Students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have been getting hands-on experience of what it is like to prepare to stage the world premiere of the much anticipated musical The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
DMU is a partner of Curve in Leicester, one of Britain’s finest regional theatres, and is offering Drama students opportunities to meet with the experts behind the production to learn how everything from front of house to backstage is organised to ensure the musical goes with a bang when it premieres in March.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ is one of Britain’s best-loved books and was written by the late Leicester author Sue Townsend, who received an honorary degree from DMU for her incredible contribution to literature.
DMU Drama students love the workshops at Curve which give them the chance to see how the skills they have acquired on their course can be applied in a theatre setting.
Drama student Corum Franklin said: “As a drama student and a budding actor, going to Curve has opened my eyes to the reality of the performance industry.
“Having the opportunity to work in a big theatre and the insight into what is involved in a major production is a brilliant way of getting a sense of what is involved when putting on a show.
“It has been a very interesting experience and I have learned so much.
“Simply having the opportunity to meet people who have been in the industry for upwards of 20 years and listening to their experiences and advice has been unbelievable. I cannot stress enough how helpful that has been.
“There is something humbling about witnessing the process of imagination, art and creativity involved. There is also so much more than the performance. There is the administration, marketing, management and so on. It adds a layer of context and appreciation I did not have before.”
Students from DMU have been able to attend technical rehearsals, a behind-the-scenes workshop and will have the chance of a meet and greet with the cast of Adrian Mole thanks to DMU being a partner for the show.
Famously set in 1980s Leicester, Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ follows the daily dramas and misadventures of Adrian’s adolescent life. With dysfunctional parents, ungrateful elders, a growing debt to school bully Barry Kent and an unruly pimple on his chin, life is hard for a misunderstood intellectual who is only 13¾.
With an infectious score and a script which stays true to the original novel, the world premiere production promises to bring the much-loved story of Adrian to life once more.
Posted on Friday 16 January 2015