3 Weeks of Fun at The Hanging Gardens, Llanidloes

Mid Powys Youth Theatre has always had strong connections with Llanidloes, and this month we strengthened them even further.

3 weeks of drama club taster sessions packed with drama games, impovisation tasks and devising challenges provided the young people of Llani the chance to express themselves in a safe environment, whilst dipping their toes into the world of theatre.

This was a fantastic opportunity for a member of our Twenties group, Melody, to get some valuable experience in leading workshops.

"I've lived in Llanidloes for most of my life, and as a kid who loved acting, I've seen first hand how few safe spaces there are for young people to express themselves in this way. It felt amazing to be part of bringing such a valuable resource to Llani, and over just 3 sessions I watched the participants grow massively in confidence and ability. Personally, I've learnt how to lead a huge range of drama games which has set me up really well to lead more workshops in the future. We'll definitely be coming back to Llani soon!" - Melody

The younger group age 9-13 years: an enthusiastic and bubbly group with a passion for improvisation.

Our first session commenced and as the children arrived, the chaotic energy in the room grew. We sat in a circle infused with nervous fidgeting and hyper wriggling, and began our introductions, attempting (and mostly failing) to keep a lid on the excitement.

But when the first drama game began, a walking exercise with simple instructions, the group became silent. Each participant committed fully to the ensemble, following direction closely and focusing on themselves - choosing not to distracted by what anyone around them was doing. From that moment, they were committed to the performance - and what a great bunch of performers they were!

The favourite improv game: "Why are you late?" A hilarious challenge to decipher your teammates' riduculous excuses for your tardiness, before being fired by your cranky boss.

The older group: a passionate and dedicated group of talented thespians from Llanidloes, Newtown and even as far as Machynlleth!

This group were absolutely committed from the start. In an intimate group setting, there was nowhere to hide, but, unfazed, our enthusiastic teens threw themselves in with no hesitation.

See pictured: a game of "Grandmother's Noses", a variation of Grandmother's footsteps including red noses, an obstacle course, and the goal to make your audience laugh whilst you creep up in absolute silence. As you can imagine this relies on a lot of physical comedy, an opportunity which our participants jumped on: making the most exaggerated ridiculous (and hilarious) shapes with their bodies.

Our teens were also smashing at devising. Given a simple prompt, they came up with some weird and wonderful scenes, including an alien abduction, an elderly thief, an interrupted wedding and an arrest of a baby. They were magical to watch!