This Christmas, The Old Rep brought a musical version of Peter Pan to Birmingham. The theatre put on a Christmas show every year, however this year the show was produced in a less conventional way than most professional productions are. 

The theatre worked with BOA Stage and Screen, an industry-led college in Birmingham which specialises in preparing young people for the film and theatre industry, and allowed students there to produce the show alongside the theatre. BOA Stage and Screen are intent on creating opportunities for young people who are wanting to go into the film or theatre industry, and this particular project allowed young people who are looking to go into all sorts of different branches of the industry to gain experience and to see what it is like working on an industry-standard project. 

The college was heavily involved in the production process, and they worked on all aspects of the show: things like the set, costume, and even the AV backgrounds. Students got opportunities like working with professional set designers while building the set, and working with a professional lighting and video designer to produce audio-visual content that would be used within the set.

The students at BOA Stage and Screen value the technical aspects of producing a show. One of the students who worked on the costume and props making for the show, Paddy Szalbierz, said, “I don’t think you can build that atmosphere, especially not with a kids show without having all the whimsy of the costumes and the set and it all being bright and decorated, so I think without them you wouldn’t really have the big view of a Christmas show.” 

Not only was the show a success in terms of audiences thoroughly enjoying the show, but the production process allowed young people to expand and develop their skills, and to gain experience working in a professional environment. This show was just one of many great industry opportunities that BOA Stage and Screen brings to its young, passionate students.