
Philip focuses on the family feel created by the “generous and accommodating” staff at the theatre who “made stepping into the building each day an absolute joy”, while Ganley says that “every person in the building is valued” and Price explains that “the New Vic is a family”. Emma Symmonds, who played the Queen in last year’s Christmas show, says she “could not have asked for a more supportive, generous team of people” for her professional stage debut. She adds: “The ethos for the whole building is so heart-warming – making it a circle so that all paths cross and you are connected to each department, from props and construction to the café and bar. It felt like home after a while and I loved being there.”
However, performing at the New Vic doesn't just stay at the theatre. It provides the opportunity for every actor to create lifelong memories that they will carry with them throughout the rest of their career. Symmonds, for example, loves the school shows. “Every one was different – some schools would be super quiet at the start but by the end all the kids loved it, and having a mixture of age ranges was also lovely.” Copeland says she ”made some great friendships and learned a ton by watching those work around me”, while Ganley shares a unique memory from The Snow Queen in 2016. “It was my first experience of a New Vic Christmas show and the only time I've played drums whilst wearing roller blades.”
EDUCATION
Not quite at the professional stage yet but you still love performing and learning acting techniques? Not to fear, the New Vic Education Department has you covered. 2025 will see the introduction of the New Vic Youth Theatre festival – an afternoon event where each Youth Theatre group will have a 20-minute time slot to showcase some of the incredible work they've been rehearsing this academic year for friends and family on the stage in the main auditorium, topped off by the New Vic Young Company for ages 16-19 performing their one act original play in celebration of the Stoke centenary.
I was able to catch up with some members of the Young Company about their time spent training at the theatre, and 18-year-old Fred was happy to share. He says: “The New Vic has always offered great opportunities to watch the productions at the theatre for free and to take part in various performance and community projects. I was fortunate enough to be cast in a couple of plays when I was younger as part of the Christmas productions and in the production of Brassed Off, which provided valuable experience on stage and working within the industry.” Learning from the actors is not the only way to train at the New Vic however, as Fred tells us that “the New Vic has offered the opportunity to take part in workshops and shows for over a decade now, which has provided great confidence and support to grow as an actor due to regular exposure to productions”.
Ayan Philip in The Last Quiz Night on Earth at the New Vic
(Credit: Andrew Billington)
Fred isn't the only young person to have benefited from his time at this theatre, with fellow Young Company member Scarlett sharing that “in my journey the New Vic has been so supportive, helped me with drama school auditions and industry advice, and importantly helped me get the skills I need to move forward”. Asked specifically about the skills that Scarlett has found the most useful at the New Vic, she says she has “learned lots about ensemble work and working in the round, particularly through the shows we've worked on with the Youth Theatre”.
Another member, Marika, shares that Youth Theatre helped her to "understand that a team is what makes a show or production – one person's ideas may add to another's to create a beautiful mix of everything”. She adds that theatre has helped her to “have less social anxiety”, saying: “I know it's probably what everyone says but the New Vic has helped with giving me confidence in myself, and Youth Theatre is like an escape from everything else – like an opportunity to just let loose and not have to play other versions of myself, but I love embodying others and portraying a character that is not another me, but a completely different person entirely.”
It seems the family feel evident in other areas of the theatre is extended to the education department as Scarlett says her favourite part of Youth Theatre is the group rapport. “It's so satisfying to see something we've all worked on come together,” she says, while Marika adds that “it's almost like everyone has the same headspace as well as their own opinions which is really important”.
The New Vic runs Youth Theatre groups on a weekly basis for those aged 5-19, as well as being actively involved with delivering drama classes to those with dementia and those of an older age range, not to mention members of staff frequently visiting local primary schools to deliver classes of the highest quality for the children there. If you or your child would like to get involved with the New Vic, then please click here.
Emma Symmonds performs at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke
(Credit: Andrew Billington)
AUDIENCE
Finally, we have perhaps the most widely acknowledged way to get involved with your local theatre – you can become an audience member. The New Vic Theatre prides itself on delivering audiences only the very best shows, with breathtaking circus skills, heart-racing acrobatics, heartwarming romance with a touch of jazz music to spice things up, puppetry and scares, stage combat to relaxing, action-packed masterpieces, and they're all available for local residents to come along and enjoy.
So, I hope you have seen that there is a place for everybody in theatre, no matter your level, age or appearance. The only thing that remains is to ask, how will you get involved?
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