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Pump House CYT presents Dragons! |
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Nick Toczek |
Malcolm Singer |
Paul Henley |
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About DRAGONS! I first came across Dragons! through a performance of the song ‘Being a Dragon’. The children who sang this song were captivated by the scary, lairy lyrics (by Nick Toczek) and the wonderfully challenging rhythms of the piece and by how cleverly it was written for young voices (written by composer Malcolm Singer). I later came across a score of the whole song cycle ‘Dragons’ and was thrilled to see that the songs were similarly vivid in both their language and musical language and so I wanted the Pump House CYT Children section to experience this. Paul Henley wrote a script to loosely tie together the songs, we bought Shenlong the Dragon from a well known second hand selling platform, the Year 8’s agreed to help out and we were flying. Those parents who’ve helped members to learn the words will know that the poetry of Nick Toczek is fantastic and well worth investigating. You can find Nick Toczek’s Dragon poems in the script, in his books ‘Dragons! Poems by Nick Toczek’ and even on the BBC Bitesize Poems and Stories. We are thrilled that the performance is accompanied by the wonderful young musicians from Watford School of Music which is run by Hertfordshire Music Service and would like to thank them all for providing a very special ensemble to accompany the children. We are also very lucky to have the conducting talent of Justin Fung, currently resident conductor of the Watford Youth Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble (from which the musicians are drawn). |
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Cast
GRADSON FAMILY
Aidan Gradson - Dylan
Greer Gradson - Martha
Imani Gradson - Rose
Georgie Gradson - India
Les Gradson - Lucas
CAVENGS SCHOOL PUPILS AND STAFF
Ms Mapping (teacher) - Emily
Mrs Grumble (head teacher) - Alice
Olga Chevinski (mysterious music teacher) - Lily
Molly (best friend of Aidan) - Ariana
Jo (aka ‘Swot’) - Kiana
Tim - Eden
Barry (aka ‘Boggy’) - Platon
Kaida - Layla
Tatsu - Alannah
SMALL DRAGONS
Chorus/Small Dragon 1/ DRAGON animator/the family that live next door - Benedict
Chorus/Small Dragon 2 - Owain
Chorus/Small Dragon 3 - Scarlett
CHORUS/ANIMATORS/PUPPETEERS/CAMEO CHARACTERS
Chorus/Dragon animator/Mrs Meacher (gym teacher)/Shadow puppeteer - Sofia
Chorus/Dragon animator/Mervyn (rat catcher) - Aaron
Chorus/Dragon animator/Mrs Ritter (babysitter) - Sarah
Chorus/Dragon animator/Gordon (traffic warden)/Shadown puppeteer - Emily
Chorus/Dragon animator/Ms McPeake (sweet shop)/Shadow puppeteer - Seren
Chorus/Dragon animator/Family that lives next door/Shadow puppeteer - - Amelie
Chorus/Dragon animator/Shadow puppeteer - Florence
Orchestra
Watford Young Musicians Chamber Group and Youth Orchestra
CONDUCTOR Justin Fung
VIOLIN - Christina
VIOLIN - Catherine
VIOLIN - Ettien
VIOLA - Logan
VIOLA - Vincy
CELLO/PERCUSSION - Tobias
CELLO/PERCUSSION - Aleksja
PIANO - Maxi
Backing singers:
Samantha Vail
Liam Bishop-Gregs
Amaya Ash Lopez de la Nieta
About Hertfordshire Music Service
For over 40 years Hertfordshire Music Service (HMS) has successfully delivered musical opportunities to generations of young people throughout the county. The service is now one of the largest in the country with many thousands of young people involved in our weekly musical activities, supported by over 400 teachers. We receive funding from the Department for Education through the Arts Council England, as well as generous support from Hertfordshire County Council to provide world class music tuition to the residents and families of Hertfordshire.
Our 11 music centres across the county are local musical community hubs with the ambition of providing engaging, life-long music education as well as a wider variety of activities including music technology, music production and youth leadership opportunities. HMS is a team of passionate musicians, teachers and educators who care deeply about enabling young people to experience the benefits of a high quality music education. We deliver the incredible musical, personal and social outcomes that come from learning a musical instrument week in, week out.
