Former Student's New Theatre Company Offers Fresh Approach

A former Sixth Form College student has set up a new Wirral-based theatre company, aimed at being both inclusive and cheap for those interested in acting, singing and dancing.

‘Something New Theatre’, the brainchild of Laura Smith who left the college last year, is running training workshops throughout August for ages six to 21 at just £2 per day.

Having established the group in 2015, Laura’s Something New Theatre put on their first stage show, ‘The Princess and the Pauper’, in February of this year. Her team of volunteers are now set to run summer workshops based around the new musicals ‘Matilda’ and ‘We Will Rock You’.

Speaking about her inspiration to start the company, the Class of 2015’s Laura said: “I wrote the pantomime in February and that was after writing the final performance that our Performing Arts class did at The Sixth Form College. All of that gave me the idea of starting my own theatre company that’s cheap, so less privileged families can send their children to us for good training without the big expense.”

Laura explained the ethos behind ‘Something New’, hoping that the name sums up a unique approach to theatre: “We offer training without favouritism. I’ve found that, in a lot of theatre companies, they will pick the same people for main parts time and time again. We don’t actually audition and we give everyone equal training, no matter what their ability is. Whether it’s improvisation, characterisation or simple dances, if you have no experience at all or have 20 years under your belt, you’ll still be doing the same dance or performance as everyone else. Every person gets equal treatment.”

As fate would have it, Laura’s performing career started at a very early age under the tutelage of Sixth Form College Dance teacher, Anne Millington, in the Barbara Roberts School of Dance.

Laura, whose favourite acting memory is staring in Terry Pratchett’s ‘Wyrd Sisters’ last year, explained: “I first got on stage when I was five with Anne’s dance school. I did that for ten years before damaging my knee which made me focus on the acting and singing side of things. I’ve been in shows for a long time though!”

Laura also had kind words for the teaching and methods used during her time with the college, saying: “It introduced me to new pathways. They gave me the opportunity to showcase my writing, which I don’t think anywhere else would have done. I tried to assist in singing training with the group where I could so it was nice to be able to help other people.

“My tutors and teachers were very patient with me, more patient than perhaps I would have been! I came out with good grades because they worked with me and helped me a lot.”