Launched in Kwame Kwei-Armah's Season 1, YV Unpacked is our new strand of work that is free and open to everyone, taking the highest quality art to places where theatre doesn’t normally happen.
Franz Wedekind's Spring Awakening was our very first YV Unpacked which saw our Young Vic Taking Part team take Caroline Byrne's adaptation to new audiences across Southwark and Lambeth before returning home to play to audiences at the YV.
Unpacked's company of Olivia Caley, Charles Furness, Archie Rush, Harold Addo, Oliver Cudbill, Ged Simmons and Barbara Marten spent 4 weeks in rehearsals at the YV in Line Bech's stunning costumes and working alongside composer Tasha Taylor Johnson, before heading out into our local neighbourhood. The team went on to visit places including Millwall FC Community Trust, Walworth Academy, St Mungos and Pembroke House over a busy two weeks on the road.
Ali Kaviani who is Director of Projects at Pembroke House said - 'Thank you for the magical moment that just happened in Pembroke House. The audience looked moved, provoked, challenged and entertained'. “I could watch that for hours” one of them said. Wonderful! Please come back.
We shared our new production with 681 people over the two week tour before bringing it back to the Young Vic where audiences from past Young People's workshops and events enjoyed it alongside Neighbourhood Theatre members and the general public.
After an incredible first run we can't wait for YV Unpacked to return in 2019 with Ariadne's She Ventures and He Wins where we'll be visiting more refugee centers, schools, community hubs and homeless shelters. To hear all the latest news from Young Vic Taking Part and future YV Unpacked projects sign up to our mailing list at youngvic.org
All photos © Leon Puplett
