Welcome to

‘Playmakers’

Part of the Royal Manor Theatre Company’s future acting strength.

The Playmakers are the company’s junior group; our future acting strength.

Led by Graham, Mark and their team of assistants, the Playmakers truly are a talented group of young folk who love to entertain.

Children and theatre tend to be a natural partnership as youngsters can readily throw off the shackles of convention and be creative without concern for how they look or what they “should” be doing. In fact, amateur dramatics can have a plethora of benefits to kids of all ages and abilities. Check out some of the biggest advantages below.

Theatre is an Excellent Equaliser

Sure, a child may be “just a child”, but as a performer on the stage, he or she will be treated the same as the adults. Thus, age becomes much less of a factor than it is in “real life.” In an amateur dramatics group, a youngster has the same footing as someone twice or three times his or her age, which can be incredibly powerful from a psychological perspective.

Children Can be Who They Really Are

We all know that peer pressure can have an extremely negative impact on kids, especially those entering the tumultuous preteen and teen years. Fortunately, the theatre is a very comfortable, non-judgemental place in which they can explore their personalities without fear of retribution or snide remarks from classmates. The resultant self-esteem boost usually carries over into school, where they are less likely to be motivated by the “in” crowd.

Kids Can Find Their Strengths

Not everyone is a straight “A” student; that’s just the natural way of the world. However, it can be tough for a youngster who struggles in the classroom, as he or she often feels inadequate or “stupid”. Therefore, the experience of being lauded as an excellent actor, singer or dancer can be emotionally amazing for the child whose grades are less-than-superior. Ironically, those same grades often rise as the budding thespian or musician gains confidence.

Making New Friends

Often, children only know other kids with whom they attend school or play in their neighbourhood. By being exposed to other youngsters during an amateur dramatics society performance, they will have the opportunity to meet and work with peers they wouldn’t have otherwise known. Many times, this is an eye-opening event that can change a young individual’s perspective significantly.

Self-Discipline and Perseverance

Self-discipline doesn’t come naturally to many kids (or adults, for that matter). Thus, the behaviour must be learned and honed through practise. What better place to work on this skill than onstage? Certainly, when a child becomes involved with an amateur dramatics show, he or she will be expected to have more than a modicum of self-discipline; otherwise, his or her performance will be lacking.

Team Building

Unless a child is involved in a one-person show, he or she will be performing as part of a larger group. Just like a sports team, a group of thespians, musicians or dancers must be able to work with each other. They must also be dependable as well as professional. Kids quickly learn that their roles in the theatre carry high expectations.

Fun!

Finally, it’s just plain thrilling to be on stage, and most kids fall in love with amateur dramatics that first time they hear the audience’s laughter and applause. It makes them realise that they can do anything they want in life… and have fun, too! What better experience could any young person want?

‘Playmakers’ can help young people develop their theatrical skills in many ways…

Today’s children are taught many skills; however, how to speak in public is usually not one of them. Certainly, this isn’t shocking news. After all, most men and women would rather visit the dentist than talk in front of a crowd. Consequently, adults are notoriously hesitant to even broach the subject of public speaking with their children. For youngsters involved with amateur dramatics societies such as ‘Playmakers’, however, a world of public speaking opportunities and hints can be opened to them. They can learn how to address their peers and adults in a natural manner, and this ability has the potential to take them far in life.

If you have a budding thespian under your guardianship, remind yourself that he or she won’t simply learn the art of theatrical play by being involved with a dramatics troupe. He or she will also be given insights into public speaking tips that will help when giving an oral report in school or speaking in front of a group.

Diction

In order to be a good actor or singer, every performer must know the value of proper diction. And this holds true whether that performer is 5 or 105. It’s unlikely that your child will get very far in an amateur dramatics society if he or she cannot enunciate clearly. This is why most directors working with kids emphasise diction to make certain that their young stars can effectively belt out a tune or speak a line.

Volume

Every stage performer comes to realise early on that he or she must speak loudly in order to be heard and understood. If a child’s voice is too soft, his or her lines will be lost.

Public speakers must also intrinsically know how to alter the volume of their voices lest their words trail off into space. Having natural control over your vocal chords and diaphragm is a huge asset when addressing others, and once a child begins to do so on a regular basis, it becomes a habit.

Eye Contact

Singers (and sometimes thespians) may be required to make eye contact with the audience. Knowing how to do this without allowing it to become personally stressful is a learned behaviour and one that the most powerful public speakers use. When a child becomes comfortable making eye contact while addressing a crowd, it’s likely that he or she will hold on to this skill for years, enabling him or her to shine in public speaking situations.

Confidence

What young actor, dancer or singer doesn’t feel a swelling of pride when he or she is able to take to the stage and entertain an audience? The confidence that most child thespians get from being involved in an amateur dramatics society will help them enjoy the limelight when they publicly speak, rather than become terrified at the notion of being the centre of attention.

Improvisational Skills

Sometimes, things go wrong during a public speech. The microphone fails, the audience reacts strangely or outside noises threaten to interfere with the talk. At such times, an understanding of improvisational skills on the part of the speaker comes in handy.

Kids who have been given the opportunity to hone their improv talents will generally be more flexible when gaffes occur during their speeches. If something goes awry, they’ll be able to calmly move on without allowing it to ruin their experiences.

Expansive Vocabulary

Finally, children who are involved with amateur dramatics groups are introduced to a wealth of words, phrases and ideas. Typically, their vocabularies and understanding of the world around them increases in a positive way. Having a grasp on a variety of words can turn a mediocre speech into one that shines with insight and brilliance. Hence, if a child can pop a few “higher” thoughts into his or her talk, so much the better. Chances are that his or her speech will be remembered and praised.

Obviously, it’s not imperative that every child be a part of an amateur dramatics society. Some will simply never gravitate toward the stage, and that’s fine. But, if you have a budding thespian or director, don’t shy away from allowing your son or daughter to stretch his or her wings. The lessons learned from the stage could be some of the most valuable he or she will ever receive.

For further information about how to join ‘Playmakers’, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Some of the information on this page was used with kind permission from amateurdramatic.co.uk