More support for youth drama development
Clacton County High School has established an enviable reputation for drama and enthusing and developing the acting talent of its pupils to put on some truly impressive productions. The Rotary Club of Clacton-on-Sea has in the past recognised and supported the work done at the school to inspire pupils of all abilities to get involved, including those with disabilities, by helping to boost funds to pay for costumes and other materials.
Sarah Cooper is a drama teacher at County High and is also a co-director, along with actor David Garlick, of the CO15 Theatre Group which is dedicated to staging and performing “provocative” works created by and for the community in and around Clacton.
The Theatre Group’s inaugural project back in 2021 saw them workshop and write a play about the legendary Weeley Festival, which took place close to Clacton in 1971 and since has gone down in music folklore. This festival was the brain-child of two members of the local Round Table who thought they might get as many as 10,000 people to attend. It was a run-away success with more than ten times that number turning up to enjoy music from many of the biggest names in rock music at the time.
It was always Sarah and David’s aim to develop this play into a full-on stage show and this year, 52 years on from the festival, their production called ‘Get it on’ opened at the Princes Theatre, Clacton. Sarah and David not only involved children from Clacton County High but others from five more schools around the district, more than 60 kids in all. A similar number of musicians, including a 24 piece orchestra and various bands, came together to recreate some of the sounds from the festival. The ages of all involved ranged from 11 – 71 years, underlining the huge local community support.
Sarah now wants to provide opportunities for the children to further explore how they can develop their acting talent and at the weekly lunch for club Rotarians on the 31st August, President Brian Henesy presented Sarah and David with a cheque for £1,000 – money they intend to use to help pay for a planned trip to London with the pupils.