We are absolutely delighted to collaborate with the Watford Pump House CYT on this Project and Performances of Dragons! and we know we are part of the journey for all young people involved as we support their education and experiences. We all hope to see them one day on the stages and orchestral platforms around the world!
Creative Team
Musical Director and co-director - Sue McCall
Director - Robin Scarborough
Co-director and Choreography - Abbe Waghorn
Assistant - Samantha Vail
Lighting design and operation - Gabriel Pugh
Sound design and operation - Jack Loison
Specialist lighting & sound consultant & support - Jason Brameld
Stage Manager - Chris Swallow
Assistant Stage Manager - Esther Hagger-Holt
Stage, sound and lighting Crew - Pump House CYT Technical Youth
Pump House CYT Technical Youth are:
Led By - Chris Swallow and Jason Brameld.
Members for this production include - Esther Hagger-Holt, Gabriel Pugh, Thomas Steed, Jack Loison, Orion Kothare, Tee Young, Al Zeid
Props - Martin Wheeler
Projection - Lee Farman, Paul Henley, Sue McCall (using artwork created by the cast)
Costume team - Catherine Farman with support from Sally Marchant,
Deb Littley, Sally Blaisi, Lilia Blaisi
Publicity - Rosie Spearpoint-Stoll
Programme - Lee Farman
Box Office - Catherine Farman, Jon & Sue Sadie
FOH rota - Martin Wheeler
About Pump House CYT
Pump House CYT is a volunteer run, open access Youth drama group that has been going for nearly 50 years. Our aim is to provide young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to perform on stage. We strive to achieve the highest standards possible while keeping an enjoyable, learning environment.
We do several productions a year including everything from mimes & improvisation through to large scale musicals. We have three sections – Children (8-12 years), Youth section (12-15 years) and Young Adult section (15-25 years) that each meet once week (and more often for some production rehearsals). We regularly take part in local drama festivals, the National Theatre Connection festival and occasional we take productions to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
We do not offer any exams or formal training but our members gain confidence and presentation skills that they take onto their future lives. However some of our past members have gone on to professional careers in acting, music and other media.
For more information or to put your child on our waiting list please contact us.
Acknowledgements
Huge thanks to:
Malcolm Singer (composer) and Nick Toczek (poet) for their permission to perform this work
Paul Henley, actor and director, for writing the script
Nyree O’Brien (Hertfordshire Music Service Area Manager) for working tirelessly to facilitate the involvement of young musicians for these performances
Andrew Bernardi (Founder of the Bernardi Music Group bernardimusicgroup.com and Director of the Shipley Arts Festival) for lending the Pump House CYT and Watford School of Music the scores for these performances.
Photos
Honorary Life Members of the Pump House CYT
Karen Arnott, Adrian Barrett, Katie Barrett, Jeanette Behn, Hannah Billington, Sue Billington, Jason Brameld, Moya Brewer, Niamh Brewer, Julie Elvin, David Fargus, Catherine Farman, Lee Farman, Elisabeth Gunter, Ursula Hodgkinson, Nizar Kanji, Michael Horniman, Sue Mascall, Sue McCall, Helen Pajak, Karen Rhodes, Jon Sadie, Sue Sadie, Robin Scarborough, Martin Smith, Lucy Stevens, Chris Swallow, Fran Swallow, Abbe Waghorn, Martin Wheeler, Ian Woolcott
