BEAR HUG
by Robin French
directed by Claudette Bryanston
Bear Hug was a one-day ‘stage direction’ master-class for drama students aged 14-19 years. The play, which is a surreal dark comedy, explores the themes of generational alienation, mental health and drug abuse. The day workshop enabled students to direct Bear Hug and the performance itself as a catalyst for discussion on the subject of the play.
Bear Hug Synopsis
The story is set in an ordinary family house where we see the parents of Michael, an 18 year old bear, welcoming him home from the zoo since he was sent there to be held in captivity. His parents now feel regret for keeping him in the zoo and try as best they can to make him feel at home again in their house. However, things don’t quite go that smoothly…
Workshop Synopsis
Workshops took the form of an intensive day in a school or college working with two professional actors and a highly experienced director. The master-class focused on the analysis and the practical interpretation of the script and called upon each class to be positioned as directors and to be able to explore and define the style of presentation and explore its dark surrealism in performance. The workshop culminated in a professional performance for the school/college community and the wider public in the evening, together with an after-show discussion to allow the themes to be explored.
We at Classworks recognise theatre as a creative process and as a means of exploration, expression and making meaning. It provides a lens through which we are able to see ourselves and understand how others see us; theatre serves the current curricular, social and cultural contexts in which we work. It is a powerful creative process in which specialised companies such as Classworks Theatre, with recognised expertise of working with young people, can work alongside educators to promote social justice and to equip young people with the skills they need to go on learning throughout their lives.
More Information
To download an information pack about this production, please click on the PDF link below: