Chapel Hill Meets Cardiff

Cross Collaboration between Continents as twelve students from Woodshed Arts in North Carolina met around 22 students from Cardiff’s Everyman Youth Theatre.  The North Carolina team had been with us for a week which culminated in a lively and contemporary musical performance of ‘Arden’ - their own take on 'As You Like It’, which they had crafted during their residency here at Willow Globe.  After sharing warm up exercises from both companies, the Everyman team played a touching Romeo and Juliet and all the young people were blown away by each other’s work.

Much singing and dancing ensued as the young creatives swapped notes - and addresses! - and made plans for the future, whilst enjoying a barbecue feast together in the courtyard.

Our thanks go to Creighton Irons from Woodshed Arts and Sarah Bawler from Everyman Youth Theatre for their vision and guidance in enabling this happy talented melting pot and adding to this summer’s magic at Willow Globe.

Words from our Chair of Trustees, Barbara Stow:

“Willow Globe is our theatre but we’re not just a theatre - we join hands with people all over the world who value Shakespeare’s work.

We believe that Shakespeare can speak to everyone.  Across the centuries, across the generations, across cultures and across the globe.   Shakespeare entertains us.   He makes us laugh.  His language and the images he conjures up delight us.    His profound understanding of human nature helps us understand ourselves and each other. 

And here we have some living proof of Shakespeare’s power to build bridges across the world.   It was my honour and my great pleasure to welcome Woodshed  Arts to the Willow Globe all the way from North Carolina.

The show they performed for us is a re-imagining of As You Like It, as a musical and in a contemporary urban setting.  The whole team from Woodshed Arts created this original new work together.

That was such a momentous achievement.  We at Willow Globe are proud and grateful that they cam to show their work here.”