Past Pump House CYT shows
| 1974 | Mammas & Pappas | 2007 | Jan | Batman in Love | |
| 1976 | Time Sneeze | Mar | What happens if… | ||
| Caged Birds | Mar | Scary Play. | |||
| 1977 | The Golden Bird | Mar | DNA | ||
| Recollections - a Jubilee Entertainment | Mar | Pollyanna Jones & the Incy Wincy Code | |||
| 1978 | Time & The Conways | Jul | Aladdin Jnr | ||
| Midsummer Madness | Jul | Just for Laughs | |||
| Patchwork Quilt | Sep | BBC Blast project | |||
| 1979 | The Merry Maids of Kernow | Pump House has talent | |||
| Three Aces | Dec | Merry Twistmas | |||
| Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat | 2008 | Jan | Blitz! | ||
| 1980 | Rags to Riches | Mar | Vampire Story | ||
| The Diary of Anne Frank | Jul | Seussical | |||
| December Jazz | Jul | Youth impro films | |||
| 1981 | Wizard of Oz | Dec | Xmas Factor | ||
| Dark of the Moon | 2009 | Jan | Scrimshaw | ||
| 1982 | Toad of Toad Hall | Mar | Eclipse | ||
| Tin Pan Ali | Mar | Edith | |||
| Bedroom Farce | Jul | Into the Woods | |||
| Cinderella | Jul | Jungle Book | |||
| 1983 | The King & I | Sep | Scrimshaw Edinburgh | ||
| The Snow Queen | Dec | Xmas Pick N Mix | |||
| Once a Catholic | 2010 | Jan | Return to the Forbidden Planet | ||
| 1984 | The Evil Eye of Gondor | Mar | Blackout / Missing | ||
| Godspell | Jul | Alice in Wonderland | |||
| Smike | Oct | Youth do the sixties AGM | |||
| 1985 | The End of the Pier Show | Dec | Crunchie Christmas | ||
| Grease | 2011 | Jan | Slice of Saturday Night | ||
| The Boy Who Talked to Whales | Jan | Blood Brothers | |||
| 1986 | Treble Chance Pinocchio | Mar | 4Front: Krindlekrax | ||
| Pippin | Mar | 4Front: BFG | |||
| Dick Whittington | Mar | 4Front: Burn | |||
| 1987 | Pied Piper of Hamelin | Mar | 4Front: Shooting Truth | ||
| The Whole Truth | Jul | Stolen Moon | |||
| Bugsy Malone | Jul | Wind in the Willows | |||
| Uproar in the House | Jul | Overspill | |||
| 1988 | Three for All Event | Dec | Xmas Games | ||
| The Ragged Child | 2012 | Jan | Little Shop of Horrors | ||
| Rock Nativity | Mar | Little Foot | |||
| 1989 | Kalaedoscope/Captain Noah | Jul | Peter Pan | ||
| The Dracular Spectacular | Jul | Jet Set Go! | |||
| Oliver Twist | Dec | Factor X | |||
| 1990 | Fourcasts | 2013 | Jan | Timeless | |
| Dazzle | Mar | Tomorrow I’ll be Happy, | |||
| Snow White | Mar | “Mam, There’s a Spaceship in our Backyard!” | |||
| 1991 | A Review | Mar | Midsummer Nights Dream | ||
| 3D | Jul | Tomorrow We’ll be Timeless | |||
| Matchgirls | Jul | Oklahoma | |||
| Alice | Dec | “…and all the trimmings” | |||
| 1992 | The Youth of Tomorrow | 2014 | Jan | Grease | |
| Blithe Spirit | Mar | Crucible | |||
| The Wiz | Mar | You are My Sunshine | |||
| Annie | Jul | Ruby | |||
| 1993 | Timmy Saves the Day | Dec | Christmas Showcase | ||
| The Soldiers Tale | 2015 | Jan | Addams Family | ||
| The Boy Friend | Mar | Afternoon at the Seaside, Border Skirmish, Tulip Touch, Sketch Sixes | |||
| Triplet | Jul | Beauty and the Beast | |||
| 1994 | Peter Pan | Jul | Improvised musical | ||
