Calderdale College present
‘Talking into the Darkness’

7.30pm on Wednesday 21 March 2007 @7.30pm
Calderdale College Studio Theatre.

Ticket £4 full £3 concession call 01422 357357

COLLEGE STUDENT WINS TOP DRAMA ACCOLADE

Performing Arts student Lee Barnes, from Calderdale College, has won a prestigious place at the National Student Drama Festival (NSDF) with a play that he has written, directed and in which he performs. Lee is on the new BA Hons Performing Arts course which the college is running in partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University.

“Talking into the Darkness” is one of only ten productions chosen for the Festival from 140 offered by the top drama schools and university drama departments around the country. Lee is the only student to represent a college of further education and the only chosen playwright from West Yorkshire. The NSDF is a week long event to be held in Scarborough at the end of March and a recognised launch pad for emerging artists. Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Dennis Potter, Meera Syal, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Timothy West, John Godber and Anthony Minghella all began their careers here.

Lee, now 24 and living in Willowfield, Halifax, left the Ridings school at 16 with a GCSE in Art and a double E in English. “It wasn’t the school, it was me. I was still growing up”, he said. “I switched off in class and chose not to learn but did enjoy drama”. After a series of jobs in shops, bars, a factory and as a builder’s labourer, he was allowed discretionary entry onto the BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts course at Calderdale College, aged 19, on the strength of his interview. Two years later he progressed onto the BA Hons course at the University of Central Lancashire but in the first term found finances difficult and was glad to return home to complete the course at Calderdale College.

“Talking into the Darkness”, performed by Lee and fellow student Laura Pedder, is about the breakdown of a relationship. “It’s a substantial and highly theatrical piece”, said Neil Horsfield, Lee’s tutor at Calderdale College. “It’s both humorous and moving and very powerful. Everyone who’s seen it is really knocked out by it. Having it accepted for the National Student Drama Festival is a huge achievement. The chances of getting through are tiny and Lee’s competed against the best drama departments in the country”.

“The play is not entirely autobiographical but it is based on my own experiences”, said Lee. “Writing, directing and performing means that I have really put my heart on my sleeve and left myself vulnerable to criticism, so being chosen for the Festival is a huge reward”.

“Lee is a real inspiration to young people who lack the confidence, financial background and support to make it in higher education”, said vice principal of Calderdale College, Maria Gilling. “He came here with few qualifications but with a talent which has been nurtured by our dedicated staff and we’re immensely proud of him”.

Lee’s production will be staged four times during the NDSF which runs from 29 March to 4 April and involves around 100 industry professionals. It also offers workshops and masterclasses run by well-known directors, casting directors and playwrights which offer further opportunities for emerging talent.

In spite of the company he will be mixing with, Lee is keeping his feet firmly on the ground. “I’m not looking too far ahead at the moment”, he said. “I want to keep myself grounded and open to all the opportunities that the Festival brings. I will listen and take everything in and see where I go from there”.