| Take 20 | Dec | Now that’s what I call Xmas 41 | |||
| Dec | Dick Whittington | 2016 | Jan | Godspell | |
| 1995 | Jan | Three Piece Suite | Mar | Blackout | |
| Jul | Blitz | Mar | Gargantua | ||
| Nov | Our Town | Jul | Bugsy Malone | ||
| Dec | Christmas Cabaret | Jul | Attempts on her life | ||
| 1996 | Jan | All Four One | Dec | Finding Santa | |
| Jul | Lysistrata | Dec | Spamalot #mannequin | ||
| Dec | Whistle Down the Wind | 2017 | Jan | Spamalot | |
| 1997 | Jan | Two Plays & a Cabaret | Mar | Sparkleshark | |
| Jul | Tin Pan Ali | Mar | Status Update | ||
| Dec | Godspell | Jul | The Wiz | ||
| 1998 | Jan | Fourfront | Jul | GOD | |
| Jul | The Youth of Yesterday | Dec | Christmas Snowcase | ||
| Jul | Midsummer Madness | 2018 | Jan | West Side Story | |
| Dec | Frankenstein the Panto | Mar | Blue Electric Wind | ||
| 1999 | Mar | Heavy Metal | Mar | Rainforest Dreams | |
| Jul | Return to the Forbidden Planet! | Jul | Honk Jr | ||
| 2000 | Jan | Henry the Tudor Dude | Dec | Tinsel Tastic | |
| Mar | Hells Bells & Viva Espana | 2019 | Jan | Our House | |
| Jul | Confusions & Diversion | Mar | Ageless, Flour Babies | ||
| Jul | Telling Wilde Tales | Jul | Annie Kids/Little Mermaid Jr | ||
| Dec | Jack the Ripper | Aug | Jet Set Go @ Camden Fringe | ||
| 2001 | Mar | Bugsy Malone | Oct | Jet Set Go @ Watford Fringe | |
| Jul | Brilliant the Dinosaur | Oct | Yellow Submarine AGM | ||
| Jul | Audience | Dec | Pump Ho Ho Christmas | ||
| Dec | Ebenezer | 2020 | Jan | Little Shop of Horrors | |
| 2002 | Mar | Charlie & the Chocolate Factory | Mar | Dungeness (abandoned juts before covid) | |
| Jul | Some Canterbury Tales | Apr | Virtual Cabaret | ||
| Jul | Twisted Tales | Oct | Slice of Saturday Night @ Watford Fringe | ||
| Aug | A Slice of Saturday Night | Dec | WWRY Young@Part/Sussical Jr recorded version | ||
| Dec | Festive Pie | 2021 | |||
| 2003 | Jan | Hood – the Musical | Jul | Social Dis-Dance-Sing | |
| Jul | Honk! | Dec | Carry On Christmas | ||
| Jul | Our Day Out | 2022 | Jan | Legally Blonde | |
| Dec | A Slice of Christmas | Mar | Zero for the Young Dudes! | ||
| 2004 | Jan | Humpty the Panto | Mar | Jungle Book Kids | |
| Mar | The Sweeney Todd Shock ‘n Roll Show | Jul | Matilda Jr | ||
| Jul | Animalarky | Jul | Children section showcase | ||
| Jul | Half an Idea | Dec | The Christmas Alphabet Has Noel | ||
| Jul | Dominoes | 2023 | Jan | Pippin | |
| Sep | 30 Years of the CYT | Mar | Madagascar Jr | ||
| Dec | Crackers | Jul | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr | ||
| 2005 | Jan | Fiddler on the Roof | Aug | Pippin at Edinburgh Festival Fringe | |
| Mar | Mugged | Dec | Don’t Claus a Scene | ||
| Mar | Liberty Creek | 2024 | Jan | Sister Act | |
| Mar | Bad Girls | Mar | Gargantua | ||
| Jul | Oliver! | Mar | The Magical Day at Mapplewood Primary | ||
| Jul | Romeo & Juliet | Jul | Shrek Jr | ||
| Dec | Carousel @ Christmas | Dec | Don't Be Rude-olph | ||
| 2006 | Jan | Les Miserables School edition | 2025 | Jan | Chicago the Musical (Teen edition) |
| Mar | You are my sunshine | ||||
| Mar | The SpiderMen | ||||
| Jul | Guys & Dolls Junior | ||||
| Jul | Multiplex/Chatroom | ||||
| Oct | Bohemian Rhapsody AGM video | ||||
| Dec | Xmas wRapping |
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